Middle East

Seyid Amir, a political science student at Tehran University, a campaign worker for Jalili. Amir says that, "Working for Mr. Jalili is like working for God."

World News

Iran's Election May Not Really Be About Picking A President

9:55am June 13, 2013

by Steve Inskeep

The candidates vying to become the next president of the Islamic Republic are holding rallies and making promises. But voters have limited choices Friday, and some candidates and voters speak of a redefined purpose for the election: as a social instrument, as a memory of better times.

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After a TV debate on May 31, presidential candidates at the time appear onstage: Saeed Jalili (from left), Gholam Ali Haddad Adel, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, Ali Akbar Velayati, Mohammad Gharazi, Mohammad Reza Aref, Hassan Rowhani, Mohsen Rezaei. Aref dropp

World News

Despite Limited Election Choices, Iranians Eager To Be Heard

5:53am June 13, 2013

by Steve Inskeep

Iran's clerical rulers have sought to carefully manage this Friday's presidential election. Only a handful of officially approved candidates were allowed on the ballot. This narrow range of candidates has left many Iranians discouraged, and they're not afraid to say so.

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Palestinian gunmen drag a man from a motorcycle in Gaza City on Nov. 20. He was one of six men killed that day on suspicion of collaborating with Israel. The Hamas government in the Gaza Strip denied responsibility, though it has executed others judged to

World News

In Gaza, Hamas Targets Palestinian Informants In Crackdown

11:25am June 12, 2013

by Emily Harris

Palestinians convicted of working for Israel's security forces face harsh punishment, which can include vigilante justice. Hamas, the Islamic group that runs the Gaza Strip, has been waging a campaign to crack down on Palestinian collaborators, or informants.

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World News

Looking Ahead To The Future Of Syria's Crisis

8:32am June 09, 2013

To date, the civil war in Syria has claimed tens of thousands of lives and, according U.N. estimates, has caused more than a million refugees to flee to neighboring countries. As part of TOTN's "Looking Ahead" series, NPR foreign correspondent Deb Amos discusses where the conflict may go.

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Conflict In Syria Continues To Degrade

5:39am June 09, 2013

Weekend Edition Saturday Scott Simon talks with former ambassador Frederic Hof about the worsening crisis in Syria and the United States' limited military and political options.

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Sen. McCain Urges U.S. To Do More For Syrian Rebels

2:32pm June 07, 2013

by Michele Kelemen

Sen. John McCain, just back from a quick foray to rebel-held territory in Syria, is pushing the Obama administration to do more to help rebels topple Bashar Assad's regime. His call comes as rebels lose ground in their fight, and as skepticism rises about the U.S.-Russian plans for a peace conference.

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World News

After Protests, Evaluating Turkey's Role As A Democracy

4:06pm June 05, 2013

What started as a small sit-in on Friday in Istanbul grew into a massive demonstration against the Turkish government. That government dismissed the demonstrators as extremists. Steven Cook, of the Council on Foreign Relations, talks about Turkey's changing role as a democracy in the region.

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World News

Egyptian Court Verdict Complicates Relations With Washington

9:20am June 05, 2013

by Michele Kelemen

The State Department and several U.S. pro-democracy organizations have reacted strongly to a Cairo court ruling Tuesday. More than 40 foreign and local NGO workers were sentenced to prison for operating without a license. The ruling will likely spur calls in Congress for retaliation.

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Peaceful Protest Over Istanbul Park Turns Violent

7:55pm June 04, 2013

Weekend Edition Saturday host Scott Simon talks with NPR's Peter Kenyon about the latest on protests in Turkey's largest city that were met with police action including tear gas and fire hoses.

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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."

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