NPR Topics: World http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1004&ft=1&f=1004 NPR world news, international art and culture, world business and financial markets, world economy, and global trends in health, science and technology. Subscribe to the World Story of the Day podcast and RSS feed. Copyright 2009 NPR - For Personal Use Only NPR API RSS Generator 0.93 Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:00:00 -0500 http://media.npr.org/images/npr_news_123x20.gif World http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1004&ft=1&f=1004 Afghanistan-Bound, Americans Pretend To Be There While President Obama weighs his options on Afghanistan, one thing is clear: The U.S. is beefing up its civilian presence there. The aid effort has been hobbled from the start, and many experts consider it a weak link in the struggle to build a stable society in the conflicted country. Deputy Secretary of State Jack Lew insists that the U.S. is now recruiting the right kind of people, but before those people head to Afghanistan, they get trained to work with the military at a base in Indiana. Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:00:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120646666&ft=1&f=1004 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120646666&ft=1&f=1004 While President Obama weighs his options on Afghanistan, one thing is clear: The U.S. is beefing up its civilian presence there. The aid effort has been hobbled from the start, and many experts consider it a weak link in the struggle to build a stable society in the conflicted country. Deputy Secretary of State Jack Lew insists that the U.S. is now recruiting the right kind of people, but before those people head to Afghanistan, they get trained to work with the military at a base in Indiana.

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]]> Week In Review With Daniel Schorr This week, the Senate faced a crucial vote on health care. The Obama administration fended off criticism over Sept. 11 trials in New York, and Hamid Karzai was sworn in for another term as president of Afghanistan. Host Scott Simon reviews the week in the news with NPR Senior News Analyst Dan Schorr. Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:00:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120646678&ft=1&f=1004 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120646678&ft=1&f=1004 This week, the Senate faced a crucial vote on health care. The Obama administration fended off criticism over Sept. 11 trials in New York, and Hamid Karzai was sworn in for another term as president of Afghanistan. Host Scott Simon reviews the week in the news with NPR Senior News Analyst Dan Schorr.

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]]> Outrage Over Death Sentences For Iran's Dissenters Iranian media reported this week that five people arrested in the protests following Iran's presidential election have been sentenced to death. Tehran says the prisoners had connections to "counter-revolutionary groups," but activists say Iran is going too far in persecuting dissenters. Host Scott Simon talks to Hadi Ghaemi, director of the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran. Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:00:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120646682&ft=1&f=1004 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120646682&ft=1&f=1004 Iranian media reported this week that five people arrested in the protests following Iran's presidential election have been sentenced to death. Tehran says the prisoners had connections to "counter-revolutionary groups," but activists say Iran is going too far in persecuting dissenters. Host Scott Simon talks to Hadi Ghaemi, director of the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran.

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]]> Socialite's School Brings Hope To Brazilian Slum Brazil's ghettos are poverty stricken and violent. But there are people fighting against the odds to turn things around for the poor children of Rio de Janeiro. Among them is an unusual apostle: a Rio socialite who founded a school for slum-dwelling children and views education as an equalizer. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:01:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120580045&ft=1&f=1004 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120580045&ft=1&f=1004 Brazil's ghettos are poverty stricken and violent. But there are people fighting against the odds to turn things around for the poor children of Rio de Janeiro. Among them is an unusual apostle: a Rio socialite who founded a school for slum-dwelling children and views education as an equalizer.

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]]> Museum: Galileo's Fingers, Tooth Found Two fingers and a tooth removed from Galileo Galilei's corpse in a Florentine basilica in the 18th century and given up for lost have been found again, a Florence museum said Friday. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:06:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120630787&ft=1&f=1004 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120630787&ft=1&f=1004 Two fingers and a tooth removed from Galileo Galilei's corpse in a Florentine basilica in the 18th century and given up for lost have been found again, a Florence museum said Friday.

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]]> Marines Reflect On Duty, Death In Afghanistan When the Marines of "America's Battalion" first arrived in Afghanistan, they were eager to get into the fight against the Taliban. Now, as they wrap up their seven-month deployment — and after the loss of a dozen comrades — they see warfare in a different light. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:16:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120588723&ft=1&f=1004 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120588723&ft=1&f=1004 When the Marines of "America's Battalion" first arrived in Afghanistan, they were eager to get into the fight against the Taliban. Now, as they wrap up their seven-month deployment — and after the loss of a dozen comrades — they see warfare in a different light.

