In this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, Russia's President Vladimir Putin interacts with local residents on Iturup island, one of four islands in the contested chain known as the Kuril Islands in Russia and the Northern Territories in Japan, on August 13, 2026. Gavriil Grigorov/pool/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
Russia’s war in Ukraine has raised tensions not only in Europe, but also in Asia. Ties between Russia and neighboring Japan are at their worst in decades. Tokyo would like more support from Washington, but as we hear, some Japanese are concerned they may not get it. And ancient Egyptian mummies were once used as medicine. But why? Chemists are trying to find out what it was in the mummification process that had medicinal properties. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org .
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