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France Could Have A Harder Time Getting Out Of Mali Than It Did Dropping In Audie Cornish talks to Rudolph Atallah, of the Atlantic Council's Africa Center, about the endgame and internationalization of the French military intervention in Mali. |
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Children Among Syria's Most Vulnerable Refugees Thousands of Syrian refugees continue to flee into Jordan seeking safety and shelter. Melissa Block speaks with Andrew Harper, the head of the UN Refugee Agency in Jordan, who is coordinating efforts in the Al Zaatari Syrian refugee camp, for the latest. |
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After Benghazi Attack, Improving American Security Abroad Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) told Fox News that Secretary of State Hilary Clinton "got away with murder" for her handling of the attacks on the U.S. consulate in Libya. Ambassador Thomas Pickering, who led the independent investigation into the attacks, talks about the future of diplomatic security. |
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Soccer: A Surprising Player In Egypt's Unrest Violent protests are breaking out in Egypt, just two years after a massive uprising led to the fall of the former dictator. One of the unexpected driving forces is soccer. Host Michel Martin talks to Dave Zirin, sports editor at The Nation about how the sport affects Egypt's political landscape. |
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Is Egypt Better Or Worse Off Now? It's been two years since Hosni Mubarak was ousted as Egypt's President. Today, there's new leadership, but the country is still in turmoil. And some Egyptians wonder if things are changing for the best. Host Michel Martin speaks with NPR Cairo Bureau Chief, Leila Fadel, to learn more about the new Egypt. |
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Hack Attack On 'New York Times' Looks Like Part Of Chinese Campaign Western news outlets that have been reporting on alleged corruption among China's leadership appear to be targeted. The Times says it has been under attack for four months. |
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Former Salafi Sings About His Identity Crisis Former Salafi, turned rapper, Omar Kamal left the Salafi fold during Egypt's revolution. He says that when Salafis came out of the dark they showed their hypocrisy. To the rhythm of beat boxing, he uses his lyrics to chronicle his own identity crisis — a crisis that reflects Egypt's struggle to find itself. |
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'New York Times' Accuses China Of Being Behind Hacking Chinese computer hackers have been infiltrating the computer systems of The New York Times for the last four months, according to the paper. Renee Montagne talks to Nicole Perlroth, a Times reporter who covers cyber security. |
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Lenovo Believes PCs Will Still Be Necessary Chinese computer company Lenovo has become the world's biggest seller of personal computers. Steve Inskeep talks to Vijay Vaitheeswaran, a correspondent for The Economist, about his recent article in the magazine on the rise of Lenovo. |
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African Forces Will Be Left To Hang On To French Gains In Mali The first phase of the French-led military intervention in the West African nation of Mali — to drive out Islamist fighters — appears to be over. Experts warn that most of the African force is not combat-ready for the desert, and is nowhere near prepared to take over from the French. |
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Syria Accuses Israel Of Bombing Its Military Facility Israel's air force bombed a military facility in western Syria, according to Syrian media. It's a development that could further complicate the already volatile conditions in the region. |
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Reality And Perception On The Containment Of China The territorial dispute over islands in the East China Sea continues to create tensions between China and Japan. Joseph Nye, former chair of the National Intelligence Council, argues that the U.S. efforts in the region are seen as an extension of the Cold War containment policy. |
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From Timbuktu, Reports That Most Manuscripts Were Saved It now appears that most ancient manuscripts at a library in Mali survived an attempt by Islamic radicals to destroy them. Local residents apparently removed them earlier, according to reports from Timbuktu. |
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Israel Bombs Military Target Outside Damascus, Syria Says The Syrians say two workers have been killed and five injured at a military facility. The attack is likely to escalate concerns in the volatile region. |
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China's Insatiable Demand For Timber Destroys Cambodia's Forests Cambodia's forests are being destroyed at a dizzying pace, with much of the wood destined for China. Much of the logging is carried out illegally — and people who get in the way of the loggers face violence and in some cases death. |
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Some Syrian-Americans Take Humanitarian Aid Into Their Own Hands The United Nations recently estimated that four million Syrians are in need of humanitarian assistance, and up to a million Syrian refugees in neighboring countries will need help during the first half of this year. The U.S. government has largely stayed out of the crisis, but that hasn't stopped some Syrian-Americans in Southern California from getting involved. They've made repeated trips bringing aid to the Turkish/Syrian border. |
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Israeli Election Rekindles Debate Over Military Service Military service is compulsory for most Israelis, but the exemption for ultra-Orthodox Jews is a highly charged issue. The national debate may soon come to a head as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attempts to form a government with parties on both sides of the issue. |
