Greg Dixon

Iran declared it would accelerate its nuclear enrichment program. That announcement came after the U.N. nuclear watchdog said Iran is violating its obligations. Meanwhile a new round of talks between Iran and the U.S. are scheduled for the weekend and President Trump says he is preventing Israel from striking Iran and he wants to see cooperation. We hear the latest developments and the voices of average Iranians who seem unfazed by news from the talks.

A new powerful group has risen in Gaza and they are being armed by Israel. The militia calls itself "The Popular Forces" and they are presenting themselves as a counter to Hamas' rule of the territory. Our correspondent tells us what we know about this new armed power.

For more coverage of all sides of this conflict, go to npr.org/mideastupdates

The United States hosts many students and scientific researchers from the world's two largest countries, India and China. The U.S. is seen as one of the best places to get and education and on the cutting edge of innovation. But a series of moves by the Trump administration, including greater scrutiny of those applying for student visa and, in the case of China, threats to revoke some visas, are making some rethink their plans.

President Donald Trump has issued a new travel ban, barring travelers from 12 countries and partially restricting travelers from seven others from coming to the U.S. We hear from reporters in Asia, Latin America and Africa to hear how targeted countries might be affected.

Representatives from Russia and Ukraine gather for peace talks in Istanbul. The meeting comes after the two countries each launched large-scale drone attacks on one another over the weekend, including an audacious Ukrainian strike on Russia's bomber aircraft fleet. We hear the latest from the talks and about how Ukraine's drone capabilities have evolved.

Russians remember the longtime artistic director of the Bolshoi Ballet, who died recently. Yuri Grigorovich held the position for the last three decades of the Soviet Union and staged productions that were wildly popular at home and projected soft power overseas.

And in Nepal, people have complained of monkey's stealing food from their property for years. Now, the government is holding its first-ever monkey census to understand exactly how bad the problem is.

There's been a political backlash in India after the Trump administration deported dozens of Indian migrants who were in the U.S. without legal status. This comes after the U.S. had announced 26 percent tariffs on India, which are currently suspended. Those events have changed Indian's perceptions of what they had thought was a cozy relationship with the U.S. and have cause a headache for the Indian prime minister. We go to western India to hear what people think of the U.S. now.

Israel has begun a new ground operation in Gaza in which it says it plans to take territory and hold it. Palestinians are fleeing the intense bombardment. At the same time, Israel and Hamas are holding peace talks. And Israel says it will start allowing food and medicine into Gaza after a nearly three month blockade to pressure Hamas to release hostages. We hear the latest in the new offensive and an interview with a resident in northern Gaza to hear what life has been like.

The Trump Administration has a new plan for delivering aid to Palestinians in Gaza. Israel has blocked all food, fuel and medicine for more than ten weeks, accusing Hamas of stealing aid meant for civilians. The U.S. says their plan will address those concerns, but experts worry the plan could set a bad precedent. We learn more.

The United States has long been a center for academic and scientific research. But two phenomena may be changing that and sending talent to Europe instead. The Trump administration has hit many colleges and universities with cuts to federal funding. And at the same time many academics feel like their freedom is under attack. Our correspondent in Rome tells us that European Universities are offering refuge to researchers in the U.S.

Following Israel declaring an end to the ceasefire with Hamas in Gaza last month, the Israeli military has called in reservists to return to war. However, this time fewer reserve troops are answering that call to go back into Gaza. Our correspondent in Tel Aviv talked to three officers who commanded troops in Gaza and who have become frustrated with military strategy.

The world is reacting to President Trump's announcement of new tariffs on nearly every country on the planet. The move is meant to re-shape the global trading order and some countries are being hit harder than others. NPR correspondents around the world are hearing anger, dismay, threats of retaliation and bewilderment.

During his campaign, President Trump promised to stem migration to the United States. And since taking office his administration has deported plane loads of people, some of whom were in the U.S. legally. Hundreds of deportees have been sent to prison in El Salvador. And President Trump has essentially closed the door to immigrants seeking to enter the country through the border with Mexico. These policies have provoked so-called reverse migration, where people go back to the places they once fled. And that has knock-on effects for other countries. We go to a tiny island in Panama to see the effects of U.S. immigration policy.

China has long been the world's factory, but it's economy is starting to face serious headwinds. Demand for Chinese goods has slumped, China is saddled with too much industrial capacity and heavy debt. And now a tariff war with the United States further darkens China's economic outlook. We have two reports on reactions to China's economic state. We hear how the Chinese government is encouraging business investment, but it's a hard pitch to sell in a communist state that hasn't always been kind to entrepreneurs. And how Vietnam, another communist country, seeks to capitalize on China's uncertain future and is experiencing a manufacturing boom.

The race is on for control over deposits of rare earth elements and critical minerals that are necessary in much of the technology we use today. The U.S. is lagging behind it's main rival in this global competition, China. We hear about why these resources are so sought after and the stakes in the race to control them.

Recently a few hundred people gathered at a Damascus hotel to discuss how to jump-start Syria's tech industry. That sector was basically non-existent during Syria's long civil war. Our correspondent attended the conference and met a young man who fled Syria during the civil war and now is a graduate student at Stanford. His journey illustrates both the possibilities and challenges that lie ahead for Syria.

The two month ceasefire in Gaza has come to an end with Israel conducting airstrikes, killing five Hamas officials along with over 400 others, including many children. The Israeli military has also restarted ground operations in Gaza, sending troops back to areas they had withdrawn from. They say they want Hamas to agree to a new ceasefire deal and release more hostages. But many Israelis are opposed to this return to war. We hear what this resumption of fighting sounds like in Gaza from our producer there. Warning, this episode contains graphic descriptions of war.

President Trump and President Vladimir Putin of Russia held a lengthy phone call on Tuesday to discuss a possible ceasefire in Ukraine. This is part of Trump's efforts to end the Russia's war in Ukraine and while he didn't get a ceasefire agreement, some progress was made. We hear the latest.

And in Ukraine, people are watching these and other developments with concern, skepticism, and with dark humor.

In Syria about a decade ago, while the Assad regime was focused on crushing an uprising that challenged its rule, it faced a problem. It had too many children in detention, who had been swept up when their mothers were arrested. An NPR investigation has found that hundreds of children were separated from family and placed in orphanages around Damascus by government intelligence agents. They ordered the orphanages to keep this a secret.

Now that the Assad regime has fallen, families are searching the Syrian capital for their missing children. We go to Damascus to learn more.

President Trump has derided aid the U.S. provides overseas as rife with fraud. His administration has moved aggressively to eliminate such funding including cancelling contracts already in progress. This is all being challenged in court but the effects are being felt acutely by those providing the aid on the ground in foreign countries. We hear from three providers in Africa.