KVCR World News

'We Will Never Give In To Terror,' Britain's Cameron Vows

Thu, 23 May 2013 09:16:00 -0700

One day after a British soldier was hacked to death on a busy southeast London street by two men who were heard claiming that they wanted to avenge the deaths of Muslims killed during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Prime Minister David Cameron declared Thursday that "we will never give in to terror or terrorism in any of its forms."

Socks Are Optional As Pakistan Grapples With Power Cuts

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:10:00 -0700

Pakistanis have coped with – even rioted – over the country's frequent power cuts. Now, the government is feeling their impact, too. The country's caretaker prime minister has banned air conditioners in government offices and instituted a dress code for civil servants. Among his recommendations: No socks.

Pope Francis Puts The Poor Front And Center

Mon, 20 May 2013 13:11:00 -0700

Over the past week, Pope Francis has launched a crescendo of attacks on the global financial system and what he calls a "cult of money" that does not help the poor.

The 2-month-old papacy of Francis — the Argentina-born Jorge Bergoglio — is shaping up as a papacy focused on the world's downtrodden. And in sharp contrast with the two preceding papacies, this one even contains echoes of the Latin American liberation theology movement that John Paul II and Benedict XVI had repressed.

WATCH: David Beckham Tears Up At Final Home Game

Sun, 19 May 2013 10:37:00 -0700

David Beckham, the storied midfielder who rose to international fame because of his style on and off the pitch, played his last home game for Paris Saint-Germain last night.

As the AP reports, despite being used to the lights and the big stage, Beckham, who announced his retirement from soccer last week, was finally overwhelmed.

Young Gazan Men Get Unwanted Haircuts, Courtesy Of Police

Fri, 17 May 2013 10:41:00 -0700

As 17-year-old Tarik al-Nakib tells it, he was just out to buy some bread one afternoon in April when a silver bus from the Gaza Strip police department pulled up next to him.

"One guy opened the door and asked me to get in the bus," Nakib says. "Another came out and pushed me in. I was trying to understand what was going on, what did I do? No one wanted to answer me."

Are Buddhist Monks Involved In Myanmar's Violence?

Fri, 17 May 2013 09:01:00 -0700

In the Western stereotype, Buddhists are meditating pacifists who strive to keep their distance from worldly passions. But last month, more than 40 people were killed in fighting between Buddhists and Muslims in the central Burmese town of Meiktila. Witnesses say some Buddhist monks joined in the violence, while others tried to stop it.

U.S. Hands Over Nation-Building Projects To Afghans

Thu, 16 May 2013 09:10:00 -0700

Listen to the news story

On a sunny spring day in eastern Afghanistan's Paktia province, Afghan officials and U.S. troops and civilians gather inside the ancient mud fort in the center of Forward Operating Base Gardez. They're attending a ceremony marking the formal end of the work of the provincial reconstruction team, or PRT.

Teaching The Rules Of War In Syria's Vicious Conflict

Wed, 15 May 2013 10:41:00 -0700

A new video from Syria is shocking even by the standards of a war that keeps setting new standards for brutality.

In the video, a rebel fighter identified as Khalid al-Hamad is shown cutting out and eating the organs of a dead government soldier.

Russian Security Service Claims To Have Uncovered CIA Agent

Tue, 14 May 2013 09:21:00 -0700

From Russia Today:

"Russia's counterintelligence agency has detained a CIA agent in Moscow trying to recruit an officer of the Russian secret service, the Federal Security Service (FSB) announced. The agent was operating under guise of career diplomat."

As Gamblers Gather, Thailand's Child Boxers Slug It Out

Tue, 14 May 2013 09:07:00 -0700

Under the fluorescent lights of the boxing ring, the boy can barely see out beyond the elastic ropes that surround the fighting stage. The crowd and the festival that press in around him are shadowy outlines. But the boy can hear them.

In Pakistan, Sharif Turns To Unstable Nation's Dire Problems

Mon, 13 May 2013 09:42:00 -0700

With a commanding lead for his party in the vote count following Saturday's parliamentary elections, former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is returning to power with a clear mandate to focus on the grave problems facing his nation, as NPR's Julie McCarthy reports from Lahore for Morning Edition.

In Guantanamo, Have We Created Something We Can't Close?

Sun, 12 May 2013 10:22:00 -0700

Listen to the news story

The crisis at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp keeps growing in size and intensity. According to the military's own count, 100 of the 166 men held in the prison there are now on hunger strike, and the 27 most in danger of dying are being force-fed.

