World News

Palestinians walk along Salah al-Din Road in Deir Al-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip.

How Israel is using facial recognition in Gaza

After the Hamas attack of Oct. 7 triggered Israel's invasion of the Gaza Strip, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians began fleeing from the North of Gaza to the South. As they fled, many Palestinians reported passing through checkpoints with cameras. Israel had previously used facial recognition software in the West Bank, and some Palestinians reached out to The New York Times reporter Sheera Frenkel to investigate whether the same was happening in Gaza.

Science correspondent Geoff Brumfiel talks to Frenkel about how Israel launched this facial recognition system in Gaza late last year with the help of private companies and Google photos.

Read Frenkel's full article.

Want to hear us cover more stories about AI? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.
QueueListen Now
G-9 federation gang members in the Delmas 3 area on February 22, 2024, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

Meeting the Gangs that Control Haiti

After a long decline of the government in Haiti, gangs have seized complete control. A multi-national force is being sent to Haiti to restore the government to power, but their success is not assured. We go to Port-au-Prince, Haiti to see the challenges this international mission will face.
QueueListen Now
Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. and running mate Sara Duterte wave Philippine flags during their last campaign rally before the election on May 07, 2022 in Paranaque, Metro Manila, Philippines. (Photo by Ezra Acayan/Getty Images)

Mythos and Melodrama in the Philippines (Throwback)

Welcome to the "Epic of Marcos." In this tale of a family that's larger than life, Ferdinand Marcos, the former dictator of the Philippines, is at the center. But the figures that surround him are just as important: Imelda, his wife and muse; Bongbong, his heir; and the United States, his faithful sidekick. The story of the Marcos family is a blueprint for authoritarianism, laying out clearly how melodrama, paranoia, love, betrayal and a hunger for power collide to create a myth capable of propelling a nation. Today on the show, the rise, fall, and resurrection of a dynasty — and what that means for democracy worldwide.

To access bonus episodes and listen to Throughline sponsor-free, subscribe to Throughline+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/throughline.
QueueListen Now