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Afghan Women Fear Backsliding On Key Gains

Credit Sean Carberry / NPR

Soraya Paksat of Voice of Afghan Women holds a knife that was confiscated from a woman who came to visit a young relative in one of the group's shelters. The woman intended to kill the girl for fleeing an abusive father.

Credit Sean Carberry / NPR

A woman crosses the street in Herat, Afghanistan. Burqa-clad women stand out on the streets in Afghanistan â both because of their bright blue burqas, and because there are far fewer women in public than men.

By Sean Carberry

Originally published on Mon August 27, 2012 5:23 pm

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The gains by Afghan women are seen as one of the country's most important achievements over the past decade. But as the international community draws down its military and aid presence, those hard-won gains are at risk of being lost, according to activists.

Women are still being beaten, raped and forced into early marriage at alarming rates. And women's advocacy groups say they are already seeing signs of backsliding by the government when it comes to protecting women, and fear this could accelerate in the coming years.

A 16-Year-Old's Struggle

1:41 pm

Mon August 27, 2012

As Shares Plummet, Samsung Vows To Continue Fighting Apple

Credit Ahn Young-joon / AP

A woman walks across banner advertising for Samsung Electronics' Galaxy Note Seoul, South Korea on Monday.

By editor

Originally published on Mon August 27, 2012 3:00 pm

Samsung sounded a defiant note today, saying it would continue its legal fight with Apple "until our arguments have been accepted."

Samsung came out badly battered on Friday when a jury awarded Apple more than a $1 billion in damages, after it found Samsung had willfully infringed upon some of Apple's patents.

1:21 pm

Mon August 27, 2012

Officially, The Convention Has Begun; And The GOP's 'Debt Clocks' Are Running

Credit Becky Lettenberger / NPR

Within minutes after being turned on Monday, the GOP's clock measuring how much the national debt had grown was moving up quickly.

By Mark Memmott

Originally published on Mon August 27, 2012 3:31 pm

With a bang of his supersized gavel, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus just opened the 2012 GOP convention.

And moments later with another bang of the gavel he declared it in recess.

As we've reported, tropical storm Isaac convinced Republicans to delay the real start of their convention until Tuesday.

12:37 pm

Mon August 27, 2012

Though Small In Number, Protesters Take Aim At Both Parties

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Credit Becky Lettenberger / NPR

Turnout for Monday's protest rally and march in downtown Tampa was much lower than expected and rain drenched the crowd.

Credit Becky Lettenberger / NPR

Michela Martinazzi, 20, a University of Florida student, was among the protesters.

By Mark Memmott

Originally published on Mon August 27, 2012 3:16 pm

Organizers had predicted a turnout of thousands at a rally in a Tampa park Monday morning to protest Republican policies.

They ended up getting a better showing, as least early on, from the members of the media desperate to cover something — anything — on what was to have been the opening day of the Republican National Convention.

12:20 pm

Mon August 27, 2012

To The Opera House — And Beyond!

Credit AFP / AFP/Getty Images

Cellist Karl Huros alights a helicopter for his 2007 performance in Stockhausen's Helicopter Quartet, taken from his opera cycle Light.

By editor

Originally published on Tue September 18, 2012 2:53 pm

I don't typically expect to read stories about classical music on iO9, the Gawker-owned website dedicated to science and science fiction. After all, their tagline is WE COME FROM THE FUTURE.

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Afghanistan

1:50 pm

Mon August 27, 2012