Middle East

Fighting in Yemen must de-escalate before talks can begin, U.S. diplomat says

5:04am February 03, 2022

NPR's Steve Inskeep talks with U.S. Special Envoy Tim Lenderking about efforts to end a seven-year war in Yemen, and secure the release of Yemeni civilians who worked for the U.S. government.

Turkey's president wishes to maintain friendly ties with Russia and Ukraine

5:16am February 02, 2022

by Peter Kenyon

As the Russia-Ukraine crisis builds, Turkey is in a tough spot. It's a NATO ally that doesn't want to endanger ties with Russia — including the tourist economy from visiting Russians.

World News

Turkey and Armenia discuss opening borders to more trade and travel

5:13pm February 01, 2022

by Peter Kenyon

Long-time adversaries Turkey and Armenia are talking about opening their border to more trade and travel. But it doesn't look like all the issues of the past will be dealt with yet.

World News

Sex, alcohol and the other reasons Netflix's 1st Arabic language film faces criticism

4:33pm February 01, 2022

Netflix's first original Arabic language film has caused some off-camera controversy because of its depictions of alcohol use, adultery, infidelity and other issues some viewers consider immoral.

Amnesty International has labeled Israel an apartheid state over its policies toward Palestinians. The Israeli government rejects the accusation. Here, Agnes Callamard, the secretary general of Amnesty International, speaks during a news conference as act

World News

Israel is an apartheid state, Amnesty International says

12:43pm February 01, 2022

by Bill Chappell

"The Israeli government is committing the crime against humanity of apartheid against Palestinians," the rights group said. Israel's foreign ministry says the new Amnesty report is anti-Semitic.

Attacks by the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq stoke concerns of a resurgence

7:03am January 31, 2022

Kurdish forces recently regained control of a Syrian prison that ISIS had been holding. NPR's Steve Inskeep talks to Sarah El Deeb, an Associated Press reporter, about current ISIS strongholds.

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Chinese lecturer Zhiwei Hu speaks to students in the Chinese language department at Salahaddin University in Irbil, Iraq, Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2021.

World News

Iraqi Kurds are learning Mandarin to take advantage of jobs from Chinese companies

2:11am January 28, 2022

by The Associated Press

Dozens of contracts signed in recent years ensure China's growing footprint, even as major Western companies, including the U.S., plot their exit.

A man receives a COVID-19 vaccine at a mobile vaccine clinic bus at the Grand Bazaar of Tehran, Iran, Saturday, Jan. 22, 2022.

World News

Iran is undergoing a mass vaccination campaign as omicron looms

1:31am January 27, 2022

by The Associated Press

Iran has found a rare, if fleeting, respite from the anxiety and trauma of the pandemic.

American troops battle ISIS for control of Syrian prison

5:23pm January 25, 2022

American forces are fighting the Islamic State for control of a prison in northeastern Syria, in the most substantial military engagement with ISIS since it lost the last of its territory in 2019.

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A Yemeni fighter backed by the Saudi-led coalition fires his weapon during clashes with Houthi rebels on the Kassara frontline near Marib, Yemen, Sunday, June 20, 2021.

World News

Yemen's Houthis have launched two attacks against the U.A.E. — here's why

4:46am January 25, 2022

by The Associated Press

The attacks underscore how Yemen's civil war, which has ground on for over seven years, can flare into a regional danger.