World News

World News

Syrian Rebel Leader: We Won't Share U.S. Arms With Extremists

11:01am May 05, 2013

by NPR Staff

The U.S. says it will consider arming the rebels if it can confirm Bashar Assad's regime used the nerve gas sarin in recent attacks. But there's a danger that any weapons the U.S. provides could fall into the wrong hands.

Queue Listen Now

As a prisoner of war, Sub Lieut. John Pryor encrypted information and requests for supplies in letters sent from a German camp to his family in Cornwall.

World News

World War II Code Is Broken, Decades After POW Used It

6:04am May 05, 2013

by Bill Chappell

It's been 70 years since the letters of John Pryor were understood in their full meaning. That's because as a British prisoner of war in Nazi Germany, Pryor's letters home to his family also included intricate codes that were recently deciphered by codebreakers for the first time since the 1940s.

Queue Listen Now

World News

On Mexico Trip, Obama Maintains Economic Focus

11:53am May 04, 2013

by Carrie Kahn

President Obama is in Costa Rica to discuss regional cooperation and security with regional leaders. This follows talks he had in Mexico with President Enrique Pena Nieto. During his two-day visit, Obama tried to steer the focus away from contentious issues like immigration and drug violence.

Queue Listen Now

World News

Places Transformed: Syrian Refugees Overwhelm Camps, Towns

11:53am May 04, 2013

The fighting in Syria has created tens of thousands of refugees seeking shelter in neighboring Jordan. Host Scott Simon talks with NPR's Deborah Amos about a refugee camp in northern Jordan that has quickly become the second largest such camp in the world. Then we hear voices from a small town in southern Lebanon, where recently arrived Syrian refugees now outnumber the Lebanese residents.

Queue Listen Now

Diplomacy, Sanctions And A Nearing Red Line With Iran

2:30pm May 03, 2013

Sanctions have hurt the Iranian economy, but have so far failed to convince Tehran to abandon nuclear ambitions. A report from the Iran Project argues that it's time to re-examine the balance of sanctions and diplomacy. Others argue it's time to consider military options.

Queue Listen Now

World News

'Cracking Sound' Heard Before Bangladeshi Building Collapsed

12:14pm May 03, 2013

Reporter Jim Yardley of The New York Times has learned a lot about the man who owned the building in Bangladesh which collapsed last week, killing more than 500 people. He talks to David Greene about the owner's place in a corrupt system, and the challenges facing the country's garment industry.

Queue Listen Now

Obama Encourages U.S., Mexico To Focus On Economic Relations

12:14pm May 03, 2013

by Carrie Kahn

President Barack Obama is in Mexico for talks with President Enrique Pena Nieto and a speech to young people. His trip aims to highlight the strong ties between the neighbors as well as the need for continuing cooperation on security and immigration matters.

Queue Listen Now

Syrian refugees shop at a makeshift grocery store at the Zaatari camp in March.

World News

Sea Of Syrian Refugees Threatens To Overload Jordan

9:23pm May 02, 2013

More than half a million refugees have crossed into Jordan, and the number is expected to rise rapidly. Jordanian officials say the influx is threatening the stability of the kingdom.

Queue Listen Now

World News

With Robocalls, Eritrean Exiles Organize Passive Resistance

5:27pm May 02, 2013

by Gregory Warner

Dissent is not tolerated in Eritrea, so exiles from the African nation had to get creative when it came to organizing opposition. They are now relying on robocalls that tell Eritreans to stay home Friday evening, the night traditionally devoted to going out.

Queue Listen Now

Casual clothing detail fashion background made in the USA

Ethical Fashion: Is The Tragedy In Bangladesh A Final Straw?

4:05pm May 02, 2013

Since a garment factory collapsed last month in Dhaka, killing more than 400 people, ethical fashion has been in the spotlight. Elizabeth Cline, author of Overdressed: The Shockingly High Price of Cheap Fashion, explains the economy that created this tragedy and what we can do to fix it.

Queue Listen Now