The US and Ukraine are planning to work together to develop Ukraine's mineral, oil and gas resources. Also, the Israeli military has conducted strikes in southern Syria as Syrians work through their political transition period. And, development and the elements are unearthing some of the first mummies in the world in Chile. Plus, Japanese youth turn to some unconventional dating methods.

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With a new administration at the helm, the US voted yesterday against a UNGA resolution blaming Russia for the war in Ukraine. Also, hundreds of Syrians from diverse ethnic and minority communities gathered this week in Damascus for a national dialogue conference to chart the country’s political transition. And, mixed reactions in Russia over Oscar-nominated film “Anora.” Plus, “listening lounges” are music bars in Japan that aim to maximize the audio experience.

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Leaders from around the world are visiting Kyiv to mark three years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Also, Israeli troops have sent tanks into West Bank cities and towns as Palestinians flee their homes in search of safety from shelling and violence. And, Turkey is exporting eggs to the US amid a shortage and skyrocketing prices caused by the spread of bird flu. Plus, Venezuelan comedians and satirists find humor while in exile.

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The earthquake in Haiti in 2010 devastated the island and renewed Temporary Protected Status for Haitian immigrants to the United States. Those protections have been extended in light of the extraordinary gang violence that has overtaken Haiti in recent years. The Trump administration has decided to TPS for Haitians early, at the end of summer 2025. We hear about what this means for Haitians in the US, and what it means for US foreign policy and security in the long run. Also, Germany's stagnant economy and heated rows over immigration policy have dominated this month's election campaign. Germany heads to the polls on Sunday with Chancellor Olaf Scholz's (SPD) party trailing in third place. Many eyes will be on how the far right fares on Sunday while voters in Berlin say they just want a government that can get the economy back on track. And, origami is the art of folding paper into basically any design you can imagine, from cranes and paper planes to fiery dragons. The ancient art can be traced back to Japan from thousands of years ago and has since spread across the globe. Origami's evolution continues, though, as STEM experts see how it can be used to solve real-life problems.

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Hamas and Israel continued their prisoner-for-hostage exchanges as part of the ceasefire deal in Gaza, but on Thursday, the hostages released to Israel were already dead. Hamas claims they were killed by Israeli airstrikes while they were in captivity, which Israeli officials have not denied. The occasion was a somber shift in tone for the hostage releases, which are usually days of relief and celebration in Israel. Also, on Wednesday, in Paris, European leaders held another round of emergency talks focused on how to bolster the continent’s defense capabilities and support Ukraine’s fight against Russia. The continent is worried about how to defend itself in a world with fewer security guarantees from NATO ally the US. Also, a German court rules that Birkenstocks are not art that can be copyrighted. Hear about the history and aesthetic of the beloved, ugly, centuries-old German footwear. And, the story of the Latvian film "Flow," about animals banding together to survive a flood, which is up for an Oscar.

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Brazil's former president, Jair Bolsonaro, has been charged for alleged involvement in a coup plot following his 2022 election defeat. The allegations include plans to murder his opponent Lula da Silva, the current president. These are the first criminal charges faced by Bolsonaro, who is already banned from running in the country's upcoming presidential election. Also, authorities in the Philippines have come up with a creative way to combat the mosquito-borne illness dengue. They’ve put a bounty on the heads of mosquitos to encourage locals to collect the insects and their larvae. And, in most so-called megacities with populations over 10 million people, traffic is a megaproblem. And so is the air population. But Tokyo, with a population of 37 million, bucks that trend, thanks to a massive web of public transit that keeps cars off the road. 

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The US and Russia met on Tuesday for the first time in Saudi Arabia to begin negotiations on the future of Ukraine. The two sides agreed to set up teams that will hammer out an agreement. Ukrainian and European leaders are not happy about being left out. Also, in the wake of yet another airline disaster, many are wondering whether air travel is more dangerous than in the past or if we're just hearing about crashes more often than we used to. A Delta flight flipped over on Monday after landing in Toronto. And, after World War II, center-right parties in Germany formed a solid buffer against extremist parties, refusing to cooperate with them. Up until now, that buffer seemed to hold. But a gamble from Friedrich Merz, Germany’s likely next chancellor, to accept the votes of far-right lawmakers to try and pass his hard-line immigration laws, has led many to say he has broken the firewall.

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European leaders and Trump administration officials are attending the Munich Security Summit over the weekend. We'll have the latest on what was discussed, and how it might effect the war in Ukraine." Also, as we continue a deep dive into Ukraine news, we reflect on the "Maidan Revolution," as it's been called, which was a protest against a Russia-installed leader of Ukraine. Many people, especially younger Ukrainians, wanted the country to lean toward the West, not Russia. And, in Ukraine, musician Svyatoslav Vakarchuk is a living legend. But few of his songs have had as much meaning or poignancy as "Chovan," which describes the country on both sides of the Dnipro River. As The World's hosts explain, while the bridge over that river has been destroyed, the spiritual bridge that connects all Ukrainians remains firmly intact.   

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Rafik Hariri was a charismatic Lebanese prime minister who oversaw an era of relative economic and political stability until his assassination. Amal Mudallali was Rafik Hariri’s foreign policy adviser and more recently a permanent representative to the UN for Lebanon, who spoke about Hariri's legacy and the opportunity Lebanon is now confronted with. Also,  Australia has passed tough anti-hate laws, with mandatory jail time for giving the Nazi salute in public. It's part of an effort to combat a wave of anti-semitism in the country.Also, as controversy continues around South Korea's impeached president, a look at the anti-feminist platform that brought him to power, and the state of feminism in South Korea today. And, Chile’s biggest carnival is kicking off at full speed on Friday. As many as 150,000 people have traveled to the northern Chilean town of Arica to participate. Our reporter takes us there.

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President Donald Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth have signaled a dramatic shift in the US approach to Russia, Ukraine, and the NATO alliance. Where does that leave Europe? Also, the latest craze in cryptocurrency is using memes to bring attention to specific coins. They're called meme coins, and they're risky, because they're backed by nothing but internet attention. Now, one of the world's poorest countries has become the first to launch a national meme coin. The Central African Republic's president launched it on X, and it's been a wild ride ever since.  And, in Spain, the trial of former women's national team coach Luis Rubiales comes to an end; Rubiales is accused of sexual aggression for a victory kiss that player Jennifer Hermoso says was not consensual.

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