Middle East

Thousands Of Foreign Fighters Still Join ISIS Despite Visible Defeats

3:52pm February 03, 2016

by Dina Temple-Raston

ISIS has lost a lot of territory but that hasn't translated into a loss of supporters. The reason: the group has convinced its followers that defeat is part of a larger plan.

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Children from a refugee camp in the Dutch city of Nijmegen arrive for their first day of school last month.

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In A Dutch City, A Syrian Couple Settles In And Is Reminded Of Home

3:51pm February 03, 2016

by Eleanor Beardsley

A Syrian husband and wife wait in a prison turned shelter while their bid for asylum is processed. Wife Lena says she's ready to start all over in the Netherlands, "just like a baby."

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World News

'Egyptian Jon Stewart' Bassem Youssef Will Now Satirize U.S. Democracy

1:56pm February 03, 2016

Bassem Youssef created what became the most popular TV show in Egypt's history, but the government had the show cancelled, and Youssef fled Egypt.

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With Sanctions Lifted, Iranians Wait For A New Day

6:09am February 03, 2016

After landing in Tehran, Morning Edition's Steve Inskeep shares his initial impressions of Iran — just weeks after Western powers lifted crippling economic sanctions.

Former Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel: 'More War' Will Not Fix Syrian Conflict

7:33pm February 02, 2016

NPR's Kelly McEvers speaks with former Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel about U.S. policy in Syria. Since leaving office, Hagel has been critical of the Obama administration, which he says lost credibility by not acting when the Syrian regime crossed a "red line" and used chemical weapons on civilians.

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As ISIS Evolves, U.S. Counter-Efforts Must Advance, Lumpkin Says

4:08pm February 01, 2016

The White House is overhauling efforts to combat ISIS propaganda with a counterterrorism task force. Michael Lumpkin, the head of the newly created Global Engagement Center, talks to Renee Montagne.

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Iraqi families displaced from the areas of Hawija and Hamrin in northern Iraq traveled to Kirkuk governorate in search of safety on Aug. 31. Thousands continue to flee ISIS-held areas.

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As Noose Tightens Around ISIS In Iraq, Civilians Flee Hunger And Cold

2:03pm February 01, 2016

by Alice Fordham

Conditions are worsening in one ISIS-controlled area of Iraq. In pursuit of safety and stability, thousands of civilians are walking for days over the Hamrin Mountains, often without water or sleep.

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Egypt's justice ministry says it will begin strictly enforcing a law requiring foreign men to pay to marry a woman 25 years younger or more. Human rights groups say the law only bolsters a business that preys on the poor and the vulnerable.

Does Egypt's Law Protect 'Short-Term Brides' Or Formalize Trafficking?

10:46am February 01, 2016

by Leila Fadel

Egypt has vowed stricter enforcement of a law requiring foreign men to pay if they marry much younger women. Activists say the country enshrines a practice that amounts to sex trafficking.

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Syrian pro-government forces and residents gather at the site of suicide bombings in the area of a revered Shiite shrine on the outskirts of Damascus, on Sunday. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for bombings that killed at least 45 people.

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Blasts In Damascus Kill At Least 45; Islamic State Claims Responsibility

10:17am January 31, 2016

by Camila Domonoske

A car bomb and two suicide bombs struck near a shrine revered by Shiite Muslims on Sunday. Groups aligned with Bashar al-Assad often use the defense of the shrine as a rallying cry for recruits.

A Danish policeman checks passengers' identity papers on a train arriving from Germany on Jan. 6. Officials say the small country is overwhelmed by the number of refugees seeking asylum.

World News

Denmark's Mixed Message For Refugees

8:59am January 31, 2016

by Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson

Ambivalence about refugees runs high in Denmark. Danes are critical of a new law requiring police to take cash and valuables from asylum seekers. But they're also nervous about rising refugee numbers.