Middle East

Fear, panic and anger grips Beirut residents who want to see accountability

5:07pm October 16, 2021

NPR's Michel Martin speaks with Rami Rajeh, a Lebanese father of two, about how Beirut feels days after deadly clashes erupted in the city, and how residents are coping with an economy in shambles.

World News

Several people killed at protest held by Hezbollah supporters in Beirut

5:43pm October 14, 2021

by Nada Homsi

Tensions that had been building for months in Lebanon erupted in violence Thursday in Beirut. Several people were killed at a protest being held by Hezbollah supporters.

Dozens injured in deadly Beirut clashes sparked by protests over blast probe

10:37am October 14, 2021

Fighting broke out in Beirut during a rally by Hezbollah supporters who say they were attacked by Christian militias, as Lebanon struggles with massive electricity outages and government paralysis.

Israel moves ahead with settlements in sensitive locations surrounding Jerusalem

5:45am October 14, 2021

by Daniel Estrin

Some projects had been on hold for years because of objections from the U.S. and European countries, which believe construction could complicate the possibility of an independent Palestinian state.

U.S. secretary of state and Israeli foreign minister talk stalled Iran nuclear deal

5:14pm October 13, 2021

by Michele Kelemen

With the Israeli foreign minister in Washington to meet Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the focus is on how to approach talks with Iran over reviving the 2015 nuclear deal.

Many Iraqi voters are disillusioned, and the low election turnout makes that clear

4:48pm October 11, 2021

by Ruth Sherlock

As the results of the Iraq election are compiled, its clear that turnout was much lower than expected, with many Iraqis disillusioned about the prospects for political reform.

Avshalom Davidesko, from the Israel's Antiquities Authority, examines a jar in a massive ancient winemaking complex dating back some 1,500 years in Yavne, south of Tel Aviv, Israel.

World News

Massive Byzantine-era winery discovered in Israel

1:06pm October 11, 2021

by Daniel Estrin

Winepresses, warehouses and kilns were uncovered by archaeologists who believe the winery once produced a fine white wine.

Early results in Iraq show record low election turnout

7:27am October 11, 2021

Most Iraqis don't expect Sunday's parliamentary elections will bring much change to a leaderships blamed for corruption and mismanagement, but some voters still thought it was important to be counted.

Health & Safety

News brief: vaccinations, Iraq election, China-Taiwan tensions

6:41am October 11, 2021

It's expected to be a big week for COVID-19 vaccines and boosters. Ballots are being counted in Iraq's parliamentary elections. China and Taiwan used a weekend occasion to heat up their rhetoric.

Queue Listen Now

A picture taken on November 4, 2019, shows a circuit breaker of an electric generator supplying homes with electricity in the Lebanese capital Beirut's southern suburbs.

World News

Lebanon's central electricity grid shuts down as fuel shortages continue

6:56pm October 09, 2021

by Sharon Pruitt-Young

The stoppage of two major power plants leaves generators as the country's only power source, endangering hospital patients and the water supply. Officials expect the outages to last for several days.