A diplomat's tears, 200 snake bites, drone pix: Goats and Soda's top stories in 2025

A diplomat's tears, 200 snake bites, drone pix: Goats and Soda's top stories in 2025 Clockwise from top left: Michael Gonzales, U.S. ambassador to Zambia, at the May press conference when he announced a cut of $50 million in aid for medications and medical supplies to the country. After 29 minutes, he was wiping away tears: "I've cried over this because I know that it's not going to be senior officials or the senior people ... who are going to hurt. I know it's going to be the poor family in rural Zambia whose baby gets malaria and they won't have access to antimalarials." A prize-winning drone photo captures the Artemia pleasure boat, marooned in the dried bed of Lake Urmia, Iran. A dusty street scene in Kabwe, Zambia. The town's dust is still heavily contaminated with lead after nearly 100 years of lead mining and smelting that eventually ceased in 1994. Lead poisoning continues to affect thousands. Florence Amungo, 34, a refugee from South Sudan, now lives at Palabek Refugee Settlement in Northern Uganda. Amungo was enrolled in a program to help people "graduate" from poverty - then found out the program was cut. She had hoped to raise pigs to support her household of 14 people - her husband, their five biological children and other children that she cares for. Clockwise from top left: U.S. Embassy Zambia; Mohammad Ataei Mohammadi; Claire Harbage/NPR; Tommy Trenchard for NPR hide caption toggle caption There was a lot of news this year. A LOT. The Trump administration initiated seismic changes in world of foreign aid with dramatic impacts on health and poverty programs. Scary (and sometimes ancient) viruses circulated. But there were moments of hope and beauty, too - like an award-winning collection of drone photos. That's all evident in our selection of the stories that got the most page views in 2025. Here are the most popular stories from our global health and development coverage in Goats and Soda. An ancient disease makes yet another comeback Cholera is striking in Africa. It's a disease that's easy to control with proper treatment. But without medical care, patients can perish quickly. This nation has the fastest rising rate of cancer cases - and deaths - in the world According to a new report, cancer rates are skyrocketing in this tiny country. What's causing this to happen? And what steps can be taken to turn the tide? They were promised a lifeline to 'graduate' from poverty. Then it was taken away Thousands of South Sudanese refugees and impoverished locals in Uganda saw a brighter future with a new USAID-funded project. They'd get $205 and coaching to build a business. Then came the cuts. This may be the most lead polluted place on Earth. Is there any hope? The U.N. has identified Kabwe, a city of almost 300,000 people in Zambia, as one of the most polluted places on the planet. Who is to blame? And can justice be done? Neglected form of diabetes with...

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