Middle East

World News

Russian Airstrikes Escalate Conflict Forcing More Syrians To Flee

4:28pm February 19, 2016

by Alice Fordham

Syrians making their way into Turkey say the intensification of regime and Russian airstrikes has forced them out of Syria after hanging on for years. Now they worry the regime is going to win.

The U.N.'s envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, says he can't "realistically" hold peace talks on Syria next week.

World News

U.N. Mediator For Syria Says He'll Delay Peace Talks

11:46am February 19, 2016

by Bill Chappell

"We need real talks about peace, not just talks about talks," says U.N. Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura.

Tourists at Persepolis marvel at the grandeur of a bygone age amid worries about the future.

World News

At Persepolis, Iran's Grand Past Overshadows Its Frustrating Present

10:52am February 19, 2016

by Steve Inskeep

For Iranian tourists at this ancient Persian capital, awe for the past is tempered by disappointment about the present. "We have nothing new that makes us special in the world," says one visitor.

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U.S. airstrikes early Friday targeted an ISIS training camp near Sabratha, Libya, less than 50 miles west of Tripoli.

World News

U.S. Airstrike Targets ISIS Operative In Libya, Reportedly Killing At Least 40

10:27am February 19, 2016

by Bill Chappell

Intelligence analysts are now trying to confirm whether their main target, Noureddine Chouchane, is among the dead. The senior operative is blamed for deadly terrorist attacks in Tunisia.

World News

Aid Convoy Finally Reaches 5 Besieged Areas Of Syria

7:20pm February 18, 2016

NPR's Ari Shapiro talks to Jyri Rantanen, Red Cross and Red Crescent representative in Syria, about the aid convoy happening in Syria, which has gained access to five new cities that were previously under siege.

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World News

Conditions At Refugee Camps In Syria Are Deplorable, Aid Worker Says

7:19pm February 18, 2016

A field officer for the the aid organization Mercy Corps in northern Syria describes the daunting humanitarian mission on the ground. Mohammed wouldn't give his last name for fear of being a target.

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A convoy of vehicles carrying humanitarian aid sent by the United Nations moves toward the villages of Fua and Kafraya in Syria's Idlib province.

World News

Aid Arrives In 5 Besieged Syrian Areas Ahead Of Planned 'Cessation Of Hostilities'

3:54pm February 18, 2016

by Merrit Kennedy

The "cessation of hostilities" was supposed to take hold Friday but doesn't appear imminent as consultations continue. But badly needed humanitarian aid has arrived for some 80,000 people.

Iranian-American businessman Siamak Namazi, shown here in a snapshot at California's Golden Gate Bridge, was arrested by Iranian authorities in October.

World News

After Prisoner Swap, Anxiety Over Jailed Iranian-American Businessman

12:02pm February 18, 2016

by Steve Inskeep

The U.S. and Iran swapped prisoners last month, before the lifting of sanctions. But Siamak Namazi, an Iranian-American businessman, remains in an Iranian jail, raising concerns among the diaspora.

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Turkish forensic teams inspect the scene of Wednesday's explosion in Ankara, after a car bombing that targeted military vehicles. Turkey says a Syrian national carried out the attack.

World News

Turkey Arrests 14 Over Ankara Bombing; Leaders Blame Kurdish Groups

10:56am February 18, 2016

by Bill Chappell

"I'm sure that the number will be more than 14," President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says. "It has been revealed that the extensions of this attack are both inside- and outside-linked."

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A man passes a baby through the fence at the Serbia/Hungary border in Röszke, Hungary, 28 August 2015.

Haunting Photo Of Migrants Takes World Press Photo's Top Prize

10:49am February 18, 2016

by Merrit Kennedy

The winning image, taken by Australian photographer Warren Richardson, shows a man passing a baby through a razor-wire fence at the Hungarian-Serbian border.