A Victim Treats His Mugger Right

Julio Diaz not only handed his wallet over to a knife-wielding mugger, but called him back to offer his coat and to buy the kid some dinner.

"I figure, you know, if you treat people right, you can only hope that they treat you right. It's as simple as it gets in this complicated world." (NPR)

Kosovo's 'Woman of Courage' Bridges Ethnic Divide

Valdete Idrizi, a 34-year-old ethnic Albanian who survived the ethnic violence in Kosovo in the 1990s, has reached out to her Serb neighbors.

She founded a multi-ethnic organization to bring together Serbs, Albanians and the various Roma communities and try to heal the wounds of war. The group even facilitated the return of some displaced Serbs to their homes in Kosovo — which led to Idrizi receiving death threats from Kosovar Albanian militants.

However, it also led to her receiving an International Woman of Courage award from U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. (NPR)

For Former Combatants, A Plan for Peace

Bassam Aramin and Zohar Shapira, the co-founders of Combatants for Peace, talk about their mission to end the cycle of violence in Israel and Palestine by bringing together individuals who previously fought against each other.

Currently around 450 Palestinians and Israelis are members of the group. (NPR)

Kenyan rivals shake hands as power-sharing deal reached

Rival Kenyan leaders Mwai Kibaki and Raila Odinga signed a power-sharing agreement Thursday aimed at ending weeks of election-related violence that has killed about 1,000 people.

Onlookers clapped as the two men signed the deal and shook hands during a late afternoon ceremony in Nairobi, and Odinga referred to his rival as "my countryman, President Mwai Kibaki" – an important sign of acceptance. (CBC; audio at NPR)

Costa Rica Aims to Be a Carbon-Neutral Nation

One of the smallest countries in the world has a big goal. Costa Rica says it wants to be the first developing country to become carbon neutral — that is, to have zero output of carbon dioxide by 2021. (audio at NPR)

British Bishops Launch Carbon Fast

With the season of Lent upon us, bishops in London and Liverpool have come up with a new kind of 40-day fast. Along with the aid agency Tearfund, the bishops have launched a carbon fast. Instead of giving up chocolate, how about giving up on plastic bags or incandescent light bulbs? (NPR audio)

Facebook Used to Mobilize Against FARC

The social-networking site Facebook is being used for more than socializing. In Colombia, a Facebook page dedicated to protesting the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, that country's largest rebel group, is helping organize millions of people. (NPR)

Farming the Amazon with a Machete and Mulch

On jungle land at the mouth of the Amazon River, one resourceful female farmer has become a master of adaptation in a landscape of constant change. Her story offers an example of how individuals might face the challenges of climate change. (NPR)

An Astronomy Book the Blind Can Appreciate

Telescopes have captured astonishing images of far-away galaxies and other cosmic mysteries. Now, a new book called Touch the Invisible Sky is helping everyone appreciate those pictures, even people who can't see. (NPR)

Arab Sitcom Becomes Surprise Hit in Israel

Every week in Israel, thousands of Jewish families open up their homes to an Arab family. The latter are only fictional characters — from the hit Israeli sitcom Arab Work — but still, many say this is a critical marker in (pop culture) history. (NPR)

FARC Frees Hostages in Deal Brokered by Chavez

Two female hostages held in the jungle by Colombian rebels for more than five years were released Thursday in a deal brokered by the president of Venezuela.

Rojas and Gonzalez smiled broadly as they spoke by satellite phone with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who negotiated their release.

"A thousand times thank you," Rojas said. "We are being reborn!" (NPR)

Ultra-Cheap 'Nano' Car Debuts in India

India's Tata Motors has unveiled what is being billed as the world's cheapest car — the $2,500 Nano. At the 9th Auto Expo in New Delhi on Thursday, Company Chairman Ratan N. Tata said the four-person sedan, also called the People's Car, is an all-weather alternative to the motor scooter.

It meets all safety and environmental requirements, Tata said. And, in these days of escalating gas prices, it gets a respectable 50 mpg and has lower emissions levels than the scooters now produced in India. (NPR)

For Iraqi Refugees, Art May Be Avenue to New Life

Many of the more than 2 million Iraqi refugees now in Jordan and Syria are hoping to build new lives elsewhere. For young artists forced to flee Iraq, talent is one way out. Invitations from Europe are the prize: an opportunity to perform and, hopefully, find a new life. (NPR)

In New Orleans, a Mother's Search for Her Lost Son

Five years ago, Chris Turnbow left home in Marion, Ark., and just disappeared.

His family had reason to believe he was living in New Orleans; a family friend had bumped into him there at Mardi Gras. But that was before Hurricane Katrina. Turnbow's mother, Jean Aaron, tried not to consider whether his long silence meant he was alive or dead.

Earlier this month, 69-year-old Jean heard her son's voice for the first time since he had left home. She heard him on National Public Radio's All Things Considered, in a story about homeless people living in Duncan Plaza, a park in front of City Hall. (NPR)

U.K. Muslims Support Keeping Christ in Christmas

Muslim leaders join the U.K. Commission for Equality and Human Rights in urging Britons to enjoy Christmas, and not worry about offending non-Christians. The urging comes amid reports of schools cancelling nativity plays in order not to offend Muslims and students of other religions. (NPR)

Plans to Build a Cleaner Coal Plant Advance

Plans to create a new, more environmentally friendly coal plant are moving forward.
A consortium of coal industry players has announced that they'll build a pilot power plant in Illinois that will have zero emissions. The facility will sequester the plant's CO2 emissions deep into the ground rather than release them into the atmosphere. (NPR)

A Kenyan's Path to Manchester

Sammy Gitau grew up in the slums of Nairobi, Kenya. As a teenager, he joined a gang, and became a drug addict. But a pamphlet in a dust bin helped turn his life around. NPR's Scott Simon speaks with Gitau, now a graduate of Manchester University. (NPR)

Autism Study Lends Credence to "Fever Effect"

Parents of children with autism sometimes say they know things about the disorder that doctors don't. For decades, some parents have been saying that symptoms of autism diminish when their child has a high fever.

Now a team from the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore has done a study that suggests the fever effect is real. The findings might lead to a treatment that could mimic the beneficial effects of fever without actually making a child sick. (story and audio at NPR)

Soy Provides Opportunity, Challenges for Paraguay

The global production of soybeans is on the rise, thanks to increasing demand. The fastest growing soy producer in the world is Paraguay, the landlocked country in South America still recovering from years of dictatorship and corruption. (NPR)

Indonesia Embarks on Tree-Planting Campaign

The Forest Ministry of Indonesia announces plans to plant 79 million trees in anticipation of a conference on global climate change in December. The move is part of a United Nations campaign to plant a billion trees around the world. Indonesia has been criticized for its failure to stem deforestation. (audio at NPR)