World News

After a TV debate on May 31, presidential candidates at the time appear onstage: Saeed Jalili (from left), Gholam Ali Haddad Adel, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, Ali Akbar Velayati, Mohammad Gharazi, Mohammad Reza Aref, Hassan Rowhani, Mohsen Rezaei. Aref dropp

World News

Despite Limited Election Choices, Iranians Eager To Be Heard

5:53am June 13, 2013

by Steve Inskeep

Iran's clerical rulers have sought to carefully manage this Friday's presidential election. Only a handful of officially approved candidates were allowed on the ballot. This narrow range of candidates has left many Iranians discouraged, and they're not afraid to say so.

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Residents of the Estonian capital of Tallinn can use public transportation for free after purchasing a special card for 2 euros.

World News

Tallinn: The Former Soviet City That Gave Birth To Skype

6:20pm June 12, 2013

by Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson

The Estonian capital is dotted with medieval towers and Soviet architecture that belie its status as one of the world's most technologically advanced cities. Residents use a smart card to ride the bus, and mail packages and pay for parking with their phones.

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Villagers in Kasan gather to meet with Afghan local police and the Afghan National Army along with ANASF team members during a morning shura to discuss security.

World News

As U.S. Troops Draw Down, Can Afghans Take The Lead?

11:25am June 12, 2013

by Tom Bowman

There are two-dozen Afghan special forces teams in eastern Afghanistan. The Americans want to train six more. Still, they are a small fraction of an Afghan army that is still spotty in its performance.

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Palestinian gunmen drag a man from a motorcycle in Gaza City on Nov. 20. He was one of six men killed that day on suspicion of collaborating with Israel. The Hamas government in the Gaza Strip denied responsibility, though it has executed others judged to

World News

In Gaza, Hamas Targets Palestinian Informants In Crackdown

11:25am June 12, 2013

by Emily Harris

Palestinians convicted of working for Israel's security forces face harsh punishment, which can include vigilante justice. Hamas, the Islamic group that runs the Gaza Strip, has been waging a campaign to crack down on Palestinian collaborators, or informants.

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Maria Smolnitcaia, 52, is a singer living on a TB ward in Balti, Moldova. Smolnitcaia says "When we take the pills, we feel worse. I'm losing my hearing a little. I feel pain in my bones, in my whole body."

Faces Of Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis

11:25am June 12, 2013

by Jason Beaubien

New types of tuberculosis are emerging around the world that take years and thousands of dollars to cure. Patients fighting this disease are often isolated from their communities and suffer devastating drug side effects, such as permanent hearing loss and dizziness.

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The small, hillside community of Babilonia, situated above the Leme and Copacabana neighborhoods in Rio de Janeiro, has ocean views.

World News

Once Unsafe, Rio's Shantytowns See Rapid Gentrification

5:38pm June 10, 2013

by Lourdes Garcia-Navarro

First came the day trips for foreigner tourists to the shantytowns. Now, young Westerners are living in formerly no-go areas — with yoga classes and sushi restaurants following. Business is booming in Rio de Janeiro's favelas, but some residents complain they're being priced out of the market.

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Coca-Cola advertisements have gone up in tea shops around the former Myanmar capital since the sanctions were lifted.

World News

How To Sell Coke To People Who Have Never Had A Sip

3:05pm June 10, 2013

by Robert Smith

Coca-Cola is returning to Myanmar after 60 years. They'd been kept out of the country by international sanctions. This week they officially opened their new plant outside of Yangon.

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Confessed NSA Leaker Holed Up In Hong Kong Hotel

7:08am June 10, 2013

by Frank Langfitt

The Guardian has identified its source for a series of reports it published in recent days on secret U.S. surveillance activity. The paper says the source is Edward Snowden, a former technical assistant for the CIA who now works for a private-sector defense and technology consulting firm.

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World News

Britain Apologizes For Colonial-Era Torture Of Kenyan Rebels

6:36pm June 09, 2013

by Gregory Warner

The historic apology — and the unprecedented settlement — has been years in the making. A Harvard graduate student helped bring about the settlement for the surviving Mau Mau victims of torture and abuse at the hands of the British.

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World News

Looking Ahead To The Future Of Syria's Crisis

8:32am June 09, 2013

To date, the civil war in Syria has claimed tens of thousands of lives and, according U.N. estimates, has caused more than a million refugees to flee to neighboring countries. As part of TOTN's "Looking Ahead" series, NPR foreign correspondent Deb Amos discusses where the conflict may go.

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