World Beat

Producer: Liu Chang

Host: Wang Zongnan

Correspondents: Shadati, Chen Xiao

VO: Lyu Yanhao, Zeng Yan

As a fragile ceasefire holds in the US–Iran conflict, tensions are rising again in the Strait of Hormuz. But beyond blockades and political statements, what does this war actually feel like for people living through it in Tehran?

In this episode, we step away from the headlines and bring you voices from the ground -- capturing fear, resilience, and the quiet hope that still endures.

In this episode:

• What war looks like in Tehran: airstrikes, smoke-filled skies, and the psychological toll on civilians

• Life under fire: how subways, markets, and everyday routines keep going

• The hidden cost: economic strain, inflation, and a population already under pressure

• Holding on to hope: small acts of normalcy and a shared wish for peace

From bomb shelters to flower markets, from fear to resilience -- this is the human side of a conflict often reduced to strategy and headlines.

🎧 Listen for the voices that rarely make it into the news.

🎧 Stay for the stories that remind us what’s really at stake.

This is World Beat.

For feedback or inquiries, follow us on ⁠⁠Xinhua News App⁠⁠, Facebook ⁠⁠@World Beat Podcast⁠⁠. You can also find World Beat on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

前往小宇宙评论区与主播互动

Producer: Liu Chang

Hosts: Wang Zongnan & Aiwei

In Part 2 of our year-end special, World Beat continues revisiting the stories that defined 2025 — and what came after the headlines.

This episode covers:

• U.S. prices: Inflation cools to 2.7 percent, but energy costs stay high and many Americans feel the squeeze
• Trump’s tariffs: From threats to reality — how tariffs reshaped prices, jobs and factory decisions
• Gaza ceasefire: A fragile but lasting truce, regional spillover, and why a broader deal still matters
• Guns and polarization: Mass shootings, political extremism, and a deeply divided United States

Part 2 of our End-of-Year Special — following Part 1’s look at Epstein, Ukraine, immigration and Trump’s alliances

Thanks for listening. We’ll see you in 2026.

For feedback or inquiries, follow us on ⁠⁠Xinhua News App⁠⁠, Facebook ⁠⁠@World Beat Podcast⁠⁠. You can also find World Beat on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
前往小宇宙评论区与主播互动

Producer: Liu Chang

Hosts: Wang Zongnan & Aiwei

As 2025 draws to a close, World Beat looks back at the stories that shaped the year — and what happened after the headlines faded. In Part 1 of our year-end special, we revisit four defining themes, from U.S. politics to global diplomacy.

In this episode:

• The Epstein Files — Promised transparency, mass redactions, and a political firestorm as Congress forces the release of long-sealed documents.
• Zelensky, Trump, and Peace Talks — A year of summits, sidelined negotiations, and mounting doubts over whether diplomacy actually slowed the war in Ukraine.
• ICE and Immigration — Raids, arrests, and growing criticism as immigration enforcement surged to unprecedented levels across the U.S.
• Trump and Musk — From public fallout to reconciliation, and how volatile alliances reshaped space policy and Washington power dynamics.

This is Part 1 of our 2025 year-in-review.

Part 2 drops soon. Don’t miss it.

Happy holidays, and thanks for listening.

For feedback or inquiries, follow us on ⁠⁠Xinhua News App⁠⁠, Facebook ⁠⁠@World Beat Podcast⁠⁠. You can also find World Beat on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

前往小宇宙评论区与主播互动

Producer: Liu Chang

Hosts: Zongnan & Aiwei

This week on World Beat, we break down the biggest global stories — from Nvidia’s latest opening in China to Trump’s headline-grabbing FIFA “peace prize,” renewed border fighting in Southeast Asia, and more.

Topics we cover:

• Nvidia’s China comeback after Trump approves H200 chip sales.
• Thai–Cambodia border clashes displacing hundreds of thousands and testing July’s ceasefire.
• Trump’s FIFA “peace prize” handed out by Gianni Infantino — now under ethics scrutiny.
• Trump’s attacks on Somali Americans, rising xenophobia, and new TPS rollback plans.
• Trump’s approval rating, now at 41 percent, with immigration dragging down public support.
• Syria one year after Assad’s fall, from economic strain to fragile security.

Stay tuned for the full breakdown.

For feedback or inquiries, follow us on ⁠⁠Xinhua News App⁠⁠, Facebook ⁠⁠@World Beat Podcast⁠⁠. You can also find World Beat on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

前往小宇宙评论区与主播互动

Producer: Liu Chang

Hosts: Wang Zongnan & Aiwei

This week on World Beat, we break down the top global headlines, from Ukraine’s high-stakes peace talks to the UK’s sugar tax expansion, stay tuned for more.

• Trump’s Ukraine Ultimatum -- Zelensky to meet Trump on NATO and army limits: peace deal or political theater?
• Gaza Ceasefire Fragility -- UN calls for justice as the ceasefire struggles to hold.
• UK Sugar Tax Expansion -- Milkshakes and lattes to be taxed starting 2028.
• Trump EPA Rollback -- Biden-era soot and power-plant rules scrapped.
• U.S. Consumer Confidence Drops -- Jobs, inflation, tariffs and shutdown fears weigh on Americans.
• China’s Tiangong Rescue Mission -- Three taikonauts safely rescued.

