US officials are struggling to keep up with the increasing number of migrants arriving at the southern border and seeking asylum. Beginning this week, asylum officers will screen a small number of migrants at the border in temporary facilities. And, Saudi officials traveled to Sana'a, Yemen, on Sunday for direct talks with Houthi rebel leaders. Their arrival signals a new chapter in the effort to forge peace in Yemen's long civil war, but few have faith that a deal will change the lives of the Yemeni people. Also, the first tranche of funding from the International Monetary Fund was transferred into Sri Lanka's government coffers late last month. But after the island nation's economic and political collapse last summer, prices for electricity and fuel, as well as food insecurity rates, are still high. Plus, Sierra Leone's Bai Kamara, Jr. is the "traveling medicine man."

A human rights group in Haiti says the number of kidnappings in the country have tripled compared to the same time period last year. As the political and economic situation worsens, police are outgunned and gangs control much of the country. And, a new book explores how patriarchy became common around the world. Also, the United Nations said this week that it has been informed by the Taliban that its female employees can no longer work in the country. The UN demanded the order be rescinded, saying that women are essential to providing services in Afghanistan. Plus, Guatemala's "flower carpets" decorate Holy Week. 

Pinpointing the “end” of the COVID-19 pandemic depends on the vantage point. Medical professionals wait for death rates to subside and immunity to build. Social scientists tend to focus on perceived risk. And, ahead of Easter, the Nicaraguan government has banned Holy Week processions. It's part of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega's ongoing tussle with the Catholic Church, which is part of the country's political opposition. Also, recent Russian defector Gleb Karakulov is giving the world a behind-the-scenes look into Russia's government and its president. Plus, a lone Nigerian rooster is ruled a nuisance.

Early on Wednesday, dozens of Israeli police raided al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, one of the holiest sites in Islam, to clear people who it said were barricaded inside. The incident comes during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and just as Passover begins, stoking fears of more tension in the region. Many Ukrainian Jews will be observing Passover this year. And a traditional Jewish text is being published in Ukrainian for the first time. It's another small way push away from Russian language and culture. Also, more US troops will rotate into the Philippines after Manila identified the location of four new military bases. Beijing is not happy about the the new developments so close to its shores. And, we remember the creator of the popular board game "Catan." Klaus Teuber's game has sold some 32 million copies in 40 different languages.

In a quick ceremony in Brussels, Finland was officially accepted into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization as its 31st member. The Kremlin aired its grievances against the alliance, claiming that troops would be deployed to the area along Russia's border with Finland. And, starting this month, the Japanese government is offering a new incentive to get families in densely populated Tokyo to move out to less populated areas: 1 million yen — about $7,600 — per child. Also, the US military is facing a recruitment crisis. The Army missed its target by 25% during the past fiscal year. Other branches of the military are also seeing a drop in recruiting. Plus, a call for bell ringers for Britain's coronation.

Russian authorities have detained a 26-year-old native of St. Petersburg after a bomb killed a prominent military blogger in a café on Sunday. Russian officials are accusing Ukraine and Russian opposition activists for the attack. And, more than 60 Chinese Christians fleeing government harassment are struggling to reach the US. They’ve been detained along the way in Thailand on visa charges. Also, the fate of Ecuador's President Guillermo Lasso is in the hands of the country's national assembly after the constitutional court approved impeachment proceedings against him for acts of corruption. Plus, how the Taliban won Afghanistan.

Donald Trump has made history as the first US president to be indicted for a crime, but this is something that’s pretty common around the globe. We hear about how numerous world leaders have been caught up in their own legal problems. Also, inflation has long haunted the economy of Argentina. But it’s now reaching excruciating levels, soaring past 100%, the highest level in 30 years. And, the ascension of Humza Yousaf as the first minister of Scotland is another historic milestone for the United Kingdom. He’s the first Muslim and first South Asian to hold the position. This also follows Rishi Sunak’s rise as prime minister of Britain. Plus, the Museum of Failure started in Sweden back in 2017. It has since traveled the world, displaying more than 150 failed products. But the museum isn’t about making fun of the inventions. It’s about using them to normalize failure.

Russia's security services arrested American reporter Evan Gershkovich, of The Wall Street Journal, in Moscow on Thursday. Gershkovich was hit with espionage charges by Russia's government — a first for a US correspondent since the Cold War. And, Rafael Grossi, head of the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency, said the situation in war-torn Zaporizhzhia is "very dangerous," as continued shelling in the area is jeopardizing safe operations at the nuclear plant there. Also, the 15th-century “Doctrine of Discovery'' provided the legal basis for the colonial-era seizure of Indigenous lands. On Thursday, Pope Francis formally repudiated the doctrine. Plus, a guy in a bear suit makes people smile on the streets of Kyiv, Ukraine.

The relationship between the US and Israel has always been strong. But as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his right-wing coalition tried to overhaul Israel's judicial system, fissures between the two leaders have begun to show. And, Mar. 29 marks 50 years since President Richard Nixon announced that all US combat troops had left Vietnam. Also, more than 1,000 AI researchers and tech leaders have called for a moratorium on AI training. The letter warns that no person can truly understand the complicated systems they are creating in AI labs, and that they could pose an existential danger. Plus, a rare collection of Shakespeare's Folios are up for sale.

Dozens of migrants are dead after a fire swept through a holding facility in the Mexican border town of Ciudad Juárez. Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador says the fire was started by migrants who were protesting news of their deportation. And, during the Khmer Rouge's reign, many of Cambodia's ancient relics were spirited out of the country. Now, looted antiquities are starting to be returned. Also, protests in France continued on Tuesday as workers railed against raising the retirement age from 62 to 64. These reforms would theoretically help young people, but students have turned out in droves to support the older generation. Plus, we remember the Ethiopian pianist and nun Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou, who died at the age of 99.