As we look back at our international reporters' most memorable stories of the last year, we revisit a report from a remote corner of southeastern Syria near the border with Jordan. There some 7,000 people were trapped in a refugee camp for years. They had fled Syrian regime forces and ISIS attacks and had nowhere else they could go. Our reporter was the first person to visit the camp, after the Syrian regime fell. We get an update on where those residents are now.
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President Volodymyr Zelensky has presented a draft agreement to end the war in Ukraine, after negotiations with US. It is now being reviewed by the Kremlin. The document includes security guarantees for Ukraine from the US, NATO and Europe, but President Zelensky says the question of ceding territory is still unresolved. Also: France, Germany and the European Union condemn a decision by the US to impose visa bans on the former EU commissioner Thierry Breton and four others involved in regulating tech companies. The French President Emmanuel Macron says the measures amount to "intimidation and coercion aimed at undermining European digital sovereignty". More than 100 people have been killed in the past two weeks in drone attacks in Sudan’s South Kordofan region. The United Nations says it is alarmed by the growing use of drones by both Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. And as people prepare to hand out their Christmas presents, we look at the impact of AI toys on child development.
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Edition for Dec. 24. This year has been a big one for deals, with some blockbuster mergers and big-name breakups. WSJ lead deals reporter Lauren Thomas discusses what drove all that activity in 2025, and what she’ll be keeping her eye on in the year to come. Plus, the heirs to Texas billionaire Robert Brockman will pay $750 million in the biggest U.S. tax fraud case ever. And Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky proposes a demilitarized zone in the eastern region of Donetsk as part of a potential peace deal. Alex Ossola hosts. Programming note: What’s News is publishing once a day through Jan. 2.
2025 has been the year of getting dragged back to the office for plenty of workers — some part-time, but many full-time in the case of big finance and tech corporations. Thing is, in-person work appeals to many younger workers. Today, we'll hear the perspective of one. Then, the State Department says it will deny visas to five European citizens, including a former top EU official, and domestic production is still adjusting to tariffs.
President Zelensky has revealed a draft deal to end the war in Ukraine that has been negotiated with the US and is currently being reviewed by Moscow. The 20-point plan includes security guarantees for Kyiv from the US, NATO and Europe, but Mr Zelensky says the question of territory remains unresolved.
Also in the programme: the US denies visas to five Europeans accused of leading efforts to stifle Americans online; and Egypt begins restoring a 4,500-year-old boat that once belonged to King Khufu.
Investigations continue following the death of 20-year-old Karen Lojore at Afrobeats artiste Asake's concert in Nairobi. Karen died following a crowd crush as fans tried to access the show. Concerns about safety and crowd control at large entertainment events have been raised. We hear from Karen’s aunt as the family prepares to lay her to rest, and from a Kenyan journalist who was inside the venue and describes the moments as the situation escalated.
Then, we turn to West Africa’s end-of-year cultural phenomenon, Detty December. In Lagos and Accra, December is now synonymous with packed concerts and booming nightlife. But as the season grows more expensive, some locals are questioning who it’s really for.
Presenter : Nkechi Ogbonna
Producers: Chiamaka Dike, Bella Twine, Keikantse Shumba, Blessing Aderogba
Technical Producer: Mbarak Abdallah
Senior Producer: Daniel Dadzie
Editors: Samuel Murunga and Maryam Abdalla
According to GoFundMe’s end-of-year report, campaigns to fund basic necessities like housing, utilities and groceries are on the rise after quadrupling in 2024. In the Loop gets insight on how we got here, how this impact is felt locally, and local efforts to close gaps through mutual aid efforts and policy shifts. Dion Dawson, founder, executive director Dion’s Chicago Dream and Bob Palmer, Policy Director Housing Action Illinois and Rep. Brad Schneider, 10th District sat down with host Sasha-Ann Simons.
For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
Historically, it has been very poor manners in Washington to admit that keeping home prices high is a deliberate policy. High prices are not the "unintended consequence" of good intentions.
Deadly nursing home explosion. New Epstein document dump expected. Dangerous downpours drench California. CBS News Correspondent Peter King has those stories and more on the World News Roundup podcast.
A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to restore Homeland Security funding to 12 states and the District of Columbia. The administration had held back hundreds of millions of dollars from what it called "sanctuary jurisdictions." The cuts affected programs intended to support local police and emergency response in urban areas. Plus, food banks are bracing for strain ahead of changes to SNAP. We hear how services will be impacted on the ground in Kentucky.