Middle East

Untreated sewage from Gaza flows directly into the Mediterranean Sea. This has long been a problem, but authorities say the amount of untreated sewage being dumped into the sea had been falling before the current fuel crisis.

World News

Israel Eases Restriction On Building Materials To Gaza Strip

9:05am October 06, 2013

by Emily Harris

The Egyptian military operation to destroy most of the tunnels used to smuggle goods into neighboring Gaza has led to a shortage of cheap fuel and building materials. It also has led to more sewage flowing into the sea. Change is afoot, however, for the first time in six years.

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World News

Netanyahu Urges World To Keep Pressure On Iran

9:04am October 06, 2013

by Michele Kelemen

A day after a meeting with President Obama, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu takes center stage at the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday. He will likely dwell on Iran's suspect nuclear program and warn the world community against being taken in by Tehran's recent charm offensive.

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World News

Syria's Move To Join Chemical Treaty Puts Pressure On Israel

8:24am September 29, 2013

by Emily Harris

World leaders meeting at the United Nations in New York this week face potentially dramatic changes to arms control in the Middle East. Syria may give up chemical weapons. Iran is signaling it could negotiate with the West over its nuclear plans. How might this affect Israel, and its own weapons programs?

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World News

Journalists In Egypt Face 'Unprecedented Pressures'

6:54am September 27, 2013

by Leila Fadel

As the military-backed government in Cairo continues its offensive against the Muslim Brotherhood, there is also a widening crackdown on the media. Army officers now call the shorts at State TV, and independent journalists are under increasing pressure to toe the line.

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Free Syrian Army fighters prepare to raid a house in Dara'a on May 16.

Syrian Rebels: U.S. Distracted By Focus On Chemical Weapons

5:06am September 26, 2013

by Deborah Amos

Syrian rebel groups say the pipeline of weapons, ammunition and nonlethal aid pledged by the U.S. has slowed in recent weeks, as the Obama administration has shifted focus to destroying President Bashar Assad's chemical weapons. The rebels have a broader goal: destroying the Assad regime.

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World News

Meet The Iranian Commander Pulling Strings In Syria's War

5:22pm September 25, 2013

Qassem Suleimani is the chief of a powerful branch of Iran's Revolutionary Guard. He is considered to be responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Americans during the Iraq War, and now he is helping to prop up Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime.

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Iran, U.S. Can Manage Differences, Rouhani Tells U.N.

6:25am September 25, 2013

by Michele Kelemen

Iran's new president has made his first appearance at the United Nations General Assembly. Hassan Rouhani has been signaling that his government wants a thaw in relations with the West, and may be ready to strike a deal on Iran's suspect nuclear program. There are, however, deep suspicions on both sides.

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Examining Britain's Position On The Crisis In Syria

6:25am September 25, 2013

Britain's Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg is leading his country's delegation to the U.N. General Assembly meeting in New York. In an interview with David Greene, Clegg discusses Britain's position on the Syria crisis.

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Science

Quake In Central Pakistan Makes New Island

5:52pm September 24, 2013

A large earthquake shook a remote part of central Pakistan Tuesday, and so far local authorities have only reported a few dozen fatalities so far. But according to estimates by the U.S. Geological Survey, the death toll could be far higher. The quake also gave rise to a mysterious island off the coast of Pakistan. The island was likely created by frozen methane that was shaken loose by the shaking. It pushed its way to the surface and created a muddy piece of land that will soon be washed away.

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World News

Iran's New President Mounts A Charm Offensive

6:10am September 20, 2013

Hassan Rouhani ran on a promise of getting his country out from under the weight of sanctions, embargoes and other financial weapons from the West that have crippled that country's economy. Since taking office, he has been striking a more conciliatory note than his predecessor, especially toward the U.S. For more, Renee Montagne talks with Karim Sadjadpour of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

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