Reverbiage: Stories from NPR tagged 'world'

For $9 You Can Sleep In Swiss Nuclear Bunker

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 13:00:00 EST

The world's first "zero-star hotel" recently opened its single cement door to tourists. Though the aesthetic in the converted bunker may be stark, it's conceived as a social place. And in case of nuclear disaster, guests should be safe.

Analysts: By 2025, U.S. Won't Be Top World Power

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 08:04:00 EST

Top U.S. intelligence analysts have released a report on what they think the world could look like in 2025, if current trends continue. They predict that the U.S. probably won't be the dominant world power. Countries will be fighting over food, water, energy and other scarce resources. But there's some good news: Terrorism may wane.

Cobalt Location A Problem For Lithium-Ion Batteries

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 06:00:00 EST

A rush to build electric cars could also mean a rush to get minerals that are produced in unstable parts of the world. Lithium-ion batteries require large amounts of cobalt, which comes primarily from the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo, Tibet and Siberia. Easing dependence on foreign oil could mean increasing dependence on foreign minerals — from even less reliable trading partners than the Persian Gulf states.

Citigroup Weighs Company's Options

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 06:00:00 EST

The financial crisis is closing in on Citigroup. The banking colossus has more than 200 million customers around the world. But investors are increasingly worried about Citigroup's financial condition. Its share price tumbled more than 25 percent Thursday. CEO Vikram Pandit is weighing his options, and they include selling off parts of the company or selling the whole company. Citigroup lost half its value this week and is trading at levels not seen since the mid 1990s.

'Were the World Mine': 'Tis Definitely Fairy Time

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 17:00:00 EST

How's a much-bullied gay teen to get his revenge? Well, if he's starring in a musicalized A Midsummer Night's Dream, and he stumbles upon a working formula for Puck's love potion ...

Is Out Of Town News On Its Way Out...

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:00:00 EST

A Harvard Square landmark may soon fall victim to the decline of the newspaper business. For more than 50 years, Out of Town News in Cambridge, Mass., has offered newspapers from all over the world.

Books Tells Of Women's Hope For Middle East Peace

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 12:00:00 EST

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the founding of the state of Israel. For most Israelis and for many Jews around the world, it marks a time of celebration. But for many Palestinians, it was the 60th year of Naqbeh, also known as "the catastrophe". A new book, Sixty Years, Sixty Voices: Israeli and Palestinian Women highlights the struggle for peace in the words of women.

'Twilight' Fans Destination: Forks, Wash.

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 06:00:00 EST

The teen vampire movie "Twilight" opens in theaters on Friday. The movie follows the best-selling series of romance-thriller novels, set in the small and rainy hamlet of Forks on Washington's Olympic Peninsula. Despite its remoteness, the town has become a pilgrimage destination for readers from around the world.

Pirates Commandeer Busy Shipping Lane

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 06:00:00 EST

India's navy says one of its warships patrolling the Gulf of Aden battled Somali pirates and destroyed one of their so-called motherships — a supply vessel that helps the pirates operate in open water. The attack occurred Tuesday, the same day Somali pirates hijacked two more ships. Nikolas Gvosdev, teaches national security studies at the U.S. Naval War College, he tells Steve Inskeep what can be done to protect one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.

Toyota Cuts North American Production

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 06:00:00 EST

The world's biggest automaker says it will stop production at all U.S. and Canadian factories for two days next month. Toyota's assembly, transmission and engine plants will close in late December as the company tries to work through excess inventory. The Japanese carmaker is in much better financial shape than its U.S. rivals, but sales of Toyota's vehicles also are plunging.

GM's Opel Wants German Loan Guarantees

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 06:00:00 EST

Executives from General Motor's European unit, Opel, met Monday with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. They want more than $1 billion in loan guarantees from the German government. Opel is seeking the guarantees because the company expects difficult credit conditions on the open market due to the world financial crisis.

It's Official: Japan Is In A Recession

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 06:00:00 EST

Japan says its economy contracted in the third quarter, the second consecutive quarter of decline, officially putting the world's number-two economy in a recession. Figures show Japanese companies sharply cut back on spending amid the global slowdown.

The Implications Of The G-20 Summit

Sun, 16 Nov 2008 15:30:00 EST

Host Liane Hansen speaks with David McCormick, the U.S. Treasury undersecretary for international affairs, about the G20 world economic summit.

Summit Underwhelms International Community

Sun, 16 Nov 2008 08:54:00 EST

Without President-elect Barack Obama in attendance, discussion at the G-20 summit was limited. Moises Naim, the editor-in-chief of Foreign Policy magazine, gives host Liane Hansen the international perspective on what has — and has not — been achieved at the world economic summit.

Paging Through History's Beautiful Science

Sun, 16 Nov 2008 01:54:00 EST

A new exhibit at California's Huntington Library is opening up the work of the giants of science. Colorful star charts, close-up lunar sketches and dog-eared books reveal the world as seen by the eyes of Newton, Galileo and Copernicus.

G-20 Leaders Adopt Action Plan

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 16:00:00 EST

Leaders from around the world gathered in Washington, D.C., over the weekend to discuss the global financial crisis.

World Leaders Meet At G-20 Summit

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 10:23:00 EST

The countries' representatives said they hope to discuss how they might alleviate the global economic crisis, as well as steps they might take to prevent future worldwide economic crashes.

G-20 Nations Seek Global Economic Fix

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 16:45:00 EST

Twenty nations responsible for 90 percent of the world economy meet this weekend to grapple with the global financial crisis. The leaders will begin the process of coming up with a new approach to international financial regulation.

Will A Global Regulator Fly At G-20...

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 13:00:00 EST

As the economic meeting approaches this weekend, expectations of concrete progress are diminishing. On the bright side Â� even if nothing gets accomplished, fed-up leaders get to vent at the United States for messing up the world, one analyst says.

What Cyber War Could Mean For The U.S.

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 13:00:00 EST

When fighting broke out between Georgia and Russia this summer, the war was waged in both the online and physical world. Attacks on Georgian Web sites basically shut down the country's Internet operations. Now U.S. Sec. of Defense Robert Gates wonders what cyber warfare could mean at home.

Comfort Foods For A Weary World

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 12:10:00 EST

In turbulent times like these, don't we all need a little comfort food? As world leaders converge in Washington, D.C., this weekend for the Group of 20 financial summit, we asked cooks about soothing foods from their homelands.

'Shop' Weighs In On Obama Transition, Palin's Interviews

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 12:00:00 EST

It has been an active week in both politics and pop culture. Jimi Izrael, Arsalan Iftikhar, Eric Deggans and Marc Lamont Hill mull over the latest headlines, including President-elect Obama's White House transition, former GOP vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin's not-so-quiet exit from the campaign trail and — from the sports world — fresh NBA predictions.

Tardo Hammer On Piano Jazz

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 09:57:00 EST

Pianist Tardo Hammer is a marvelous bebop player and a sought-after sideman. When he's not playing festivals and club dates around the world, he's active as a jazz educator. An expert interpreter of the music of Tad Dameron, Hammer plays his tunes and joins McPartland on "Good Bait."

A Strange Shortage Illustrates The Global Economy

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 00:32:00 EST

A dearth of shipping containers connects a homeowner in Philadelphia, a grocery shopper in Japan and a farmer in North Dakota, and underscores the interdependence of producers, consumers and economies around the world.

Nilaja Sun Plays With 'No Child' Policy

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 13:00:00 EST

Nilaja Sun's play No Child received critical acclaim in the theater world. The show went from a one-woman show to a full cast of actors who portray teachers and children struggling to meet the standards of No Child Left Behind.