Reverbiage: Stories from NPR tagged 'unrest'

Ahead Of Election, D.C. Metro Searches Bags

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 16:36:00 EDT

The Metro Transit Police in Washington will begin randomly searching passengers before Election Day. The head of the transit police and police around the country say there are no credible threats of unrest. Still, the searches are a sign of nervousness ahead of the election.

Foreclosure Woes: How Do They Affect Your City...

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 13:37:00 EDT

How does the mortgage meltdown affect your city? Anthony Sanders, professor of Finance and Real Estate at Arizona State University, explains how financial unrest has affected Phoenix, and what that says about other cities in the county.

Ambassador Calls Ouster From Bolivia A Foil

Sat, 20 Sep 2008 16:00:00 EDT

Bolivian President Evo Morales sent the U.S. ambassador, Philip Goldberg, packing this month, accusing him of fomenting unrest. Goldberg calls this a sad moment in U.S.-Bolivian relations and says he believes Morales used his ouster to distract from serious political problems he has at home.

Haiti Struggles For Footing Amid Storms, Unrest

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 11:49:00 EDT

A series of powerful storms has devastated the already frail Haiti, leaving hundreds of thousands of people dependent on international food aid. Haiti has also been rattled this year by political instability, street riots and rapidly rising global food prices.

Bolivian Unrest Has Diplomatic Ripple Effect

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 13:00:00 EDT

Violence in remote parts of Bolivia is being felt across Latin America. Venezuela has expelled the U.S. ambassador, while Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and other countries seek to help restore order.

Political Unrest Flares In India-Controlled Kashmir

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 08:34:00 EDT

During the past few weeks, large demonstrations have taken place in Kashmir. Muslims have taken to the streets to demand an end to Indian rule. Troops are enforcing a curfew, and shops, schools and businesses are closed.

In China, Anger Still Simmers Over School Collapses

Sat, 26 Jul 2008 23:14:00 EDT

As the physical reminders of the massive earthquake that killed thousands of school children are swept away, Chinese officials are waging a campaign to tamp down on potential unrest among survivors and bereaved parents.

In Concert, A Moment Of Sudanese Solidarity

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 14:28:00 EDT

At a time of outright genocide in Darfur, and civil unrest throughout the Sudan, an unprecedented gathering of musicians from across the war-torn country presented a contrasting picture — one of harmony and unity — at the Sudanese Festival of Music and Dance in Chicago.

Berkeley and Watts: Shaking the Calif. Dream

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 13:00:00 EDT

In the early 1960s, California was hailed as a model for America's future. But youth unrest at Berkeley and rioting in Watts offered a very different reality. By the end of the 60s, the dream had been badly shaken.

Tsvangirai Campaign Caves to Violence, Unrest

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 12:00:00 EDT

Zimbabwean opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has ended his hopes to become the country's next leader. Just days before a special runoff election, Tsvangirai cited fatal intimidation tactics allegedly by supporters of his opponent, incumbent President Robert Mugabe. Zimbabwe freelance reporter Jeffrey Barbee explains the recent developments.

Mugabe Party Loses Parliament in Recount

Sat, 26 Apr 2008 16:00:00 EDT

Unrest continued in Zimbabwe on Saturday as the country's electoral commission finally released results of a recount in the parliamentary election. The commission did not say when it would release results of the presidential recount. A reporter for the Zimbabwe Independent newspaper, talks about the growing anger over the delayed results and Friday's brutal government crackdown on opposition activists.

How to Prevent Famine

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:00:00 EDT

Food shortages across the world are causing unrest and protests. We examine the factors behind famine and how to ward off food riots.

Breadlines Symbolize Egyptians' Financial Woes

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 00:55:00 EDT

Once the breadbasket of the Roman Empire, Egypt faces growing unrest related to high food prices. Recently, long and sometimes violent lines have formed at bakeries selling subsidized bread, and ordinary Egyptians say it's impossible to make ends meet.

Journalist Weighs In on Tibetan Riots, Dalai Lama

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 14:45:00 EDT

Ongoing anti-government protests have sparked violence in Tibet, and China accuses the Dalai Lama of instigating the unrest. Journalist Pico Iyer has known the Dalai Lama for three decades and written a new book about the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader.

China's Provinces Feel Crush of Tibet Crackdown

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 00:01:00 EDT

A lockdown following anti-government protests in Tibet spreads to China's provinces, where monks say they are confined to monasteries and forced to denounce the Dalai Lama. The unrest has undermined Beijing's ideal of ethnic harmony.

Amid Tibet Unrest, Taiwan Voters Prepare for Polls

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 17:44:00 EDT

Taiwan voters go to the polls Saturday to elect a new president, and recent unrest in Tibet may have helped the underdog in Taiwan's election. Also on the ballot is a referendum on whether the island should seek U.N. membership independent of China.

China Locks Down Tibetan Provinces

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 16:00:00 EDT

Following last week's unrest, China is sending thousands of security forces into Tibet and surrounding provinces. As Chinese troops conduct intrusive house-to-house searches in Llasa, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, meeting with the Dalai Lama in India, calls the crisis "a challenge to the conscience of the world."

China Dials Up Rhetoric on Dalai Lama

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 06:00:00 EDT

Chinese officials are ignoring calls for a dialog with protesters in Tibet. Instead, they have labeled the Dalai Lama a "wolf in monk's clothes" and a "monster with a human face and an animal's heart." Such rhetoric is part of the Chinese government's attempt to spin the violent unrest in the capital Lhasa for a domestic audience.