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The Controversy Surrounding Hagel's Confirmation In an interview with former Middle East peace negotiator Aaron David Miller in 2006, then-Sen. Chuck Hagel made a controversial statement about the "Jewish lobby." On the eve of Hagel's confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Miller argues that it's time to let those comments go. |
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Ukrainian Comfort Dish Chicken Kiev Claims French Parentage The dish that got its start in France and gained its popularity in America is dying out in its namesake city. Ukrainian chefs say only they make the real deal and are trying to save chicken Kiev, even as urban dwellers turn to exotic foreign cuisine like pizza. |
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Hillary Clinton Reflects On Challenges Of Office "We all have to do a better job" in the aftermath of the events in Benghazi, Libya, Clinton said in an interview with NPR. The outgoing secretary of state also discussed, among other things, her plans for 2016. |
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Interview With Secretary Of State Hillary Clinton Full transcript of NPR's Michele Kelemen's interview with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. |
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Tunisia's Veil Ban: Frontline Of Identity War At Manouba University on the outskirts of the Tunisian capital Tunis, the school's dean has vowed to uphold a rule that bars women from wearing a face veil in the classroom. Salafi students oppose the ban, and see this as a battle for freedom of religion. The issue is a microcosm of a much larger battle between the staunchly secular and the deeply pious in Tunisia. |
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Donors Consider More Relief Aid For Syria There's been another massacre in Syria. This time in the city of Aleppo, where bodies were found in a river along the divide that separates the city between government control and rebel control. Meanwhile, major donors are in Kuwait to try to raise money to help the millions of Syrian civilians who've been displaced by the conflict. |
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In China, The Government Isn't The Only Spy Game In Town Increasingly, China's surveillance state has extended to include Chinese individuals spying on one another. Former journalist Qi Hong has helped ordinary citizens and government officials alike detect bugs and hidden cameras planted by others. In one year, his bug hunt turned up more than 300 devices for a hundred friends. |
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In Japan, Food Can Be Almost Too Cute To Eat In Japanese culture, how food looks can be as important as how it tastes — a lesson children learn from a very early age. From children's television and toys to school lunches, the visual delights of food are never far from sight. |
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Ancient Manuscripts In Timbuktu Reduced To Ashes A famed library and research center held books and manuscripts dating back to the 13th century. Residents say Islamist radicals torched them before fleeing the town. |
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U.S. May Build Base For Drones In Northwest Africa The United States is looking to base surveillance drones in the African nation of Niger. The base there will allow the U.S. unmanned vehicles to conduct operations in northern Africa, including in Mali, where France has intervened to fight Islamist militants. Tom Bowman talks to Melissa Block about the latest on the increasing U.S. military role in Africa. |
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Egypt's Military Chief Warns That Protests Could Lead To Collapse Of The State Egypt's Defense Minister has warned that the country is on the brink of collapse amid continued rioting and clashes between police and protesters in several major cities. More than 50 people have died over the past four days, most of them in Port Said, at the northern end of the Suez Canal. |
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Clinton Takes Final World Trek With Virtual Townhall Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had been hoping to take an around the world trip as she wraps up her time as secretary of state. But recent health troubles grounded her. Instead she bid farewell by taking questions from around the world in a "Global Townterview" at the Newseum on Tuesday. |
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How A Spanish City Went Boom, Then Bust Valencia, which once spent lavishly on tourism projects, now epitomizes the worst of Spain's economic problems. Its landscape is littered with empty and half-finished buildings, and the regional government has run out of funds to repair schools. |
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For Your Next Caribbean Vacation, Haiti ... Maybe? Haiti is trying to sell itself as an international vacation hub in a bid to revive its once-vibrant tourism industry. Officials say tourism could be a major driver of economic growth and help lift Haitians out of poverty. |
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The Challenges To Democracy In Egypt Egypt's defense minister warned that the rising conflicts and chaos in the country could result in "the collapse of the state." Ongoing violence highlights the continued tensions between the government and the opposition, and raises questions about the prospects of Egypt's transition into a democracy. |
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War And Foreign Policy Through The Eyes Of Vietnam Veterans The Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmed Sen. John Kerry as the next secretary of state. Former Sen. Chuck Hagel is set to become the next secretary of defense. Critics and supporters of the men point to their service in Vietnam as a critical qualification. |
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From Here To Timbuktu: Myth And Reality At The World's Edge When people refer to the ends of the earth, they invariably mention Timbuktu. The fabled West African city on the cusp of the Sahara has a mystique that has lasted for centuries, fueled by a history shrouded in mystery, wealth and intrigue. |
