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A policeman stands guard at the Parliament building in Islamabad, Pakistan, in June. The Lower House recently passed a bill similar to the United States' Patriot Act, touching off a debate about privacy in the country.

World News

Pakistan's 'Patriot Act' Could Target Politicians

11:16am January 02, 2013

by Dina Temple-Raston

A Pakistani bill would allow intelligence and law enforcement agencies to tap phones, monitor Internet traffic, and follow people they suspect are terrorists. Security agencies in Pakistan already do this, but the new bill will give them the legal cover to do so.

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Mexico's President Alters Tactics Against Drug Crimes

9:44am January 01, 2013

by Carrie Kahn

Mexico's new attorney general says there are now 60 to 80 drug cartels operating in the country, a sharp rise from the 10 that existed when outgoing President Calderon took office in 2006. President Enrique Pena Nieto says he wants to go after crime associated with drug trafficking instead of taking down crime bosses.

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On Nov. 20, an M23 rebel walks on the streets of Goma. The rebels initially claimed control of the town, but retreated 10 days later under international pressure. However, many people think M23 never really left — rather, they just changed into civilian

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Congo Fighting Leaves A Fragile City On Edge

8:16pm December 31, 2012

by Gregory Warner

In recent years, the Congolese city of Goma has been a bit of a haven for those fleeing war in surrounding areas. But now, the army and rebels are both in the city, raising fears that fighting could break out at any time.

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Europe Fails To Stimulate Growth In 2012

12:52pm December 31, 2012

by Jim Zarroli

Europe spent much of this year trying to hold its common currency pact together. Greece, Spain, Italy and other countries flirted with disaster as interest rates spiked, forcing the debtor nations to accept austerity programs. The turmoil was bad enough to push much of the eurozone into recession.

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Brewing Tension, Perhaps More Human Rights In Asia

5:55pm December 30, 2012

James Fallows of The Atlantic, breaks down the controversy as he joins host Jacki Lyden for a look ahead at Asia 2013. He looks at economic friction between China and the U.S., human rights and the China-Japan dispute over islands in the East China Sea.

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Sifting Through Conspiracy: A Look At Yasser Arafat's Death

8:34am December 30, 2012

After theories circulated online that late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat was poisoned with a radioactive element, Wired Magazine contributor and poison expert Deborah Blum decided to look into it herself. Her suspicion is far from that of the regular conspiracy theorist. She thinks the polonium found on his things indicate just one thing: He was a heavy smoker.

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'Prophet School' Trains A New Generation In Israel

8:34am December 30, 2012

by Sheera Frenkel

At the Cain and Abel School for Prophets, students learn to interpret dreams and divination. Rabbi Shmuel Fortman Hapartzi, the Tel Aviv school's founder, says everyone in his class, himself included, is in the beginning stages of reaching enlightenment. But critics say Fortman is trying to profit from the prophet business.

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A man wears a costume reading "Dad" and "Mom" during a demonstration against gay marriage and adoption by same-sex couples in Nice, France, in October.

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Same-Sex Marriage And Adoption: Unresolved Issues In France

8:14pm December 29, 2012

by Eleanor Beardsley

Opposition to a bill allowing gay couples to adopt has been unexpectedly fierce in the country, which legalized civil unions more than a decade ago. In a rare move, and to the surprise of many, even the French Catholic Church has become involved in the debate.

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With Egypt's New Choices, The Burden Of Democracy

5:28pm December 29, 2012

With former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak ousted, there was space in 2012 for new political leaders to come forward. Host Jacki Lyden talks with NPR's Cairo correspondent, Leila Fadel, about the transformations that took place in Egypt in the past year.

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Women shop and trade at a market in Razon city, northeast of Pyongyang, in September. Most private trading, which is the only source of income for almost half of North Korean families, is done by women.

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Out Of Desperation, North Korean Women Become Breadwinners

5:06pm December 28, 2012

by Louisa Lim

In North Korea, profound social change is happening beyond the view of the outside world. The pressure of national ideology has forced women to become the primary breadwinners in many households — dramatically redrawing gender roles in the process.

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