Middle East

Former U.N. Envoy To Syria: Iran Has 'Too Much Influence In The Region'

10:47am June 04, 2015

by Alice Fordham

Veteran diplomat Lakhdar Brahimi has taken on tough gigs, but being an envoy to Syria during the civil war topped them all. He now works with The Elders, a group of global leaders working for peace.

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World News

Gen. Allen Navigates Complicated Political Landscape To Fight ISIS

8:30am June 04, 2015

by Deborah Amos

Retired Marine General John Allen was appointed by President Obama to build a coalition against the self-proclaimed Islamic State, also known as ISIS. Last month, Ramadi fell to ISIS militants.

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Gen. Martin Dempsey On Iraq: A Fight That Will Take 'Multiple Years'

12:42am June 04, 2015

by NPR Staff

The Joint Chiefs chairman has been deeply involved in Iraq for more than a decade. In an NPR interview, he says he's not surprised by the slow going against ISIS, calling it a "long campaign."

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World News

Hamas Forces Kill Islamic State Supporter In Gaza

6:53pm June 02, 2015

by Emily Harris

The Gaza Strip's ruling Hamas party has been in a battle with more extreme Islamists who have carried out recent bombings. Hamas forces killed an alleged extremist on Tuesday who they were trying to arrest.

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Family members of Americans held or missing in Iran attend a hearing of the Foreign Affairs Committee on Capitol Hill on Tuesday. From left: Ali Rezaian, brother of Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian; Nagameh Abedini, wife of Saeed Abedini; Sarah He

World News

Families Appeal To Congress, Call For Release Of Americans Held In Iran

6:35pm June 02, 2015

by Michele Kelemen

The four families testify before a House committee and urge the U.S. to step up efforts. The renewed focus comes as Iran and world powers try to work out a nuclear deal ahead of a June 30 deadline.

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In this photo from 2014, passengers walk past the Middle East respiratory syndrome quarantine area at Manila's International Airport in the Phillipines. The virus is now raising public concern in South Korea.

South Korea Struggles To Contain Deadly MERS Virus' Spread

4:56pm June 02, 2015

by Elise Hu

Health officials in South Korea are coming under fire after cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome, or MERS, swelled from one to 13 inside of two weeks.

An aerial view of the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Mecca in October 2014.

World News

Mecca Becomes A Mecca For Skyscraper Hotels

2:13pm June 02, 2015

by Leila Fadel

Mecca is the destination for Muslim pilgrims. To house the millions of worshippers, massive hotels are rising at a furious pace, upsetting those seeking to protect the city's traditional architecture.

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The Nirgul Tablet. Each digital replication becomes more complete and higher-resolution as the project collects more photos and videos of the artifacts.

Cyber Archaeologists Rebuild Destroyed Artifacts

5:58pm June 01, 2015

by NPR Staff

Hundreds of ancient artifacts have been damaged or destroyed during violence in the Middle East. Researchers are using the power of crowdsourcing and 3-D imaging to re-create the ancient artifacts.

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World News

American Freelance Journalist Released By Rebels In Yemen

4:51pm June 01, 2015

by Brian Naylor

Casey Coombs was one of a number of Americans being held in Yemen, according to the U.S. State Department.

Sports

Beyond Soccer, Some Suspect Qatar's Investments Are Quid Pro Quo

1:24am June 01, 2015

Qatar has had a wide monetary influence on not just FIFA but also on many others. NPR's Linda Wertheimer talks with Tom Hamburger of The Washington Post about Qatar's many beneficiaries.

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