World News

World News

With Annexation Of Crimea, Russia Takes Ukrainian Air Base

8:47pm March 22, 2014

Russian forces have taken the base at Belbek, one of the last Ukranian military strongholds in Crimea. Correspondent Gregory Warner talks with NPR's Arun Rath about what the means for the rest of Ukraine.

Queue Listen Now

World News

U.S. Position On Crimea Music To Spain's Ears

8:47pm March 22, 2014

by Lauren Frayer

Spanish leaders say they're in the same situation as Ukraine. Spain's northeast region of Catalonia wants to break away from Madrid and plans to hold a referendum in November. The Spanish government says it is unconstitutional and refuses to recognize the result.

Queue Listen Now

Dob Cunningham (left) and his friend Larry Johnson look over the edge of Cunningham's 800-acre ranch in Quemado, Texas.

Always Watching: A Fragile Trust Lines The U.S.-Mexico Border

2:21pm March 22, 2014

by Steve Inskeep

Border Patrol agents seem to be everywhere along the U.S. side of the Mexican border, and residents are also on guard. Yet amid distrust and heavy surveillance, there is compassion.

Queue Listen Now

The Russian ship Pyotr Velikiy (Peter the Great), seen here docked in the Cypriot port of Limassol in February, is part of the team involved in escorting shipments of Syria's chemical weapons material for destruction.

World News

Russia-U.S. Tensions Could Stall Syrian Chemical Weapons Removal

11:18am March 22, 2014

by Geoff Brumfiel

Under international agreement, the chemicals were to be destroyed aboard a U.S. ship escorted by Russian naval vessels. As the two nations square off over Crimea, that collaboration is over for now.

Queue Listen Now

World News

Even Turkey's President Evades Its New Twitter Ban

6:22pm March 21, 2014

by Peter Kenyon

A Turkish court is trying to ban Twitter, setting off condemnation of the government's increasingly heavy hand and prompting Turks to find a workaround for the social media site.

Queue Listen Now

Relatives of Chinese passengers aboard the missing Malaysia Airlines flight comfort each other as they wait for a news briefing by airline officials at a hotel ballroom in Beijing on Thursday.

World News

For Flight 370 Families, Every Day Is 'Torment'

6:20pm March 21, 2014

by Anthony Kuhn

It's been an excruciating wait for families of passengers on the missing Malaysian airliner. They wait for word in a Beijing hotel and have little confidence in Malaysian authorities.

Queue Listen Now

World News

Search Planes Fail To Locate Objects Spotted By Satellite

7:45am March 21, 2014

by David Greene

There are concerns that the objects sunk to the bottom of the ocean. Officials remain optimistic and say the hunt will continue off the coast of Australia for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370.

Queue Listen Now

Air pollution hangs over the skyline as the sun rises over the central business district in Beijing on Monday. Dense smog has shrouded the city with pollution at hazardous levels for days, and residents were advised to stay indoors.

World News

Beijing's 'Airpocalypse' Spurs Pollution Controls, Public Pressure

4:39pm March 20, 2014

by Louisa Lim

The air in China's capital has been classified as hazardous to human health for a fifth consecutive day. Environmentalists say it's the worst pollution since monitoring began last year.

Queue Listen Now

World News

U.S. Parries N. Korean Threats With A Fresh Plan

4:32pm March 20, 2014

by Tom Gjelten

When it comes to North Korea's latest belligerence, U.S. officials can sound more like an exasperated parent responding to a child's tantrum. That's just their first warning, though.

Queue Listen Now

World News

For Crimea, Split From Ukraine Would Be Complicated And Costly

6:37am March 20, 2014

by Eleanor Beardsley

Crimea is a poor region, heavily subsidized by Kiev, and gets all its gas, water and food from Ukraine. Russia doesn't even have a land link with the Crimean peninsula and absorbing it will affect banks, schools, tourism and pensions for residents.

Queue Listen Now