The World

The Indian government has declared heat waves to be official natural disasters. Also, with more than 4,000 cases reported in Democratic Republic of Congo, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say responders need to shift their focus to door-to-door disease tracking. And, just over a week since around 72,000 migrants crossed into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, roughly 2,000 minors, most of them Moroccan children, remain there, exposed and unprotected. Plus, this week marked a chord change in one of the world's longest concerts — lasting hundreds of years.

Iran's deputy foreign minister said today that his country and Oman are close to finalizing an agreement with the US to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Also, an ongoing NATO study tries to figure out why operators of high-speed rescue boats are at risk of chronic brain injuries. And, on the 81st anniversary of the US dropping a nuclear bomb on Hiroshima, we discuss a recently unearthed memoir that offers a firsthand account of what one man witnessed that day. Plus, capybaras become frequent visitors at a state legislature in Brazil.

Hundreds of people have been arrested across the Amazon this month in a sweeping five-country law enforcement operation going after a host of crimes in the world’s largest rainforest. Also, the Indian capital finds a creative way to beat the heat. And, France's first “House of Diversity” opens in Lyon. Plus, a century of Persian music in Iran.

The EU is scrambling to contain the political fallout after more than 70,000 migrants crossed into the Spanish territory of Ceuta from Morocco last Friday. Most have since returned home, but the critical response from several EU countries has laid bare divisions over the bloc's migration policy. Also, in India’s capital, public health experts are scrambling to offer protection for citizens against the deadly impact of severe heat. And, cadmium, a heavy metal linked to cancers and other diseases, is worrying French consumers — who, on average show, show levels in their bodies three to four times higher than the European average. Plus, a conversation with pioneering marine scientist Sylvia Earle as she reflects on decades spent under the sea.

Ukrainian drones have been striking warehouses belonging to Russia’s online retailer Wildberries. Ukrainian officials say the company provides Russian forces with drone components and navigation equipment; but the Wildberries’ CEO rejects the claim. Also, Ireland has introduced a public register of people convicted of serious domestic violence offenses, following a four-year campaign by the family of a murdered Dublin woman. And, climbers mourn the death of the first Omani woman to summit Mount Everest. Plus, the Slovakian town that wants to get rid of its UNESCO designation.

The UN’s Human Rights office has warned that Israeli settler violence in the West Bank is at an “all-time high.” Also, the US now controls much of Venezuela’s oil revenue, estimated at $13 billion in the first half of this year, but neither Washington nor Caracas have provided a full account of where the money has gone. And, Asia's soccer federation joined its European and North American counterparts in opposing FIFA's proposed privatization of the World Cup. Plus, a look at how AI is hijacking the identities of real musicians.

UEFA — the European soccer governing body — says its 55 teams will sit out all FIFA competitions for as long as a plan to allow investors to buy 20% of the organization remains in place. Also, lab-grown diamonds have exploded in popularity — thanks to their high quality, low cost and ethical considerations — upending the market for natural, mined diamonds. And, China begins mass producing electric vehicles with sodium-ion batteries, widely considered more sustainable and accessible than the standard lithium-ion batteries. Plus, we take a listen to an era of Egyptian disco music.

Members of a group known as the “Justice-Seeking Mothers” all have loved ones who were killed by the Iranian security forces during anti-government protests. They hold regular meetings and are united by the goal of keeping their children's stories alive. Also, Venezuela announces its plans to withdraw from the ICC. And, an investigation finds that an AI program in Canada that claims it can predict prisoners’ behaviors is meting out harsher conditions for Black inmates. Plus, a look at the fate of the beloved moped in Italy.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in Washington for talks today with US President Donald Trump, facing growing differences with the US over the war with Iran and Mideast strategy. Also, tigers have rebounded, especially in Nepal, but as the government prepares to release the latest tiger numbers, the challenge is figuring out how people and predators can share the same landscape. And, the French army’s 8th Signal Regiment is breeding the continent’s last military carrier pigeons. Plus, scientists have reported more frequent sighting of "supergroups" of humpback whales off the coast of South Africa.

For the first time, Spain has issued a state of emergency and tens of thousands of people have been evacuated in France as wildfires rage across western Europe. Also, Britain's National Crime Agency says one of the country's biggest cybersecurity threats is the rise of teenage hackers. And, a look at former Nepalese aid workers who have had to turn to sex work amid the fallout from US aid cuts. Plus, we take a listen to the music of young Algerian guitarist Fati Tiniri Tam.