The World

Russia's security services arrested American reporter Evan Gershkovich, of The Wall Street Journal, in Moscow on Thursday. Gershkovich was hit with espionage charges by Russia's government — a first for a US correspondent since the Cold War. And, Rafael Grossi, head of the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency, said the situation in war-torn Zaporizhzhia is "very dangerous," as continued shelling in the area is jeopardizing safe operations at the nuclear plant there. Also, the 15th-century “Doctrine of Discovery'' provided the legal basis for the colonial-era seizure of Indigenous lands. On Thursday, Pope Francis formally repudiated the doctrine. Plus, a guy in a bear suit makes people smile on the streets of Kyiv, Ukraine.

The relationship between the US and Israel has always been strong. But as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his right-wing coalition tried to overhaul Israel's judicial system, fissures between the two leaders have begun to show. And, Mar. 29 marks 50 years since President Richard Nixon announced that all US combat troops had left Vietnam. Also, more than 1,000 AI researchers and tech leaders have called for a moratorium on AI training. The letter warns that no person can truly understand the complicated systems they are creating in AI labs, and that they could pose an existential danger. Plus, a rare collection of Shakespeare's Folios are up for sale.

Dozens of migrants are dead after a fire swept through a holding facility in the Mexican border town of Ciudad Juárez. Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador says the fire was started by migrants who were protesting news of their deportation. And, during the Khmer Rouge's reign, many of Cambodia's ancient relics were spirited out of the country. Now, looted antiquities are starting to be returned. Also, protests in France continued on Tuesday as workers railed against raising the retirement age from 62 to 64. These reforms would theoretically help young people, but students have turned out in droves to support the older generation. Plus, we remember the Ethiopian pianist and nun Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou, who died at the age of 99.

After weeks of mass protests in Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced he will hit pause on a controversial plan to overhaul the judicial system. The growing demonstrations have shuttered shops and universities, and grounded flights. And, Paul Rusesabagina, the man portrayed in the Hollywood film "Hotel Rwanda," has been freed from prison in Kigali. Two years ago, Rusesabagina was sentenced to 25 years behind bars on terrorism charges. Many at the time said the trial was a farce. Also, many Ukrainian athletes have had to move abroad to train for the Olympics since Russia invaded their country last February. They now face the possibility of competing against Russians and Belarusians at the Paris Games in 2024. Plus, Ghanaian gospel music for the dance floor.

The US and Canada have agreed to change a decades-old asylum agreement, putting more restrictions on migrants seeking protections in Canada. And, since the 9th century, monks, aristocrats and emperors have all tracked the date of "full flower" for cherry blossoms, providing an unusually complete record of spring coming earlier in Japan. Also, congressional leaders sparred with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew in Washington on Thursday, when Chew was on Capitol Hill to discuss TikTok's data security. The US is considering a ban on the the social media platform that is used by over 150 million Americans. Plus, sounds from the Brazilian 11-piece samba big band in Miami. 

US President Joe Biden is visiting Canada today to meet with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and address Canada's Parliament in Ottawa. US-Canada border relations are at the top of the agenda. And, mice are plaguing tiny, uninhabited Marion Island located southeast of South Africa in the Indian Ocean. The invasive mouse population is threatening the birds, and conservationists say they need to go. Also, Israel's Knesset has passed a law limiting the ways a sitting prime minister can be declared unfit for office. Critics see it as a shield to protect Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from fallout amid an ongoing corruption trial. Plus, the late-Malian master of the desert blues, Ali Farka Touré, left behind many recordings.

Kayla Williams was deployed to Iraq in 2003 as an Arabic linguist two days after the US-led invasion began. She talks about the long-term physical and psychological impact of the war on veterans. And, the International Monetary Fund and Ukraine have agreed to terms that pave the way for a $15.6 billion relief package, designed to prop up the government's intense military spending and the blows Russian forces have dealt to the economy. Also, New Zealand's government has launched a campaign to help teenagers and young adults heal from romantic breakups. The "Love Better" campaign includes Kiwi teens talking about the added stress social media plays when a relationship ends. Plus, scientists show how language connects with thought process.

Contagion is a medical term, but it applies to the banking world, too. Investors are worried that the problems at a handful of American banks could ripple across the world economy and that unexpected surprises may be lurking. And, Ecuador finds a novel way to convert seized cocaine into cement. Also, the outgoing head of the UN’s World Food Program, David Beasley, has long argued that growing global food insecurity should be addressed with structural solutions — not handouts. Beasley talks about how the world can adapt to the new, worrisome challenges hunger poses. Plus, the latest sounds from the innovator of the Hindustani slide guitar, Debashish Bhattacharya.

Monday marks 20 years since the start of “Operation Iraqi Freedom," the US-led invasion of Iraq that toppled the president, Saddam Hussein, and aimed to spread democracy in the country. We hear from those who lived through these turbulent and violent years. And, gay sex is already illegal in Uganda, punishable by life in prison. But a new bill making its way through the legislature would make it illegal to even identify as gay or transgender. Also, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's latest climate report shows that humanity is on "thin ice," with the window closing on the chance to meet ambitious global warming targets. Plus, two Icelandic artists quietly leave their mark on South by Southwest.

The International Criminal Court said Friday that it has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for war crimes, accusing him of personal responsibility for the abductions of children from Ukraine. It was the first time the global court has issued a warrant against a leader of one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council. And, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said his government will approve the Finnish bid to join NATO. Also, we catch up with a woman who was 38-weeks pregnant when Russian forces invaded Ukraine. Plus, this Ethiopian artist's work is feature on bus shelters in the US and Ivory Coast.