Middle East

After their villages were overrun by ISIS last year, hundreds of Yazidis sought safety on Mount Sinjar, a place they consider miraculous. Many families, including this one, refuse to leave the mountain.

World News

Targeted By ISIS, These Yazidis Refused To Leave Their Beloved Mountain

11:45am November 23, 2015

by Alice Fordham

After ISIS took their villages in Iraq, hundreds of members of the religious minority survived on wild plants and tomato paste through a bitterly cold winter on a mountain they consider miraculous.

Queue Listen Now

Syrian Refugees In Michigan Respond To U.S. Resettlement Hesitations

7:51am November 22, 2015

by NPR Staff

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder is urging a pause in the resettlement of Syrian refugees in his state. Two Syrian refugees there share their similar concerns, but say totally barring refugees is a mistake.

Assessing U.S. Strategy In Syria

7:37am November 22, 2015

NPR's Rachel Martin talks to Michael Ratney, U.S. Special Envoy for Syria, about the future of U.S. strategy in Syria, especially in the wake of the Paris attacks.

Obama Ends Asian Summit With Focus On Counterterrorism

7:37am November 22, 2015

by Scott Horsley

At the close of an Asian summit in Malaysia, President Obama vowed to destroy ISIS on the battlefield, while also saying that the most powerful tool was to show ISIS "that we're not afraid."

The northern Syrian city of Aleppo — shown here pm March 3 — was once home to a thriving Jewish community. Now its Jews have fled. And for one family, reportedly the last Jews of Aleppo, getting out of Syria wasn't the end of the story.

World News

From Aleppo To Israel: The Struggle To Save A Jewish Family

8:53am November 21, 2015

by NPR Staff

For the Halabis — reportedly the last Jews left in the city — the knock on the door was terrifying. But it wasn't Assad's regime, or the Islamic State. It was a private businessman's rescue mission.

Week In Politics: Terror Attacks In France And Mali

4:21pm November 20, 2015

NPR's Ari Shapiro talks to political commentators, E.J. Dionne of the Washington Post and Brookings Institution and David Brooks of The New York Times about the terrorist attacks in France and Mali.

Governor Who Started Stampede Against Refugees Says He Only Wants Answers

2:45pm November 20, 2015

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, a self-described pro-immigration Republican, was the first to ask for a pause on Syrian refugees to be relocated to his state.

Queue Listen Now

What The 2016 Candidates Would Do About ISIS, In One Chart

1:19pm November 20, 2015

by Danielle Kurtzleben

There has been a flurry of candidate promises about ISIS and the U.S. accepting Syrian refugees in the wake of the attacks in Paris a week ago.

U.S. Releases Convicted Spy Jonathan Pollard After 30-Year Prison Term

9:54am November 20, 2015

by Bill Chappell

Pollard, 61, is a former U.S. Navy analyst who was arrested for stealing secrets for Israel. He eventually reached a plea deal with federal prosecutors, and he received a life sentence in 1987.

After 3 Decades Behind Bars, Convicted Spy Jonathan Pollard is Free

8:34am November 20, 2015

by Carrie Johnson

Jonathan Pollard has been released from a federal prison on Friday after serving nearly 30 years on charges he spied for Israel. To some he's a patriotic hero to others he remains a traitor.

Queue Listen Now