NPR Topics: World Story of the Day Podcast: Episodes
Christians in Iraq are celebrating the birth of Jesus with some trepidation. This year, Dec. 25 coincides with one of the most important dates on the Shiite Muslim calendar. So Iraqi Christians are refraining from public signs of celebration out of respect for — or fear of — their Muslim neighbors.
British Muslims knew and admired U.S.-born cleric Anwar al-Awlaki as a moderate and a role model for their children. But his messages were becoming angrier and more aggressive toward the West, culminating in a statement praising the Fort Hood shooter as a hero.
The Obama administration is calling on Afghanistan's government to tackle widespread corruption, but some say the international community shares in the blame. Bribery and extortion have become a way of life in the country.
President Obama's strategy for Afghanistan includes an ambitious plan to churn out thousands of new army and police officers to fight the Taliban and al-Qaida. But the rapid buildup could create many more problems than it solves.
There are many hurdles in Afghanistan as President Obama deploys thousands of additional U.S. troops. In the first of a five-part series, we look at one of the biggest challenges: the government in Kabul. Will President Hamid Karzai reduce corruption and provide better services for his people?
It's a Christmas tradition in Britain: Every year, <em>Idol</em>-maker Simon Cowell churns out the No. 1 song for the holidays — until this year. Thanks to an anti-Cowell online campaign, a new No. 1 was crowned today: a 17-year-old tune by Rage Against the Machine called "Killing in the Name." ...
Scholar Kian Tajbakhsh was supposed to teach at Columbia University this fall. But he's been detained in an Iranian prison since the summer, when he was arrested in the aftermath of Iran's presidential elections. In October, Tajbakhsh was sentenced to 15 years in jail. Now friends, family and fellow ...
The assault last weekend on Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi left him with facial wounds and has inflamed Italy's already polarized political climate. The premier's supporters say Berlusconi's critics incited the attack. The opposition says Berlusconi and his allies are to blame for the uncivil political climate.
A newly revealed document purportedly from Iran is under scrutiny. The document concerns a nuclear trigger device. If it isn't a forgery, some experts believe it could be proof Iran is working on developing a nuclear weapon. But the undated document raises questions that it doesn't answer.
In Uganda, a bill designed to eradicate homosexuality has strong support in government and in evangelical circles. Proponents of the bill link homosexuality to the West. But despite condemnation elsewhere, few in the country are willing to speak against it because those who do are labeled gay.
New figures show that the number of rockets fired from the Gaza Strip into nearby Israeli communities has decreased by 90 percent since the end of Israel's Gaza offensive almost a year ago. Yet Israelis with homes close to Gaza say they are still living in fear and suffering the traumatic aftereffects ...
Nearly a year since Israel's winter offensive into Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, Palestinians are still suffering. Thousands of homes and buildings were destroyed in the fighting. One of the coastal enclave's biggest problems, residents say, is overcrowding and the stresses that it is putting on families.
There are many players involved in climate talks at Copenhagen, but one country has a vested economic interest in the outcome. For the last three decades, much of Japan's economy has been geared toward inventing energy-saving appliances and machinery — technology that Japan is hoping the rest of ...
Leaders and relatives thought they were doing everything right, but when five young men went missing, tough decisions had to be made.
Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has pledged to end a 25-year-old Kurdish rebellion by giving more rights to the minority Kurds. But a ban on the country's main Kurdish political party — over alleged links to Kurdish rebels — is exacerbating tensions.
Saudi Arabia's strategy on climate change has long been to deny the science, a tactic it is using at the U.N. summit in Copenhagen. Saudis fear that reducing emissions will reduce oil exports and be catastrophic for their economy.
Pablo Escobar was once the world's most wanted man, directing an empire of drugs and murder as leader of Colombia's Medellin cocaine cartel. Sixteen years after his death, his victims' families haven't forgotten about him. Nor has Escobar's only son, whose story is told in a new documentary.
Russia has long grappled with alcoholism among its population. Now, a second plague is afflicting the country: intravenous drug use. Officials say addiction — whether it's drug or alcohol dependency — is reaching a crisis level.
The transformation of Russia's military may be the most successful of President Dmitry Medvedev's programs, but it's also one of the most controversial. The huge project involves painful cuts and dismantling deep-vested interests that have thrived on bloated, Soviet-style armed forces.
Pepe Lobo won last week's controversial presidential election in Honduras, but now he faces huge challenges. In addition to moving past the worst political crisis in the region in decades, Lobo will have to deal with a wide range of social and economic problems.