Middle East

An Iran Air Boeing 747 passenger plane on the tarmac of Mehrabad Airport in Tehran in 2013. Iran bought most of its planes from Boeing before the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The country now has one of the oldest airline fleets in the world. With sanctions li

World News

Boeing Can Sell Planes To Iran, But Does Iran Want Them?

5:36pm February 07, 2016

by Jackie Northam

The lifting of sanctions allows Boeing to sell planes to Iran. But Iran, which still flies Boeing planes bought before the 1979 revolution, just announced a major deal with Airbus.

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World News

Australia Maintains Detention Policy For Boat-Traveling Refugees

8:43am February 07, 2016

The Australian High Court has upheld the country's policy of sending asylum-seekers to remote offshore detention centers. Rachel Martin talks to Matt Siegel of Reuters in Australia about the decision.

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A Syrian man is among the thousands who have fled the fighting in and around the northern city of Aleppo. Thousands of Syrians have gathered at the Bab al-Salam crossing in an attempt to enter Turkey, which has kept the gate closed. Syrian government troo

World News

Backed By Russia, Syrian Troops Advance In A Major Battle For Aleppo

2:06pm February 06, 2016

by Alison Meuse

The Russian airstrikes have emboldened President Bashar Assad's army to press a major offensive in a crucial city. Thousands of civilians have fled and are massing at the nearby Turkish border.

Within the current prayer area, to the left of the wooden bridge, a division between the men's and women's sections is marked by a barrier. The new prayer space will be to the right of the bridge.

New Western Wall Rules Break Down Barriers For Jewish Women

9:18am February 06, 2016

by Emily Harris

Israel has made a deal to create an area at Judaism's holiest site where women and men can pray together. But some say creating a government-supported egalitarian prayer space undermines unity.

World News

DEA Arrests Connect Hezbollah Militants To South American Cartels

8:28am February 06, 2016

Scott Simon asks scholar Matthew Levitt about links between South American drug cartels and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

The work of Saudi artist Njoud Alanbari focuses on issues surrounding female education.

A New Generation Of Saudi Artists Pushes The Boundaries

8:28am February 06, 2016

by Deborah Amos

Daring visual artists, whose edgy work challenges religious and political taboos, have become a critical voice in the conservative kingdom — where open calls for reform are a criminal offense.

Weeks after a woman sued Twitter for giving voice to ISIS, the social media platform released a statement saying it has suspended more than 125,000 accounts since mid-2015.

Twitter Says It Has Shut Down 125,000 Terrorism-Related Accounts

9:03pm February 05, 2016

by Laura Wagner

The announcement comes just weeks after a woman sued Twitter, saying the platform knowingly let ISIS use the network "to spread propaganda, raise money and attract recruits."

World News

Iranians Remain Cautious After Lifting Of Some Western Sanctions

4:22pm February 05, 2016

by Steve Inskeep

Iranians remain cautious about the future despite the lifting of some Western sanctions.

Iranian businessman Ebrahim Pourfaraj in front of 240-foot deep construction site for what he says will be Iran's biggest hotel. Pourfaraj is betting big that the lifting of sanctions will open Iran's economy to the world after years of limited contact.

World News

Digging Deep To Build The Tallest Hotel In Iran

7:06am February 05, 2016

by Steve Inskeep

Ebrahim Pourfaraj started digging a giant hole in Tehran well before sanctions were lifted. He's betting Iran's economy will open up, attracting investors and visitors who've long been locked out.

World News

Syrian Government Advances With Heavy Russian Air Support

5:12am February 05, 2016

The first Syrian peace talks in two years lasted only a few days and then were called off. The last U.S. ambassador to Syria, Robert Ford, discusses the collapse of the talks with Mary Louise Kelly.