The World

In a quick ceremony in Brussels, Finland was officially accepted into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization as its 31st member. The Kremlin aired its grievances against the alliance, claiming that troops would be deployed to the area along Russia's border with Finland. And, starting this month, the Japanese government is offering a new incentive to get families in densely populated Tokyo to move out to less populated areas: 1 million yen — about $7,600 — per child. Also, the US military is facing a recruitment crisis. The Army missed its target by 25% during the past fiscal year. Other branches of the military are also seeing a drop in recruiting. Plus, a call for bell ringers for Britain's coronation.

Russian authorities have detained a 26-year-old native of St. Petersburg after a bomb killed a prominent military blogger in a café on Sunday. Russian officials are accusing Ukraine and Russian opposition activists for the attack. And, more than 60 Chinese Christians fleeing government harassment are struggling to reach the US. They’ve been detained along the way in Thailand on visa charges. Also, the fate of Ecuador's President Guillermo Lasso is in the hands of the country's national assembly after the constitutional court approved impeachment proceedings against him for acts of corruption. Plus, how the Taliban won Afghanistan.

Donald Trump has made history as the first US president to be indicted for a crime, but this is something that’s pretty common around the globe. We hear about how numerous world leaders have been caught up in their own legal problems. Also, inflation has long haunted the economy of Argentina. But it’s now reaching excruciating levels, soaring past 100%, the highest level in 30 years. And, the ascension of Humza Yousaf as the first minister of Scotland is another historic milestone for the United Kingdom. He’s the first Muslim and first South Asian to hold the position. This also follows Rishi Sunak’s rise as prime minister of Britain. Plus, the Museum of Failure started in Sweden back in 2017. It has since traveled the world, displaying more than 150 failed products. But the museum isn’t about making fun of the inventions. It’s about using them to normalize failure.

Russia's security services arrested American reporter Evan Gershkovich, of The Wall Street Journal, in Moscow on Thursday. Gershkovich was hit with espionage charges by Russia's government — a first for a US correspondent since the Cold War. And, Rafael Grossi, head of the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency, said the situation in war-torn Zaporizhzhia is "very dangerous," as continued shelling in the area is jeopardizing safe operations at the nuclear plant there. Also, the 15th-century “Doctrine of Discovery'' provided the legal basis for the colonial-era seizure of Indigenous lands. On Thursday, Pope Francis formally repudiated the doctrine. Plus, a guy in a bear suit makes people smile on the streets of Kyiv, Ukraine.

The relationship between the US and Israel has always been strong. But as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his right-wing coalition tried to overhaul Israel's judicial system, fissures between the two leaders have begun to show. And, Mar. 29 marks 50 years since President Richard Nixon announced that all US combat troops had left Vietnam. Also, more than 1,000 AI researchers and tech leaders have called for a moratorium on AI training. The letter warns that no person can truly understand the complicated systems they are creating in AI labs, and that they could pose an existential danger. Plus, a rare collection of Shakespeare's Folios are up for sale.

Dozens of migrants are dead after a fire swept through a holding facility in the Mexican border town of Ciudad Juárez. Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador says the fire was started by migrants who were protesting news of their deportation. And, during the Khmer Rouge's reign, many of Cambodia's ancient relics were spirited out of the country. Now, looted antiquities are starting to be returned. Also, protests in France continued on Tuesday as workers railed against raising the retirement age from 62 to 64. These reforms would theoretically help young people, but students have turned out in droves to support the older generation. Plus, we remember the Ethiopian pianist and nun Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou, who died at the age of 99.

After weeks of mass protests in Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced he will hit pause on a controversial plan to overhaul the judicial system. The growing demonstrations have shuttered shops and universities, and grounded flights. And, Paul Rusesabagina, the man portrayed in the Hollywood film "Hotel Rwanda," has been freed from prison in Kigali. Two years ago, Rusesabagina was sentenced to 25 years behind bars on terrorism charges. Many at the time said the trial was a farce. Also, many Ukrainian athletes have had to move abroad to train for the Olympics since Russia invaded their country last February. They now face the possibility of competing against Russians and Belarusians at the Paris Games in 2024. Plus, Ghanaian gospel music for the dance floor.

The US and Canada have agreed to change a decades-old asylum agreement, putting more restrictions on migrants seeking protections in Canada. And, since the 9th century, monks, aristocrats and emperors have all tracked the date of "full flower" for cherry blossoms, providing an unusually complete record of spring coming earlier in Japan. Also, congressional leaders sparred with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew in Washington on Thursday, when Chew was on Capitol Hill to discuss TikTok's data security. The US is considering a ban on the the social media platform that is used by over 150 million Americans. Plus, sounds from the Brazilian 11-piece samba big band in Miami.

US President Joe Biden is visiting Canada today to meet with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and address Canada's Parliament in Ottawa. US-Canada border relations are at the top of the agenda. And, mice are plaguing tiny, uninhabited Marion Island located southeast of South Africa in the Indian Ocean. The invasive mouse population is threatening the birds, and conservationists say they need to go. Also, Israel's Knesset has passed a law limiting the ways a sitting prime minister can be declared unfit for office. Critics see it as a shield to protect Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from fallout amid an ongoing corruption trial. Plus, the late-Malian master of the desert blues, Ali Farka Touré, left behind many recordings.

Kayla Williams was deployed to Iraq in 2003 as an Arabic linguist two days after the US-led invasion began. She talks about the long-term physical and psychological impact of the war on veterans. And, the International Monetary Fund and Ukraine have agreed to terms that pave the way for a $15.6 billion relief package, designed to prop up the government's intense military spending and the blows Russian forces have dealt to the economy. Also, New Zealand's government has launched a campaign to help teenagers and young adults heal from romantic breakups. The "Love Better" campaign includes Kiwi teens talking about the added stress social media plays when a relationship ends. Plus, scientists show how language connects with thought process.