Middle East

World News

Corruption Scandal Jeopardizes Turkey's Image Of Stability

7:51am January 03, 2014

A corruption investigation in Turkey has already forced three cabinet ministers to resign. Turkish media reports say the scandal reaches to the top of the government of Prime Minister Erdogan. He's denies wrongdoing, accusing his opponents and foreign governments of conspiring to bring him down.

Queue Listen Now

World News

Saudi Arabia To Give Military Aid To Lebanon

11:29am January 02, 2014

Lebanon has announced Saudi Arabia will give it $3 billion to buy weapons. To explain the significance of this gift, Renee Montagne talks to Aram Nerguizian, a senior fellow with the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Queue Listen Now

World News

Syria To Miss Deadline To Remove Chemical Weapons Stockpile

7:44am December 31, 2013

Today is the deadline for Syria to hand over about 500 tons of ingredients for its chemical weapons including the deadliest: Sarin and mustard gas. Renee Montagne talks to Ake Sellstrom, who headed the U.N. team of inspectors investigating the use of chemical weapons in Syria.

Queue Listen Now

'Times' Report Finds No al-Qaida Involvement In Benghazi Attack

5:58pm December 30, 2013

In a 7,000-word investigative report published by The New York Times on Sunday, David Kirkpatrick revisits last year's assault on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya. Kirkpatrick finds that — contrary to much commentary from mostly Republican members of Congress — al-Qaida was not involved. He joins Robert Siegel to talk about his reporting and the backlash against his conclusions.

Queue Listen Now

World News

Egyptian Authorities Detain Foreign Journalists

7:42am December 30, 2013

The crackdown against the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt has begun netting foreign journalists. A team from Al Jazeera English was detained by police on Sunday. Renee Montagne talks to Shadi Hamid of the Brookings Institution center in Doha about the latest developments.

Queue Listen Now

World News

Turkish Leaders Resign In Anti-Graft Probe, Erdogan Claims Conspiracy

4:47pm December 25, 2013

Three government ministers in Turkey have resigned in a corruption scandal. Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan has denounced the anti-graft investigation as part of an international conspiracy. For more on the political developments, Robert Siegel speaks with Turkish columnist and television commentator Astli Aydintasbas.

Queue Listen Now

World News

Syrian Activist Seeks Support From Syrian-Americans

5:00pm December 22, 2013

Raed Fares, a pro-democracy activist from the Syrian town of Kafr Nabl, has helped lead that town's anti-government protests since the very early days of the Syrian conflict in 2011. This week, Fares is in the U.S., on only his second trip outside of Syria. Fares is attempting to rebuild support for the revolution among Syrian Americans. He speaks with NPR's Arun Rath about the conflict and the toll it has taken on his town.

Queue Listen Now

World News

Israeli Startup Offers Kids Social Media Training Wheels

9:14am December 22, 2013

by Emily Harris

Most social networks require users to be at least 13. But Itay Eshet's daughter, like many kids, wanted to join Facebook when she was just 10. So Eshet created a site just for younger kids, designed to protect them from bullying and other risks while teaching them to navigate social media safely.

Queue Listen Now

World News

Destruction Plan To Be Announced For Syrian Chemical Weapons

12:30am December 18, 2013

The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons is releasing its final report Tuesday on how Syria's chemical stockpile will be destroyed. The plan is a complicated process and the first step may be the hardest: getting the chemicals to the Syrian port in the middle of a civil war.

Queue Listen Now

The creators of 1979 Revolution interviewed fellow Iranians to create accurate scenes of Iran.

World News

Game Director Shifts From 'Grand Theft Auto' To Iranian Revolution

6:56pm December 13, 2013

by Alan Yu

A blockbuster video game director is working on a game where you don't shoot back. It puts the player inside the Iranian Revolution of 1979, and it's a financial and personal risk to the game makers.

Queue Listen Now