Syria

In central Damascus, it's clear that President Bashar Assad is firmly in control. People close to the regime and government officials say the mood in the city is "better" as regime forces make gains in rebel-held areas.

World News

As Syrian Government Forces Advance, The War Could Be At A Turning Point

1:23pm December 07, 2016

by Alice Fordham

After more than five years of fighting, President Bashar Assad's military is making significant advances against rebels in Aleppo and is subduing the restive suburbs of Damascus.

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Syrians who fled from Aleppo's rebel-held areas queue to receive food on Dec. 1 at a shelter in the neighborhood of Jibreen, east of Aleppo.

World News

For Aleppo Residents Under Siege, A Risky Journey To Relative Safety

6:39pm December 02, 2016

by Alison Meuse

Civilians in the rebel-held side of the city are fleeing for their lives, dodging crossfire along the front line to reach the regime-held part of the city. "It was all so sudden," one woman tells NPR.

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After six years of conflict and repeated calls by the Obama administration for President Bashar Assad to step down, residents of Damascus, seen here in June 2015, have become more anti-American.

World News

Returning To Damascus, A City Changed By War

5:09am December 01, 2016

by Peter Kenyon

NPR's Peter Kenyon recently spent a week in Damascus after an 8-year absence. He found a changed city and strong strains of anti-American feeling. But the U.S. isn't the only target of Syrian anger.

A Syrian woman carries her belongings past Kurdish fighters as she flees on Sunday. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says shelling has killed 26 people who were trying to flee eastern Aleppo.

World News

PHOTOS: Mass Exodus From Aleppo's Rebel Stronghold As Regime Forces Close In

4:01pm November 30, 2016

by Merrit Kennedy

More than 50,000 people have fled eastern Aleppo in the past four days, according to a monitoring group. This battle for the city could mark a turning point in Syria's war, now in its sixth year.

This month, the last four functioning hospitals in eastern Aleppo, including the one pictured above, were hit by airstrikes and ceased operations.

Health & Safety

The Last Hospital In Eastern Aleppo Is No More

4:03pm November 28, 2016

by Maanvi Singh

With the fall of Omar Bin Abdul Aziz hospital, the remaining civilians have nowhere to seek treatment for injuries or illness.

The family carves jack-o-lanterns for the first time.

After Trump's Election, Uncertainty For Syrian Refugees In The U.S.

4:46am November 24, 2016

by Deborah Amos

Donald Trump has vowed to block new Syrian refugees and send current refugees back. A family of Syrian refugees in New Jersey and the volunteers supporting them are not sure what to expect.

President-elect Donald Trump speaks at the Veterans of Foreign Wars convention in Charlotte, N.C., on July 26. Trump has no military experience, but will become commander in chief at a time when the U.S. is bombing targets in four separate wars.

How Will Trump Handle America's Multiple Wars?

1:33pm November 16, 2016

by Greg Myre

No incoming president has started his term with the U.S. military engaged in four separate conflicts. Trump has offered few clues about his plans aside from a sweeping pledge to destroy ISIS.

Civil Defense workers and Syrian citizens inspect damaged buildings after airstrikes hit earlier this month in Darat Izza, western Aleppo province, Syria. Airstrikes had halted in eastern Aleppo but have now resumed.

World News

After Rocky Pause, Airstrikes Resume On Syria's Aleppo

12:18pm November 15, 2016

by Merrit Kennedy

Residents received text messages in recent days, warning them to leave before the offensive began. Humanitarian conditions are worsening in the rebel-held neighborhoods of eastern Aleppo.

From Cairo To Manila, Hard-Line Leaders Welcome Trump's Victory

3:38pm November 10, 2016

by Jane Arraf

A number of foreign leaders have strained relations with the Obama administration over human rights. Several have been quick to praise Donald Trump, hoping for a new start, and perhaps less scrutiny.

World News

'Massive' Campaign Launched To Retake Raqqa, ISIS' So-Called Capital

9:36am November 06, 2016

by Bill Chappell

Syrian rebel forces begin a military offensive targeting "the obscurantists [who] have taken this city as capital for their so-called state."