Middle East

World News

Dennis Ross Comments On Whether The Iran Nuclear Deal Is Working

7:07am April 30, 2018

Steve Inskeep talks to Ambassador Dennis Ross, who advised presidents on Middle East policy, about Secretary of State Pompeo's trip to Saudi Arabia and his call for Gulf states to unite against Iran.

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Pompeo Makes His First Overseas Trip As Secretary Of State

5:54am April 30, 2018

by Jane Arraf

Newly appointed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is visiting the Middle East, sending signals the Trump administration wants to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal unless significant changes are made.

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U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, seen during a news conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Sunday, is urging easing economic sanctions against Qatar.

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Pompeo Urges Unity Among Gulf Countries, Pressure Against Iran

8:54pm April 29, 2018

by Alexis Diao

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is urging easing economic tensions with Qatar amid efforts by the U.S. to apply new sanctions against Iran.

A soldier in Syria's President Bashar al-Assad forces near the Yarmouk Palestinian camp in Damascus. Syria's government captured at least two villages from U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces east of the Euphrates River near the border with Iraq.

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Pro-Regime Syrian Forces Take Control Of At Least Two Villages Near Iraq Border

1:14pm April 29, 2018

by Emily Sullivan

A U.S. official confirmed to NPR that pro-regime forces took control of two villages near Syria's border with Iraq where Kurdish-led forces are in control.

A Long Fight For Justice For Contractors In 'The Girl From Kathmandu'

8:10am April 29, 2018

Lulu Garcia-Navarro speaks with author and journalist Cam Simpson about his new book, The Girl from Kathmandu, about the life of contract employees from poor countries working for the U.S. in Iraq.

Tsedaka holds a reproduction of a Samaritan text. He lectures around the world about Samaritan history.

Who Stole The Torahs?

8:00am April 29, 2018

by Daniel Estrin

Twenty-three years after a brazen theft, the mystery still divides a tiny sect known as the Samaritans. Here's the story of the international hunt to bring the manuscripts home.

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Saudis Excited And Nervous About Societal Changes

7:54am April 28, 2018

by Jackie Northam

The dramatic social changes being ordered from the top-down in Saudi Arabia — like allowing music in public or letting women drive — have some Saudis excited but others nervous and confused.

Palestinian protesters fall amid the billowing tear gas fired by Israeli troops along the Gaza-Israel border. Palestinians converged on the area for a new round of protests Friday.

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At Least 3 Palestinians Killed As Deadly Violence Again Roils Gaza Protests

7:02pm April 27, 2018

by Colin Dwyer

More than 40 Palestinians are dead after weeks of protests on the Gaza-Israel border, where Israeli troops have sometimes used live fire — including on Friday, when some protesters rushed a fence.

Amani and her twin daughters Masa and Malaz at a camp for displaced persons in northern Syria after fleeing Douma, a town near Damascus, where they say they suffered a chlorine attack.

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Syrian 7-Year-Old: 'I Want To Be A Doctor So I Can Help In A Chemical Attack'

5:23pm April 27, 2018

As chemical weapons inspectors assess an attack site in Douma, Syrian families from the town offer NPR witness accounts of what they describe as a chlorine strike in Douma.

Renato Villa, the Philippine ambassador to Kuwait, speaks during a press conference at the embassy in Kuwait City last week.

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Viral 'Rescue' Videos Ignite Dispute Between Philippines And Kuwait

7:07pm April 26, 2018

by Colin Dwyer

Kuwaitis did not appreciate the videos released online last week which purport to show Philippine Embassy staff "rescuing" Filipino domestic workers. Now, the countries are publicly trading barbs.