World News

World News

Syrian Army Said To Be Readying Chemical Weapons

10:55am December 11, 2012

Syrian officials deny having a chemical stockpile and insist they would never use it if they did. But a Syrian general, who defected earlier this year, confirms the chemical stockpile. He knows where the chemicals are stored, and he says rebel groups have been close to the stockpiles in and around Aleppo.

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U.S. Adds Syrian Rebel Group To Terror List

10:55am December 11, 2012

by Michele Kelemen

The United States has added one of Syria's main rebel groups to its list of terrorist organizations. Jabhat al-Nusra has claimed responsibility for several bombings that killed and wounded Syrian civilians since the uprising against the Assad government began in March of 2011. The U.S. describes the group as an outgrowth of al-Qaida in Iraq.

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Russia's Hockey Glad To Have NHL-Lockout Orphans

3:43am December 11, 2012

by Corey Flintoff

The NHL lockout has sent many Russian players home to play for a league very much in need of star power as it tries to revive hockey's popularity in a place where the sport was once dominant.

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A demonstrator shouts during a protest against housing evictions in Madrid last month. The sign to his right reads, "Stop evictions."

Spain's Crisis Leads To Rise Of Grass-Roots Groups

8:44pm December 10, 2012

by Sylvia Poggioli

The country's protest movement has evolved into a broad range of groups now filling the gaps left by the eroding welfare state. From doctors to teachers and homeowners to judges, Spaniards are organizing.

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Hunger Still Haunts North Korea, Citizens Say

8:44pm December 10, 2012

by Louisa Lim

A U.N. report says North Korea has more food than in previous years. But North Koreans who spoke to NPR say conditions are still dire. Food has become too expensive for many North Koreans, and people are dying of hunger, they say.

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The National Intelligence Council's Global Trends 2030 report predicts that by the year 2030, a majority of the world's population will be out of poverty.

The World In 2030: Asia Rises, The West Declines

8:44pm December 10, 2012

by Tom Gjelten

The planet may also be racked by wars over food and water; and individuals, equipped with new lethal and disruptive technologies, will be capable of causing widespread harm. The scenarios are the work of the National Intelligence Council, comprising the 17 U.S. government intelligence agencies.

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The U.S. Role In Egypt's Battle For Democracy

2:08pm December 10, 2012

Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi authorized the military to secure the country ahead of a controversial referendum on a draft constitution — a move that some compared to martial law. The opposition is split over what to do — vote down the constitution or boycott the vote altogether.

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Ghana's President John Dramani Mahama arrives at a polling station to cast his vote.

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Voters Decide How To Share Ghana's Boom

9:39pm December 08, 2012

by Ofeibea Quist-Arcton

As its economy prospers, the country has gained an enviable reputation in its often-turbulent West African neighborhood. It's admired for being a relative oasis of stability and peace in the region — despite tensions in the build-up to the vote.

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Egyptian President Gives Up Extra Powers

6:51pm December 08, 2012

An Egyptian official says President Mohammed Morsi has annulled a decree that gave him sweeping new powers last month. Host Guy Raz speaks with NPR's Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson from Cairo.

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The Belvedere on Marie Antoinette's estate.

World News

Getting The Royal Treatment En Route To Versailles

2:39pm December 08, 2012

by Eleanor Beardsley

Any ordinary commuter or tourist can be a royal for a day traveling on France's Versailles trains. Each of the cars of the 30 trains is decorated to resemble spaces at the sprawling and opulent Palace of Versailles.

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