Middle East

World News

Rebels Lose Key Town To Syrian Forces

10:26pm July 03, 2013

by Kelly McEvers

Syrian troops and Hezbollah militants have recaptured the town of Qusair. The town near the Lebanese border had been under rebel control for more than a year. Rebel commanders confirm that their forces have retreated to two villages north of the town. Kelly McEvers

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Dozens Dead After Clashes With Radical Cleric In Lebanon

1:46pm July 03, 2013

by Kelly McEvers

After 25 hours of fighting, clashes have died down in the southern city of Sidon in Lebanon. At least 16 soldiers and 40 gunmen are dead. Radical Sunni Muslim Sheikh Ahmed al-Assir is on the run and possibly holed up in the Ain al Helweh Palestinian camp.

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Refugees fill cans with water inside a camp in Baalbek, Lebanon, for Syrians who have fled the fighting in their country.

As Doctors Leave Syria, Public Health Crisis Looms

3:44pm June 29, 2013

by Deborah Amos

As the civil war continues, a new study says Syria's health care system is near collapse. Outbreaks of disease are on the rise in the country, and refugees sheltered beyond the border are also at great risk.

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World News

Egyptian Protests Grow Violent

3:44pm June 29, 2013

Demonstrations over the one-year anniversary of Mohamed Morsi's presidency in Egypt turned violent this week. One American has been killed. NPR's Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson joins host Lynn Neary with an update.

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World News

Hopes And Fears For The Future Of The World, With Ted Koppel

10:49am June 28, 2013

The conflict in Syria rages on, the United States' relationship with Iran remains strained, and China is taking hold as an emerging superpower. As part of TOTN's "Looking Ahead" series, NPR commentator Ted Koppel looks to the future of international relations.

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World News

Saudi Arabia Solidifies Support Of Syrian Opposition

2:56pm June 25, 2013

Secretary of State John Kerry held a press conference Tuesday with the Saudi foreign minister. Prince Saud al-Faisal said his country cannot ignore Iran and Hezbollah's support of Assad's regime. NPR foreign correspondent Deb Amos explains Saudi Arabia's role in Syria.

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World News

Turkey's Protests Are An Impediment For Its Prime Minister

11:54am June 24, 2013

by Peter Kenyon

After more than three weeks of anti-government protests, Turkey's leaders insist they will restore order and quickly bounce back from any damage to the country's economy or image abroad. The crisis comes at a delicate time for Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He is in the midst of a fragile peace initiative with the Kurdish minority, dealing with an escalating war next door in Syria, and trying to convince parliament to strengthen the office of the president, which he is expected to run for as his final term as prime minister winds down.

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World News

Can Iran's New President Resolve Nuclear Program Dispute?

4:45am June 21, 2013

Many are wondering whether Iran's newly elected president Hassan Rowhani will be able to change his nation's posture on nuclear enrichment and convince the West to end crippling economic sanctions. To find out, Steve Inskeep talks to Gary Samore, a former White House coordinator for arms control and weapons of mass destruction.

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World News

After A Surge Of Violence, The Threat Of A New Civil War In Iraq

2:10pm June 20, 2013

Since the beginning of April, more than 2,000 people have died in bombings and other attacks in Iraq. NPR foreign correspondent Kelly McEvers, just back from a trip to Baghdad, explains what's behind the recent rise in violence and what's changed since U.S. troops left the country in 2011.

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World News

What Does It Mean That Iran's President-Elect Is A Moderate?

7:07am June 20, 2013

The man elected to be Iran's new president has been consistently described as moderate. In the days since the election, many have come to question what that means — especially when it comes to the country's nuclear program and its relations with the U.S. Steve Inskeep talks to one of the president-elect's long-time deputies, Hossein Mousavian.

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