Lauren Frayer
Lauren Frayer covers the United Kingdom, Ireland and parts of Europe for NPR News. She is a regular contributor to NPR podcasts, and serves as a guest host of Weekend Edition and Weekend All Things Considered.
She moved to London in 2023 after five years in Mumbai, covering South Asia. For her coverage of King Charles III’s coronation, Frayer traced the controversial path of a 105-carat diamond discovered in India, snatched from a 10-year-old Sikh prince and “gifted” to British royals in the 19th century. In northern England, she uncovered a little-known World War II battle between Black and white U.S. soldiers. She has chronicled Sinn Fein’s political makeover, toured pro-Palestinian graffiti in Dublin, and rediscovered one of soccer’s greatest underdog stories.
Her other datelines include Gaza, Ukraine, Sri Lanka, Seoul, Dhaka – as well as the Dalai Lama’s monastery, Morocco’s Atlas Mountains, James Bond’s birthplace and Taylor Swift’s favorite London pub.
In India, Frayer reported a five-part true crime podcast called Love Commandos, investigating a Delhi-based vigilante group that offers shelter and aid to couples who cross the boundaries of caste and religion to marry the people they love. She has also reported podcasts about caste discrimination in America, the death of a Jesuit priest in Indian custody, and the changing height of Mount Everest.
Frayer has been honored with two Gracie Awards, the Lowell Thomas Award from the Overseas Press Club of America, a Sigma Delta Chi Award from the Society of Professional Journalists, a New York Festival Radio Award and three National Headliner Awards.
She has also contributed to The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times and the BBC. Her career began at the Associated Press, where she worked in the agency's bureaus in Washington, Jerusalem, Cairo and Baghdad.
Born and raised in Connecticut, Frayer holds a bachelor's degree in philosophy from The College of William & Mary in Virginia.
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Police have arrested Peter Mandelson, a veteran Labour Party politician who served as British ambassador to the U.S., as part of an investigation into his ties with Jeffrey Epstein. -
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the British former prince, was released after spending the day in police custody but is still under investigation on suspicion of misconduct in public office. -
On Saturday, the UNGA celebrated its 80th birthday in London. Speakers including U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres addressed global uncertainty during the second term of President Trump. -
After losing founder member Dave "Trugoy the Dove" Jolicoeur, De La Soul returns with Cabin in the Sky, an album shaped by grief, joy, and the group's timeless creativity. -
A Israeli military court has extended the prison detention of a 16-year-old Palestinian-American facing up to 20 years in prison for allegedly throwing rocks in the West Bank. U.S. lawmakers have urged his release. -
A Israeli military court has extended the prison detention of a 16-year-old Palestinian-American facing up to 20 years in prison for allegedly throwing rocks in the West Bank. U.S. lawmakers have urged his release.
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Prince Andrew has agreed with King Charles to stop using his Duke of York title, as scrutiny over his past connection to Jeffrey Epstein persists. -
Sarah Mullally has been named as the new Archbishop of Canterbury, becoming the first woman to be chosen to lead the world's 85 million Anglicans. -
As Britain's prime minister, Tony Blair succeeded in negotiating peace in Northern Ireland in 1998. Five years later, he joined the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq — sullying his reputation ever since. -
Police identified a 35-year-old man they believed was responsible for attacking a synagogue in Manchester, England, on Yom Kippur, Judaism's holiest day.
