World News

Pope Francis meets with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank city of Bethlehem on May 25, 2014. The Vatican officially recognized the state of Palestine in a new treaty finalized today.

World News

Vatican Officially Recognizes State Of Palestine

3:43pm May 13, 2015

by Krishnadev Calamur

In a treaty between the two sides, the Holy See switches its diplomatic relations from the Palestine Liberation Organization to the state of Palestine. Israel said it was "disappointed."

World News

In Bangladesh, A 3rd Atheist Blogger Is Hacked To Death

2:26pm May 13, 2015

Ananta Bijoy Das wrote for a website once moderated by another writer, killed in a similar way. To learn more, Steve Inskeep talks to Syed Zain Al-Mahmood of The Wall Street Journal in Dhaka.

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Ahead Of Summit, Gulf States Doubt America's Mideast Policies

2:14pm May 13, 2015

by Peter Kenyon

Of the 6 Gulf nations that will be represented at a summit hosted by President Obama, only 2 will be represented by monarchs. The meeting's aim is to build support for a nuclear accord with Iran.

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A woman in Kathmandu walks past rubble following several massive earthquakes in Nepal. Officials say at least 76 people died in Tuesday's magnitude-7.3 quake.

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Nepal Update: Quake's Death Toll Rises; U.S. Chopper Still Missing

11:54am May 13, 2015

by Bill Chappell

Emergency officials in Nepal say at least 76 people have died in Tuesday's earthquake, which hit as the small country is still coping with a prior quake that killed more than 8,000.

A man watches a television showing news coverage of the reported execution of North Korea's defense minister, Hyon Yong Chol, at a railway station in Seoul on Wednesday.

World News

Spy Agency: North Korea Executes Its Defense Chief With Anti-Aircraft Guns

9:22am May 13, 2015

by Elise Hu

Officials from South Korea's intelligence agency say North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's latest high-level purge took place in front of hundreds of onlookers at a shooting range.

At Slush Asia, a new tech festival held in Tokyo in late April, the scene and the energy resembled a small-scale South by Southwest Interactive.

A Startup Scene That's Not So Hot: Japan's Entrepreneur Shortage

9:07am May 13, 2015

by Elise Hu

A risk-averse culture is making it a tough road for fresh ideas and fledgling Japanese startups. But venture backers are starting to see some signs of hope that new tech firms will take off.

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Refugee Arrivals To German Town Delayed After Shelter Is Destroyed

7:58am May 13, 2015

Steve Inskeep talks with Volker Herzon, the mayor of Vorra, Germany, about how the town plans to adjust to the arrival of migrants from Africa and the Middle East.

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Marine Corps Helicopter Helping With Relief Effort In Nepal Still Missing

8:36pm May 12, 2015

by Eyder Peralta

A Defense Department official said there's no indication so far that the UH-1 Huey, which was carrying six Marines and two Nepali soldiers, had crashed.

An ancient city at the mouth of the Mediterranean, Ceuta marks its 600th anniversary this year as a European territory. But changing demographics have some people wondering whether the Spanish territory in North Africa should return to local African rule.

World News

A Foot In Africa, A Foot In Europe: Divide Grows Wider In Ceuta

7:22pm May 12, 2015

by Lauren Frayer

The Spanish city is physically part of Africa. About half of its people are more prosperous Europeans; half are Arabic-speaking Muslims disproportionately living in poverty. That disparity is growing.

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Powerful 7.3 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Nepal

7:22pm May 12, 2015

NPR's Melissa Block talks to Kathmandu-based freelance writer Donatella Lorch about the most recent earthquake in Nepal, which came just three weeks after a major quake killed more than 8,000 people.

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