Middle East

World News

What It's Like To Be A Domestic Worker In Lebanon

4:25pm July 20, 2020

by Ruth Sherlock

Domestic workers in Lebanon regularly suffer mistreatment and racism. An Ethiopian woman shares her experience of domestic work at a time when Lebanon is enduring an economic crisis.

Emirati men clap as they watch the launch of the "Amal" or "Hope" space probe at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on Monday. The probe, the country's first interplanetary spacecraft, was launched from Japan.

World News

UAE Joins Growing List Of Nations That Have Sent Spacecraft To Mars

6:05am July 20, 2020

by Scott Neuman

The United Arab Emirates successfully launched a Mars orbital probe known as Hope, or "Amal" in Arabic. It is expected to reach the red planet in February and will study the thin atmosphere of Mars.

Rescue teams examine the wreckage of the Ukrainian airliner that was shot down shortly after takeoff in the Iranian capital, Tehran, on Jan. 8. Iran says a tragic series of mistakes led to the missile strike.

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Iranian Report Details Chain Of Mistakes In Shooting Down Ukrainian Passenger Plane

5:30pm July 12, 2020

by Matthew S. Schwartz

A missile operator who didn't properly calibrate his radar system fired on the Ukrainian passenger plane without authorization, Iran says. All 176 people on board were killed on Jan. 8.

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Weddings Put On Hold In Jerusalem As COVID-19 Infections Surge

7:58am July 12, 2020

by Daniel Estrin

Israelis and Palestinians have scrambled to hold weddings amid the pandemic lockdown, but a spike in coronavirus infections is shutting them down.

A U.N.-supported shelter center in Idlib de-escalation zone hosted the disabled, children and elderly before it was evacuated due to the Assad regime and Russia attacks in January.

At The U.N., Russia Forces Reduced Access For Aid To Syrians

10:42pm July 11, 2020

by Deborah Amos

Aid groups warn that civilians are in danger, as a humanitarian assistance program that funnels supplies to displaced Syrians in areas outside government control is whittled down yet again.

World News

Satellite Images Reveal Damage At Iranian Nuclear Facility

12:19pm July 09, 2020

by Geoff Brumfiel

An incident last week at an Iranian nuclear facility appears to be sabotage. A look at the chief suspects and what the impact could be on Iran's nuclear ambitions.

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Tyrant Vs. Tycoon: Syrian President Starts A Public Fight With Billionaire Cousin

5:10pm July 07, 2020

by Ruth Sherlock

The Syrian government, which faces the collapse of the country's economy, has started a public fight with President Bashar al-Assad's cousin, who is said to be the wealthiest businessman in Syria.

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Iraq's Leading Expert On ISIS Shot Dead After Receiving Threats

4:15pm July 07, 2020

by Jane Arraf

One of Iraq's leading security experts has been shot dead after threats from both ISIS and Iran-backed militias. Iraq's prime minister has vowed to find the killers.

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The U.S. killed Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani in a targeted drone strike in Baghdad. A U.N. investigator says the action violated Iraq's sovereignty. Here, protesters in Tehran, Iran, hold up an image of Soleimani during a demonstration on Jan. 3.

U.S. Killing Of Iran's Gen. Soleimani 'Was Unlawful,' U.N. Expert Says

3:08pm July 07, 2020

by Bill Chappell

President Trump said the U.S. targeted Iran's Qassem Soleimani because of an imminent threat. A U.N. investigator says the U.S. has produced no evidence to back that up.

Israeli security forces control access to a neighborhood that has been isolated following an increase in coronavirus cases in the southern coastal city of Ashdod last week.

Amid New Surge In Virus Cases, Israel's Top Public Health Official Resigns

2:20pm July 07, 2020

by Daniel Estrin

Siegal Sadetzki said Tuesday that Israeli leaders ignored her warnings and the country reopened too fast. "The compass handling the pandemic lost its direction," she said in her resignation letter.