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]]> Obscured By War, Water Crisis Looms In Yemen News from Yemen has been dominated recently by an escalating rebellion along the border with Saudi Arabia. But the country has been making news for decades because of its severe overuse of a rapidly disappearing water supply, the result of natural and political causes. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:56:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120619082&ft=1&f=1004 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120619082&ft=1&f=1004 News from Yemen has been dominated recently by an escalating rebellion along the border with Saudi Arabia. But the country has been making news for decades because of its severe overuse of a rapidly disappearing water supply, the result of natural and political causes.

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]]> Record Rainfall Wreaks Havoc In Britain, Ireland Raging floods engulfed northern England's Lake District on Friday, killing a police officer and trapping dozens in their swamped homes. In Ireland, more than 3 feet of water shut down the center of the country's second-largest city, Cork, and more than a dozen other towns and villages. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:35:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120623375&ft=1&f=1004 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120623375&ft=1&f=1004 Raging floods engulfed northern England's Lake District on Friday, killing a police officer and trapping dozens in their swamped homes. In Ireland, more than 3 feet of water shut down the center of the country's second-largest city, Cork, and more than a dozen other towns and villages.

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]]> Peruvian Police Say Gang Killed People For Their Fat Police arrested three members of a gang in the Peruvian jungle that allegedly has been killing people and draining fat from the corpses to sell on the black market for use in cosmetics. Medical experts expressed doubt about an international black market for human fat, though it does have cosmetic applications. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:08:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120620451&ft=1&f=1004 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120620451&ft=1&f=1004 Police arrested three members of a gang in the Peruvian jungle that allegedly has been killing people and draining fat from the corpses to sell on the black market for use in cosmetics. Medical experts expressed doubt about an international black market for human fat, though it does have cosmetic applications.

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]]> Suicide Motorcycle Bomber Kills 16 In Afghanistan Two children and a policeman were among those killed in the blast, which wounded at least 23 others when the motorcyclist detonated the explosives in a busy city square in western Afghanistan, officials said. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:33:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120605006&ft=1&f=1004 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120605006&ft=1&f=1004 Two children and a policeman were among those killed in the blast, which wounded at least 23 others when the motorcyclist detonated the explosives in a busy city square in western Afghanistan, officials said.

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]]> Another Minn. Man Indicted In Missing Somalis Case Another man has been indicted on terrorism charges in a federal investigation into the recruitment of Minnesota Somalis to fight in Somalia. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:28:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120592714&ft=1&f=1004 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120592714&ft=1&f=1004 Another man has been indicted on terrorism charges in a federal investigation into the recruitment of Minnesota Somalis to fight in Somalia.

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]]> European Union Selects Belgian, Briton For Top Posts Trade commissioner Catherine Ashton of Britain was selected as the EU's new foreign policy chief and Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy was picked for president. Their appointments suggested the need for compromise outweighed the desire for big names like former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:09:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120591912&ft=1&f=1004 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120591912&ft=1&f=1004 Trade commissioner Catherine Ashton of Britain was selected as the EU's new foreign policy chief and Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy was picked for president. Their appointments suggested the need for compromise outweighed the desire for big names like former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

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]]> Police, Courthouse Targeted In Pakistan Attacks Two police officers were killed by a suicide bomber a day after 19 people were killed outside a courthouse in Peshawar. The bombings brought to eight the number of militant attacks in less than two weeks in the city on the Afghan border. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:13:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120589048&ft=1&f=1004 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120589048&ft=1&f=1004 Two police officers were killed by a suicide bomber a day after 19 people were killed outside a courthouse in Peshawar. The bombings brought to eight the number of militant attacks in less than two weeks in the city on the Afghan border.

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]]> Karzai Sees Afghan Security Control Within 5 Years Afghan President Hamid Karzai pledged Thursday to prosecute corrupt officials, and said the country would control it own security within five years. Karzai's comments came in an inauguration speech that kicked off his second term of office amid a growing Taliban insurgency and a cloud of corruption allegations. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:16:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120584841&ft=1&f=1004 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120584841&ft=1&f=1004 Afghan President Hamid Karzai pledged Thursday to prosecute corrupt officials, and said the country would control it own security within five years. Karzai's comments came in an inauguration speech that kicked off his second term of office amid a growing Taliban insurgency and a cloud of corruption allegations.

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]]> New Term For Karzai Brings Same Old Problems Afghan President Hamid Karzai was inaugurated in Kabul on Thursday for a new term amid tight security and ceremonial flourishes. But his second term is already beset by severe doubts that he will be any more effective at tackling the country's rampant corruption. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:32:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120549575&ft=1&f=1004 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120549575&ft=1&f=1004 Afghan President Hamid Karzai was inaugurated in Kabul on Thursday for a new term amid tight security and ceremonial flourishes. But his second term is already beset by severe doubts that he will be any more effective at tackling the country's rampant corruption.

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