World

Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid, a Taliban leader, is Afghanistan's interim defense minister.

World News

We visited a Taliban leader's compound to examine his vision for Afghanistan

2:59pm August 05, 2022

On the day a U.S. drone strike killed the leader of al-Qaida in Afghanistan, NPR sat down for an interview with the man in charge of the country's defense.

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Senior Crisis Advisor of Amnesty International Donatella Rovera (center) released a report August 4, 2022 condemning the Ukrainian army for putting civilians at risk, a possible war crime.

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Amnesty International's report criticizing Ukraine is dividing the rights group

10:38am August 05, 2022

by Julian Hayda

A report says Ukraine placed its forces near noncombatants, putting them in danger. Government officials say they evacuate civilians from combat areas, and that the report depicts "a false reality."

Taiwan Air Force Mirage fighter jets taxi on a runway at an airbase in Hsinchu, Taiwan, on Friday. China says it summoned European diplomats in the country to protest statements issued by the Group of Seven nations and the European Union criticizing threa

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China halts climate and military dialogue with the U.S. over Pelosi's Taiwan visit

10:22am August 05, 2022

by The Associated Press

Tensions are rising rapidly as China retaliates against Nancy Pelosi's visit. The White House summoned China's ambassador to protest what it called China's "irresponsible" actions since the visit.

The seashore on southwest Japan's Yonaguni island.

On Japan's Yonaguni island, fears of being on the front line of a Taiwan conflict

8:28am August 05, 2022

by Anthony Kuhn

Japan's westernmost island lies in sight of Taiwan, less than 70 miles away. On Thursday, a Chinese missile landed near Yonaguni. Japan has been strengthening defenses across its southwest islands.

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Maori Party co-leaders Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer speak to media during the opening of New Zealand's 53rd Parliament.

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New Zealand considers changing its name to confront its troubled colonial past

5:00am August 05, 2022

As the people of New Zealand confront their nation's troubled past with colonization, a return to the Maori name of Aotearoa is being presented to a parliamentary committee.

An April 2018 photo provided by the Chinese government shows the country's first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning (front), steaming with other ships during a drill at sea.

China's military drills around Taiwan show how it is closing the gap with the U.S.

5:00am August 05, 2022

by Scott Neuman

A series of military drills launched in the wake of Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan this week show how China's military has made dramatic gains since the last crisis over the island democracy.

Major fire damage fills the interior at the Mountain B pub in the Sattahip district of Chonburi province, about 100 miles southeast of Bangkok, Thailand.

World News

A fire at a music pub in eastern Thailand kills at least 13

2:57am August 05, 2022

by The Associated Press

Video circulating on social media showed people fleeing the pub while thick black smoke billowed from the door and then the entrance through which people were escaping was suddenly engulfed in flames.

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Ukraine condemns Amnesty International report that troops were too close to civilians

5:41pm August 04, 2022

by Julian Hayda

Amnesty International has criticized Ukraine for setting up military bases in residential areas. Ukrainian officials say It's Russian forces that are putting Ukrainian civilians lives in jeopardy.

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Japan is strengthening defenses near its southwestern islands in case of conflict

5:29pm August 04, 2022

by Anthony Kuhn

Japan's Westernost Island could become a target in a conflict between China and Taiwan. So Yonaguni Island has drawn up plans to evacuate residents, in case of an emergency.

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A young Ukrainian man's journey to get himself and his mother to safety

5:29pm August 04, 2022

by Kat Lonsdorf

One young man has struggled to get himself and his mom out of Russian-occupied territory in southern Ukraine as fighting there intensifies.