For feedback or inquiries, follow us on ⁠⁠Xinhua News App⁠⁠, Facebook ⁠⁠@World Beat Podcast⁠⁠. You can also find World Beat on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

前往小宇宙评论区与主播互动

Producer: Liu Chang

Hosts: Wang Zongnan & Aiwei

The U.S. government shutdown is stretching dangerously close to a new record. In this episode, we’ll unpack what’s going on and what makes this crisis different from before.

Highlights:

• The current shutdown has lasted 34 days—just one day short of breaking the record by the time this episode is released. We’ll see if it does.
• The impact is spreading: federal workers snapping under stress, endless lines for free meals, airport security grinding, and public spaces closing down.
• And we’ll ask a bigger question: why does this one feel so directionless? In past shutdowns, someone was at least trying to end it—but not this time.

For feedback or inquiries, follow us on ⁠Xinhua News App⁠, Facebook ⁠@World Beat Podcast⁠. You can also find World Beat on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
前往小宇宙评论区与主播互动

Producer: Liu Chang

Hosts: Wang Zongnan & Aiwei

At the UN General Assembly, Donald Trump called climate change “the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world.”

But why does this message — mocking renewables, defending fossil fuels, dismissing science — still resonate with so many Americans?

In this episode, we ask:

• Why is Trump so hostile to climate action?
• How do economy, business interests, and party politics shape his stance?
• Why does rejecting science feel like loyalty in U.S. politics?
• And what does the rest of the world make of it — especially as China pushes ahead on green energy?

For feedback or inquiries, follow us on Xinhua News App, Facebook @World Beat Podcast. You can also find World Beat on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
前往小宇宙评论区与主播互动

Producer: Liu Chang

Hosts: Wang Zongnan & Aiwei

Britain, France, Canada, Australia, and more — Western capitals are suddenly lining up to recognize Palestine. Today, over 80 percent of UN members now do. But what’s driving this wave, and why is Washington still holding back?

In this episode of World Beat :

• The humanitarian disaster in Gaza and the stories moving public opinion.
• Domestic politics across the West, from collapsing poll numbers to street protests.
• Geopolitics, from Macron’s U-turn to Britain’s balancing act.
• The U.S. divide — from evangelical prophecy to a growing generational split.
• And why, for now, recognition remains more symbol than solution.

For feedback or inquiries, follow us on Xinhua News App, Facebook @World Beat Podcast. You can also find World Beat on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
前往小宇宙评论区与主播互动

| Producer: Liu Chang

| Hosts: Wang Zongnan & Aiwei

Conservative activist Charlie Kirk — Trump ally and leader of Turning Point USA — was shot and killed on stage in Utah on Sept. 10. The suspect faces the death penalty. His death has triggered grief, anger, and political finger-pointing, while also reviving a debate about America’s divisions.

In this episode, Zongnan and Aiwei look at who Kirk was, why his death matters, and what it says about political violence in today’s America.

Timeline

·  00:50 The Incident – How prosecutors built the case, the suspect’s alleged confession, and Trump blaming the “radical left.”

·  01:44 Who Was Charlie Kirk? – From launching a conservative youth group at 18, to multimillion-dollar fundraising, viral campus debates, and controversial clips that resurfaced after his death.

·  03:59 Youth Politics – Why more young Americans are shifting right, with one researcher calling it a “fatal miscalculation” by Democrats.

·  05:17 Reactions – Divided media coverage, late-night satire, and Secretary of State Rubio saying visas are being denied to those celebrating the killing.

·  07:10 Political Violence – Other recent attacks, rising polarization, and the idea that perception can turn into reality when mistrust grows.

For feedback or inquiries, follow us on Xinhua News App, Facebook @World Beat Podcast. You can also find World Beat on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

前往小宇宙评论区与主播互动

Producer: Liu Chang

Hosts: Wang Zongnan & Aiwei

China has launched one of the most ambitious hydropower projects in history: the Medog Hydropower Project on the Yarlung Tsangpo River in Tibet. Supporters say it will deliver clean energy, fuel development, and help China reach its carbon goals. Critics warn of environmental damage and regional tensions with India and Bangladesh.

In this episode, we unpack the scale, controversies, and global implications of the world’s next mega-dam.

Timestamps

•  00:00 – Opening: The Medog Hydropower Project explained

•  01:31 – Why it’s controversial: downstream worries, ecological risks

•  02:45 – China’s past experience with Mekong cooperation

•  04:00 – Benefits: clean energy, carbon cuts, local development, economic potential: “green-powered AI” and more

•  06:44 – Ending: balancing act between development and ecology

For feedback or inquiries, follow us on Xinhua News App, Facebook @World Beat Podcast. You can also find World Beat on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

前往小宇宙评论区与主播互动