Sandwich Throwing: Australian For Protest
Weekend Edition Saturday host Scott Simon takes note of two instances of sandwich throwing, aimed at the Australian prime minister.
World News
Syrian Conflict Reaches Beyond Borders
The civil war in Syria is attracting fighters from all over, threatening the region's tenuous stability. Robert Malley of the International Crisis Group tells Fresh Air that "a war in Syria with regional spillover has now become a regional war with a Syrian focus."
Sole Survivor: Iraq Rescue Mission Ended In Tragedy
In our latest installment of the StoryCorps Military Voices Initiative, we hear from Lance Cpl. Travis Williams. In 2005, while serving in Iraq, Williams lost his 12-man squad lost his squad to an IED. He was the only survivor.
Obama Meets Xi: A Chance To Make History
President Barack Obama will meet with Chinese president Xi Jinping in California June 7-8. The rare, informal meeting offers an opportunity to discuss economic, security and environmental objectives. Douglas Paal, of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, discusses possible outcomes.
High-Tech Sensors Help Old Port City Leap Into Smart Future
On Spain's Atlantic coast, the city of Santander has installed 12,000 sensors that measure everything from when streetlights need to be dimmed to when trash dumpsters are full — saving millions for cash-strapped public coffers. It's becoming a model for cities worldwide.
U.S. Worries Afghan Forces Will Divide Along Ethnic Lines
The American combat mission in Afghanistan will end in 2014. One concern for U.S. officials is the possibility that Afghan security forces will splinter along ethnic lines. The worry then is that those troops will start taking orders from warlords.
Mired In Recession, EU Eases Some Austerity Measures
This week, the European Union gave some of its member nations more time to meet deficit-reduction targets — in other words, to ease back on austerity. The programs have crushed growth and sent European unemployment to a record high 12 percent.
Sushi Chef Was Confidant To North Korea's Kim Jong Il
Little is known about the men who have led North Korea. But one person with great insights into Kim Jong Il and his successor Kim Jong Un is a Japanese sushi chef. He provided Kim Jong Il both sushi and loyalty for many years. Renee Montagne talks to novelist Adam Johnson about his encounter with the chef, which he writes about in the latest issue of GQ magazine.
Rio Goes High-Tech, With An Eye Toward Olympics, World Cup
New technology is changing the way cities are run, with cutting-edge urban innovations around the globe. Sprawling, chaotic Rio de Janeiro has built a state-of-the-art operations center as it gears up for two major events.
Fight For Homs Fades From Headlines As War In Syria Rages
The civil war in Syria is expected to become the focus of peace negotiations in the coming weeks. The city of Homs became famous early in the conflict. While not as many reports are being filed from there, the fighting between rebels and government troops continues.