A new report by Mediazona and the BBC finds that more than 70,000 Russian soldiers have died in the war in Ukraine. Also, Israel and Hezbollah continue to exchange fire as US President Joe Biden calls for comprehensive peace deal. And, a top official of the European Commission discusses regulating Big Tech. Plus, how the song, “We Are the World” changed the life of a musician from Uganda.

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Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah gave a speech in Lebanon acknowledging the deadly attacks this week that caused pagers and walkie-talkies to explode across the country. He called it a "severe blow,” but also promised that Hezbollah will continue attacking Israel until the war in Gaza ends. Also, the US and Chinese militaries are talking to each other again, but can more face time avert a dangerous conflict? And, Mexican drug cartels don’t actually rely on migrants crossing the border illegally to bring fentanyl into the US. Instead they’re recruiting a growing number of high school and college students. Plus, a man who's lived in Maine for over a decade is now hoping he can make a difference by becoming president of Jubaland state in Somalia.

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Recent attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon haven't come in the form of drones or missile strikes. The weapons were already in the targets' hands: their pagers and walkie-talkies. We'll hear how people in Lebanon are feeling and perhaps changing their habits in the aftermath of the coordinated explosion of communication devices. Also, the nations around the globe are nearly evenly split between democracies and autocracies. But the autocracies are home to about 70% of the world’s population. We examine democracy under strain, as dictators consolidate power — and hold onto it. And in Japan, tourists and weather have been blamed for a shortage of rice. But farmers and analysts think something else is going on.

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Across Lebanon and reportedly in Syria, Hezbollah operatives have been gravely injured and killed when their pagers exploded. It bears the hallmarks of a coordinated attack and is a major strike against Hezbollah. Also, deadly flooding is underway in more than one global region, with death tolls rising from catastrophic floods in central Europe, and millions displaced by rising waters in central and western Africa. Also, in Lebanon, hundreds of pagers used by members of Hezbollah exploded simultaneously, resulting in dozens of injuries. And a profile of a Japanese drummer with an unconventional performance style. His antics include playing a snare drum with his teeth.

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More details are emerging about the background of the man allegedly involved in the second attempted assassination of former US President Donald Trump. One particular aspect of the would-be shooter's history that stands out: His obsession with Ukraine's fight against Russia. A retired FBI agent talks about that. When wildfires rage in remote places, the challenge isn't just to fight the fires; even finding and reaching the fires in order to put them out can be difficult. In a densely vegetated region of Brazil, drones have started helping out. Also, women, activists, and human rights advocates in Iraq say they are worried about a set of possible changes to family law. The new proposal would give religious authorities more power over marriage, divorce, inheritance and child custody. And the Biden administration has waived human rights conditions on US military aid to Egypt. This comes after three years of partially withholding assistance from Egypt. We're looking into the calculations and reasoning behind that shift.

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South America is seeing a record number of wildfires, and a smoky haze hung in the air in cities like São Paulo this week. The World's Carolyn Beeler reports from western Brazil, where climate change is fueling unprecedented flames in the Pantanal wetlands. Plus, video has emerged of North Korea's Kim Jong-un touring a uranium enrichment facility. Analysts say these images will help experts estimate with more accuracy how much nuclear capability North Korea has achieved. And a new book from Atlas Obscura compiles delightful stories of the living creatures whose behavior ranks right up there with the wonders of the world. 

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Authorities in Belarus have granted amnesty to several dozen political detainees in recent weeks. These are opposition figures, part of the movement that protested the reelection in 2020 of Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko over his authoritarian domestic policies. We hear from a political adviser to the opposition about the prisoner releases, and the reaction in opposition communities in Belarus and in the diaspora. Also, a severe drought in southern Namibia has led to food shortages. So, the country's Ministry of Environment announced a controversial plan: to cull wildlife in order to feed people in urgent need of sustenance. Plus, an influential pastor in the Philippines was just arrested after a two-week standoff between police and his supporters. And, a bicyclist has broken a world record. Lael Wilcox just became the fastest woman to circumnavigate the globe by bike. 

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Mexico's Senate has just approved a controversial judicial reform; the country's judges will now be elected by popular vote. Protesters flooded the Senate floor to voice their objection to the reform. Also, Russia's use of drones supplied by Iran indicates that Russia is coordinating with Tehran significantly more closely than in the past — even the recent past. And, Typhoon Yagi in Vietnam has brought nonstop rain, and the resulting flooding and landslides have killed at least 64 people. 

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An Israeli strike on a humanitarian zone in southern Gaza left a giant crater in the ground where Palestinian families had been living in tents. We have an update on the latest news, as well as perspectives on loss of civilian life in Gaza, even in designated safe zones. Also, around a half a million people cross the Darien Gap between Colombia and Panama every year in the hopes of reaching the United States. They leave behind untold volumes of waste. And all that pollution is threatening a local ecosystem. Plus, Australia has a plan to ban children from using social media entirely. We look at how that is expected to work and what the new policy aims to achieve.

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Ukrainian civilians, under relentless Russian bombing, are fleeing the key logistics and transit hub of Pokrovsk. A Ukrainian journalist explains why the fall of Pokrovsk might jeopardize Ukrainian control of the entire Donetsk region. Also, a housing shortage in Ireland is ranked the worst globally. We learn why. And, water shortages are driving discontent in Cuba and other Caribbean countries. Plus, a final wrap-up of the Paris Paralympics.

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