Middle East

World News

U.N. Calls For Ceasefire To Reach Besieged Areas In Syria

6:28pm August 18, 2016

by Michele Kelemen

While the image of dazed, bloodied young boy has refocused the world on the Syrian civil war, hopes for a ceasefire are dim as the U.S. and United Nations have little sway over Russian and Syrian bombers.

Queue Listen Now

Amnesty International interviewed former Saydnaya detainees and then used architectural and acoustic modeling to reconstruct the architecture of the prison. The interview techniques were developed by Forensic Architecture at Goldsmiths, University of Lond

World News

Amnesty International: Over 17,000 People Have Died In Syrian Detention Centers

3:37pm August 18, 2016

by Alison Meuse

A newly published report from the human rights group cites horrific conditions in detention facilities operated by Syria's state security branches.

World News

Russia Begins Using An Air Base In Iran To Strike Syrian Targets

6:59am August 18, 2016

The Syrian war has drawn in Russia and Iran — countries fighting to keep Syria's president in power. David Greene talks to retired Admiral James Stavridis about Russia's use of an air base in Iran.

World News

Turkey To Release 38,000 Prisoners Early To Make Room For Coup Conspirators

6:46pm August 17, 2016

by Peter Kenyon

Turkey is releasing thousands of prisoners early to make room for alleged conspirators in the recent coup attempt — another sign of the ongoing massive purge.

Queue Listen Now

A high-security prison complex is seen behind the fences in Silivri, some 50 miles west of Istanbul.

World News

Turkey Releasing 38,000 Prisoners To Make Room For Suspected Coup Plotters

6:37pm August 17, 2016

by Jason Slotkin

The justice minister announced that inmates who committed nonviolent crimes before July 1 — two weeks before a failed coup — would be eligible for early release.

World News

In Syria, The Battle For Aleppo Traps Some 2 Million People

6:37pm August 16, 2016

Roughly two million people are trapped by fighting in the Syrian city of Aleppo. As conditions on the ground worsen, Russian warplanes based in Iran launched bombing runs against targets in Syria.

Queue Listen Now

Jewish Activists Highlight Growing Movement In Visit To Disputed Holy Site

6:37pm August 16, 2016

by Nick Schifrin

A record number of Jewish activists visiting a site revered by Muslims and Jews highlights the growth of a controversial fringe movement.

Queue Listen Now

Conjoined Twins In Syria Evacuated From Rebel Stronghold

12:13pm August 16, 2016

by Alison Meuse

Syrian aid workers evacuated a set of twins — joined at the chest and abdomen — from a besieged suburb to the capital Damascus. Activists hope the evacuation will lead to life-saving surgery abroad.

Queue Listen Now

World News

A Rise In Radical Islam Draws A Reporter Back To Kosovo After 15 Years

10:11am August 16, 2016

Renee Montagne talks to Carlotta Gall of The New York Times about the rise of radical Islam in the Balkan country. Gall says radical clerics have turned Kosovo into a recruiting ground for ISIS.

Queue Listen Now

World News

Reality Show Resonates With Politically Starved Young Palestinians

5:24am August 16, 2016

by Nick Schifrin

A 24-year-old Palestinian who was elected president on a TV reality show gets peppered with policy questions by his fans. It's a sign of how hungry Palestinians are for delayed real elections.