President Trump's announcement that US sanctions on Syria would be lifted was met with elation by Syrians, but the country still has a long way to go to recover from years of civil war and brutal dictatorship. Also, the German government banned an extremist group known as the Kingdom of Germany, which believes Germany is a monarchy. And, a look back at the life of José Mujica, Uruguay's former president who lived staunchly below his means. Plus, the Swiss Moroccan musician who found his home in the underground art scene. 

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As President Donald Trump heads to the Middle East, a look at how the countries he plans to visit are trying to position themselves. Also, the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, has announced it will disarm and disband. That marks the potential end of the group's four decadelong insurgency against the Turkish military. And, the former president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, has won a mayoral election despite his detention by the International Criminal Court.

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Hamas has released the last living American hostage that was held captive in Gaza. That comes days before President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit the region. Hamas has not said what it expects to receive in return for the release. Also, Pope Leo XIV's roots in Chiclayu, Peru. And, a close look at Barcelona's "superblocks": pedestrian areas designed to keep cars out.

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Pope Leo XIV gave his first mass as pontiff today and is being celebrated across the globe, including in Peru, where he carried out decades of missionary work and became a naturalized citizen. Also, the US cuts $50 million in medical aid to Zambia following a corruption investigation. And, Sudan cuts ties with the UAE as drone attacks on Port Sudan continue for a sixth day. Plus, the National Gallery in London is unveiling an early renaissance painting this weekend that’s considered to be a European masterpiece.

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Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost of the United States has been elected the 267th pope. The 69-year-old is from Chicago, Illinois, and will be known as Pope Leo XIV. Also, after dozens of community kitchens providing desperately needed food to Palestinians in Gaza were shuttered this week, the US is asking aid groups to back a new Israeli aid plan run by US security contractors. And, a nonprofit group in rural Ghana is using cheap motorized tricycles to help pregnant women get to the hospital to give birth. Plus, two high school friends in eastern Turkey learn to make the “daf” — a shallow drum popular in Kurdish, Persian and Middle Eastern music.

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Indian jets launch airstrikes on nine sites inside Pakistan in retaliation for a militant group's attack on mostly Indian tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir two weeks ago. Also, ongoing hunting and the growing effects of climate change are contributing to the dropping numbers of manatees in the Amazon region but local efforts are underway to bring them back. And, Syria's Interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa is in France for discussions with French President Emmanuel Macron. Plus, the Men's World Snooker champion hopes to boost the sport’s popularity in China.

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More than a hundred Catholic cardinals from 70 different countries will convene for a secretive conclave on Wednesday to select a new pope. It's not clear who will ultimately be chosen to lead the Catholic Church next. Also, drone strikes by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have been pummeling Port Sudan for three straight days. And, Germany’s parliament confirms Friedrich Merz as the country’s next chancellor, but only after failing to secure enough support in a first-round vote earlier in the day. Plus, a conversation with Moises Saman, the winner of the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for feature photography.

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Israel’s security cabinet has approved a new military offensive designed to “capture” Gaza and hold it indefinitely. The plan would relocate many of Gaza’s 2 million residents to the south and shutter hundreds of community kitchens. Also, North Korea confirms that it sent troops to fight in Ukraine, but with tens of thousands of Russians killed in the fighting, a new report finds that Moscow is turning to Pyongyang now to reinforce its workforce. And, the International Cricket Council says it will provide funding for exiled Afghan cricketers. Plus, Microsoft shuts down Skype after more than two decades.

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Clashes have broken out this week in Syria between government security forces and militias inside Syria's Druze community. Israel launched airstrikes in Syria on Wednesday, claiming they targeted operatives who attacked Druze civilians. Israel has threatened more strikes if the clashes continue. We hear from people on the ground, in Syria, who have been affected by the violence. Also, Romania's upcoming presidential election this weekend, a do-over of last year's election which was annulled over alleged Russian interference. And, how tourists visiting Kashmir became political targets.

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The work to choose a new pope begins next week with the secretive Papal Conclave. One of Pope Francis' lingering legacies that will need to be addressed: the late pontiff's efforts to reform the Vatican's less-than-transparent finances. Also, Maria Ressa is the Nobel Prize-winning journalist behind the investigative news site, Rappler, based in the Philippines. Her work made her a political enemy of former dictator, Rodrigo Duterte. Ressa joins us to share her experiences standing up for press freedom in the face of authoritarianism. And, Agent Orange is well known as a notorious chemical weapon used by the US in the Vietnam War but there was a lesser-known chemical weapon known as Agent Blue that's still making people sick. And, the new dance craze that Spanish ravers have imported from Holland.

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