World News

World News

Syria Peace Talks Appear Near Collapse

1:38pm February 14, 2014

by Alice Fordham

The Syrian peace talks in Geneva are in deep trouble. Representatives of the opposition met a delegation from Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime several times this week. But the two sides can't agree on an agenda.

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Hockey fans cheer for Russia during the men's game against Slovenia on Thursday.

In Front Of A Home Crowd, Russia Has Hockey History On Its Mind

3:07pm February 13, 2014

by Robert Smith

Team Russia — led by Alexander Ovechkin — and its fans talk constantly of the 1980 "Miracle on Ice" and the team's loss four years ago in Vancouver. On Saturday, they'll meet a young and "hungry" Team USA.

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The majority of patrons at Shanghai's Fortune Cookie restaurant are foreigners, particularly Americans who crave the American-Chinese food they grew up with but can't find in China.

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Shanghai Warms Up To A New Cuisine: Chinese Food, American-Style

11:25am February 12, 2014

by Frank Langfitt

Chinese immigrants adapted their cuisine over time to appeal to American palates. So Americans looking for familiar dishes in China won't find many. But a new restaurant in Shanghai hopes to change that — offering expats a taste of home and introducing locals to foreign treats like fortune cookies.

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Snowborder Shaun White Will Leave Sochi Without A Medal

7:57am February 12, 2014

by Robert Smith

American snowboarder Shaun White had hoped to win his third consecutive gold in these games. Instead, he's going home empty-handed. Not a single member of team USA was on the podium for the snowboard halfpipe event.

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Iranians hold pictures of Iran's current supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, during the 35th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Tehran, Iran, on Tuesday.

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Iran's President Marks Revolution With Call For Negotiations

9:58pm February 11, 2014

by Peter Kenyon

In a major address, Hassan Rouhani mocked U.S. military threats. But he also used the 35th anniversary of the Islamic revolution to say that negotiations with the U.S. and others offers the best path for Iran.

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Have A Lot Of Free Time? Watch All Of NBC's Olympic Coverage

1:28pm February 11, 2014

by Eric Deggans

NBC says its coverage of the Winter Olympics has drawn more than 100 million viewers over its first weekend. That indicates lots of interest in the games, which will fill 1,539 hours of coverage across NBC's broadcast network, cable channels and online. We have some suggestions for watching the Sochi Olympics — from the regular network broadcast to cable to the Internet.

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Local Economy Suffers After Afghan Housing Bubble Bursts

1:28pm February 11, 2014

by Sean Carberry

The housing bubble in Afghanistan was created by the influx of international organizations and their thousands of workers over the last 12 years. As countries pull out of Afghanistan, rent prices are tumbling, vacancies are soaring and sales have flatlined.

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Men walk along a railway line in Beijing on Jan. 12, as air pollution reached hazardous levels.

China's Air Pollution Linked To Millions Of Early Deaths

2:25pm February 10, 2014

by Rob Stein

About 1.2 million people die prematurely every year in China from exposure to outdoor air pollution. Smog has dogged the country as it grows at an explosive rate and burns huge quantities of fossil fuels. But there are signs that the government is beginning to take the issue more seriously.

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Iranians Look Back On 35 Years Since The Revolution

7:45am February 10, 2014

by Peter Kenyon

Tuesday marks the 35 anniversary of Iran's Islamic revolution. For more than three decades, relations between the U.S. and Iran have been frozen. But hope for a thaw began to emerge with last summer's election of Hassan Rouhani as president.

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Wacky Moments In Winter Olympic History

12:05pm February 08, 2014

The problems with decrepit hotel rooms and stray dogs in Sochi, Russia, are stealing the headlines, but they are hardly the first Olympics to stumble. NPR's Scott Simon speaks with Esquire Magazine's AJ Jacobs about some of the more inglorious moments in Winter Olympics history.

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