Accessibility links
World News and International Headlines NPR world news, international art and culture, world business and financial markets, world economy, and global trends in health, science and technology. Subscribe to the World Story of the Day podcast and RSS feed.

NPRWorld

Many Stories, One World
People walk on a promenade in Beijing on February 26, 2026.

People walk on a promenade in Beijing on February 26, 2026. Adek Berry/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Adek Berry/AFP via Getty Images

Word of the week

Some Gen Z Americans can't stop 'Chinamaxxing'

Despite rising tensions between the world's two largest economies, a growing number of young Americans are becoming captivated by China, as seen in the online trend "Chinamaxxing."

Some Gen Z Americans can’t stop 'Chinamaxxing'

Listen · 2:30
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5743795/nx-s1-9687747" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
A glimpse of one Iranian’s life in Tehran during the war

Black smoke rises following an airstrike as Iranians take part in the Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Day rally in Tehran on March 13, 2026 Mohammad Mahdi Dehghani/Fars News Agency / AFP via Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Mohammad Mahdi Dehghani/Fars News Agency / AFP via Getty Images

State of the World from NPR

A glimpse of one Iranian’s life in Tehran during the war

Understanding exactly what is happening inside Iran is difficult. The government rarely gives visas to western journalists and closely monitors those that do enter the country. The internet is closely controlled by the regime. For the past two weeks, since the U.S. and Israel began their war in Iran, a writer in Tehran has been sharing entries from her diary with NPR about this war. We hear some of her writings which offer an intimate look at her life under bombardment.

A glimpse of one Iranian’s life in Tehran during the war

Listen · 5:12
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5747106/nx-s1-mx-5747106-1" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Law enforcement responded near Temple Israel following reports of an active shooter on March 12 in West Bloomfield, Michigan.

Law enforcement responded near Temple Israel following reports of an active shooter on March 12, 2026, in West Bloomfield, Michigan. Emily Elconin/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Emily Elconin/Getty Images

Up First Newsletter

FBI investigates attacks in Michigan and Virginia. And, Senate passes housing bill

The FBI is investigating two separate attacks, one in Michigan and the other in Virginia, that happened yesterday. And, the Senate has passed the largest housing bill in decades.

Israel Bombs Beirut, Attacks In Michigan And Virginia, Housing Bill

Listen · 13:18
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/g-s1-113573/nx-s1-mx-5746548-1" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted a building in the southern Lebanese village of Abbasiyyeh, Friday.

Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted a building in the southern Lebanese village of Abbasiyyeh, Friday. Kawnat Haju/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Kawnat Haju/AFP via Getty Images

Middle East conflict

U.S. military bombs Iran's main oil export hub, as Mideast war toll mounts

President Trump said on Friday the U.S. military had "totally obliterated every MILITARY target in Iran's crown jewel, Kharg Island." This, as all six crew members on a refueling plane that went down in western Iraq were confirmed dead.

Members of the EDE (Committed to Development) political party arrive to register the party at the Provisional Electoral Council in the Petion-Ville neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, March 12, 2026.

Members of the EDE (Committed to Development) political party arrive to register the party at the Provisional Electoral Council in the Petion-Ville neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, March 12, 2026. Odelyn Joseph/AP hide caption

toggle caption
Odelyn Joseph/AP

The Americas

A record number of political parties register for Haiti's first election in a decade

A record 280 political parties had registered by Thursday's deadline to participate in Haiti's first general election in a decade, hopeful for a chance to help ease their country's multiple crises.

Delegates including Chinese President Xi Jinping (center) stand as the national anthem is sung during the closing session of the National People's Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Thursday.

Delegates including Chinese President Xi Jinping (center) stand as the national anthem is sung during the closing session of the National People's Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Thursday. Ng Han Guan/AP hide caption

toggle caption
Ng Han Guan/AP

U.S. vs. China: Inside a great power rivalry

China slams Trump's trade investigation, as it approves a 5-year economic plan

China's Foreign Ministry criticized the Trump administration's trade investigation as a "pretext" for tariffs. Meanwhile, China is moving ahead with a five-year plan that may rankle trade partners.

A handout photo taken on March 11, 2026 and released by the Royal Thai Navy shows smoke rising from the Thai bulk carrier 'Mayuree Naree' near the Strait of Hormuz after an attack.

A handout photo taken on March 11, 2026 and released by the Royal Thai Navy shows smoke rising from the Thai bulk carrier 'Mayuree Naree' near the Strait of Hormuz after an attack. Handout/Royal Thai Navy/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Handout/Royal Thai Navy/AFP/Getty Images

Fear of Iranian mines in the Strait of Hormuz could further slow the flow of oil

Attacks by Iran have already nearly halted the flow of oil through the vital waterway as commercial ship crews fear being hit by missiles, drones or mines.

