The World

A program that crosses borders and time zones to bring home the stories that matter.

How Japan keeps its trains safe from earthquakes

Japan in Focus

Japan experiences more earthquakes than any country. But its transit system remains remarkably safe. The bullet train, for example, has never seen a death or serious injury due to an earthquake or tsunami. Japan may offer lessons to other countries as climate change causes more natural disasters globally.

WhatsApp identifies dozens of users hacked by Paragon spyware company

Cybersecurity

Out of Eden Walk: South Korea’s Mud Mausoleum 

Out of Eden Walk

This dying Spanish town is turning to books to put it on the literary map

Arts, Culture & Media

Thousands flee their homes in northeast Colombia amid worst security crisis in a decade

Conflict & Justice

‘People will get hurt’: Cyclists protest after Ontario government passes law to remove bike lanes in Toronto 

Lifestyle & Belief

Cities around the globe are looking for ways to improve bike infrastructure, with varying degrees of success. But Toronto is moving in the opposite direction: the government of Ontario has passed legislation allowing the removal of bike lanes in the city, resulting in a showdown between officials and bicycle advocates.

Ukraine’s Radio ROKS: heavy metal —and hackers — for brothers in arms

Ukraine

Before the invasion of Ukraine, Serhii Zenin was the host of one of the nation’s most popular hard rock radio shows on Radio ROKS 103.6. Some three years later, Serhii is a soldier and Radio ROKS has taken on a whole new role.

New discoveries shed light on some of the earliest humans to settle in Taiwan

Sacred Nation

A combination of ancient knowledge and modern research techniques may be closing the gap between who some of the earliest people to settle in Taiwan could have been and its current residents. The key to the earliest chapters of Taiwan’s history may lie in the stories and traditions of groups like the Saisiyat Indigenous people.

In South Korea, shamans are shunned — and revered 

Sacred Nation

Shamans, the practitioners of an ancient belief system, are often disparaged in South Korea. But they also hold a special place in the country’s culture. 

Kremlin’s internet crackdown is taking on YouTube

Cybersecurity

In Russia, the Kremlin has been steadily cracking down on the internet. Surveillance and censorship have increased, especially since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The Kremlin has cut off access to many of the most popular websites and apps. The latest target is YouTube.