Middle East

World News

Turkish Security Forces Arrest Hundreds Of Protesters

1:13pm June 17, 2013

Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan drew hundreds of thousands supporters to Taksim Square, where he celebrated the successful eviction of protestors by riot police using teargas and water cannons. Unions have called for a national strike to protest Erdogan's increasingly authoritarian rule.

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American-Israeli solar entrepreneur Yosef Abramowitz, aka Captain Sunshine, speaks during a rally of electric car owners in Israel.

Can Captain Sunshine Save The Israeli Electric Car Dream?

8:19am June 16, 2013

by Emily Harris

The electric car company Better Place failed to build the dream it had designed. Its bankruptcy left tech-watchers worried about the stain on the country, which is proud of its image as a startup hotbed. But there may be a savior in the wings.

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World News

Syrian Government Limits Humanitarian Aid To Qusair

8:18am June 16, 2013

The last remaining areas of the embattled Syrian town of Qusair fell to government forces and fighters from the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah over the weekend. The main concern now is what's happening to the civilians.

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World News

Obama's Dilemma: Arming The Syrian Rebels

6:19pm June 15, 2013

The White House is taking its first tentative steps toward arming Syrian rebels. Host Jacki Lyden speaks with James Fallows, national correspondent with The Atlantic, about the U.S.' ongoing struggle to determine when is the right time to intercede. They also discuss moderate candidate Hasan Rowhani's victory in the Iranian presidential election.

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How U.S. Arms Will Reach Syrian Rebels

4:40pm June 15, 2013

This week the Obama administration announced it would send weapons to the Syrian rebels, because of credible evidence Syrian government forces had indeed used chemical weapons. Weekend Edition Saturday Host Scott Simon talks with NPR's Deborah Amos about how Syrians are reacting to the news.

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World News

Turkish Protesters Refuse To Leave Gezi Park

4:40pm June 15, 2013

by Peter Kenyon

The Turkish government has offered to avoid bulldozing the park, but protesters say other demands have not been met.

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World News

Are The Protests In Turkey Really About A Park?

4:40pm June 15, 2013

Weekend Edition Saturday Host Scott Simon talks to award winning Turkish novelist Elif Shafak about the nature and deeper causes of the protests in Turkey, which erupted two weeks ago.

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World News

Some Turkish Protesters Optimistic After Meeting With Leaders

6:12pm June 14, 2013

by Peter Kenyon

Protesters in Istanbul are mulling an offer from Prime Minister Erdogan that could bring an end to the unrest.

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World News

Voters Cast Ballots In Iran's Presidential Election

6:56am June 14, 2013

It's Iran's first presidential election since the stunning vote in 2009. Back then, a surprisingly early declaration of victory for President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sparked a wave of protests, followed by years of government repression.

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World News

U.S. To Provide Military Support To Opposition In Syria

6:52am June 14, 2013

by Michele Kelemen

The Obama administration has decided to send military aid to the rebels in Syria. The decision was announced after the administration said it had concluded, with high confidence, that the Assad regime has used chemical weapons on multiple occasions over the past few months.

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