World News

Thousands across Israel have been protesting daily this week demanding Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accept a ceasefire deal to bring back the remaining hostages inside Gaza.

In Thailand, lawmakers have voted overwhelmingly to legalize same-sex marriage. If the measure goes into effect, Thailand’s government would become only the third in Asia to permit same-sex marriage.

The White House said it’s fast-tracking the delivery of Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine. That sense of urgency fits the state of the battlefield, as a new Russian advance tests Ukraine.

A growing number of children in the U.S. are being targeted in sextortion schemes— a scam in which a cybercriminal obtains and then threatens to release nude or sexually compromising photos, blackmailing victims for a ransom. And sadly dozens of young victims have died by suicide in the last few years. Cybercriminals are often based abroad and it is a particular problem in Nigeria. Our correspondent in Lagos, Nigeria tells us about the issue, about the tragic case of one 17 year-old victim who took his own life, and about what the FBI is doing to combat the problem.

If you or someone you know may be considering suicide or is in crisis, please get support. In the U.S. you can call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un signed a treaty upgrading their relationship and pledging military assistance if either one is attacked, drawing criticism from NATO, South Korea and other countries.

The remarks were some of the most hard-hitting to date since Iran-backed Hezbollah began attacking Israel last October across the border with Lebanon in support of Hamas in Gaza.

Polls – and NPR's own reporting – tell a story of many Americans fatigued by the upcoming presidential race. They're not satisfied with the choice between two men who have both already held the office of President.

But American allies and partners are watching the race intently, including South Korea, Japan, Ukraine and Israel. The fates of those countries are closely tied to whether Donald Trump or Joe Biden ends up sitting in the White House next year.

The NPR correspondents who cover those countries, Anthony Kuhn in South Korea, Joanna Kakissis in Ukraine, and Daniel Estrin in Israel, discuss the stakes each of those countries have in the outcome of America's presidential election.

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Sanctions are to be announced against those involved in fentanyl trafficking. Israel and Lebanese militia Hezbollah ratchet up firepower on the border. Cybercriminals target children with sextortion.

The Israeli military says it is approved an offensive in Lebanon if diplomatic efforts fail to stop the conflict that’s contained, for the most part, in Israel’s north and Lebanon’s south for now.