Malcolm X's Grandson Reportedly Killed In Mexico

Fri, 10 May 2013 11:05:00 -0700

Malcolm Shabazz, the grandson of slain civil rights leader Malcolm X, has reportedly died at age 28. A family friend says Shabazz was killed Thursday in Mexico.

The news first appeared in New York's The Amsterdam News, after family friend Terrie Williams tweeted, "I'm confirming, per the U.S. Embassy, on behalf of the family, the tragic death of Malcolm Shabazz, grandson of Malcolm X."

Survivor Rescued 17 Days After Bangladesh Building Collapse

Fri, 10 May 2013 08:56:00 -0700

The day starts with incredible news:

"Miraculous as it may sound," a survivor was rescued Friday from the rubble of the eight-story building that collapsed 17 days ago near Dhaka, Bangladesh, The Daily Star reported this morning.

'Do Me A Solid,' Diplomat Rodman Says To North Korea's Kim

Wed, 08 May 2013 08:57:00 -0700

America's unlikeliest link to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has reached out to his friend in a bid to have an American citizen released from one of the communist nation's notorious labor camps.

"I'm calling on the Supreme Leader of North Korea or as I call him 'Kim', to do me a solid and cut Kenneth Bae loose," former basketball star Dennis Rodman tweets.

U.S. Turns Up Heat On Costly Commercial Cyber Theft In China

Tue, 07 May 2013 09:21:00 -0700

American companies that do business with China make good money. They also lose a lot of money there to cyber thieves, who routinely hack into the computers of the U.S. firms and steal their trade and technology secrets.

Death Toll In Bangladesh Factory Collapse Surpasses 650

Mon, 06 May 2013 14:34:00 -0700

The grim toll from the collapse of a garment factory in Bangladesh last month has risen to more than 650, as more bodies have been pulled from the rubble of the eight-story complex.

The number of people confirmed dead has now reached 657, CNN quoted Col. Sheikh Zaman, a military official overseeing the recovery operation in Savar, as saying.

Syrian Rebels May Have Used Sarin, U.N. Investigator Says

Mon, 06 May 2013 08:41:00 -0700

Update at 10:05 a.m. ET: Commission Underscores That "It Has Not Reached Conclusive Findings":

The news that a top international prosecutor who is also a commissioner on the Independent International Commission of Inquiry for Syria says rebels there may have used sarin gas has prompted the commission to issue a statement that reads, in part:

Pakistani Prosecutor Investigating Bhutto Death Is Gunned Down

Fri, 03 May 2013 09:09:00 -0700

In Pakistan, police say two unidentified gunmen fatally shot the special prosecutor investigating the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.

Friday's attack on Chaudhry Zulfiqar Ali in Islamabad deepens the mystery surrounding one of the country's most politically charged cases, which remains open six years later.

It's A 'Tale Of Two Popes' As Benedict Returns To Vatican

Thu, 02 May 2013 09:09:00 -0700

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI moved back to the Vatican and his new retirement residence on Thursday, where he will live side by side with the reigning pontiff, Pope Francis.

The arrangement makes history because Benedict, 86, is the first pope to voluntarily step down as head of the Roman Catholic Church in more than 700 years.

North Korea Sentences U.S. Citizen To 15 Years Hard Labor

Thu, 02 May 2013 08:56:00 -0700

North Korea has sentenced a U.S. citizen to 15 years in one of the country's notorious labor camps for allegedly attempting to overthrow the Pyongyang government.

Pyongyang's official KCNA news agency announced the sentence imposed on Pae Jun-ho, known in the United States as Kenneth Bae. He has been held since November, when he was arrested at the northeastern port city of Rason, a special economic zone near North Korea's border with China.

Ratting Out TB: Scientists Train Rodents To Diagnose Disease

Wed, 01 May 2013 12:28:00 -0700

Rats are notorious for spreading nasty diseases. Think the plague, lassa fever and even salmonella.

But could some jumbo-size African rodents help health workers diagnose diseases more quickly? They just might.

A group in Tanzania is training rats to detect tuberculosis in people. The critters in question are African giant pouched rats. They are about twice the size of your average house gerbil — and half as pretty

U.S. Said To Be Leaning Toward Arming Syrian Rebels

Wed, 01 May 2013 09:22:00 -0700

As the U.S. considers a "spectrum of military options" it could take to assist the groups battling against the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad, the Obama administration is leaning toward giving lethal arms to some of those rebels, a senior administration official has told NPR's Kelly McEvers.

How Doctors Would Know If Syrians Were Hit With Nerve Gas

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 15:04:00 -0700

President Obama affirmed Tuesday that there's evidence Syrians have been attacked with chemical weapons — in particular, nerve gas. But that's not the same as proof positive.

