The Sednaya Prison complex in Damascus was synonymous with the Syrian government's reputation for brutality. Once inside, prisoners had little chance of coming out alive. Over the past week, thousands of families rushed to the prison in the hopes of finding their missing loved ones. Also, Ukraine needs more troops to fend off Russian invaders. The draft age in Ukraine was already lowered from 27 to 25. Now, they're talking about drafting men who are 18 to 25. And, why the changing climate in places like Brazil and Vietnam will soon have you paying more for that morning cup of Joe.

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South Korea's president says he'll "fight to the end." But he's facing calls from all sides to resign. And the opposition says it plans to move on a second impeachment measure. We have the latest from the South Korean capital, Seoul. Also, why Syria's new leaders are working to get punishing economic sanctions lifted as soon as possible. And, we meet a man who was trafficked by an organized crime operation in Southeast Asia and forced to work as an internet scammer. 

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Many Syrians who have lived in Turkey for years are eager to return home to Syria. But others say an evolving security situation and financial concerns are giving them pause. Meanwhile, governments across Europe have paused asylum applications submitted by Syrians. Also, a new report by the OECD finds that reading and math scores for adults in most of the world’s high-income countries have declined during the past decade. And, the Arctic tundra is now releasing more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than it stores. Plus, a man from New Zealand who doesn’t speak Spanish has won the Spanish Scrabble championships.

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As many Syrians rejoice at the downfall of the former dictatorship in their country, Israel has been conducting numerous strikes on targets across Syria, reportedly destroying chemical weapons stores belonging to the former Assad regime. Also, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu takes the stand in his long-running corruption trial, facing charges of fraud, breach of trust and taking bribes. And, the Dominican Republic has deported more than 71,000 Haitians back to Haiti since October, and hoping to continue to deport thousands more each week. Plus, the universe is expanding at a rate faster than previously believed.

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For the first time in two decades, Syrians say they are experiencing a taste of freedom after President Bashar al-Assad’s ouster. Also, a motion to impeach South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol failed over the weekend but many are still calling on him to resign. And, Ghana’s former President John Dramani Mahama has clinched a comeback election victory and will return to power seven years after stepping down. Plus, singer-guitarist Olguita Acuña carries on her activism after fleeing to Costa Rica from Nicaragua.

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A top Romanian court has annulled results from the first round of the country's vote for president. The unprecedented ruling comes after the declassification of intelligence alleging that a Russian campaign had promoted the far-right winner. Our Europe correspondent has the latest. Also, a new directive from the Taliban bans women in Afghanistan from studying dentistry, nursing, and midwifery. And, a standup comic from Zimbabwe on how jokes land differently in the US.

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As a successful no-confidence vote topples the French government, a look at the political career of President Emmanuel Macron, whose presidency once signaled hope for change. Also, this week marks 40 years since the world's deadliest industrial disaster. The Bhopal gas leak originating at a pesticide plant in 1984 exposed 500,000 people in India to toxic vapors, killing thousands that night and leaving many more with serious health issues that persist to this day. How the Bhopal disaster changed India. And, Google's new AI weather forecasting tool, in the context of a global need for longer-term weather predictions.

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In South Korea on Wednesday, the streets were relatively calm after a night that many saw as the beginning of a coup d'état. That followed the president's controversial declaration of martial law. With the president now facing an impeachment effort by parliament, many Koreans are calm but concerned. Also, new research out of Canada shows that the company Amazon restricts access to books in Middle Eastern countries such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. And, a new law in Belgium makes sex workers eligible for labor rights and protections.

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South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol issued a surprise televised announcement overnight imposing martial law, saying "North Korean forces" needed to be eradicated. Lawmakers quickly acted to cancel the emergency declaration, but the bitter political divide in the country remains unresolved. Also, a coalition of rebel forces in Syria is continuing its advance after capturing Aleppo, making its way through towns and villages toward the central city of Hama. And, a court in Vietnam upholds the death penalty for property tycoon Truong My Lan following her April conviction for embezzlement and bribery amounting to $12.5 billion. Plus, an aging population across Japan is redefining what it means to work.

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Syria's anti-government rebels launched a massive offensive last week, taking most observers by surprise and gaining control over  the largest city, Aleppo. The regime of President Bashar al-Assad has responded by conducting aerial attacks on Aleppo city and Idlib province. Also, the president of the International Criminal Court lashed out at the US and Russia for interfering with its investigations as the institution’s annual meeting opened on today. And, a gathering of more than 200 nations convened in Busan, South Korea, to reach a landmark agreement on ending plastic pollution, but left without achieving its goal after pressure from oil-rich nations. Plus, Hong Kong launches its “PANDA GO! FEST HK” festival with 2,500 panda statues made of recycled rubber barrels to be put on display this month.

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