For China’s ‘Left-Behind Kids,’ A Free Lunch
For 10-year-old student Xie Xiaoyuan, just getting to school is an ordeal. On a recent day, her frostbitten ears are testament to just how difficult the trip is. “I get up at five o’clock,” she says, “then I comb my hair and start walking.” Xie navigates a mountain path in China’s remote Shaanxi province in [...]
EU Squeezes Iran With New Oil Sanctions
The battle over Iran’s nuclear program escalated Monday as the European Union announced an embargo on importing oil from Iran. For years, Europe has been reluctant to join the United States in imposing tough sanctions on Iran. The United States years ago stopped buying Iranian oil, while European nations including France, Spain, Italy, and Greece [...]
In Battle For Hearts And Minds, Taliban Turn To CDs
When the Taliban controlled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001, their hard-line policies included a ban on music tapes and videos. Yet now, the Taliban are producing their own CDs in an attempt to win the hearts and minds of Afghans. In bustling downtown Kabul, Mustafa, 22, works in an electronics store selling music CDs to [...]
In Egypt, Islamists Take Control Of A New Parliament
Egypt’s Islamists formalized their new stature on Monday as the first freely elected parliament in six decades held its inaugural session in Cairo. The session was broadcast live on Egyptian state television and was largely spent swearing in the 508 members, most of whom belong to the Muslim Brotherhood and ultra-conservative Salafist movement. But outside [...]
The Inquisition: A Model For Modern Interrogators
The individuals who participated in the first Inquisition 800 years ago kept detailed records of their activities. Vast archival collections at the Vatican, in France and in Spain contain accounts of torture victims’ cries, descriptions of funeral pyres and even meticulous financial records about the price of torture equipment. “[There are] expense accounts [for things] [...]
Unrest Shakes Up Politics In Russia
On a recent cold, gray day in Moscow, several dozen reporters and photographers milled about restlessly on the main floor of the Central Election Commission of Russia. The person they were waiting to see was supposed to be there at 10 a.m. Nearly six hours later, Mikhail Prokhorov, appeared at the front door and smiled [...]
Should The West Intervene In Syria?
The Arab League sent observers to Syria about a month ago. Their mission: to bear witness to the escalating violence between soldiers loyal to President Bashar Assad and armed opposition fighters. The presence of the orange-vested observers was supposed to discourage the violent crackdown on protesters, but since they arrived in December, almost 1,000 Syrians [...]
In Morocco, Islamists Learn To Work With A King
An Islamist party heads Morocco’s newly elected government, part of a wave of Islamist election victories following uprisings across North Africa. But Morocco’s case is a bit different. King Mohammed VI responded quickly to a pro-democracy movement last year with a new constitution and snap elections. The Justice and Development Party, known as the PJD, [...]
Church Broadcasts Hope, Haitians Flock Post-Quake
On Jan. 12, for the second anniversary of the devastating earthquake, thousands of people flocked to the Shalom Church in Port au Prince, Haiti. The “church” is just a plywood stage under a patchwork of tattered tarps. The crowd was so large that it spilled down a muddy hill toward a tent camp for earthquake [...]
Remembrance: 1912 South Pole Trip Ends Tragically
One hundred years ago this week, British explorer Robert Falcon Scott reached the South Pole with a small crew of men. They all perished on the return trip. In 2008 on Weekend Edition, NPR’s Daniel Zwerdling reported from the South Pole on Scott’s tragic journey. To mark the 100th anniversary, we reprise that story. [Copyright [...]
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