Middle East

Iran Sentences Two American Citizens To 10 Years In Prison

6:44pm October 18, 2016

by Michele Kelemen

Iran sentenced two American citizens to 10 years in prison. Siamak Namazi is an Iranian American, who had advocated for stronger ties between the countries. His father, a former UNICEF official, is also facing a decade in jail.

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World News

Amnesty International Reports Violence Against Sunni Men In Iraq

4:33pm October 18, 2016

NPR's Robert Siegel speaks with Diana Eltahawy, an Iraq researcher for Amnesty International. Its new report alleges that Sunni men fleeing ISIS-held territory have been executed and tortured by Shia militia.

As the operation to retake Mosul continues, Iraqis fleeing ISIS-controlled areas of the city arrived Tuesday at the nearby town of al-Qayyarah, secured by the Iraqi army.

After ISIS, People From Mosul Fear What May Come Next

4:33pm October 18, 2016

by Alice Fordham

Iraqis from Mosul expect chaos when ISIS is pushed out. In 13 years of war, when the army and its U.S. ally have taken control of cities, the military victories were squandered amid sectarian feuding.

World News

Iraqi Forces Begin Offensive To Retake Mosul From ISIS

4:36pm October 17, 2016

by Alice Fordham

Iraqi forces have begun the offensive to retake the large city of Mosul from ISIS. The battle, which has help from U.S. advisers and airstrikes, could take weeks or months.

The Battle For Mosul: 5 Key Things To Know

12:32pm October 17, 2016

by Greg Myre

The Iraqi army, bolstered by U.S. air power, is attempting to dislodge the Islamic State from the city where it declared its caliphate. The forecasts point to a long, tough battle.

A military convoy passes through the Mahmour district as it heads toward eastern Mosul on Saturday.

Iraq Embarks On Offensive To Drive ISIS From Mosul

9:41pm October 16, 2016

by Merrit Kennedy

The battle to retake control of the crucial city will be "Iraq's biggest fight," according to the spokesman for the coalition fighting ISIS.

Members of the Free Syrian Army enter Dabiq village north of Aleppo on Sunday. Rebels say they have retaken Dabiq from the Islamic State.

Weekend Brings 'Worst Day Yet' For Aleppo Hospitals, And No Syria Deal In Sight

3:59pm October 16, 2016

by Rebecca Hersher

Secretary of State John Kerry spent much of the weekend meeting with his counterparts from Russia and European countries, looking for a route to a peace, or at least humanitarian aid access, in Syria.

Iraqi soldiers and civilians inspect the damage at the site of a suicide bombing that targeted Shiite Muslims on Saturday in the Shaab area of the Iraqi capital Baghdad.

World News

Suicide Bomber Targets Shiites In Baghdad, Killing At Least 32 People

2:01pm October 15, 2016

by Merrit Kennedy

The bomber hit a crowded tent of people participating in the Shiite ritual of Ashura. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack.

A woman looks at gold jewelry in Cairo's Khan al-Khalili market. Gold jewelry is traditionally given to a bride in Egypt as part of a marriage agreement. Many young Egyptians have found they can't afford to get married due to the soaring price of gold and

World News

In Egypt, The High Cost Of Romance Is Crippling Hopes Of Marriage

11:03am October 15, 2016

by Jane Arraf

Egypt's financial crisis has led to double-digit inflation with lasting repercussions. Rising prices make marriage unaffordable for tens of thousands of Egyptians — and not only those who are poor.

Yemeni rescue workers carry a victim on a stretcher amid the rubble of a destroyed funeral hall building following airstrikes by Saudi-led coalition planes on the capital Sanaa last Saturday.

World News

Saudis Say Wrong Information Caused Bombing That Killed 140 In Yemen

10:56am October 15, 2016

by Merrit Kennedy

The Saudi-led coalition warplane bombed a crowded funeral hall in Yemen's capital Sanaa. An investigation has concluded that the coalition believed it was a gathering of rebel leaders.