Pri's The World: Latest Edition

El Salvador has transformed in the past few years from one of the most-violent countries in Latin America to one of the safest. That's largely due to the intense crackdown on gangs by President Nayib Bukele, who is up for reelection this weekend, and expecting a resounding win. And, Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso are leaving the Economic Community of West African States, known as ECOWAS. All three countries have all experienced military coups in the past few years, and they say the regional trade organization is not helping them fight terrorism. Also, Venezuela and Guyana have been ramping up nationalist propaganda campaigns as a border dispute over the remote Essequibo region, rich in oil and gold, intensifies. Plus, why insects go into the light.

Hopes are dimming for Ukraine's spring push to drive Russia from its territory. Kyiv’s long-awaited counteroffensive has fallen flat and President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is reportedly planning to fire his top commander. And, a court in Pakistan ordered former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife to serve long prison terms. It was the second sentence Khan received in two days related to corruption charges. Also, a report by the independent Russian investigative newspaper, The Insider, says a Latvian member of the EU parliament has been working as an agent for the FSB, Russia's intelligence service, for decades. Plus, Turkey's "Sultans of the Net" inspire a generation of girls to play volleyball.

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh says he is headed to Cairo to discuss a ceasefire proposal that emerged after talks in Paris. Qatar, the US and Egypt are pushing for a halt to hostilities that lasts at least a month. But Hamas is calling for a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. And, for nearly 20 years, Canadian Olympians have received as much as $15,000 for earning a gold medal at the Olympics. Canadian Paralympians, though, have never been paid — until now. Also, Canada's government announced this week its intention to delay the expansion of the medically assisted in dying program, known as MAID. It follows a series of hearings about whether those only with a mental illness should be allowed to seek out euthanasia. Plus, ants, lions and zebras!

President Joe Biden said the US will respond to an attack that killed three American service members in Jordan over the weekend. US troops in the Middle East have come under increasing attacks in recent months amid the war in Gaza. And, the sudden resignation of Harvard President Claudine Gay earlier this month is sparking debate about authoritarian influences creeping into higher education. Gay is the second Ivy League president to resign following testimony to Congress about antisemitism on campus. Also, journalist Paul Salopek has been walking across the globe for the past 11 years. The journey is part of his "Out Of Eden Walk" project in collaboration with Inside National Geographic. Plus, the 24th annual International Guitar Night begins this month.

The top United Nations court on Friday issued a ruling that stopped short of calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. But the International Court of Justice at The Hague also ordered Israel to do more to prevent civilian deaths in the Palestinian enclave. Also, NATO kicked off its largest military exercises since the Cold War. It involves all 31 NATO member countries and 90,000 troops. Plus, Australia Day commemorates the day in 1788 when British colonists arrived and raised the Union Jack. And every year, it sparks a public debate about cultural identity, history and what it really means to be Australian. 

Cuba is going through its worst economic crisis in decades. Last week, Cuban government officials announced a new package of austerity measures, which include massive hikes for transportation fares, as well as fuel, electricity, and natural gas, and further restrictions on businesses. And, earlier this week, the US Supreme Court allowed border agents to remove razor wire along the US-Mexico border. Local authorities had installed the fencing to curb migration. Also, it's rare to hear people asking to pay more taxes. But earlier this month, more than 250 of the self-proclaimed super-rich signed an open letter calling on world leaders to tax them more. Plus, a liquor store has opened in Saudia Arabia for the first time in 70 years. 

Russian state media says that a military plane crashed near Russia's border with Ukraine, killing everyone on board. The Russian Defense Ministry says those killed included 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war who were on board. Also, South Africa is bringing a case against Israel at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, accusing Israel of carrying out genocide in Gaza. Germany announced it would intervene in support of Israel. And in Kenya, a sport called padel, which is a mix between tennis and squash, is all the rage. New courts are being built all over Nairobi.   

The Biden administration wants Israelis and Palestinians to get serious about restarting a plan for a two-state solution. The European Union and Arab leaders agree, along many across the international community. But Israel is digging in its heels. And, soon after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin established a group of allied countries to support the besieged nation. Now, for the first time, the Pentagon is out of money for Ukraine. Also, global cocaine production is at historic highs, and cartels are developing new trade routes to get it to market. We hear why much of the rise in cocaine use in Latin America is in Brazil. Plus, the journey of one Venezuelan man to a Colorado town. 

This past weekend, tens of thousands of people took to the streets in cities across Germany to protest the far-right Alternative for Germany party, the AFD. Protests erupted after journalists revealed that members met with neo-Nazis to discuss mass deportations, including of citizens. And,  two incidents of racial abuse interrupted play in Europe over the weekend. FIFA President Gianni Infantino has called for “an automatic forfeit for the team whose fans have committed racism," but critics are skeptical. Also, Bologna has become the first major city in Italy to introduce a speed limit for traffic of19 miles per hour in the city. Several other European cities have also lowered their speed limits to curb fatalities, but the restrictions have gotten a lot of backlash. Plus, Haiti's jazz festival flourishes despite security challenges. 

Climate change continues to adversely affect the infectious disease situation across the globe. Countries like Zambia, Bangladesh and Sudan are seeing a rise in infectious disease cases as they battle climate change. Cholera and dengue fever are two examples of such diseases. And, on Friday, the South African government said it would continue its attempt to stop the sale of items that once belonged to Nelson Mandela. While his daughter says sales will fund a memorial garden in her father's honor, the government wants to keep the items in South Africa as pieces of national heritage. Also, in1972, 11 members of Israel's Olympic delegation were killed at the Munich Games. What happened there continues to worry Israeli athletes as an Israeli delegation heads to Qatar for the World Aquatics Championships next month. Plus, did the song "We are the World" make the world better?