In Belarus, strongman leader Alexander Lukashenko has been in power for more than 30 years. Over the weekend, Lukashenko participated in his seventh election claiming to have won decisively. The Belarusian opposition in exile, and other European leaders, have called the election a sham.
Transit in most global cities is government-run. But in Japan, that’s not the case. There, private companies run a sprawling network of trains, subways and buses, often considered the best in the world. What can other countries learn from Japan’s unique system?
National Geographic Explorer Paul Salopek began his continent-spanning walk in Ethiopia in January 2013. Since then, his Out of Eden Walk, tracing humankind’s journey out of Africa, has crossed 21 countries, some 14,200 miles on foot from the Middle Eastern shores of the Red Sea to the Pacific Rim of Japan. Host Marco Werman speaks with Salopek as he begins the 13th year of his global trek.
Tourism numbers are sky-high in Japan. The country saw record numbers of travelers throughout 2024, and government officials are hoping to see the numbers double by 2030. But workers are in short supply. So, to adapt to the tourism boom, Japan is turning to everything from robot hotel receptionists to contactless restaurants.
As president-elect, Donald Trump said on more than one occasion that he could end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours of taking office. More than a day into his presidency, the war rages on. But “ending wars” does still appear to be a top priority for the new administration.
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