NPR Topics: World Story of the Day Podcast: Episodes
Russian investigators say preliminary analysis indicates there were no mechanical problems on board a plane that crashed over the weekend and killed Poland's president and other officials. Some say it's absurd that the president and other VIPs were flying in a 26-year-old Russian aircraft despite several ...
Poland has declared a week of national mourning after a plane crash Saturday killed 96 people, including Polish President Lech Kaczynski and the first lady, as well as dozens of Poland's military, political and religious leaders. While many Poles are still in shock, they're also asking questions about ...
A letter from 1985 shows then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger actively delayed defrocking a priest charged with molesting several boys. One reason, according to the letter, which is signed by the future pope, is that the Vatican needed to "consider the good of the Universal Church."
Twice a week, Yoani Sanchez transforms the living room of her small Havana high-rise apartment into what she calls the Blogger Academy. In a country where few people have an Internet connection, Sanchez is teaching her students the tools of a digital revolution that Cuba's government views warily.
In recent months, renewed clashes between Muslim and Christian communities around the central Nigerian city of Jos have left hundreds dead. But observers warn that while religion may be the fault line for a decade of periodic fighting, underlying grievances in Jos go much deeper.
According to Jewish law, a man has to agree to grant his wife a divorce of his own free will before the legal separation can proceed. "If he's incapacitated, if he's abusive, if he committed adultery, it really doesn't matter," says Susan Weiss, who runs the Center for Women's Justice. "If he doesn't ...
The Obama administration released its nuclear posture review Tuesday, narrowing the use of nuclear weapons to the role of deterring nuclear attack. The review, released two days before Obama and the Russian president meet to sign a new arms treaty, maps out a strategy for the U.S. to combat nuclear proliferation.
For the Western hemisphere's poorest country, the earthquake that hit Haiti in January was an especially cruel blow. Despite this, it's hard to find a Haitian who doesn't profess a belief in a loving God. Still, some are raising eternal questions.
In Egypt, an all-male administrative judges council voted to bar women from joining. The Constitutional Court swiftly ruled that there is no legal restriction to women serving as judges, but civil rights advocates must still convince the panel's executive board to overturn the vote.
The followers of anti-American Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr — once dismissed merely as a militia — have shown a sophisticated understanding of politics and elections. They are currently voting in a straw poll for prime minister. As a result, the movement may hold the key to Iraq's next government.
Washington had approved the release of many of the Yemeni detainees at the Guantanamo Bay prison. But after a Yemen-based al-Qaida affiliate allegedly tried to bomb a U.S. plane, those releases were put on hold. Now, the delays are stoking anti-American sentiment.
An Indian tennis ace and a Pakistani cricket star confirmed plans to marry, sparking protests and a media frenzy. Such "cross-border" couples are not common, and it is not easy for them. History has left a bitter residue between India and Pakistan. There is still much suspicion and rivalry.
President Obama's father married four times before he died. His seven surviving children are scattered from China to the White House. The youngest has written a book about his life in Kenya — and it's a life altogether different from that of his half-brother, the U.S. president.
Everyone knows that texting while driving isn't smart. Now consider this: texting while driving a motorcycle, in heavy traffic. It's not uncommon in Vietnam, where motorcycles are the primary source of transportation. And it's got public health officials worried.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy is due to meet President Obama in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday. Relations between the U.S. and France have improved under the new administration, and the policies of both countries on issues like Iran and the Middle East are surprisingly similar. However, there is a feeling ...
Scientists have long known what psychopaths lack: emotions like empathy, fear and remorse. Now, a new study focuses on what they may have — a brain abnormality that may lead them to seek rewards like money, sex or fame at any cost.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a special meeting of his inner Cabinet on Friday to discuss his contentious visit to Washington this week. The U.S. has given him a list of demands, which he must decide whether to accept.
One of Haiti's most urgent problems is what to do with the estimated 25 million cubic yards of debris left after the massive earthquake in January. The Haitian government is struggling to find safe sites to dump the rubble, even as more structures are slated for demolition.
Relations between Afghan President Hamid Karzai and the international coalition seeking to secure and rebuild his country are rocky these days. But some Karzai critics say it's not just the president who is to blame for why things have turned sour.
A U.S.-led task force recently closed the notorious Bagram prison north of Kabul, Afghanistan, and has begun releasing detainees it no longer deems a threat. The U.S. hopes the efforts build trust with local Afghan communities, but the reality is more complicated.