Middle East

World News

Critics Say Israel's Nation State Law Discriminates Against Religious Minorities

8:06am August 06, 2018

by Daniel Estrin

Israel passed a law last month that is still causing controversy. The Nation State law defines Israel as the nation state of the Jewish people. The Druze religious minority held a weekend protest.

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Secretary of State Mike Pompeo attends a news conference on the sidelines of the 51st ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting in Singapore, on Saturday.

Pompeo: Iran Needs 'Enormous Change' To Reverse Reimposed U.S. Sanctions

2:10am August 06, 2018

by Scott Neuman

Sanctions are set to start coming back on line after President Trump's decision in May to withdraw from the 2015 multi-nation nuclear deal.

World News

70 Years Of Life In Mosul

8:29am August 05, 2018

by Jane Arraf

An Iraqi man looks back on seven decades in the city of Mosul, recalling the times of turmoil and horror but also savoring the city's better days.

Thousands Of Israelis Protest Controversial Jewish Nation-State Law

5:40pm August 04, 2018

by Daniel Estrin

Israel's Druze citizens held a protest Saturday of a new law stating Israel is the national home of the Jewish people. They're among the religious minorities worried it could lead to discrimination.

Vida Movahed stands on a telecommunications box, holding a headscarf on a stick in protest against Iran's mandatory hijab rules, in Tehran in December. Since then, Iranians have staged various protests for women's rights.

World News

In Iran Protests, Women Stand Up, Lift Their Hijab, For Their Rights

12:49pm August 03, 2018

by Peter Kenyon

Iran is one of the only countries where women and girls must wear the traditional garment by law. These activists are breaking the rules in protest.

Trump's War Of Words With Iran Comes At A Bad Time For Rouhani

7:24am August 02, 2018

by Peter Kenyon

President Trump's offer to hold talks with the Iranian president may just complicate pressure that Hassan Rouhani is receiving from hardliners at home.

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U.S. Levels Sanctions Against Turkish Officials After Pastor's Detention

6:47am August 02, 2018

by Michele Kelemen

U.S. relations with Turkey have taken a turn toward the worse as the U.S. imposes sanctions over the case of an American pastor under house arrest.

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Andrew Craig Brunson, seen flanked by two Turkish police officers in plainclothes in Izmir last week.

Angered At Pastor's Detention, U.S. Levels Sanctions Against Turkish Officials

5:47pm August 01, 2018

by Colin Dwyer

Andrew Brunson was swept up in the arrests that followed the failed 2016 coup in Turkey. Now, he's become a focus of tensions between NATO allies — tensions that substantially escalated Wednesday.

At St. John Eye Hospital in Gaza, a Palestinian surgeon removes a woman's cataract using surgery equipment branded with a sticker that says, in Arabic, "From The American People." U.S. funding subsidizes these surgeries for Palestinians who could not othe

World News

U.S. Palestinian Aid Cuts Hit Programs Providing Food And Health For Gaza's Poorest

4:06pm August 01, 2018

by Daniel Estrin

Cuts in U.S. aid to Gaza are being felt in poor communities where people are losing food vouchers and some medical services.

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World News

Egypt Builds A New Capital City

5:16am August 01, 2018

by Jane Arraf

Egypt is building a new capital about 30 miles away from overpopulated Cairo.