The World

The United Nations Security Council has approved the dispatch of a multinational armed force led by Kenya to the beleaguered nation of Haiti, to help combat violent gangs. It's the first time in almost 20 years that a force would be deployed to the Caribbean nation. And, the rising number of undocumented immigrants has overwhelmed officials in many US cities. But business leaders in Topeka, Kansas, are reaching out to legal immigrants, paying a select few up to $15,000 to move to there. Also, as more private entities and governments launch into space, disposing of orbital debris has becoming a bigger problem. Left in the atmosphere, even small bits can damage satellites and spacecraft. Plus, growing demand for cocaine in Europe.

Hungarian American Katalin Karikó and American Drew Weissman won the Nobel Prize for medicine on Monday for discoveries that helped create the mRNA vaccines to protect against COVID-19. Some five decades of public and private research laid the groundwork for the quick development of the lifesaving immunizations. And, US Congress passed a short-term spending bill over the weekend but didn't include funding Ukraine's war effort. Why are some lawmakers now questioning monetary and military support to Ukraine? Also, the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, took responsibility for a bombing outside the Turkish Ministry of the Interior early Sunday. Two people were injured. We hear about the fallout from the attacks. Plus, police in Europe make record busts as demand for cocaine continues to grow.

A suspected suicide bomb blast during a procession to commemorate the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad has left more than 50 people dead and many more wounded in Pakistan’s Balochistan province. There's been growing instability in Pakistan caused by ISIS and the Pakistani Taliban. And, the Peace Corps started out as way for idealistic young people to do good and change the world. But with countries producing their own college graduates and even poor farmers connected by cellphones, is it still relevant? Also, Europe’s rewilding efforts are seeing spectacular successes in Spain, where wild horses run free and vultures are once again circling the remote canyons of one of Europe’s least populated areas. Plus, from village to village, a Kurdish musician records old folk songs to preserve a generation.

The leader of the breakaway Armenian republic of Nagorno-Karabakh says the enclave will dissolve its state institutions on Jan. 1, 2024. Residents have been streaming out of the mountainous enclave since Azerbaijan seized control of it last week. And, China is home to the world's largest high-speed rail network. The country is now launching a new high-speed system that will cut across bodies of water and along the coast of Fujian province in the country's southeast. Also, the Women's Initiatives for Gender Justice was a strong voice in The Hague for victims of gender violence in places like northern Uganda, where rebel leader Joseph Kony terrorized the local population. Now, its former director, Brigid Inder, is being accused of funding him behind the scenes. Plus, how Sasami's zainichi Korean heritage informs her music.

On Wednesday, at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, six Portuguese people between the ages of 11 and 24 years old are presenting their case. They accuse the 32 members of the European Union of violating their human rights for what they say is a failure to adequately address climate change. And, NASA astronaut Frank Rubio returned to Earth from the international space station today. Rubio's return along with Russian cosmonauts comes at a time when US-Russia relations are in question. Also, "fast fashion" routinely borrows the designs of Southeast Asia's Indigenous weavers in the hill tribes of Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. Now some are calling it plagiarism. Plus, a modern take on an ancient Chinese folktale.

On the 12th day of the United Autoworkers strike, President Joe Biden joined the picketers in Wayne County, Michigan. The UAW strike involves American autoworkers but Canada and Mexico play a critical role in the supply chain of the US auto industry. And, billionaire Hong Kong publisher Jimmy Lai has been languishing in prison for the past three years. He’s one of the most high-profile supporters of the island’s pro-democracy movement and a persistent thorn in China's side. Also, break dancing started in the US in the 1970s, but it has since spread across the globe. It's now set to make its Olympic debut in Paris next summer. Plus, Lego scraps its first attempt at a recycled plastic toy brick.

Ethnic Armenians have been fleeing Stepanakert, the capital of the Armenian enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, which is now under the control of Azerbaijan, the country that surrounds it on all sides. We look at how this latest crisis fits into a long history of division, displacement and war. Also, US Senator from New Jersey Bob Menendez is facing accusations of taking bribes in return for favorably treating the government of Egypt. Now, there are calls to reassess US aid for Egypt. Plus, new immigrants in many parts of the United States can have a hard time finding work if they don't have a driver's license. But it can also be difficult to pass a driving test in a new language. That's why the state of Maine is expanding its multilingual driving schools. And, a choir in Spain will start selecting a group of girls to join the boys at the altar, singing at Sunday masses.

Indigenous communities in Brazil are celebrating after the country’s supreme court rejected a legal policy that would have weakened their ability to claim land.  Also, a new book talks about the most powerful woman in North Korean history: Kim Yo-jong, the sister of Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un. And, major film sets across the UK have had to close down because of the actors’ and writers’ strikes in the US. Plus, a look at Lachlan Murdoch, son of the famed media tycoon Rupert Murdoch, who is set to take over his father’s media empire.

The Biden administration is expanding and extending its temporary protected status order for Venezuela, allowing Venezuelans to work. This includes nearly half a million Venezuelans currently in the US. And, Poland's prime minister has said that Ukraine will no longer receive weapons because Poland is upgrading to more modern weaponry. This announcement comes on the heels of a dispute over economic protection for Poland's farmers as the country has banned the import of Ukrainian grain. Also, Pope Francis recently set off a firestorm among Ukrainian Catholics when he praised Russia's great past and culture. Ukrainian Greek Catholics, for whom the pope is a spiritual leader, would like to hear his support for Ukraine in the war against Russia. Plus, this Freetown mayor focuses on climate resilience.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres only invited leaders with credible new climate pledges to speak at this year’s UN climate ambition summit. But the UN has limited power to cajole nations when it comes to climate. And, Armenian separatist forces in Azerbaijan's breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh surrendered on Wednesday, 24 hours after Azerbaijani forces began an offensive to take full control of its territory. Also, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Joe Biden have been at odds over proposed judicial reforms in Israel, which Netanyahu backs. On Wednesday, the two leaders are expected to meet on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. Plus, reparations for Japanese Canadians may be seen as too little, too late.