"Iran is so strong," Ambassador Mohammad Khazaee tells NPR, and "the consequences would be devastating for [Israel] and maybe for whoever helped them. ... There are wise enough people around the world to tell them not to do such a crazy thing."
(DigtialGlobe / AP)
A top State Department official wants to unleash the power of Twitter, Facebook and other services to crowdsource the fight to control the world's nuclear weapons.
(Louisa Lim / NPR)
Historic buildings in Beijing are being demolished in the pursuit of quick profit. Even the home of the architect who urged Mao Zedong to preserve Beijing's old city has fallen to the wreckers' ball, sparking considerable outrage. And the epidemic of destruction is spreading to new buildings, too.
(Pussy Riot)
Anti-government protests in Russia are taking many forms — one of the latest is a feminist collective's performance in Red Square of a song criticizing Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. The guerrilla group says it plans more exploits before March's presidential elections.
(Reuters/Landov)
Activists say three families, including women and children, were stabbed or shot at close range just outside their houses in Homs on Tuesday. Human rights groups say killings like these are becoming increasingly sectarian, which doesn't bode well for a conflict that's already spinning out of control.
Robert Siegel speaks with Daoud Kuttab, director general of a Palestinian media organization and the Community Media Network in Amman, Jordan, about the unity agreement between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority.
Egyptian authorities have released details of the charges against 43 people, including 19 Americans, who worked for democracy-building NGOs around the country. Cairo says the suspects were carrying out political, not civil society activities, particularly after the revolution began just over a year ago.
It's been 30 years since Britain and Argentina went to war over the Falkland Islands. The British won, leaving the islands off the coast of Argentina in British hands. While the war may be over, tensions between the two countries about who owns the Falklands have risen in recent months. Host Robert Siegel talks with professor Mark Jones of Rice University for more.
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Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Katherine Boo spent more than three years in Mumbai's Annawadi slum. In her new book, Behind the Beautiful Forevers, she profiles people living in extreme poverty — right in the shadow of luxury hotels.
(Filippo Monteforte / AFP/Getty Images)
Authorities have shut some foreign groups, including ones run by Americans, because of what they say may be the organizations' support of protesters. Among those prevented from leaving is the son of U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.
(AP)
"The Pentagon and the U.S. Central Command have begun a preliminary internal review of U.S. military capabilities," CNN is reporting. But U.S. officials also stress that they are committed to finding a diplomatic solution to the crisis.
(Iranian President's Office / AP)
After years of talking about the threat posed by Iran's nuclear program, Israel says the time for action is drawing near. But not everyone shares Israel's assessment, and the United States and others still want to pursue other options to pressure Iran.
As Western nations increasingly push to end the violence in Syria, tension has reached the capital Damascus. Last June, a woman there who blogs under the pseudonym "Jasmine Roman," described Damascus as a city removed from the demonstrations that were taking place elsewhere in the country. Renee Montagne talks with her again, to see how things have changed 11 months after the anti-government uprising began in Syria.
Analysts speculate that Israel will strike Iran because of its nuclear facilities. U.S. officials are said to oppose an Israeli strike but think it may come in the spring. Steve Inskeep talks with Karim Sadjadpour of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace about how tensions with Iran have escalated.
Starbucks recently announced it is expanding into India. Long a nation of tea lovers, India's youth are increasingly opting for coffee. The dramatic rise of coffee houses there, not only highlights a change in taste, but a cultural shift where young affluent Indians are more interested in global trends than ever before.
The European Union and the International Monetary Fund say this will make the Greek labor market more competitive and ultimately boost growth. At one time, strong unions pushed aside a weak business lobby to secure government guarantees of high salaries including the minimum wage.
U.S. combat troops are gone from Iraq and soon, up to half the diplomatic staff will leave too. State Department officials say it's part of a plan to scale back embassy operations there. But conflicts with the Iraqi government may also be driving the decision. Tim Arango, a reporter with The New York Times, talks to Steve Inskeep about the decision.
(AP)
A British immigration judge ruled Monday that a longtime terrorism suspect and detainee should be released on bail. But U.K. officials say Abu Qatada's release would put Britain's national security in peril. The case shows how much Britain is grappling with the issues that have bedeviled U.S. authorities seeking to shutter Guantanamo.
(Pedro Armestre / Getty Images)
In Spain, the jobless rate for 20-somethings is a staggering 50 percent. This week, the government is expected to announce plans to overhaul the country's two-tier labor system in an effort to help the so-called "ni ni" generation — Spanish for those neither in school nor working.
(Pedro Armestre / Getty Images)
In Spain, the jobless rate for 20-somethings is a staggering 50 percent. This week, the government is expected to announce plans to overhaul the country's two-tier labor system in an effort to help the so-called "ni ni" generation — Spanish for those neither in school nor working.
(Joel Saget / AFP/Getty Images)
France's plan to withdraw from Afghanistan a year ahead of schedule is of particular concern in a small province near Kabul. Local authorities say the 3,900 French troops deployed there have held an important line against the Taliban, and that an early exit could plunge the area into crisis.
(AFP / AFP/Getty Images)
U.S. and Afghan officials have resumed talks on a deal that will determine how many American troops stay after the NATO mission ends. But until a deal is signed, it's hard for Afghans to know what's ahead, and the uncertainty may be helping the insurgents.
(Abdeljalil Bounhar / AP)
On Feb. 20, 2011, Moroccans took to the streets in protest in a country considered one of the most stable in the region. King Mohammed VI acted quickly, offering constitutional reforms and early elections. But progress toward democracy has also revealed the limits of civil disobedience.
(Eduardo Verdugo / AP)
Haiti is suffering the world's worst cholera epidemic, killing more than 7,000 people since the outbreak began in October 2010. One aid group is pushing for a vaccination campaign. But critics worry about its efficacy — and that it may distract from improving access to clean water and sanitation.
The U.S. faces rising tensions across the Middle East and North Africa. The U.S. Embassy in Syria recently closed as violence against dissidents continued. In Egypt, a group of Americans, including a cabinet secretary's son, is facing trial for funding pro-democracy groups. Host Michel Martin checks in with Hisham Melhem of Al-Aribiya television.
(Ed Jones / AFP/Getty Images)
Whenever it's a dragon year, many people in Asian cultures hope to have babies because it's thought to be an especially auspicious time.
The six-member Gulf Cooperation Council, which includes Saudi Arabia, has been pressing for an end to attacks on peaceful protesters in Syria.
"We are asking for [an] SOS," says blogger and citizen journalist Omar Shakir from inside Homs, as heavy machine gun fire echoes in the background. He and others in the city say government forces continue to kill people there.
Greek leaders are supposed to meet again Tuesday to finally sign off on more painful austerity measures in exchange for a new bailout. Greece needs more loans — and a separate debt-reduction deal — to avoid a messy default, which could lead to an exit from the eurozone.
Activists say dozens of people were killed in the Syrian town of Homs Monday when government troops opened fire with tanks and machine guns. More than a dozen others were killed elsewhere. Renee Montagne talks to Omar Shakir, an activist in Homs, who's been posting updates on Twitter.
(Jason Beaubien / NPR)
Mexico is facing one of its worst droughts in decades. Government officials say more than half of Mexico's 31 states are affected, and in some areas farmers haven't been able to harvest crops for two years in a row. Mexico's federal government is pledging more than $2 billion to help.
(Gali Tibbon / Getty Images)
Some 250,000 people of Persian descent are living in Israel, and many maintain strong ties with Iran. As tensions between the two countries escalate, the community is uniquely troubled by the possibility of war.
(Ariana Cubillos / AP)
Opposition leaders have coalesced into a united and focused movement that is preparing to choose one candidate to run against the president, posing the strongest electoral challenge to Hugo Chavez's populist rule. Chavez still leads his nearest rival, but the gap is nothing like in years past.
(Yana Lapikova / AFP/Getty Images)
In Russia, anger and frustration are growing over the country's political system and its two leaders, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and President Dmitry Medvedev — including in their hometown, St. Petersburg. In particular, many are critical of Putin's attempt to reclaim the presidency.
(Handout / Reuters/Landov)
The defeat of a peace plan at the U.N. and the closure of the American Embassy in Damascus represent the latest blows to attempts to use diplomacy to end the violence in Syria.
(Claire Greenway / Getty Images)
"Cowabunga dude!" Maybe Bart and Barbie will get a chance to hang out together. They're both apparently too Western for Iranian authorities. Spiderman and Superman are OK, though, because they "help oppressed people."
(Mohammed Asad / AP)
Egypt plans to prosecute 43 people, including 19 Americans, who have been promoting democracy in Egypt. The case has caused a furious reaction in Washington — with lawmakers threatening to hold up U.S. financial assistance to Egypt.
(Courtesy of Centre for Vision in the Developing World)
Entrepreneurs and researchers are looking for ways to bring the cost of eye care down in the developing world. One group is working on technology that turns a smartphone into an eye exam machine, while another has developed glasses with liquid lenses that change prescriptions with the help of a pump.
