The World

From The World and PRX, The Number in the News — Today’s number is 2,500. Residents of Blackhall Colliery, England, have been stumbling on bundles of cash since 2014. In total, more than $40,000 have been found. Now, police say the “culprits” have come forward.

The impeachment trial of US President Donald Trump begins Tuesday, and its implications ripple far beyond the United States. Former Ambassador Nicholas Burns talks with host Marco Werman about how the work of the State Department continues while foreign policy itself is at the center of the allegations against the president. And, an outbreak of a coronavirus is spreading with more than 200 confirmed cases in China. Health authorities are concerned about more cases as the Chinese Lunar New Year kicks off this week and people travel throughout Asia. Also, there's network of Kenyans who are doing homework for students in the US, Canada and Great Britain for extra cash.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei led prayers on Friday and said in a sermon that the country has every right to flex its military muscle beyond its borders. Also, China released new data showing the country’s economy is slowing and birth rate figures are at their lowest rate in more than half a century. And, a bookseller in England is feeling the love after his tweet about not selling a single book on Tuesday went viral and now he is overwhelmed with orders.

Ukraine's Ministry of Internal Affairs announced Thursday that it would open a criminal probe into possible surveillance of former US Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch. Also, the death of a US citizen in an Egyptian prison raises serious questions. And, we have a profile of one of the biggest hip-hop stars in Europe — Alyona Alyona who raps from her home in Ukraine.

The House of Representatives voted on a resolution today to name impeachment managers and transmit the articles of impeachment to the Senate. Also, as Russian President Vladimir Putin gave his hours long federal state address today, he suddenly shifted to talk about changing the constitution. Plus, the potential perils when a cool microbrew goes global. Refugees from Myanmar say buying Fat Tire beer also helps buy bullets for Myanmar's army, which has been on trial for genocide at The Hague.

European nations have formally accused Iran of breaking the 2015 nuclear agreement, a move that could lead to the reimposition of UN sanctions on Tehran. The World asks: Why now? And what could new sanctions look like? Also, for the past several months, Americans have been hearing about Ukraine in the news. But for many Ukrainians, impeachment is the last thing on their minds. And, Canada is expected to be the part-time home to the UK's Prince Harry and his American wife, Meghan. But exactly where in Canada is a topic of fevered speculation, centered on British Columbia and Vancouver Island. Many residents there are pleased about the possibility of new royal neighbors

If the rise of despots around the world seems bewildering, especially given unprecedented access to information in 2019 — therein may lie the very problem. A new kind of propaganda has taken hold — one that relies on too much information, instead of too little. In Part III of our mini-series on Russian disinformation from The World's partners at the podcast "Raw Data," we take a look at how Vladimir Putin, leveraging 21st-century technology, engineered a media climate rife with conflict and conspiracies at home, and then took the strategy global. Putin not only took the disinformation strategy to US shores, but also to places around the world — with deadly results. We talk with journalist Peter Pomerantsev about his early warnings around Russia’s new menace, how it plays to the advantage of authoritarians — and how we now see their techniques put to use by politicians in the United States.

Iranians have taken to the streets for a third day in a row over anger toward their own government, as well as toward the US. Also, Texas is a huge participant in the US refugee resettlement program, but not for much longer. Texas Governor Greg Abbott told the US State Department that the state will not accept any refugees this year. Plus, Haitian-American flutist, composer and vocalist Nathalie Joachim, pays tribute to female artists in Haiti.

The United States, Canada and Britain all are now saying a missile was the reason for the deadly crash of a Ukrainian passenger plane this week. Iran still denies this and is pointed toward an unknown mechanical issue with the aircraft. We hear more about the evidence in cellphone videos taken as the plane came down. And, how do airlines choose to fly or not when a hostile situation is developing in a given area. Also, author and photographer Teju Cole has shared a playlist he made after spending time in Mali's capital enjoying live sets by top-notch guitarists.

What led to the crash of Ukrainian International Airlines Flight 752 in Iran early Wednesday remains a mystery. But US officials now say the plane may have been mistakenly shot down by an Iranian missile. And, scholars disagree on whether the killing of top Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani was legal. But critics argue the Trump administration has failed to make a legal case for the killing raising questions about the limits of executive power. Also, after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced they will be stepping down as senior royals, Queen Elizabeth has let her displeasure be known.