Middle East

World News

Conditions Worsen For Civilians As Iraqi Forces Struggle To Retake Mosul

4:39pm December 19, 2016

by Jane Arraf

Conditions in the ISIS-controlled city of Mosul are worsening for hundreds of thousands of civilians while the Iraqi government's push to take the town back is moving methodically.

World News

Evacuations Resume In Besieged Rebel Enclave In Syrian City Of Aleppo

10:50am December 19, 2016

by Allison Meuse

Evacuations began again on Sunday, and the U.N. Security Council appears to have reached a deal for U.N. monitors to observe the evacuations. This comes after two days of uncertainty and violence.

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Reviewing The Status Of Evacuations In Eastern Aleppo

7:59am December 19, 2016

Elizabeth Hoff, the World Health Organization's representative in Syria, talks about the latest with the evacuations in eastern Aleppo.

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Blanched almonds and pistachios are layered over a dusting of finely chopped coconut in this meghli.

World News

Meghli, Lebanon's Own Rice Pudding, Welcomes Babies — Including Jesus

7:00am December 19, 2016

by Amy E. Robertson

In traditional Lebanese Christian homes, Christmas Eve dinner is not complete without this earthy and symbolic dish. But some fear traditions are fading in the wake of the country's long civil war.

An ambulance leaves the scene following a gun attack in Karak, Jordan, Sunday. A Canadian tourist is among at least 10 people who died in a shootout between police and gunmen.

World News

At Least 10 Die In Shootout At Crusader Castle In Jordan

3:44pm December 18, 2016

by Bill Chappell

Four gunmen were reportedly killed by security forces after an hours-long operation to free people trapped in the castle at Karak.

Syrians walk in the old city of Aleppo Saturday, as pro-government forces worked to re-open previously barricaded roads. Civilians and rebel fighters are trying to leave the city's eastern half.

World News

Evacuation Buses Arrive In East Aleppo — But Departure Is Put On Hold

2:48pm December 18, 2016

by Bill Chappell

Evacuations had been set to resume Sunday as the U.N. Security Council prepares to vote on a resolution that calls for sending international monitors to the besieged city.

World News

Report: Vast, Standardized Production Facilities Allow ISIS To Produce 'High-Quality' Weapons

11:18am December 18, 2016

A new report says ISIS is manufacturing large quantities of sophisticated weapons. NPR's Ailsa Chang talks to James Bevan of the research group Conflict Armament Research, which issued the report.

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A young fighter stands at a checkpoint near the Jada'aa camp for internally displaced people. Just before dusk, the sky is darkened by smoke from oil fires set by ISIS nearby.

World News

For Iraqi Families With ISIS Links, Agonizing Choices — And Consequences

10:09am December 18, 2016

by Jane Arraf

Most of the almost 10,000 residents of the Jada'aa camp for internally displaced people are from the Mosul area. Hundreds of families were expelled from their villages after relatives joined ISIS.

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How Diplomacy Time And Again Failed To Stop The Carnage In Syria

5:02pm December 17, 2016

by Michele Kelemen

There are many losers in the war in Syria, and some critics say that includes the U.S. and its credibility. For years, the U.S. has tried — and failed — to stop the killing.

Why The Fall Of Aleppo Marks A Turning Point In Syria's War

5:02pm December 17, 2016

Andrew Tabler from the Washington Institute for Near East Policy takes a step back and examines the current situation in Aleppo, Syria and how the United States is involved.