The Chicago-born pope has been touring South America, concluding with a visit to Peru. He lived there for decades before becoming pope. Pope Leo served as bishop in northern Peru through years of political turmoil, the COVID pandemic and a huge influx of migrants.

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A new exhibition at Paris' Musée d'Orsay showcases artwork suspected to have been stolen by Nazis during World War II. Experts are trying to find the true owners or their descendants.

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Opponents of Israel’s hardline prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, are trying to oust him by building a new coalition. To do so, they may have to cross a red line drawn by most Israeli parties: work with Arab colleagues.  

A devastating single storm compounds the suffering of Gaza’s fourth winter of war. Gaza authorities say more than 20,00 tents were flooded in just two days.

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Ukrainians say they don’t put much stock in the latest  round of peace talks with Russia underway in Abu Dhabi. But they do sense optimism after a seismic political shift in the U.S. midterm elections. 

In Russia, meanwhile, the country’s best-known independent newspaper, Novaya Gazeta,  is shutting down after more than 30  years amid state pressure and wartime censorship laws.

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The Czech Republic’s distinctive pilsner beer owes its crisp, bitter taste to a specific variety of hops. But climate change is making it harder to grow the plants. Now, Czech researchers are developing hop varieties that can survive hotter, drier summers.
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Eight years after the death of Anthony Bourdain, people around the world still mourn the beloved chef, author and TV star. At a movie theater in Moscow, hundreds of Russian fans gathered recently for the premiere of ‘Tony,’ the new Hollywood film based on Bourdain’s early life. Among them was a man Bourdain loved to call “international man of mystery,” someone who became essential to Bourdain’s success in Russia and beyond. Our Moscow correspondent introduces us to him. 

Please note: this story contains mentions of suicide.  If you or someone you know is in crisis, in the U.S. call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

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Iran is bracing for the possibility of another round of U.S. and Israeli attacks now that the midterm elections are over.  The war has driven inflation to almost 90 percent in Iran and has also damaged natural gas infrastructure, forcing people to conserve energy as winter sets in or face higher prices.  But despite all these hardships many Iranians still support the Islamic Republic.  We hear from some of them.

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Russia’s war in Ukraine has raised tensions not only in Europe, but also in Asia. Ties between Russia and neighboring Japan are at their worst in decades. Tokyo would like more support from Washington, but as we hear, some Japanese are concerned they may not get it.

And ancient Egyptian mummies were once used as medicine. But why? Chemists are trying to find out what it was in the mummification process that had medicinal properties.

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Kherson is a city in southern Ukraine whose population numbered in the hundreds of thousands before Russia’s invasion of the country.  Just a fraction of those people live there today.

Russia occupied Kherson for a few months in the early days of the war and ever since Russian forces withdrew across the Dnipro River, the city has largely been under siege with frequent shelling and drone attacks.  But a limited ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine this past weekend gave residents of Kherson a break from fighting.  Allowing them to walk the streets and see friends again.

We go to a temporarily peaceful Kherson to hear how residents are living under the constant threat of bombing and drone attacks.


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Many places in the Persian Gulf like Dubai, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, have spent decades modernizing and inviting investment from around the world. But that effort has been stymied by wars that have landed on their doorstep– including conflicts in Yemen and Iran.

We go to Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh, to hear how these wars are threatening the kingdom’s plans for the future.  And we hear how other Gulf states are worried about the possibility of renewed attacks on Iran and the retaliation that could follow.

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With his crooked cowboy hat, thick black beard and oversized belt buckles, Carín León looks every bit the macho Mexican superstar singer that he is. But beneath the swagger is a romantic with a talent for heartbreak. Proving that even the toughest hombres have a soft spot and a song for every wound. We go to Leon’s hometown of Hermosillo, Sonora to meet the singer.
 
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