Middle East

Toledo Mayor Paula Hicks-Hudson is welcoming Syrian refugees to her city and hopes they can add to its already diverse population.

Among The Lucky Few: Syrian Family Rebuilds In America's Heartland

6:32pm October 20, 2015

by Ari Shapiro

Fewer than 2,000 Syrian refugees have been allowed to come to the U.S. The Al-Awad family in Toledo, Ohio, is among them. Local groups are helping them adjust to their new life in the U.S.

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As Civil War Rages On, 'Life In Syria Has Crumbled'

6:27am October 20, 2015

NPR's Audie Cornish speaks with Joshua Landis, director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma, about how highly educated Syrians are leaving their country.

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Peaceful Demonstrations In Baghdad Provide Hope For Reform

6:27am October 20, 2015

by Alice Fordham

After decades of violence and corruption in Baghdad, protesters have put their faith in peaceful demonstration to bring change.

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British Prime Minister Says U.K. Will Accept 20,000 Syrian Refugees By 2020

6:27am October 20, 2015

by Ari Shapiro

NPR takes a look at the Europe-wide response to the migrant crisis. British Prime Minister David Cameron announced Monday the U.K. will accept 20,000 Syrian refugees over the next five years.

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World News

After Chaotic Journey Through Europe, Syrian Teacher Arrives In Germany

6:27am October 20, 2015

by Joanna Kakissis

The latest stage on the journey of a former teacher fleeing the war in Syria, who is hoping to find a new home for himself and his family in Germany.

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Obama Hosts Saudi King To Ease Concerns Over Iran Nuclear Deal

6:24am October 20, 2015

by Tamara Keith

The Iran nuclear deal has strained Obama's relations with allies in the Middle East. The visit comes just before Congress begins debating the Iran deal.

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HIAS President: U.S., Europe Treating Migrant Crisis Like 'Business As Usual'

6:24am October 20, 2015

NPR's Robert Siegel talks to Mark Hetfield of HIAS, a major refugee resettlement organization, who says many more refugees could be resettled if the U.S. accepted them.

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Abdullah Kurdi, holds the body of his 3-year-old son, Aylan Kurdi, during the burial of the boy, his brother Friday and his mother at a funeral in Kobane, Syria.

World News

For Family Of Drowned Syrian Boy, 'There Was No Other Hope,' Uncle Says

6:24am October 20, 2015

by NPR Staff

Rocco Logozzo talks about his nephew, Aylan Kurdi, whose body washed up on a Turkish beach after a failed voyage from Turkey to Greece, and about the regret he and his wife feel for funding the trip.

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U.S. Grapples With Two New Setbacks In Syrian Civil War

6:14am October 20, 2015

by Tom Bowman

The U.S. faces two setbacks in the Syrian civil war — a failed effort to train rebels and an increase in Russian aid to the Syrian regime. NPR reports on the Russian fighter jets currently in Syria.

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World News

Migrants Seek New Routes Across Europe After Hungary Seals Border

6:10am October 20, 2015

NPR's Audie Cornish talks to Peter Van der Auweraert, senior regional expert on on humanitarian assistance at the International Organization for Migration, about the new options to get across Europe.

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