PRI's The World

abandonded house with encroaching seawater

UN compact recognizes climate change as driver of migration for first time

We talk about "climate refugees" all the time. But they don't exist. In fact, those displaced by climate change have no special protections under international law. But that may be changing.

A closeup of Maria Ressa with her hand up in front of her face.

Maria Ressa says journalism is democracy's 'first line of defense' and Rappler won't back down

Time Magazine honored journalists with its Person of the Year award. The list of journalists include Maria Ressa, founder of the investigative Rappler Media in the Philippines. Ressa and Rappler have been covering extrajudicial killings in the country, part of President Rodrigo Duterte's so-called war on drugs.

The tops of buildings are barely visible through a thick layer of smog.

Smothered by smog, activists are urging Poland to reconsider coal

Coal smog can make many poles feel like they're living in the 19th century. Now a growing grassroots movement is pushing local and national governments to cut smog and rethink the country's heavy reliance on coal.

a closeup of a transgender participant with bright red lipstick and thick, fake eyelashes

Recognizing climate migrants, transgender rights in the Philippines, can Brexit be funny?

Journalists who have risked their lives to report on authoritarian rulers and their abuses of power are named Time Magazine's "Person of the Year." And, world leaders are recognizing that one cause of migration is climate change in this year's UN Compact on Migration. Plus, an 8-year-old listener takes host Marco Werman to task over a line from one of our recent stories.

An adult emerald ash borer nestles into a tan-colored tree trunk.

Insects slipping into the US are causing billions of dollars in damage

The US has two trade deficits: money and pests. A Congressional amendment would add some safeguards to clamp down on non-indigenous insects that are killing American trees.

At 70, is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights doing its job?

Under the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, everyone is entitled to a healthy, adequate standard of living. But from the start, there was a tension within US politics about whether America would submit to international justice.

The Place de la République in Paris is shown in the background with thousands encircling a monument in the middle of the square.

Elvis lights up in Germany, Congress takes on invasive insects, Brexit vote postponed

British Prime Minister Theresa May delays a vote in Parliament on her Brexit plan — an indication of how the move to separate Britain from the European Union continues to tear the nation apart. And in France, "yellow vest" demonstrations have led to calls for President Emmanuel Macron to step down. Plus, a German town honors Elvis with new traffic lights. Those stories, and the news, today on The World.

Syrian refugees look at the camera as they stand in front of their homes at Azraq refugee camp

Limits on asylum-seekers leads to agency closures in Los Angeles

Under the Trump administration, America is closing its doors to refugees. US refugee caps have been steadily slashed from 110,000 a year under the Obama administration to 30,000 next year. That would be the lowest number of refugees admitted since 1980.

Nargis Azizshahy is the owner of ICafe in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Some Afghans seek peace with the Taliban, but fear the return of 'male-dominant society'

After nearly two decades of war, prospects for peace talks have been gaining momentum in Afghanistan. This has created a sense of optimism and anxiety among some Afghans.

delegates sit across each other in a large room with a wood floor

Former Yemeni war detainee praises UN-brokered prisoner swap

A prisoner swap, agreed to by opposing sides in the Yemen war, may be just a confidence-building measure. But for one former detainee, the UN-brokered measure is a significant step toward eventual peace in Yemen.

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