Millions Flee To Syria's Border As Government's Offensive Intensifies
NPR's Scott Simon speaks with a young mother on the Syrian-Turkish border about the situation there.
Middle East
Listen: The Sound Of The Hagia Sophia, More Than 500 Years Ago
Two scholars at Stanford have joined forces to recreate what a Christian choir might have sounded like inside Istanbul's Hagia Sophia before it became a mosque in the 1400s.
Study Finds Century-old Combat Helmet Superior Shield Against Brain Trauma
Combat helmets have always been made to protect against blunt objects, not blast waves. Despite improvements in helmet design, battlefield brain injuries continue.
Why Are Swarms Of Locusts Wreaking Havoc In East Africa?
Clouds of the insects can stretch for miles, devouring vegetation and destroying crops. Locust experts say time is running out to get the swarms under control because they multiply so quickly.
Many Hurdles Remain, But Afghan Peace Process Begins With 7-Day Ceasefire
A seven-day "reduction in violence" period has begun in Afghanistan. It is the first tentative step toward a U.S.-Taliban peace agreement and ultimately drawing down American forces.
Iran Voting Turnout In Question Due To Limited Choice — And Coronavirus Scare
Iran holds parliamentary elections today, but two things seem to be holding down turnout — a sense that the choices are limited to hardliners and a fear of a spread of the novel coronavirus.
Iraq's Protests Shook The Government. Now The Movement Is Nearly Crushed
The powerful protests, which led a prime minister to resign, are reeling since influential cleric Muqtada al-Sadr turned on the movement.
Iranians Vote In Parliamentary Election, After 1 Week Of Campaigning
More than 15,000 people had sought to run for one of the 290 seats in Iran's parliament, but the government disqualified thousands — many of them reformist or moderate candidates — last month.
Parliamentary Elections In Iran Are Dominated By Conservative Candidates
In Iran — after months that have seen conflict with the U.S., protests on the streets and ongoing economic pressure, it looks like hardliners have the upper hand in parliamentary elections.
Displaced Syrians From Idlib Province Set Up Tent Camps Near Turkey's Border
The stories come out in fragmented voice messages from Syria's Idlib province — people are leaving the area to escape the onslaught that's killed more than a thousand and displaced 1 million.