Threats to the Strait of Hormuz raises concerns about global oil prices

Listen · 3:50
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/g-s1-113471/nx-s1-9684827" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
While the war in Iran gets attention, what’s happening in Gaza?

Palestinians inspect the site of an Israeli strike on a tent camp sheltering displaced people in Gaza City on March 12, 2026. Omar Al-Qattaa/AFP via Getty hide caption

toggle caption
Omar Al-Qattaa/AFP via Getty

State of the World from NPR

While the war in Iran gets attention, what’s happening in Gaza?

Five months ago, President Trump declared ceasefire in Gaza, having negotiated a deal that includes phased Israeli withdrawal from the territory and Hamas disarmament. But that was before the U.S. and Israel launched a war in Iran taking the Trump administration’s attention away from the Palestinian territory. We go to Gaza and find it’s still cutoff from the outside world and gains towards a durable peace have been paused or reversed.

While the war in Iran gets attention, what’s happening in Gaza?

Listen · 4:36
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5746111/nx-s1-mx-5746111-1" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Commercial vessels are pictured offshore in Dubai on March 11.

Commercial vessels are pictured offshore in Dubai on March 11, 2026. New attacks hit three commercial ships in the Gulf on March 11, with one of the vessels in flames as Iran pressed its campaign against its oil-exporting neighbours, threatening shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and plunging the global energy economy into crisis. AFP via Getty Images/AFP hide caption

toggle caption
AFP via Getty Images/AFP

Up First Newsletter

U.S. investigates strike on Iranian school as the war sparks a global oil crisis

Trump, who promised to lower gas prices, is tapping the Strategic Petroleum Reserve as war drives prices up. And, the U.S. investigates the strike on an Iranian school that killed at least 165 people.

Strait Of Hormuz Crisis, Gas Price Politics, Iranian School Strike Investigation

Listen · 13:40
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/g-s1-113410/nx-s1-mx-5745672-1" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Mojtaba Khamenei stands amid a crowd of men as he participates in the annual Quds Day rally in Tehran, Iran, on May 31, 2019.

Mojtaba Khamenei (center), the son of the killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, participates in the annual Quds Day rally in Tehran, Iran, on May 31, 2019. Rouzbeh Fouladi/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Rouzbeh Fouladi/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

Middle East conflict

Iran says its new leader made his 1st address, vowing to keep Strait of Hormuz closed

Iran's state media issued what it said was a statement by Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, vowing to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed and keep up attacks on U.S. bases in the region.

Chile's President José Antonio Kast waves to supporters as he leaves congress after his swearing-in ceremony in Valparaiso, Chile, March 11, 2026.

Chile's President José Antonio Kast waves to supporters as he leaves Congress after his swearing-in ceremony in Valparaiso, Chile, Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Gustavo Garello) Gustavo Garello/AP hide caption

toggle caption
Gustavo Garello/AP

The Americas

Chile turns right: Kast inaugurated as nation's most conservative leader since Pinochet

Chile has sworn in its most right-wing president in decades — and his rise, and ideology, are rooted in a small town beneath the Andes.

Chile inauguration

Listen · 2:55
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5743653/nx-s1-9684031" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Iran's flag is displayed on a screen during the draw for the 2026 FIFA Football World Cup taking place in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, at the Kennedy Center, in Washington, D.C., on December 5, 2025. Iran's sports minister says the team now won't play in this summer's tournament because of the U.S. attacks on Iran.

Iran's flag is displayed on a screen during the draw for the 2026 FIFA Football World Cup taking place in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, at the Kennedy Center, in Washington, D.C., on December 5, 2025. Iran's sports minister says the team now won't play in this summer's tournament because of the U.S. attacks on Iran. Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images

2026 World Cup: North America

Iran's soccer team cannot participate in the FIFA World Cup, Iranian minister says

Iran is set to play three games in the U.S. this June. But amid the U.S.-Israel military campaign that has killed Iran's supreme leader, Iran's sports minister said the team would pull out.

Iran's soccer team cannot participate in the FIFA World Cup, Iranian minister says

Listen · 2:21
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5744855/nx-s1-9684239" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
This picture obtained from Iran's ISNA news agency shows the site of a strike on a girls' school in Minab, in Iran's southern Hormozgan province, on February 28, 2026.

This picture obtained from Iran's ISNA news agency shows the site of a strike on a girls' school in Minab, in Iran's southern Hormozgan province, on February 28, 2026. Ali Najafii/ISNA/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Ali Najafii/ISNA/AFP via Getty Images

Middle East conflict

Pentagon probe points to U.S. missile hitting Iranian school

A military assessment suggests a U.S. Tomahawk cruise missile was responsible for at least 165 deaths at an Iranian girls' school, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to speak publicly.

