Middle East

Hobby Lobby bought the Gilgamesh Dream Tablet for $1.67 million in 2014. Now it's being returned to Iraq.

An Ancient Tablet, Stolen Then Acquired By Hobby Lobby, Will Be Returned To Iraq

7:38pm September 21, 2021

by James Doubek

Known as the Gilgamesh Dream Tablet, it was looted from Iraq and made its way through several hands before Hobby Lobby purchased it for the Museum of the Bible in 2014.

World News

Witnesses Of Alleged War Crimes In Syria Testify Despite Feeling They're In Danger

5:22pm September 16, 2021

by Deborah Amos

Witnesses to a Syrian intelligence officer's alleged war crimes face down intimidation as they testify in landmark trial in Germany — but they continue to tell the story.

Cover of In the Country of Others and author Leila Slimani.

Walking Through "The Country Of Others"

1:07pm September 15, 2021

by Leah Donnella

In her new novel, In the Country of Others, Leila Slimani explores what it means to be an outsider. Her characters fight to establish their own identities while their country, Morocco, does the same.

The director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi (right), speaks with the deputy head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Behrouz Kamalvandi, upon his arrival at Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport on Saturday.

Iran Agrees To Let Inspectors Install New Memory Cards In Nuclear Site Cameras

10:15pm September 12, 2021

by Matthew S. Schwartz

The agreement came days before Iran was likely to be censured for failing to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency.

President George W. Bush stands in the rubble of the World Trade Center in New York and speaks to workers involved in the cleanup effort on Sept. 14, 2001.

Two Decades After 9/11, Are We Safer?

5:47pm September 11, 2021

by Greg Myre

Just hours after the Sept. 11 attacks, President George W. Bush said, "The resolve of our great nation is being tested." So here we are 20 years later. Have we passed the test?

Palestinians And Israelis Are Captivated By Militants' Escape From Israeli Jail

6:11pm September 10, 2021

by Daniel Estrin

Six militants who escaped from a maximum security Israeli prison have captured the imagination of Palestinians. They also present a dilemma for their leaders.

Trump supporters try to break through a police barrier Jan. 6 at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.

When Should We Label Something 'Terrorism'?

6:15am September 10, 2021

by Shereen Marisol Meraji

After the attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, the word "terrorism" was everywhere. It's a powerful term that's had lasting implications for communities around the world.

How The Events Of 9/11 Still Affect The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

6:11am September 09, 2021

by Daniel Estrin

The aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks affected the decisions of Israeli and Palestinian leaders during the Second Intifada in ways that still have an impact.

U.S. Marines and Afghan commandos stand together in 2017 at Shorab Military Camp in Helmand province. American ground troops are out of Afghanistan, but war from the air may go on.

Biden Pledged To End The Forever Wars, But He Might Just Be Shrinking Them

10:39am September 08, 2021

by Asma Khalid

Biden made the pledge during his presidential campaign. But the withdrawal of ground troops from Afghanistan isn't the end of all U.S. military operations.

Afghan evacuees sit on a bus at the U.S. air base in Ramstein, Germany, on Aug. 26. Ramstein Air Base, the largest U.S. Air Force base in Europe, has hosted thousands of Afghans.

What It's Like Inside The U.S. Processing Center Welcoming Thousands Of Afghans

5:58pm September 07, 2021

For the past two weeks, thousands of Afghans have arrived in the U.S. Many have passed through a huge makeshift processing center in Virginia. NPR reporters got an exclusive look inside the facility.