Middle East

An ISIS Loss In Mosul Doesn't Mean They'll Lose The War

8:42am November 05, 2016

Iraqi forces are fighting to retake Mosul from ISIS, but could ISIS lose the battle and still win the war? Seth Jones from the Rand corporation looks at other insurgencies in history for answers.

A family disembarks from the Topaz Responder, a rescue ship, Oct. 27 at Brindisi in southern Italy. The ship arrived with 347 migrants and refugees from Central Africa and Syria following a rescue operation off the Libyan coast.

World News

Italy Becomes A Leading Destination For Migrants, Matching Greece

8:29am November 05, 2016

by Sylvia Poggioli

Italy received almost 160,000 arrivals this year and the nation says it can't manage the flow. Meanwhile, it's creating a DNA database to help ID migrants who've perished on the way.

3 U.S. Service Members Killed In Jordan, Pentagon Says

2:44pm November 04, 2016

by Merrit Kennedy

Jordanian soldiers fired on the service members' vehicles as they approached a military facility, a U.S. official tells NPR. It wasn't immediately clear why the soldiers opened fire.

Sculptor Mustafa Ali in the Old City of Damascus, at his office, which used to be a synagogue. (Right) His sculptures, made from bronze, wood, marble and other materials, are popular among collectors in the Middle East and Europe.

Syria's Leading Sculptor Keeps Creating In A Time Of Destruction

2:12pm November 04, 2016

by Peter Kenyon

Mustafa Ali hunkers down in Damascus' Old City and sculpts figures that have made him famous in the Mideast and Europe. But his work has grown darker as the war grinds on.

Attack Against Raqqa Could Begin Soon

12:15pm November 04, 2016

U.S. officials say an invasion of ISIS's de facto capital could start even while the Iraqi-led offensive against Mosul is underway. But now a diplomatic row may postpone the attack.

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Egypt Floats Its Currency, Paving Way For An International Bailout

3:19pm November 03, 2016

by Merrit Kennedy

The country's central bank decided to lift controls and let the pound float freely. The move is designed to take aim at the black market and is likely to cause prices to jump.

Tamer Nafar (center), performs with the hip-hop group DAM. The members are all Arabs who are citizens of Israel, and some of their lyrics are harshly critical of the state. They see it as artistic freedom, while Israel's culture minister says such languag

World News

Arab Rapper Tests The Limit Of Israel's Artistic Freedoms

1:43pm November 03, 2016

by Lauren Frayer

An Arab hip-hop group has lyrics that say the Jewish state has "raped the Arab soul." The group sees it as free expression. Israel's culture minister says it could incite violence.

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ISIS Leader Purportedly Releases Rare Message As Iraqi Troops Enter Mosul

11:27am November 03, 2016

by Merrit Kennedy

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's apparent audio message calls on the militant group's fighters to stand firm as Iraqi security forces try to retake the city that ISIS seized more than two years ago.

Iraqi Archbishop Looks For Reconciliation

9:13am November 03, 2016

With the offensive underway to rout ISIS from Mosul, the Archbishop of Irbil, Bashar Warda, is looking to the future and ways for reconciliation. Renee Montagne speaks with the archbishop.

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The ancient Hamidiyeh bazaar in Damascus is still flush with shoppers despite five years of war. The Syrian capital can feel far removed from the fighting.

World News

In An Ancient Damascus Bazaar, A Refuge From War

8:26pm November 02, 2016

by Alison Meuse

There are no tourists, and Damascenes have thinner wallets these days. But commerce still flows in the ancient Hamidiyeh bazaar in the Syrian capital, where the war feels very distant.