National

AFP via Getty Images

U.S.-Iran peace deal emerging, while war threats still loom

Jane Arraf

President Trump and other administration officials are tempering expectations raised of an imminent agreement to end the war in Iran while Iranian officials have signaled there are still disagreements on key issues.
Aline Deschamps for NPR

In Beirut, refugee girls and women learn more than self-defense in martial arts class

Jane Arraf

In the male-dominated world of Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, a martial arts teacher offers women a way to empowerment.

National

'My body carried me,' Elizabeth Smart says. Now she's celebrating it

Windsor Johnston

Her abduction at age 14 drew international attention. After her rescue, Smart says she struggled with feeling shame around her body. Bodybuilding has helped her see herself differently.
National

This big university system is embracing AI. Students and faculty aren't all on board

Lee V. Gaines

The California State University system offers an early look at what happens when an administration commits to a technology that its own community isn't convinced will improve education.
National

Diners are staying home, so this restaurant lets patrons pay what they want

Joe Hernandez

Americans are increasingly passing up on dining out. So one restaurant is allowing diners to pay what they like for their food.
National

COMIC: To raise a confident little talker, learn to speak 'parentese'

Andee Tagle, Navied Mahdavian

So you've got a baby in your life. How do you talk to them, exactly? In this comic, experts explain why conversing with your baby is important — and share ways to help them develop their language skills.

Oxford University Press

National

In the 'biggest book giveaway in history' WWII soldiers received pocket-sized reads

Maureen Corrigan

The books had to be light and small enough to fit in servicemen's pockets. The motto of the Council on Books in Wartime was: "Books Are Weapons in the War of Ideas."

One life insurance company is banking on incentives to gamify the healthy habits of its customers, which in turn helps its bottom line.

manusapon kasosod/Moment RF

Getty Images

National

Spin to win: How this life insurance company turns healthy habits into a game

Allison Aubrey

A Muslim pilgrim reacts as a volunteer sprays water to cool them outside the Grand Mosque during the annual hajj pilgrimage at the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Sunday, May 24, 2026.

Altaf Qadri

National

Muslims begin the annual Hajj against a backdrop of war concerns

The Associated Press

National

China launches Shenzhou 23 spacecraft with 1 of 3 astronauts set for yearlong stay

The Associated Press

China launched the Shenzhou 23 spacecraft with 3 astronauts heading to its space station. One astronaut is set to stay in space for a year to explore human adaptability in long-duration spaceflights.
National

California chemical tank has cracked, causing state of emergency, thousands to evacuate

Geoff Brumfiel

One California town is in a state of emergency and 50,000 people are under an evacuation order as a malfunctioning chemical tank at an aerospace plant is overheating and could leak or explode.
National

DR Congo Ebola cases rise amid distrust, armed conflict zone

Emmet Livingstone

Africa races to contain a fast-spreading Ebola outbreak threatening 10 countries as infections spill from eastern Congo into Uganda.
National

More than 500 children have died in an outbreak that the world is virtually ignoring

Gabrielle Emanuel, Ali Asif Shawon

The number of cases — and deaths — in Bangladesh is staggering. As of Sunday, 528 have died, mostly children. How did this measles outbreak begin? And how is the country responding?
National

Mind-bending photos by anonymous cousins show the pain and dreams of Afghan women

Diane Cole

The young women make photos that look at life — how it is, how they wish it could be — under Taliban rule. The images are on display at the Photoville Festival in Brooklyn, New York.