Weekend Edition Saturday Host Scott Simon talks to award winning Turkish novelist Elif Shafak about the nature and deeper causes of the protests in Turkey, which erupted two weeks ago.
It's Iran's first presidential election since the stunning vote in 2009. Back then, a surprisingly early declaration of victory for President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sparked a wave of protests, followed by years of government repression.
The Obama administration has decided to send military aid to the rebels in Syria. The decision was announced after the administration said it had concluded, with high confidence, that the Assad regime has used chemical weapons on multiple occasions over the past few months.
U.S. and European intelligence has determined that the Syrian government has used Sarin chemical weapons on multiple occasions in its fight to suppress rebels. With this determination, the White House says aid for the rebels — perhaps in the form of heavy weapons — will be forthcoming.
Death toll numbers in Syria have been revised higher after a report released by the Human Rights Data Analysis Group. Melissa Block talks to Megan Price, the group's director of research.
The candidates vying to become the next president of the Islamic Republic are holding rallies and making promises. But voters have limited choices Friday, and some candidates and voters speak of a redefined purpose for the election: as a social instrument, as a memory of better times.
Iran's clerical rulers have sought to carefully manage this Friday's presidential election. Only a handful of officially approved candidates were allowed on the ballot. This narrow range of candidates has left many Iranians discouraged, and they're not afraid to say so.
Palestinians convicted of working for Israel's security forces face harsh punishment, which can include vigilante justice. Hamas, the Islamic group that runs the Gaza Strip, has been waging a campaign to crack down on Palestinian collaborators, or informants.