"We don't know how they were used, when they were used, who used them," Obama said. "We don't have a chain of custody that establishes what exactly happened."

Brazilians Keep World Cup Hopes In Check Amid Complications

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 10:31:00 -0700

Soccer isn't just a sport in Brazil, it's a religion, and the main temple is the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro.

The venue is not only the biggest stadium in Brazil but the biggest in South America. Over the weekend, the newly renovated complex reopened to great fanfare, with stirring musical numbers, a light show and dignitaries including Brazil's president.

U.S. Citizen Faces Trial In North Korea

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 08:47:00 -0700

North Korea has accused an American tourist of committing crimes against the state and trying to bring down the country's regime, according to the North's official news agency.

At Israeli Checkpoint, Tear Gas And Ice Cream A Way Of Life

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 08:53:00 -0700

Ahmed Fahad is a savior on a hot day. Yelling "Ice cream, ice cream!" in Arabic, the Palestinian man carries a Styrofoam cooler through tangled traffic at the Qalandia checkpoint between Jerusalem and the West Bank city of Ramallah. I roll down my window to signal to him but taste the sting of dissipating tear gas instead.

South Korean Workers To Leave Industrial Zone In North

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 09:31:00 -0700

South Korea has ordered the withdrawal of its workers from a jointly run industrial zone in North Korea, in a further sign of how relations have gone from bad to worse between the two countries in recent weeks.

These Days, More And More Chinese Have Driven A Ford Lately

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 10:21:00 -0700

General Motors has been the American car company in China. Even when GM was in bankruptcy, the Chinese continued to view Buick as a high-status, luxury brand.

But now Ford, an also-ran in the market for years, is making a push to change all that. Last year, Ford's sales were up more than 30 percent in China, and the Ford Focus was the best-selling car in both the world and China.

White House: Evidence Syria Used Chemical Weapons

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 10:12:00 -0700

The White House has acknowledged that U.S. intelligence assessments indicate "with varying degrees of confidence" that the Syrian regime has used chemical weapons during the country's ongoing civil war, but has cautioned that it still needs more evidence.

Violent Protests In Paris After Same-Sex Marriage Law Passes

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 10:08:00 -0700

"Clashes broke out between protesters and riot police near France's lower house of parliament late on Tuesday just hours after the country legalized gay marriage, with opponents of the law hurling projectiles at police, who responded with tear gas," France 24 reports.

Dozens Killed In Collapse Of Bangladesh Garment Complex

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 08:54:00 -0700

More than 85 people are dead and scores injured in Bangladesh following the collapse of an eight-story building on the outskirts of the capital, Dhaka.

The building, called Rana Plaza, housed several garment factories in the town of Savar. A fireman at the scene told Reuters that about 2,000 people were inside when the upper floors jolted down on top of each other Wednesday.

Israel: Syria Has Been Using Chemical Weapons

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 14:15:00 -0700

Israel's top military intelligence official said Tuesday that the Syrian government has used chemical weapons repeatedly, and he criticized the international community for not taking tougher action against the Syrian leadership.

Embassy Bombed In Libya; Canada Train Plot Suspects In Court

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 09:05:00 -0700

Update at 11:10 a.m. ET: One Suspect In Canada Train Plot Denied Bail:

After a brief appearance in court in Toronto, a judge denied bail to Raed Jaser but there's no decision yet on his alleged accomplice, Chiheb Esseghaier, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Group.

Rescuers Struggling To Reach Areas Of China Hit By Quake

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 10:42:00 -0700

Reaching the victims of Saturday's strong earthquake in China's Sichuan province remains difficult because of aftershocks and landslides.

According to Voice of America:

How Coffee Brings The World Together

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 09:08:00 -0700

Coffee is more than a drink. For many of us — OK, for me — it's woven into the fabric of every day.

It also connects us to far corners of the globe.

For instance, every Friday, a truck pulls up to the warehouse of Counter Culture Coffee, a small roaster and coffee distributor in Durham, N.C., and unloads a bunch of heavy burlap sacks.

Want More Gender Equality At Work? Go To An Emerging Market

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 08:59:00 -0700

A White House report puts it bluntly: "Today, younger women are more likely to graduate from college than are men and are more likely to hold a graduate school degree."

For the past decade more American women than men have earned undergraduate and Master's degrees; and in the past three years, they've outpaced men at the doctoral level, too.

