NPR Topics: World

China's Answer to 'American Idol'

Chinese girls who think they can sing don't need Paula Abdul's help. Supergirls!, a new documentary by independent filmmaker and director Jian Yi chronicles a show called Super Girl Singing Contest.

Hezbollah Gunmen Take Control of Beirut

Tensions are high in Lebanon's capital after three days of gun-battles have seen Hezbollah fighters taking control of much of the city. At least 11 are dead and 20 wounded, and on Friday Hezbollah fighters attacked a pro-government TV station and forced it off the air.

In Kabul, All Things They Consider

Afghan journalist Barry Salaam, managing editor of a popular national news program, discusses what it's like to run a show called "Good Morning Afghanistan" and what it's like to build independent, open media in an increasingly closed society.

China's Underground Submarine Base Scrutinized

An underground nuclear submarine base on China's Hainan Island is drawing scrutiny from the United States and India. According to satellite imagery on the Web sites of Jane's Intelligence Review and the Federation of American Scientists, the base has a sea entrance wide enough to allow submarines to enter the underground facilities. The photograph reveals what appears to be a ballistic missile submarine moored to one of the piers outside.

France Plans Lucrative Champagne Expansion

A century-old law restricted champagne production to 370 villages in northeastern France, but with demand now outstripping supply, the official body that determines wine laws is admitting 40 more communities — a lucrative move for those joining the exclusive club of champagne producers.

Parents Reject Venezuelan President's Curriculum

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is on a crusade to develop young people loyal to his leftist ideas by reforming the educational system. The government wants to install a new curriculum that celebrates socialism. But the plan has generated a formidable opposition made up of irate parents.

Myanmar Officials Reject Calls to Let In Aid Workers

Myanmar officials said it will accept foreign aid but not foreign aid workers. The statement follows pressure from the United Nations to speed up the issuing of visas for foreign relief experts.

Cyber Attacks in China Target Activists, Journalists

While protests related to Tibet and the Olympics have fizzled out on the streets, conflict continues in cyberspace. Recently, Tibetan advocacy groups and China-based foreign journalists have been hit by a wave of sophisticated computer attacks that steal data, cripple Web sites and even monitor what computer users type on their computers. The attacks often come in the form of viruses attached to e-mails skillfully made to look like correspondence from people the recipient knows and trusts.

U.S. Gets Mixed Signals on Helping Myanmar

The U.S. ambassador to Thailand said an American plane filled with relief supplies was ready to take off for Myanmar on Thursday, but the government there revoked permission. U.S. disaster relief specialists are also having trouble getting in, despite their unique and badly needed skills.

Presidential Candidates Come Out Strong on Iran

Iran's nuclear program and its involvement in Iraq present formidable foreign policy challenges for any U.S. president. The public comments of the current presidential candidates have lacked complexity, but their actual positions are more nuanced.

Two Killed in Clashes in Lebanon

Security officials in Beirut, Lebanon, say two civilians were killed in clashes between Shiite Hezbollah supporters and the government's Sunni backers. Nicholas Blanford of The Christian Science Monitor talks with Michele Norris.

Lack of Access Could Raise Death Toll in Myanmar

Relief supplies from the United Nations are arriving in Myanmar, following last weekend's deadly cyclone. But U.S. military planes with aid for victims are still being denied. U.N. Under-Secretary General John Holmes talks with Melissa Block.

Sadr City Residents Flee Continued Violence

Thousands of families are fleeing the Sadr City neighborhood in Baghdad as Shiite militiamen battle U.S.-backed Iraqi government forces. The fighting includes almost continuous air and ground strikes, aimed at disrupting mortar strikes from Sadr City into the Green Zone.

Why Is Myanmar Resisting Aid?

One of the first outside shipments of relief arrived in Myanmar on Thursday. The junta that runs Myanmar has resisted international groups offering aid. We explore the need for supplies and why the regime is isolating itself.

Anger at the Myanmar Tragedy

Writer Hanna Ingber Win has struggled to get through to her family living in Myanmar. The fact that the country is poor doesn't make it less tragic, she insists.