Middle East

Fierce fighting has been reported between President Bashar Assad's forces and rebels around the ancient citadel in Aleppo.

Syrian Conflict Reaches Beyond Borders

6:54pm June 04, 2013

The civil war in Syria is attracting fighters from all over, threatening the region's tenuous stability. Robert Malley of the International Crisis Group tells Fresh Air that "a war in Syria with regional spillover has now become a regional war with a Syrian focus."

Queue Listen Now

World News

Fight For Homs Fades From Headlines As War In Syria Rages

10:23am June 03, 2013

by Steve Inskeep

The civil war in Syria is expected to become the focus of peace negotiations in the coming weeks. The city of Homs became famous early in the conflict. While not as many reports are being filed from there, the fighting between rebels and government troops continues.

Queue Listen Now

In Oqa, Afghanistan, Boston weaves a saddlebag for her husband's donkey. The weavers of Oqa also weave large carpets, earning less than $1 a day for their work.

Books
Arts

Mapping 'The World' Of A Remote Afghan Village

8:18pm June 02, 2013

by NPR Staff

Journalist Anna Badkhen chronicles life in a small Afghan village in her new book, The World Is A Carpet. A village of 240 people, Oqa survives on an old-time tradition of carpet weaving. Residents earn about 40 cents a day for carpets that eventually sell for $5,000 to $20,000 abroad.

Queue Listen Now

World News

As Hezbollah Vows Support, The New Calculus In Syria

8:41am June 02, 2013

The leader of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah made a public commitment to support Syria's president in a fight to the end. Hezbollah's involvement raises serious questions about the future of Syrian rebels, and whether the civil war could spill into other countries in the Middle East.

Queue Listen Now

Missile Shipment To Syria Complicates Kerry's Push For Peace

9:23pm May 31, 2013

by Michele Kelemen

Syrian President Bashar Assad says his country has received advanced missiles from Russia. The Russians say they are just fulfilling old contracts and argue that the S-300s are a defensive system that can't be used against rebels. But the timing of this shipment complicates Secretary of State John Kerry's work with Moscow on pushing for a peace conference. The U.S. and Russia seem to be working at cross purposes.

Queue Listen Now

World News

Syria's Civil War: The View From A Damascus Shrine

10:47am May 29, 2013

by Steve Inskeep

Syria's war has polarized the country. But as in many conflicts, a large portion of the population just wants to keep their heads down and stay out of harm's way. A visit to the Sayida Zeinab shrine offers a look into the complicated nature of the war.

Queue Listen Now

The Ummayyid Mosque in Damascus has been a mosque for around 1,400 years. It sits in the center of a city where many people are struggling to live normal lives amid war.

World News

In Damascus, A View Of Syria's War Turned Inside Out

9:41am May 28, 2013

by Steve Inskeep

There's fear and frustration in the capital, but even people who acknowledge President Bashar Assad's flaws often grimly hope for the rebels to go away: They believe the government's description of the rebels as terrorists and foreigners out to destroy the country.

Queue Listen Now

A worker chips away at Jerusalem stone, likely destined for a building facade somewhere in the world. Stone and marble is a big business in Palestinian towns near Bethlehem. Quarries are in Israeli-controlled areas, and access can be a challenge.

World News

West Bank Businesses Seek Growth Amid Uncertainty

8:27am May 26, 2013

by Emily Harris

Political unpredictability in the region hampers all kinds of businesses: from stone-cutters and shoemakers to IT. Business owners in the West Bank say Secretary of State John Kerry's commitment to remove barriers to commerce might go further than actual cash.

Queue Listen Now

Ibrahim Shomali, a Palestinian priest, offers Communion under the olive trees of the Cremisan Valley in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. This is part of a regular protest against Israeli plans to build a section of its West Bank barrier here, which would s

World News

A Decade In The Making, West Bank Barrier Is Nearly Complete

8:27am May 26, 2013

by Emily Harris

Despite much international criticism, Israel has continued building its West Bank barrier. It's now nearing completion, while the Israelis and Palestinians continue to argue over whether it will help or hurt prospects for a Middle East peace agreement.

Queue Listen Now

A panel from Amir Soltani's Zahra on the Campaign Trail. Drawing by Khalil.

World News

Iran's 'Zahra' Tells Alternate Tale Of Presidential Campaign

1:17am May 21, 2013

by Peter Kenyon

What do you do when you can't openly wage a campaign for the presidency? Some Iranians inside and outside the country have turned to the heroine of an online graphic novel who has embarked on a virtual campaign.

Queue Listen Now