World

Pages

Afghanistan
5:58 am
Sun December 2, 2012

Afghans Begin New Exodus, Often At Great Cost

Originally published on Sun December 2, 2012 8:00 am

Convulsed by war and civil strife for decades, Afghanistan has experienced some of the largest ebbs and flows of migration anywhere in the world.

It began with the Soviet invasion in 1979, which sent millions of Afghans fleeing to Iran and Pakistan. When the Taliban were driven from power in 2001, many Afghans began returning home.

Now, the country has hit another milestone: For the first time since 2002 and the beginning of the current war in Afghanistan, the country has a negative migration rate — more Afghans are leaving than returning.

Read more
Europe
3:09 am
Sun December 2, 2012

Ach! No End In Sight For Berlin Airport Woes

Originally published on Sun December 2, 2012 7:54 am

Germans are famous for their efficiency and being on time. But a much-delayed, expensive new airport in the German capital, Berlin, is rapidly destroying that reputation.

Located in the former East Berlin neighborhood of Schoenefeld, the new airport is to replace three others that serviced passengers in the once-divided city. One of those, Tempelhof — made famous by the Allied airlifts of food and supplies during the Soviet blockade of the late 1940s — is already closed.

Read more
NPR Story
6:18 pm
Sat December 1, 2012

The State Of Palestinian Statehood

Originally published on Thu December 13, 2012 8:42 am

Guy Raz, host of weekends on "All Things Considered," separately interviewed Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Oren and former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. To hear the interviews as they aired for the show, click on the audio link above.

Read more
Latin America
6:28 am
Sat December 1, 2012

High Expectations Welcome Mexico's New President

Credit Jacquelyn Martin / AP
Mexico's new president, Enrique Pena Nieto, has made big promises in a country with a mixed record.

Originally published on Sat December 1, 2012 10:33 pm

It's Inauguration Day in Mexico, and President Enrique Pena Nieto inherits a country with a mixed record.

Most of Mexico is embroiled in a deadly drug war that has claimed the lives of as many as 50,000 people, but Pena Nieto is also taking over an economy that is doing surprisingly well — thanks, many say, to the outgoing head of state.

Calderon's Violent Legacy

Read more
Middle East
6:28 am
Sat December 1, 2012

Shutdowns Raise Issue Of Who Controls The Internet

Credit Narciso Contreras / AP
Night falls on a Syrian rebel-controlled area on Thursday, the same day an Internet blackout struck the country. The cause is still unclear, but many claim the Syrian government was responsible.

Originally published on Sat December 1, 2012 4:12 pm

First, it was Egypt. At the height of the protest against the Mubarak regime in 2011, authorities shut the Internet down.

This week, it was Syria. Just as rebel forces there were making big gains, someone pulled the plug on the Internet, and Syria went dark.

Service was restored on Saturday, but Andrew McLaughlin, former White House adviser on technology policy, expects we'll see more of this.

Read more
Latin America
4:59 pm
Fri November 30, 2012

Far From Mexico, Students Try Saving Aztec Language

Originally published on Fri November 30, 2012 6:44 pm

The descendant of the ancient Aztec language is one of many endangered indigenous languages. Although there may still be a million speakers of Nahuatl, it is not being transmitted to a new generation. But there is an attempt to revive Nahuatl in New York City, and students eager to connect to their heritage are taking classes.

Middle East
3:40 pm
Fri November 30, 2012

In Istanbul, A Byzantine-Era Fleet Surfaces Again

Originally published on Mon December 3, 2012 8:24 pm

In Istanbul, major public transit projects are back under way after years of paralysis. The problem wasn't a lack of financing, but the layer upon layer of ancient artifacts that turned up every time the earthmovers started their work.

The excavation began eight years ago on projects intended to ease Istanbul's notoriously clogged traffic.

The job included building a tunnel under the Bosphorus Strait and linking it to a rail and subway network. When the dig was stopped several years ago, eyes rolled and shoulders shrugged.

Read more
The Salt
3:38 pm
Fri November 30, 2012

Some Restaurants In Israel Declare A Kosher Rebellion

Credit David Silverman / Getty Images
Israelis eat at a kosher McDonald's restaurant in Tel Aviv.

Originally published on Thu December 13, 2012 8:41 am

The Carousela cafe in West Jerusalem is one of a handful of restaurants and cafes in Israel staging a bit of a rebellion by defying Jewish religious authorities who claim they are the only ones who can certify restaurants as kosher, or in compliance with Jewish dietary laws.

Read more
The Two-Way
3:07 pm
Fri November 30, 2012

Free-Speech Debate In India Heats Up

Credit Julie McCarthy / NPR
The case against Shaheen Dhada has set off a free-speech debate in India. Her father, Farooq Dhada, shown here with her, says in India, freedom of speech "exists only on paper."

Originally published on Sat December 1, 2012 12:37 pm

It looks like the case in India against two young female Facebook users has been dropped. But the debate over free speech in India is still heating up.

As we've reported, two young women were arrested last week for a Facebook comment that criticized the shutdown of the city of Mumbai for the cremation of a controversial political leader.

Read more
Faith Matters
12:26 pm
Fri November 30, 2012

Catholic Nun At Center Of Mexico's Drug War

Sister Consuelo Morales puts her faith into action in a very dangerous place. She heads a human rights group in Monterrey, Mexico, where she pressures authorities to investigate killings, disappearances and other drug-related violence. She and Nik Steinberg of Human Rights Watch speak with host Michel Martin.

Pages