World

An Iraqi policeman stands guard at a checkpoint decorated with plastic flowers in Baghdad in 2008.

World News

Baghdad, A Decade Later

12:00pm March 19, 2013

by Kelly McEvers

Ten years ago Tuesday, the aerial bombardment of Iraq began. It was the opening volley of a U.S.-led invasion that would topple the regime of Saddam Hussein. One of the questions is: Can Iraq's fragile democracy hold, as the region splits along sectarian lines?

Queue Listen Now

Installation Mass Launches Pope Francis' Papacy

10:42am March 19, 2013

At a mass in St. Peter's Square, the pope appealed to political leaders of the world to protect the environment, the poor and the marginalized. Representatives of the world's major religions were present, as well as some 132 delegations from all over the world.

Queue Listen Now

World News

Cyprus Proposes Exempting Smaller Deposits From Tax

10:42am March 19, 2013

The government of Cyprus is trying to ease fears over a proposed tax on bank deposits. Newly proposed legislation would exempt savers with smaller accounts. It's part of a bailout plan for that Mediterranean country, negotiated with the E.U. and IMF over the weekend.

Queue Listen Now

EU Bailout Tax Sparks Bank Run In Cyprus

10:08am March 19, 2013

Citizens of Cyprus did not react well to the news that their government wants to allow the European Union to take nearly 10 percent of their savings deposits in exchange for a $13 billion bailout. Banks are closed through Tuesday after worries over bank runs. Depositors stood in long lines to withdraw money over the weekend.

Queue Listen Now

World News

Three Decades On, Ex-Guatemalan Leader Faces Genocide Charges

9:44pm March 18, 2013

by Carrie Kahn

Former military ruler Efrain Rios Montt, now 86, presided over one of the bloodiest periods in Guatemala's 36-year civil war. During his rule, thousands of Guatemala's Indians were killed.

Queue Listen Now

World News

Confidence In Cyprus Banks Falters As Government Proposes Deposit Tax

5:54pm March 18, 2013

by Jim Zarroli

Cyprus is facing a run on its banks after the government proposed taxing bank deposits. The government has put off a vote on the plan in a bid to calm things down. Banks are set to re-open on Thursday after a bank holiday was declared on Monday.

Queue Listen Now

An Afghan laborer works in a firewood yard at a market in Herat on Dec. 11, 2011.

Afghanistan's Forests A Casualty Of Timber Smuggling

2:34pm March 18, 2013

Over the past three decades, the U.N. says Afghanistan's forest cover has decreased by about 50 percent — to just about 2 percent of the country's land. The main reason is the illegal harvesting and trade of timber. A visit to Kunar province, near the Pakistan border, reveals that many people, from top officials down, are involved.

Queue Listen Now

World News

A Decade Later, What Was Accomplished In Iraq

2:16pm March 18, 2013

In March 2003, U.S. troops crossed from Kuwait into Iraq with the goal of toppling dictator Saddam Hussein. Within weeks, the Hussein regime had fallen. The occupation that followed left U.S. combat forces in the country until December 2011. The legacy of the war is still widely debated.

Queue Listen Now

The Iraq War: 10 Years Later, Where Do We Stand?

10:32am March 17, 2013

by NPR Staff

The war has cost thousands of lives and trillions of dollars, and there are many who will live with its legacy forever. Now, as it tries to stabilize without U.S. combat troops, the conflict in neighboring Syria could threaten its security.

Queue Listen Now

Reading The Tea Leaves Of Obama's Mideast Trip

9:57am March 17, 2013

President Obama will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and the Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas when he travels to the Middle East next week. Host Scott Simon talks with Jeffrey Goldberg of The Atlantic and Bloomberg View about the president's upcoming trip.

Queue Listen Now