Pentagon probe points to U.S. missile hitting Iranian school

Listen · 3:31
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5744981/nx-s1-9684820" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Another front in the war with Iran: the Israel-Lebanon border

An Israeli tank maneuvers in northern Israel near the border with Lebanon, Friday, March 6, 2026 Ariel Schalit/AP hide caption

toggle caption
Ariel Schalit/AP

State of the World from NPR

Another front in the war with Iran: the Israel-Lebanon border

In southern Lebanon, Hezbollah militants backed by Iran have been firing rockets at Israel in retaliation for Israel’s war in Iran. And Israel has been firing back hard. Almost 700 thousand Lebanese have been displaced, mostly fleeing Israel’s strikes.

Another front in the war with Iran: the Israel-Lebanon border

Listen · 8:56
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5745006/nx-s1-mx-5745006-1" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
King Charles III reads the King's Speech in July 2024 as Queen Camilla sits beside him during the State Opening of Parliament in the House of Lords in London.

King Charles III reads the King's Speech in July 2024 as Queen Camilla sits beside him during the State Opening of Parliament in the House of Lords in London. Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP hide caption

toggle caption
Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP

Europe

No Nobles Day: Britain's Parliament boots its last hereditary Lords after 700 years

Government minister Nick Thomas-Symonds said the change put an end to "an archaic and undemocratic principle." The removed aristocrats are 92 of the House of Lords' 800 members.

A member of the ground crew offloads a missile from a B-1 bomber at RAF Fairford on March 11 in Fairford, England.

A member of the ground crew offloads a missile from a B-1 bomber at RAF Fairford on March 11, 2026 in Fairford, England. Since U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer allowed the U.S. to use British bases to launch defensive strikes against Iranian missile sites, a variety of US military aircraft including B52 bombers, and B-1 bombers, have arrived at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire. Christopher Furlong/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

Up First Newsletter

Americans skeptical of the Iran war, poll says. And, DOJ gives guns back to felons

A majority of Americans oppose the U.S.' involvement in the war with Iran, according to a new NPR/PBS News/Marist poll. And, the Department of Justice is quietly restoring gun rights to felons.

Intense Strikes On Iran, Trump Approval Poll, Georgia Special Election Runoff

Listen · 14:10
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/g-s1-113261/nx-s1-mx-5744522-1" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Commercial vessels are pictured offshore in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on Wednesday, after attacks hit ships in the region.

Commercial vessels are pictured offshore in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on Wednesday, after attacks hit ships in the region. AFP via Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
AFP via Getty Images

Middle East conflict

Iran war: Cargo ships are hit and U.S. investigates how it could have struck a school

The Iran war ground through 12th day as uncertainty grew over when it might end, amid continued attacks, a mounting human toll and concerns over the economic and energy impacts.

Four years in, war in Ukraine grinds on. Is that what Russians want?

A Russian flag flies over the Russian Central Bank headquarters in Moscow. Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images

Consider This from NPR

Four years in, war in Ukraine grinds on. Is that what Russians want?

Russian planners and Western intelligence predicted the invasion of Ukraine would be quick and decisive. Of course, Kyiv did not fall quickly - and still hasn’t.

Four years in, war in Ukraine grinds on. Is that what Russians want?

Listen · 11:12
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5743953/nx-s1-mx-5743953-1" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
What four years of war in Ukraine looks like from Russia

A war propaganda poster says "For a world without Nazism" in the town of Yefremov, Russia Charles Maynes/NPR hide caption

toggle caption
Charles Maynes/NPR

State of the World from NPR

What four years of war in Ukraine looks like from Russia

Russia’s so-called “special military operation” in Ukraine recently passed the four year mark. And over that time it has become the deadliest conflict on the European continent since World War II. Over 1.5 million people are dead, injured or missing, according to western governments and think tanks. Our correspondent in Moscow tries to answer one of the most persistent and difficult questions of this war: do Russians support it?

What four years of war in Ukraine looks like from Russia

Listen · 8:12
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5743971/nx-s1-mx-5743971-1" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
People inspect the damage where Israel's military carried out an airborne operation that dropped troops overnight, in the town of Nabi Chit, Lebanon.

March 7: People inspect the damage where Israel's military carried out an airborne operation that dropped troops overnight, in the town of Nabi Chit, Lebanon. Mohammad Yassine/Reuters hide caption

toggle caption
Mohammad Yassine/Reuters

Middle East conflict

Photos from Iran and across the Middle East as the war enters Week 2

More than a week of the U.S. and Israel's war against Iran has dragged in global powers, upended the world's energy and transport sectors, and brought chaos to usually peaceful areas of the region.

Browse archive or search npr.org