Middle East

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, shown here in 2009, recently set up a Facebook page, though the Iranian government bans ordinary Iranians from access to Facebook and other social media sites.

World News

Iran's Leader Embraces Facebook; Fellow Iranians Are Blocked

10:29am February 05, 2013

by Peter Kenyon

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei turned to social media recently. Meanwhile, Iran's government has stepped up efforts to identify and target online pro-democracy activists. Analysts say the government is using increasingly sophisticated methods to shrink the online space for free expression.

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A shop in Tahrir Square is spray-painted with the word "twitter" after the government shut off Internet access in February 2011 in Cairo, Egypt.

'Distant Witness': Social Media's 'Journalism Revolution'

2:22pm February 04, 2013

by NPR Staff

When protests broke out across North Africa and the Middle East, NPR senior strategist Andy Carvin followed the events in real time online. In his book Distant Witness, Carvin explains how he cultivated social media sources into a new form of journalism where people on the ground controlled the news.

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Israeli Election Rekindles Debate Over Military Service

12:51pm February 03, 2013

by Larry Abramson

Military service is compulsory for most Israelis, but the exemption for ultra-Orthodox Jews is a highly charged issue. The national debate may soon come to a head as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attempts to form a government with parties on both sides of the issue.

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An Egyptian man delivering bread rides through Cairo's Tahrir Square last year. Couriers are taking great risks as they work around Egypt's capital.

World News

Dodging Clashes, Cairo's Deliverymen Take Big Risks

10:14pm February 02, 2013

by Merrit Kennedy

In Cairo you can get just about anything delivered at almost any hour of the night. Have the flu? You can order vitamin C and meds from the pharmacy at 2 a.m. One deliveryman has been dodging tear gas and clashes to get Lebanese takeout to people's doors.

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World News

After Benghazi Attack, Improving American Security Abroad

2:35pm January 31, 2013

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) told Fox News that Secretary of State Hilary Clinton "got away with murder" for her handling of the attacks on the U.S. consulate in Libya. Ambassador Thomas Pickering, who led the independent investigation into the attacks, talks about the future of diplomatic security.

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World News

The Challenges To Democracy In Egypt

6:24pm January 29, 2013

Egypt's defense minister warned that the rising conflicts and chaos in the country could result in "the collapse of the state." Ongoing violence highlights the continued tensions between the government and the opposition, and raises questions about the prospects of Egypt's transition into a democracy.

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The silken tassel on this skull cap, woven in Aleppo around 1800, recalls a more prosperous and tranquil time in that now-beleaguered Syrian hub.

Arts

From Aleppo, An Artifact Of A Calmer Age

11:57am January 29, 2013

by Susan Stamberg

The ongoing violence and tumult in Syria's largest city belie a richer, more prosperous past. One small object — a finely woven hat — offers evidence of life in a thriving cultural hub.

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World News

Syrian Opposition Fears Waning Western Support

10:11am January 28, 2013

by Deborah Amos

After prodding the Syrian opposition to reorganize into a more inclusive organization, the Obama administration has failed to support the group. France, Britain and other allies of the opposition are channeling their humanitarian aid for Syria through the new coalition. There is a legal impediment holding up U.S. action.

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World News

Netanyahu Must Turn Fractured Results Into A Government

9:17am January 27, 2013

by Larry Abramson

Voters appear to have re-elected Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to another term. But his right-wing alliance suffered serious losses. Center and left parties defied the polls and won half the seats in parliament.

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Yair Lapid and his new political party, There Is a Future, got the second-most votes in Israel's election on Tuesday.

World News

An Israeli Political Newcomer, Who May Soon Be An Insider

9:17am January 27, 2013

by Larry Abramson

Journalist-turned-politician Yair Lapid saw his new party — There Is a Future — become the second-largest party in parliament in Tuesday's election. Now the question is whether he will join the government or be in the opposition.

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