Middle East

World News

Qatar Given More Time To Meet Demands Of Arab Neighbors

8:42am July 03, 2017

Qatar is accused of supporting terrorism. Steve Inskeep talks to Qatar's Ambassador to the U.S. Sheikh Meshal bin Hamad Al Thani, who says the demands are impossible to meet.

Queue Listen Now

News Brief: Trump CNN Tweet Is Criticized, Latest Vatican Shake-Up

8:42am July 03, 2017

It seems President Trump's frustration with his party and the news media is growing. At the Vatican over the weekend, the cardinal who headed the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith was ousted.

Queue Listen Now

World News

Why Migrants In Libya Take To The Mediterranean To Escape

8:42am July 03, 2017

There is a surge of migrants making the dangerous Libya-to-Italy crossing. Reuters' reporter Steve Scherer tells Rachel Martin that many are escaping their kidnappers and fleeing forced labor camps.

Queue Listen Now

Qatar Faces Saudi Sanctions Deadline

5:10pm July 02, 2017

by Jackie Northam

Sunday marks 10-day deadline Saudi Arabia gave Qatar to meet several demands in the ongoing fight between the two U.S. allies. The U.S. is trying to keep both countries in the fight against ISIS.

Several people were killed and injured in a series of Damascus car bombings on Sunday. Two cars were intercepted on the airport road and detonated while a third made it to the city center. This photo was released by the official Syrian news agency SANA.

World News

Several Killed In Damascus Car Bombings Despite Authorities 'Foiling' Part Of Plot

11:56am July 02, 2017

by Amy Held

Police were able to intercept two suicide car bombers just outside Damascus's city center, while a third car was able to make it through before blowing up.

Qatar-Gulf Conflict Puts U.S. In A Bind

8:08am July 02, 2017

by Greg Myre

The dispute has the potential to affect a key U.S. military asset, its 11,000-strong airbase in Qatar. Despite the president's "America First" policy, the U.S. now has stake in its fight against ISIS.

Rex Tillerson Faces Mideast Test In Navigating Saudi Arabia, Qatar Tensions

10:38pm June 30, 2017

by Michele Kelemen

The rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Qatar is the biggest test yet of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. He has deep ties to Qatar's leaders, but the White House seems to prefer the Saudis.

Queue Listen Now

Trump Administration Outlines Emerging Strategy On Afghanistan

6:17pm June 30, 2017

by Tom Bowman

The Trump administration's emerging strategy on Afghanistan involves sending more American troops into the country, the isolation of Pakistan, and the long-term goal of a political settlement with the Taliban.

Queue Listen Now

The scene after a mortar attack on the southern city of Taez.

Health & Safety

How To Stop The World's Worst Cholera Outbreak

3:44pm June 30, 2017

by Rina Shaikh-Lesko

There are more than 200,000 cases in Yemen, a war-ravaged country whose health system is collapsing. We asked specialists what needs to happen to bring the disease under control.

Hassan Youssef, a 40-year-old victim of the April 4 chemical attack in Khan Shaykun, receives medical care in a hospital in the nearby Syrian city of Idlib in April.

Syrian Civilians Exposed To Sarin In April Attack, International Watchdog Says

11:35am June 30, 2017

by Merrit Kennedy

The finding is consistent with experts' suspicions. The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons stopped short of saying who was responsible. The U.S. blames the Syrian regime.