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Reports: Dozens Of Bodies Found In Syria; Young Men Apparently Executed Activists and rebels say more than 60 bodies have been found and that the number will likely rise. Since March 2011 more than 60,000 people have died in Syria as the Assad regime has fought back against protesters and rebel militias. |
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Timbuktu Freed From Islamist Fighters In the West African nation of Mali, residents of Timbuktu were cheering in the streets Monday, after the city was liberated by French and Malian forces after months under the harsh rule of Islamist fighters. In a final act of cultural warfare before fleeing Timbuktu, the rebels are reported to have set fire to libraries housing priceless manuscripts. |
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Retreating Rebels In Mali May Have Destroyed Ancient Texts French troops entered the legendary outpost of Timbuktu in Mai to push out Islamist militants. Many valuable artifacts were destroyed when militants first took the city last summer. There is now concern for the fate of tens of thousands of manuscripts, which capture the cultural history of the region. Renee Montagne talks to Shamil Jeppie, senior researcher with the University of Cape Town's Institute for Humanities in Africa, about what historical treasures were at risk in Timbuktu. |
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Tunisia's Salafis: 'A Danger' Or Preachers Of God's Law? Critics call the country's Salafis a threat to the ideals of economic prosperity, civil liberties and gender equality. The Salafis insist that only their rigid interpretation of Islamic law can govern Muslims. Their stand puts Tunisia's moderate Islamist leaders in a difficult position. |
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In China, Beware: A Camera May Be Watching You There are an estimated 20 million to 30 million surveillance cameras in China — or about one for every 43 people. Officials say the cameras help fight crime and maintain "social stability." But critics say the government uses them to monitor and intimidate dissidents. |
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Africans Must 'Own The Solution' In Mali British troops will be supporting the French mission in Mali to drive rebels and Islamist militants out of the West African country. British Foreign Secretary William Hague says it is important to support an ally. He tells Renee Montagne the prime way of dealing with the crisis in Mali is through African governments and forces. |
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Women In Combat: What Do Troops In Afghanistan Think? Opinions are mixed. Women are already in dangerous places handling difficult assignments. But some troops, both men and women, say they think few women will want to take combat positions, and they question whether women will be able to meet the current physical standards. |
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At Least 40 People Dead In Egypt As Violent Protests Continue Amid continuing turmoil and violence in Egypt, the main opposition alliance has rejected dialogue with the government of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi. Over the weekend, Morsi announced a state of emergency in the three main cities along the Suez Canal. One of those, Port Said, was the scene of major violence and there was more on Monday with police battling protesters. |
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Queen Of Netherlands To Abdicate Throne To Her Son Following tradition, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands is stepping aside to give the throne to her son, Prince Willem-Alexander. Her mother did the same for her. |
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New Threat Emerges At Intersection Of Terrorism, Syndicated Crime Analysts and administration officials are talking about terrorist groups not just as part of an ideological movement, but rather as criminal syndicates. With funding sources drying up, local terrorist groups are going beyond traditional deep pocket donors. Now they are bilking local economies. Al-Qaida is robbing banks in Iraq, the Taliban is taking hostages in Afghanistan and al-Shabab is laundering money in Somalia. |
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'Anything That Moves': Civilians And The Vietnam War In a new book, Nick Turse says the pressure on U.S. forces to produce a body count during the Vietnam War led to mass civilian deaths. "The idea," he says, "was that the Vietnamese, they weren't really people." |
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Feeling All Cooped Up In The Syrian Capital Compared to the many war-ravaged parts of Syria, the capital Damascus is doing relatively well. But many families have taken in extra relatives and are feeling the psychological stress of too many people living under the same roof. |
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North Korea's Rhetoric And Nuclear Capabilities Responding to tightened sanctions and a new United Nations Security Council resolution condemning their December rocket launch, North Korea has threatened a new nuclear test, explicitly warning that the North Korean weapons program will target the United States. |
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VIDEO: Look Out! Car Suddenly Emerges From Foam On Highway   Weekend storms in Australia whipped up several feet of sea foam. There was a close call when one car popped out of the froth and nearly hit people on the road. It's all on video. |
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Zimbabwe Activists Won't Back Down To Mugabe In anticipation of the next presidential elections in Zimbabwe, the government of President Robert Mugabe is cracking down on civil rights activists. Activists Magodonga Mahlangu and Jenni Williams have been arrested nearly 50 times each. They talk with host Michel Martin about why they keep pushing for reform. |
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Iran Claims 'Major Achievement;' Says Monkey Was Sent Into Space  The nation's official media reports the primate was sent up about 75 miles. It reportedly survived the trip. Iran says it's aiming to launch a manned mission in five to eight years. Other nations are concerned that the program is really aimed at developing long-range missiles. |
