World News

World News

Russia Pulls Back From The Brink Of Retaliation Against U.S. Sanctions

4:51pm December 30, 2016

by Lucian Kim

Russia responded to new U.S. sanctions with political theater, careening from threats of countermeasures to a reprieve from Vladimir Putin, who pledged to work with Donald Trump to repair ties.

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Now A Refuge, Syrian Town Of Idlib Faces Increasing Dangers

4:51pm December 30, 2016

by Alison Meuse

As Syrian forces advanced on rebel-held areas, many rebels and others fled to Syria's northern countryside. But that area could be next on the government's strategic map.

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White House Orders Shutdown Of Mysterious Russian-Owned Properties

4:51pm December 30, 2016

The White House announced Thursday that it would close down the two mansions, in Maryland and in New York. Steve Hall, a retired CIA Russian operations officer, says use of the estates — also referred to as dachas, or "country homes" — dates back to the Cold War.

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Amid Brutal Civil War, A Rare Glimpse At Life In Yemen

4:51pm December 30, 2016

The war in Yemen began in 2014 when Houthi rebels seized the capital, Sanaa, and expelled President Mansour Hadi. Since then, airstrikes led by the Saudis have led to thousands of civilian casualties. NPR's Ari Shapiro speaks with New York Times journalist Ben Hubbard who recently visited Yemen with photographer Tyler Hicks. Hubbard talks about what he saw and what Yemen is like today for its citizens.

U.S. Cyberwarfare: Its Powerful Tools, Its Unseen Tactics

4:51pm December 30, 2016

NPR's Ari Shapiro talks to cybersecurity expert Robert Knake on what tools the U.S. has to retaliate against Russia in cyberspace.

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From left: A scene from the video of a car crash test; illustration of a mosquito transmitting the Zika virus; a menstrual shed in Nepal.

Goats And Soda's Top Stories: Mosquito Repellent, Menstrual Huts, Car Crash

4:31pm December 30, 2016

by Malaka Gharib

Our 10 most popular global health and development posts in 2016.

Pan Pan sniffs a birthday cake made of ice for his 30th birthday, at the China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda in Dujiangyan, on Sept. 21, 2015.

'Panda Grandpa' Pan Pan Dies In China

4:23pm December 30, 2016

by Maggie Penman

Pan Pan, who died this week at the age of 31, was known as the "panda grandpa": He has some 130 descendants worldwide, accounting for a quarter of the world's captive giant pandas.

President Obama speaks at the White House on Dec. 16; Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks in Moscow on Dec. 23. The U.S. announced sanctions against Moscow on Thursday, and the Kremlin responded Friday.

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Putin Says Russia Won't Expel Diplomats In Response To U.S. Sanctions

3:45pm December 30, 2016

by Camila Domonoske

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov went on state TV Friday to announce plans for a tit-for-tat response to U.S. sanctions on Russia. But President Vladimir Putin says it's not happening.

Flavor wheels stem from lexicons, the carefully, often scientifically selected words used to describe a product, be it food, wine, carpet cleaner or dog food.

One Man's Quest To Reinvent The Wheel — The Flavor Wheel, That Is

3:33pm December 30, 2016

by Sujata Gupta

Sensory scientist Edgar Chambers says flavor is multidimensional, and the current lexicon diagrams aren't doing it justice. So he wants to turn the wheel into a tree — with plenty of room to grow.

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In China, Death Of A Young College Grad Sparks Protest From Fellow Alumni

1:27pm December 30, 2016

by Anthony Kuhn

Lei Yang, 28, died after a confrontation with police in May. Fellow college graduates are speaking out now that authorities have decided not to prosecute the police involved.