Hong Kong court convicts 14 pro-democracy activists, acquits 2
The convictions of the activists was the city’s biggest national security case to date under a law imposed by Beijing that has all but wiped out public dissent.
World News
NPR poll: Trump’s hush money trial is unlikely to sway most people’s votes; Giant pandas are heading to Washington
Trump’s hush money trial is unlikely to sway most people’s votes. D.C. is officially getting new pandas back by the end of the year.
Violence clouds the last day of campaigning before Sunday's elections in Mexico
Some 27 candidates, mostly running for mayor or town councils, have been killed so far this year. But criminals have taken to mass shootings rather than targeted attacks as they have in the past.
The Rules of War
International courts investigating alleged war crimes have made headlines often in recent months. An arrest warrant has been issued for Russian President Vladimir Putin; arrest warrants have also been requested for senior Hamas and Israeli officials, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.
What are these courts, where did they come from, and how did they come to decide the rules of war?
On today's episode, we travel from the battlefields of the U.S. Civil War, through the rubble of two world wars, to the hallways of the Hague, to trace modern attempts to define and prosecute war crimes.
What are these courts, where did they come from, and how did they come to decide the rules of war?
On today's episode, we travel from the battlefields of the U.S. Civil War, through the rubble of two world wars, to the hallways of the Hague, to trace modern attempts to define and prosecute war crimes.
Battle of Chinese and Taiwanese Chatbots and a Balloon Battle Between the Koreas
Taiwan has developed a large language model artificial intelligence chat bot to compete with a product from China because of fears regarding national security. And North Korea sends garbage-filled balloons over the border into South Korea, escalating a long-standing balloon battle between the Koreas.
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Sign up for State of the World+ to listen sponsor-free and support the work of NPR journalists. Visit plus.npr.org.
Morning business brief
The Biden campaign plans a summer of outreach to Black voters. Pope Francis apologizes for using a homophobic slur to refer to gay men during a private meeting. South Africa holds national elections.
White evangelical Christians are some of Israel's biggest supporters. Why?
As war continues to rage in the Middle East, attention has been turned to how American Jews, Muslims, and Palestinians relate to the state of Israel. But when we talk about the region, American Christians, particularly evangelical Christians, are often not part of that story. But their political support for Israel is a major driver for U.S. policy — in part because Evangelicals make up an organized, dedicated constituency with the numbers to exert major influence on U.S. politics.
Final words in Trump's hush money trial; South Africans vote in a crucial election
The jury in Trump’s New York trial begins deliberations. South Africans head to the polls in an election that could bring the biggest shift since the end of apartheid.
South Korea says the North has flown balloons carrying trash over the border
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said North Korea has been flying balloons carrying trash toward the South in an apparent retaliation to anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets flown across the border.
Israel pushes deeper into Rafah after deadly strike at camp for displaced Gazans
The moves comes despite an order from the top U.N. court for Israel to halt its offensive in southern Gaza.