Kenyan Pact May Bring an End Violent Unrest

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 17:22:00 EST

Kenya's political rivals have signed a power-sharing agreement aimed at ending weeks of bloodshed sparked by a disputed presidential election in December. More than 1,000 people died in the unrest; more than a quarter of a million were displaced. The agreement creates a prime minster's post for opposition leader Raila Odinga.

Kenyan Rivals Agree to an Election Review

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 10:31:00 EST

Kenya's feuding political factions have agreed to an independent review of a disputed December election that prompted bloody unrest, former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Friday. Annan, chief mediator, said a power-sharing agreement has not been worked out, but he said negotiators are making progress.

Kenyan Talks Resume After Second Killing

Fri, 01 Feb 2008 06:00:00 EST

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon joins efforts to calm post-election violence in Kenya. Negotiations to end the crisis were postponed Thursday after a second opposition lawmaker was killed -- one of more than 850 deaths in a month of unrest.

In Kenya, Unrest Extends Beyond Politics

Sun, 27 Jan 2008 17:21:00 EST

The Rift Valley, known for its picturesque wildlife, is now the scene of growing ethnic strife. What started as an electorial matter, has now ignited old tribal conflicts. NPR's Ofeibea Quist-Arcton attempts to get to the root of the problem.

Kenyans Caught in Harm's Way amid Political Rift

Wed, 09 Jan 2008 17:26:00 EST

Violence following Kenya's disputed election has killed hundreds of people and displaced hundreds of thousands. The unrest has sparked a humanitarian crisis in a nation better known for helping its neighbors in crisis. International aid organizations are scrambling to get to those in need of shelter and medical treatment.

Sarajevo 1914 Echoes in Pakistan

Mon, 31 Dec 2007 08:33:45 EST

In the summer of 1914, a Serbian nationalist named Gavrilo Prinzep went to the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo to view the Archduke Ferdinand of Austria and his bride, the Duchess of Hohenberg. Prinzep, a 20-year-old student, brought along a homemade bomb and a magazine pistol. The first time he saw the royal entourage approaching, Prinzep readied his bomb but lost his nerve. Later in the day, after another would-be assassin had disrupted the Archduke's planned route, Prinzep got another chance. This time he stepped from the crowd with his gun and shot the Archduke and Duchess dead. That assassination more than 90 years ago dominated the news worldwide, much as the murder of Benazir Bhutto has done. In both cases, many Americans wondered why an event so far away should be such a big deal. Both slayings were dramatic and brazen, carried out in broad daylight against public figures of international renown and consequence. But the victims were not their respective countries' actual leaders, only prospective ones. And the meaning of their deaths for the United States seemed obscure. If most Americans had not even heard of them, what difference could their demise really make to us? Of course we know now what followed Prinzep's political act. An international crisis escalated into the multi-front conflagration known as the Great War (and later as the First World War). It cost the lives of millions and profoundly altered history -- not only in Europe but around the globe. It also set the stage for the even greater catastrophe that was the Second World War, the effects of which are still reverberating in our time. For the moment, the consequences of Bhutto's death are on an entirely different scale. Her party and supporters are devastated, the national elections may be postponed and the chances for a healthy Pakistani democracy have been set back. But so far the damage done is primarily to one country and its hopes. The greater danger arises if, as the current unrest continues, repression follows and exacerbates the crisis. Many fear the country could descend into chaos, empowering elements of violent jihadism present in the current political mix. That would have profound implications for the U.S. mission in Afghanistan, and that's just for starters. Pakistan is the only country with both a nuclear arsenal and an immediate prospect of takeover by Islamic militants. And that implies a worst case scenario in our century quite worthy of comparison to those of the last. A Pakistani government or military beholden to such radical forces might use these weapons of mass destruction against longtime rival India -- or against others farther away in Israel, Europe and the United States. Missiles are not the only means of delivering smaller nukes, especially if a rogue state were in league with terrorists willing and able to provide alternative means. It is also possible that such a government might merely threaten to use its nuclear warheads, provoking a pre-emptive strike. Several countries that might consider themselves potential targets already have nukes of their own. So the next weeks and months in Pakistan and its region may well pose diplomatic challenges of exactly the kind the world's leaders failed to meet in 1914. Prinzep's act set off an explosion that had been in the making for generations. The Balkans of 1914 bred tension and hostility and the rest of Europe seemed eager to catch the fever. The volatile ingredients included ethnic and religious conflict, the competing ambitions of great powers and the deadly momentum of a long-running arms race. All these deadly elements are present today in the region on the rim of the Arabian Sea; and they are just as present among the more distant powers that choose to play here. The tragedy of 1914 was not just that the worst happened but that it might have been prevented. Diplomats who could have sought accommodation delivered ultimatums instead. Governments and peoples that might have seen a larger picture were driven to presume the worst of each other. So every nation mobilizing and rushing its forces to the front believed it did so in its own defense; and each such action was interpreted by the other side as a provocation (and as proof their suspicions were correct). Today the rivalries of old, dead empires seem antique to us, and much in the world has changed. Today's conflict is not so much about territory as about resources, less about politics than culture. But we still suffer from smallness of vision in trying to resolve these conflicts, and we are captives of our outdated concept of victory -- just as Europe was in 1914.

Negroponte, Musharraf Meet Amid Pakistan Unrest

Sat, 17 Nov 2007 09:29:00 EST

Scott Simon talks with Phillip Reeves in Islamabad about developments in the political crisis in Pakistan, including a visit by Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte.