World

Russian Olympic Committee Suspended From 2018 Winter Olympics

5:34pm December 05, 2017

by Tom Goldman

The International Olympic Committee decided on Tuesday to suspend the Russian Olympic Committee from participating in the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea. The decision comes after a widespread doping program in Russia. Russian athletes can still compete, but it will be under the Olympic flag.

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Former Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili (center) greets his supporters after escaping a van headed for jail in Kiev on Tuesday.

World News

Ex-Georgian President Escapes Custody In Dramatic Confrontation In Kiev

5:16pm December 05, 2017

by Colin Dwyer

Mikhail Saakashvili first fled to his roof, then escaped a police van after protesters broke in. Wanted for allegedly aiding criminal groups, he has cast his arrest as a plot by Ukraine's president.

Ousted Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont (center) is seen in Belgium last month, where he has been living in exile since October. On Tuesday, a Spanish judge withdrew the international warrant for Puigdemont's arrest.

Spain Withdraws International Arrest Warrant For Catalan Separatist Leader

5:16pm December 05, 2017

by Laurel Wamsley

Carles Puigdemont and four other former Catalan ministers have been fighting extradition from Belgium. But national warrants remain, meaning the five will face detention if they return to Spain.

World News

Protesters In Honduras Defiant After Disputed Presidential Election

5:00pm December 05, 2017

by Carrie Kahn

In Honduras, protesters defied a dusk to dawn curfew to take to the streets and make noise in anger over the nation's disputed presidential election. Irregularities have sown widespread distrust in unofficial results that show the incumbent president with a slim lead. The opposition is calling for a recount.

CEO Of U.S. Anti-Doping Agency On Suspension Of Russia In 2018 Winter Olympics

4:42pm December 05, 2017

NPR's Mary Louise Kelly speaks with Travis Tygart, the CEO of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency about the International Olympic Committee's decision to ban Russia from competing in the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea. Russian athletes can still compete, but it will be under the Olympic flag.

Successive American presidents have signed waivers deferring a congressional act calling for the U.S. Embassy to be moved to Jerusalem. President Trump signed such a waiver in June, saying he wanted to give U.S.-brokered Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts

World News

Prospect Of U.S. Embassy Move To Jerusalem Worries Leaders In Middle East And Beyond

3:35pm December 05, 2017

by Daniel Estrin

The White House says President Trump will announce his decision on the embassy's location in the coming days. Key Arab and Muslim allies of the U.S. warn such a move could spark anger — or violence.

Classic Burmese laphet yay tea is a mix of evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk and black tea.

The Politics Of Myanmar's Changing Tea Culture

3:26pm December 05, 2017

by Victoria Milko

Myanmar's tea shops have long been central as public spaces to meet and talk, especially during the military regime. But with the country's "opening" to Western influence, their prominence is fading.

A girl is vaccinated against dengue as part of a public immunization program for children in the Philippines. The program was suspended after the company raised safety concerns about the vaccination.

Vaccine Safety Concerns Shut Down Immunization Campaign In Philippines

2:15pm December 05, 2017

by Michaeleen Doucleff

It took 20 years and $1.5 billion to develop a vaccine for dengue, a deadly mosquito-borne virus. After it finally got approval in many countries, a complication has surfaced.

People eat at a noodle stall at the Han Market in the central Vietnamese city of Danang in November. Vietnamese respondents to the Pew Research Center survey overwhelmingly said life is better than it was 50 years ago.

World News

Is Life Better Now Than 50 Years Ago? The Answer May Depend On The Economy

1:44pm December 05, 2017

by Ashley Westerman

A new Pew Research Center survey finds people worldwide are divided on whether life is better today than it was 50 years ago. Economic strength tends to predict greater satisfaction, but not always.

Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri attends a Cabinet meeting at the presidential palace of Baabda, southeast of Beirut, on Tuesday.

World News

After Weeks Of Will-He-Or-Won't-He, Lebanon's Prime Minister Rescinds Resignation

1:41pm December 05, 2017

by Colin Dwyer

In a speech from Saudi Arabia last month, Saad Hariri shocked his country by announcing he would resign — then two weeks later, he suspended that resignation. On Tuesday, he formally withdrew it.