World News

Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad inspects the Natanz nuclear plant in central Iran on March 8, 2007. The tall cylinders are centrifuges for enriching uranium.

Are Iran's Centrifuges Just Few Turns From A Nuclear Bomb?

6:19pm October 14, 2013

by Geoff Brumfiel

Talks about the country's nuclear program are set to begin in Geneva. Iran says it is making nuclear fuel for power plants, but some observers are suspicious of the country's motives.

Queue Listen Now

World News

Can Iran, The West Overcome Distrust To Make A Nuclear Deal?

6:19pm October 14, 2013

by Peter Kenyon

Nuclear negotiators from six world powers and Iran head to Geneva for talks surrounded by more optimism than has been seen in years. Positive rhetoric from the new administration of President Hasan Rouhani has raised hopes that diplomacy may once again be ascendant instead of sanctions and threats of military action. Analysts say the trick will be getting the slow-moving negotiating process to respond before these expectations fade. Much will depend on the West's, and especially Washington's, willingness to consider leaving low-level uranium enrichment in Iran's hands, and on whether Congress can be persuaded to hold off on more punitive sanctions that could derail the diplomatic effort.

Queue Listen Now

3 American Economists Win Nobel Prize

7:46am October 14, 2013

Eugene Fama, Lars Peter Hansen and Robert Shiller won the 2013 economics prize for their work on developing new methods to study trends in asset markets. They will share the $1.25 million prize.

Queue Listen Now

China Experiences Surprise Drop In Exports

4:31am October 14, 2013

by Frank Langfitt

Chinese exports dropped point 0.3 percent in September from a year earlier. It was the worst performance in three months. Analysts think much of the drop was due to plunging demand from Southeast Asia. Investors have been pulling money out of the region on concern the U.S. Federal Reserve will cut bond purchases and the money supply will tighten.

Queue Listen Now

Two Iranian textile merchants wait for customers in Tehran's main bazaar. President Hassan Rouhani has raised hopes by reaching out to the West and promising to work for an end to sanctions. But his team has cautioned that the country's economic problems

Iran's Leaders Send Sobering Message: No Quick Economic Fix

4:21am October 14, 2013

by Peter Kenyon

Iran's new President Hassan Rouhani says he will seek a nuclear agreement and an end to crippling Western economic sanctions. This has raised hopes that better economic times may be ahead. But Rouhani's team, as well as economists, say Iran's problems are deep-rooted and won't be easily solved.

Queue Listen Now

Prize In Economics A Latecomer To Nobel Lineup

4:21am October 14, 2013

The Nobel Prize in economics will be announced Monday morning in Sweden. This prize is a relatively new one — it was established in 1968 by Sweden's central bank. The prizes announced last week, like the Nobel Peace Prize, were established more than 100 years ago in Alfred Nobel's will.

Queue Listen Now

World News

Readers Lament 'International Herald Tribune' Name Change

4:21am October 14, 2013

by Eleanor Beardsley

Starting Tuesday, American expats throughout Europe will pick up their The International Herald Tribune to discover it has been renamed, The International New York Times. Many longtime readers say they'll feel a great loss.

Queue Listen Now

Christopher Senyonjo says he was excommunicated from the Anglican church in the early 2000s, but continues his ministry and activism.

World News

'God Loves Uganda': How Religion Fueled An Anti-Gay Movement

9:40pm October 12, 2013

by NPR Staff

In the documentary, director Roger Ross Williams explores the role of American evangelicals in the anti-gay movement there. Williams and Christopher Senyonjo, an excommunicated Anglican bishop, discuss the collision of religion and politics.

Queue Listen Now

Ahmed Hassan is the leader of the group of young Egyptian revolutionaries at the center of The Square.

'The Square' Tightens Lens On Egypt's Revolution

10:56pm October 11, 2013

by NPR Staff

Jehane Noujaim's documentary follows a group of young revolutionaries in Egypt through the political upheaval of the past two-and-a-half years. NPR's Robert Siegel spoke with the director about the film, the activists it follows and their country's future.

Queue Listen Now

What A U.S. Default Would Mean For Pensions, China And Social Security

12:38pm October 10, 2013

by David Kestenbaum

Whatever happens to a the global economy, one thing is clear: If the U.S. defaults, people all over the world who have loaned the government money won't get paid on time.

Queue Listen Now