Syria

Jordan Demands Proof Of Life From ISIS Militants

11:18am January 29, 2015

by Eyder Peralta

The country wants to know if the Jordanian pilot being held by the Sunni militants is still alive. The Islamic State said it would kill the pilot if a convicted terrorist was not released by sunset.

Relatives of Jordanian pilot Lt. Muath al-Kaseasbeh, who was captured by ISIS militants in Syria, protest in front of royal palace in Amman, Jordan, Tuesday. Jordan has suggested it might be willing to hold a prisoner exchange for his release.

World News

ISIS Hostage Said To Announce New Deadline For Prisoner's Release

9:04pm January 28, 2015

by Bill Chappell

A Japanese hostage held by the violent extremist group ISIS has reportedly been forced to record a message setting a Thursday deadline for Jordan to release an Iraqi prisoner.

Lebanese Hezbollah supporters carry the coffin of Jihad Mughniyeh during his funeral in Beirut on Monday. Mughniyeh was one of six ranking members of Hezbollah killed in a suspected Israeli strike Sunday. Iran says a general of its elite Revolutionary Gua

World News

Suspected Israeli Strike Kills Iranian General Advising Syrian Troops

7:32pm January 19, 2015

by Alice Fordham

When a general in Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard and several ranking members of Hezbollah were killed Sunday, they were within 10 miles of Israel's northeastern border.

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A rebel fighter takes aim during a training session in Eastern al-Ghouta, a rebel-held region outside the capital Damascus, earlier this month. Russia is inviting Syrian opposition groups to peace talks in Moscow, but few of them want to go to a country t

World News

Syrian Opposition Groups Wary Of Russia's Invitation To Moscow

6:59pm January 17, 2015

by Michele Kelemen

Russia is proposing peace talks in Moscow, and the U.S. seems to be backing the idea, but some opposition groups resist cooperating with a country that's been backing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

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Alex Sanchez with his wife, Blanca, and sons Duvan and Irvin. Sanchez has been eligible to live and work legally in the U.S. since 2001, when his home country, El Salvador, experienced a major earthquake.

For Some Immigrants, Temporary Life In U.S. Can Mean A Long Stay

6:45pm January 13, 2015

by Alexandra Starr

A little-known program allows some immigrants to stay in the U.S. when a disaster strikes their home country. Designed to be short-term, Temporary Protected Status can sometimes last for many years.

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Syrian refugees carry gasoline under heavy snow fall at the a U.N.-run refugee camp of Fayda near the Bekaa Valley town of Zahle in eastern Lebanon on Jan. 7.

World News

Syrian Refugees Suffer Double Threat Of Severe Winter, Less Aid

1:28pm January 09, 2015

As the Syrian war nears its fifth year and a bitter storm hits, refugees say this is the worst winter yet. To make matters worse, cash constraints mean they're getting less help from aid groups.

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Safi al-Kasasbeh and his wife Saafia are the parents of Moath al-Kasasbeh, the Jordanian air force pilot captured by the self-proclaimed Islamic State in Syria. The worried parents are proud of their son, but say Jordan should not be involved in the coali

World News

With A Son Missing, Family Questions Jordan's Mission Against ISIS

7:13am January 09, 2015

by Alice Fordham

The family of the Jordanian air force pilot recently captured in Syria has deep misgivings about the kingdom's decision to join the U.S. in the fight against the self-proclaimed Islamic State.

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Syrian children play at a refugee camp in Terbol, Lebanon, in 2013. More than 1 million Syrian refugees are in Lebanon, which is now requiring Syrians to obtain visas before entering the country.

World News

In Latest Sign Of Strain, Lebanon Demands That Syrians Get Visas

3:55pm January 05, 2015

by Greg Myre

The more than 1 million Syrian refugees have placed a tremendous burden on Lebanon, a country of just 4 million people.

NPR's Morning Edition host Steve Inskeep interviews President Obama on Dec. 17 in the Oval Office, where they discussed U.S. involvement in the Middle East and the world as a whole.

Waiting For A Break: Obama On 'Strategic Patience' In Foreign Policy

10:22am January 05, 2015

by Steve Inskeep

"I believe in diplomacy, I believe in dialogue, I believe in engagement," the president says of Iran and other regimes perceived as U.S. enemies. But he says restoring relations is a gradual process.

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National

ISIS Used Predatory Tools And Tactics To Convince U.S. Teens To Join

4:25pm January 04, 2015

by Dina Temple-Raston

It began with messages sent through an anonymous app. Slowly, the Denver-area girls were lured in, until one day they weren't at school. One girl's dad quickly realized why: They were flying to Syria.

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