World News

World News

Amid China's Crackdown On Human Rights Lawyers, One Woman Fights On For The Future

7:41am December 31, 2016

The year 2016 ends in China amid an unprecedented crackdown on human rights attorneys. But the Communist Party's intimidation tactics sometimes have the opposite effect.

In Renewed Focus On Nuclear Deterrence, Nonproliferation Expert Recalls A Close Call

7:41am December 31, 2016

Trump's tweet about strengthening U.S. nuclear capability renewed conversations about proliferation. Arms Control Wonk blogger Jeffrey Lewis tells NPR's Scott Simon about a nuclear close call in 1983.

A fence surrounds an estate in the village of Upper Brookville in the town of Oyster Bay, N.Y., on Long Island. On Friday, the Obama administration closed this compound for Russian diplomats, in retaliation for spying and cyber-meddling in the U.S. presid

Intelligence Compounds Or Bucolic Resorts? Russian Estates May Be Both

6:15pm December 30, 2016

by Laurel Wamsley

Neighbors on Maryland's Eastern Shore said the Russian vacationers "were just like anybody else," but an intelligence expert says the sites were likely used for eavesdropping on communications.

World News

What Russia's Role In The Middle East Says About Shifting Global Influence

5:36pm December 30, 2016

NPR's Robert Siegel speaks with Steve Clemons, editor at large for The Atlantic, about Russia's role in Syrian fighting and the latest attempt at a cease-fire.

Queue Listen Now

World News

Russia Pulls Back From The Brink Of Retaliation Against U.S. Sanctions

4:51pm December 30, 2016

by Lucian Kim

Russia responded to new U.S. sanctions with political theater, careening from threats of countermeasures to a reprieve from Vladimir Putin, who pledged to work with Donald Trump to repair ties.

Queue Listen Now

World News

Now A Refuge, Syrian Town Of Idlib Faces Increasing Dangers

4:51pm December 30, 2016

by Alison Meuse

As Syrian forces advanced on rebel-held areas, many rebels and others fled to Syria's northern countryside. But that area could be next on the government's strategic map.

World News

White House Orders Shutdown Of Mysterious Russian-Owned Properties

4:51pm December 30, 2016

The White House announced Thursday that it would close down the two mansions, in Maryland and in New York. Steve Hall, a retired CIA Russian operations officer, says use of the estates — also referred to as dachas, or "country homes" — dates back to the Cold War.

Queue Listen Now

World News

Amid Brutal Civil War, A Rare Glimpse At Life In Yemen

4:51pm December 30, 2016

The war in Yemen began in 2014 when Houthi rebels seized the capital, Sanaa, and expelled President Mansour Hadi. Since then, airstrikes led by the Saudis have led to thousands of civilian casualties. NPR's Ari Shapiro speaks with New York Times journalist Ben Hubbard who recently visited Yemen with photographer Tyler Hicks. Hubbard talks about what he saw and what Yemen is like today for its citizens.

U.S. Cyberwarfare: Its Powerful Tools, Its Unseen Tactics

4:51pm December 30, 2016

NPR's Ari Shapiro talks to cybersecurity expert Robert Knake on what tools the U.S. has to retaliate against Russia in cyberspace.

Queue Listen Now

From left: A scene from the video of a car crash test; illustration of a mosquito transmitting the Zika virus; a menstrual shed in Nepal.

Goats And Soda's Top Stories: Mosquito Repellent, Menstrual Huts, Car Crash

4:31pm December 30, 2016

by Malaka Gharib

Our 10 most popular global health and development posts in 2016.