Middle East

Shiite Houthi rebels chant slogans after taking over a government military compound in Yemen's capital, Sanaa, in September. The group forced the country's president to resign on Thursday, plunging Yemen into uncertainty.

World News

Who Are The Houthis Of Yemen?

11:33am January 26, 2015

by NPR Staff

The Houthis have burst onto the scene in recent months and effectively taken control of the capital, Sanaa. Members espouse an offshoot of Shiite Islam and are now a major force in a volatile country.

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Secretary of State John Kerry meets Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah at his desert encampment in Rawdat al-Khuraim on Jan. 5, 2014. The king died on Friday at age 90.

World News

For The Saudis, A Smooth Succession At A Difficult Moment

4:36pm January 25, 2015

by Deborah Amos

The royal family carried out the transition to a new monarch without a hitch. Still, the region is facing unprecedented turmoil and King Salman assumes the monarchy with several major challenges.

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Father Najeeb Michaeel shows off one of the many Christian manuscripts he saved from Iraq's Christian libraries.

Piece By Piece, Monks Scramble To Preserve Iraq's Christian History

2:40pm January 25, 2015

by Alice Fordham

Fleeing ISIS, an order of Dominican monks had to leave much behind. But when Father Najeeb Michaeel helped the Christian community escape, he took one thing with him: a collection of manuscripts.

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World News

Threats Build Against Journalists In Afghanistan

9:59am January 25, 2015

A new report by Human Rights Watch details the dangers Afghan journalists face from the Taliban. NPR's Rachel Martin talks to Najib Sharifi about the government's failure to protect journalists.

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World News

Whodunnit? King Tut's Burial Mask Damaged And Glue Didn't Help

9:59am January 25, 2015

by NPR Staff

A mystery is unfolding at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, where someone has reportedly broken off the beard of King Tut's burial mask and attempted to glue it back on.

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World News

Video Purports To Show Beheaded Japanese Hostage

5:02pm January 24, 2015

by Scott Neuman

The unconfirmed video was released after a deadline to pay a $200 million ransom for the lives of Kenji Goto and Haruna Yakawa passed. It appears to change the Islamic State kidnappers' demands.

World News

In Argentinian Murder Mystery, Prosecutor's Death Spawns Many Suspects

3:32pm January 24, 2015

The death of an Argentinian prosecutor investigating what he said was a government cover-up has the entire country talking. NPR's Lourdes Garcia Navarro tells Scott Simon the latest developments.

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A National Cadet Corps cadet walks past the saluting base during the full dress rehearsal for Republic Day parades in Kolkata, India, on Saturday. President Obama will be the chief guest at the parade.

Obama To Cut Short India Visit For Stop In Saudi Arabia

1:33pm January 24, 2015

by Scott Neuman

The president will shave one day from the planned three-day visit to India to make room in his schedule to visit the new Saudi king in Riyadh.

Houthi Shiite Yemeni carry coffins of fellow men killed during recent clashes with presidential guard forces, during their funeral procession in Sanaa, Yemen, on Friday.

World News

Yemeni Rebels Call For Mass Rallies After President Steps Down

4:44pm January 23, 2015

by Scott Neuman

The Houthis, who control the capital, Sanaa, are apparently hoping to exploit a power vacuum left by the resignation of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi and his government.

Saudi King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud makes his first speech as king following the death of his half-brother Abdullah on Friday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

World News

Who Is The New Saudi King?

3:03pm January 23, 2015

by Krishnadev Calamur

King Salman, 79, presided over the transformation of the Saudi capital, with a record of good governance, but he isn't known as a reformer and is unlikely to shift the course of Saudi politics.