New Aid To Syria Comes With Fear Of Funding The Wrong Opposition

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 11:40:00 -0700

At an 11-nation meeting in Turkey this weekend, there was one thing the United States, European and Arab states could agree on: With more than 70,000 killed and millions of people displaced, the Syrian crisis, as Secretary of State John Kerry says, is "horrific."

Strong Quake In China Kills Dozens, Injures Thousands

Sat, 20 Apr 2013 13:22:00 -0700

"A powerful earthquake jolted China's Sichuan province Saturday near where a devastating quake struck five years ago," The Associated Press writes. According to CNN, early estimates put the death toll around 100. More than 1,000 other people were reportedly injured. Both figures could change substantially as more information comes in. Reuters, for example, is already reporting that the number of injured may top 2,000.

Post-Chavez Venezuela Grows More, Not Less, Polarized

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 11:46:00 -0700

Under the rule of its late president, Hugo Chavez, Venezuela became a nation sharply divided between those who supported his self-styled socialist revolution and those who opposed it.

But after a disputed presidential election in which Chavez's deputy was ruled the winner by a razor-thin margin, the country appears more polarized than ever.

Ex-Pakistani Strongman Musharraf Flees Courtroom

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 09:23:00 -0700

Former Pakistani military ruler Pervez Musharraf's bodyguards spirited him out of an Islamabad courtroom Thursday to avoid his arrest on treason charges after a judge revoked bail.

Police in the courtroom made no attempt to detain Musharraf, 69, who was whisked away by his security detail to his residence in a suburb of the capital.

North Korea: End U.N. Sanctions And Talks Can Resume

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 09:21:00 -0700

North Korea on Thursday says it is ready to resume talks with the U.S. and South Korea if they end joint military exercises and the United Nations drops sanctions.

The official KCNA news agency carried the statement from North Korea's National Defense Commission calling for a resumption of dialogue.

U.S. Calls On Venezuela 'To Respect ... Free Speech' Of Its Citizens

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 12:47:00 -0700

The United States called on the Venezuelan government to be transparent in its effort to "audit the ballots" of the presidential election held this weekend.

If you missed it, the news that Hugo Chavez's hand-picked successor Nicolás Maduro had won by a razor-thin margin unleashed protests in the streets of Caracas.

For Thatcher, 'A Great Calm' After A Life Of Controversy

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 09:25:00 -0700

Margaret Thatcher, the prime minister whose time leading Great Britain in the 1980s brought joy to conservatives and despair to liberals, was remembered Wednesday for "a life lived in the heat of political controversy."

Italy's Financial Crisis Means More (Bread) Dough At Home

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 12:25:00 -0700

Processed food packed with salt, fat and sugar has been making incursions into the traditional diets of countries around the world. Even Italy isn't immune to the reach of junk food. But hard economic times are spurring Italians to rediscover home cooking, and especially bread making.

Threats And Crises Are 'Just Normal North Korean Diplomacy'

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 09:02:00 -0700

Monday is "the day of the sun" in North Korea — a celebration of founder Kim Il Sung's birth in 1912.

On this North Korean national holiday, "Pyongyang residents spilled into the streets," The Associated Press writes. "Girls in red and pink jackets skipped along streets festooned with celebratory banners and flags and parents pushed strollers with babies bundled up against the spring chill as residents of the isolated, impoverished nation began observing a three-day holiday." And there was a marathon in the North Korean capital.

As New Flu Cases Rise In China, U.S. Steps Up Its Response

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 14:33:00 -0700

The toll from a new flu strain is mounting in China.

Forty-three people have been sickened and 11 have died from the virus, the World Health Organization said Friday.

The pace of infections has quickened over the past few days, with three to five cases reported daily.

Update: BBC Will Play Clip Of 'Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead'

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 09:42:00 -0700

Update at 11:50 a.m. ET. Radio 1 Will Play A Snippet:

There's word from NPR's Philip Reeves in London that BBC's Radio 1 now says its weekend Official Chart show will play "a clip in a journalistic environment" of "Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead," which critics of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher pushed up the British charts this week after the Iron Lady's death.

Frustration Mounts Over Unresolved Border Patrol Shootings

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 09:34:00 -0700

Reducing illegal immigration — a key requirement for any immigration overhaul — is largely up to the U.S. Border Patrol. That agency has doubled in size over the past decade. It's now the largest law enforcement agency in the country.

Kerry Warns North Korea, But Holds Out Hope For Diplomacy

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 09:28:00 -0700

Walking a line meant to show both resolve and willingness to trust in diplomacy, Secretary of State John Kerry warned North Korea on Friday not to engage in more warmongering — but also said the U.S. is willing to talk with that communist state if it's serious about discussing denuclearization.