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Europe
5:17 am
Sat October 13, 2012

Cyprus' Divided Capital A Last Vestige Of War

Credit Petros Karadjias / AP
At the Ledra Palace checkpoint in Nicosia, Cypriots must show a passport to cross the border between the Turkish North and the Greek South.
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Originally published on Sat October 13, 2012 6:32 pm

There is one corner of the European Union where a kind of war still rages.

Nicosia, on the Mediterranean island nation of Cyprus, is the last divided capital city in Europe. In 1974, Turkey invaded Cyprus, taking over the northern part of the island — including half of the capital.

History teacher Maria Chrysanthou says she's blunt with students who ask her if the two sides of Cyprus — one Greek-speaking and Christian, the other Turkish-speaking and Muslim — will ever be united.

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Europe
5:17 am
Sat October 13, 2012

Spanish Crisis Revives Calls For Catalan Secession

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Credit Josep Lago / AFP/Getty Images
Supporters of independence for Catalonia gather in Barcelona on the Spanish region's national day, on Sept. 11.
Credit Lluis Gene / AFP/Getty Images
Supporters of independence for Catalonia demonstrate on Sept. 11 in Barcelona to mark the National Day of Catalonia, amid growing protests over Spain's financial crisis.
Credit Emilio Morenatti / AP
A woman in traditional Catalan dress participates in National Day demonstrations in Barcelona on Sept. 11.
Credit Jasper Juinen / Getty Images
Fans of FC Barcelona form a Catalan flag in the stands before the start of a match between Barcelona and archrival Real Madrid in Barcelona earlier this month.
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Originally published on Sat October 13, 2012 9:17 pm

On a recent day in Barcelona, the capital of northeast Spain's Catalonia region, José Maria Borras and his lifelong friend Antonio Canosa sip coffee in the same square where they went to grade school.

The two retirees — both in their mid-60s — grew up under Spain's military dictator Francisco Franco, who prohibited the Catalan language, festivals and any talk of independence.

"It's been a long struggle for freedom," Borras says. "Back in those years, if you were in this very schoolyard speaking Catalan you'd be punished."

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World
5:17 am
Sat October 13, 2012

New French President Sees Popularity Crash

Credit Bertrand Langlois / AFP/Getty Images
Just a few months ago, supporters rallied in the streets for the election of Francois Hollande. Now, some of the same people are protesting against the French president. Leftist parties and unions organized this anti-austerity protest in September.
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Originally published on Mon October 15, 2012 4:47 pm

Just five months after electing President Francois Hollande, many French are now despairing that he cannot deliver on the vision they voted for. What's worse, some wonder if Hollande has a plan at all.

The new president's ratings have plummeted, and his once-lauded "steady approach" is now perceived as dithering.

Protesters shouting "Resistance!" in the streets of Paris this month included people who voted for him and now feel betrayed. They were demonstrating against the European fiscal treaty, approved this week by the Socialist-dominated French parliament.

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Technology
5:17 am
Sat October 13, 2012

One Child, One Laptop ... And Mixed Results In Peru

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Credit Karel Navarro / AP
Students use a laptop at the Jose Maria public school in a shantytown on the outskirts of Lima, Peru on June 8. Peru has sent more than 800,000 laptop computers to children across the country, one of the world's most ambitious efforts to leverage digital technology in the fight against poverty. Five years into the program, there are doubts about its success.
Credit Annie Murphy for NPR
A young Peruvian student in the southern village of Lacachi village in southern Peru uses a laptop computer provided through a nationwide program. However, benefits have been limited so far. In some cases, proper software is lacking, Internet access is not available and some teachers have a limited understanding of how to use the computers.
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Originally published on Sat October 13, 2012 9:15 am

Five years ago, Peru plunked down $200 million on more than 800,000 low-cost laptops to distribute to schoolchildren. The purchase was part of the global One Laptop Per Child initiative that aimed to end poverty with computers.

But now there are a lot of questions about how successful Peru's effort has been, especially in rural areas like the village of Lacachi.

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The Salt
5:17 am
Sat October 13, 2012

When It Comes To Falafel, The Flavors Of Home Can Vary

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Credit Rashad Baba / Courtesy Nawal Elbager
The reporter's mother, Nawal Elbager, of Khartoum, Sudan, shows off her falafel.
Credit Cindy Carpien / NPR
This Eqyptian-style falafel is made with fava beans, not garbanzo beans.
Credit Cindy Carpien / NPR
Leila Sfeir mixes her Lebanese-style falafel, which includes lots of green herbs.
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Originally published on Sat October 13, 2012 4:38 pm

Falafel — those crispy, filling fried balls of mashed beans, herbs and spices — is found in cafes and homes all over the Middle East and parts of Africa. It's like a common language shared among sometimes fractious nations.

But until recently, I always thought falafel was made one way — garbanzo beans, onion, garlic, parsley, cilantro and cumin. (That's how my Sudanese mother taught me.) But it turns out there are many recipes out there, each with a flavor distinct to its region.

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