Middle East

World News

U.N. Security Council Passes Resolution Targeting ISIS Revenue

6:20pm February 15, 2015

by Jackie Northam

The U.N. Security Council resolution targets funding streams for the so-called Islamic State. The militant group has been raking in millions of dollars through oil smuggling, antiquities and ransoms.

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'Shesh Yak' Explores A Society Torn Apart By The Syrian Civil War

6:20pm February 15, 2015

by Deb Amos

The off-Broadway production is the work of a Syrian playwright trying to sort out the fear and distrust that have torn his country apart. It's written for audiences who only know Syria from the news.

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Before ISIS attacked it, the northern Iraqi town of Snuny had a population of nearly 150,000 — a mix of Kurdish Muslims and Yazidis, who belong to a religious ethnic minority in this region. Only about 10,000 have returned after Kurdish fighters reclaim

World News

ISIS May Be Gone, But Life Has Yet To Return To Normal In Northern Iraq

12:49pm February 15, 2015

by Ari Shapiro

The remote town of Snuny was recently liberated from ISIS. But aside from Kurdish and Yazidi militia men, very few people have ventured back. There are no services, and the ISIS threat is still real.

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After Over A Year In Egyptian Prison, Freed Journalist Recalls His Nightmare

12:33pm February 15, 2015

by Leila Fadel

Mohamed Fahmy, one of the Al-Jazeera journalists just freed from Egyptian custody, recounts what he calls the nightmare of the last 14 months and talks about what comes next.

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The temple of Sharfadin in Northern Iraq is 800 years old, and followers of the Yazidi religion consider it one of the most sacred sites in the world. Though ISIS tried to destroy it, a small group of Yazidi fighters kept the shrine standing.

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Outmanned And Outgunned, Fighters Defend Yazidi Shrine Against ISIS

9:08pm February 13, 2015

by Ari Shapiro

Led by a celebrated Yazidi fighter, a small band of Kurdish peshmerga survived a months-long ISIS onslaught. Unlike others in Syria and Iraq, this sacred place still stands, nearly unscathed.

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Students hold pens and signs reading "I am Charlie" in La Rochelle, France, on Jan. 8. They were paying tribute to the 12 people killed the day before in an attack on Charlie Hebdo in Paris.

World News

The French Debate: Free Speech Versus Hate Speech

6:15pm February 13, 2015

by Eleanor Beardsley

Since the attack on a French satirical magazine, dozens have been arrested for condoning terrorism and inciting hatred. Many are wondering if the crackdown on hate speech is compromising free speech.

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World News

After More Than 400 Days In Egyptian Jail, Journalists Released — For Now

10:45am February 12, 2015

by Leila Fadel

An Egyptian court released Al-Jazeera journalists Baher Mohamed and Mohamed Fahmy on bail, but their case hasn't been dismissed. For more details, David Greene speaks with NPR's Leila Fadel in Cairo.

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World News

Arab-Israeli Parties Join Forces In Upcoming Israeli Election

9:09am February 12, 2015

by Emily Harris

Arab political parties in the Jewish state are trying to win more seats in the country's parliament. For the first time, the 4 main Arab-Israeli parties have joined under one banner on the ballot.

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World News

U.S., Iran Not Hopelessly Far Apart On Details Of A Nuclear Deal

6:30pm February 11, 2015

by Steve Inskeep

The biggest barrier appears to be whether parties in these talks have what experts say is the "political will" to write a final agreement.

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Political Unrest In Yemen A Blow To U.S. Counterrorism Efforts

6:27pm February 11, 2015

Rachel Martin speaks with Stephen Seche, former U.S. Ambassador to Yemen about the decision to close down the U.S. embassy in Sana'a and how that could affect U.S. counterterrorism efforts in Yemen.

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