World News

On the road to Damascus from Lebanon, Syrians express hope and worry of what's next

5:14am December 12, 2024

by Leila Fadel

The road to Damascus tells the story of a new Syria emerging from 54 years of authoritarian rule by one family, the Assads. Today's Syria is no longer theirs.

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Doubts remain as Syria's new prime minister promises the country will be inclusive

5:11am December 12, 2024

by Steve Inskeep

Syrians living inside and outside their country are trying to figure out what comes next after the Assad regime fell. We hear from Syrians along the road from Lebanon to Damascus.

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South Korea' political crisis mares its image as one of Asia's leading democracies

4:19am December 12, 2024

by Steve Inskeep

South Korea's president remains defiant, as efforts to impeach or arrest him for his declaration of martial law pick up speed. The political crisis raises questions about South Korea's democracy.

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Morning news brief

3:50am December 12, 2024

by Steve Inskeep

FBI Director Christopher Wray will step down. Where American life expectancy stands right now. Over the next two days, top DNC members will meet in D.C. to hash out rules for picking a new leadership.

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An explosion in the Afghan capital kills the Taliban refugee minister

1:36am December 12, 2024

The explosion struck inside the ministry, killing Khalil Haqqani, officials said. His last official photo showed him at a meeting chaired by the deputy prime minister earlier Wednesday.

Rights group accuses Russian mercenaries of abuses against civilians in Mali

12:58am December 12, 2024

Malian armed forces, the Russia-backed Wagner Group and jihadi groups deliberately killed civilians and burned homes in Mali according to Human Rights Watch.

World News

What's next for the U.S. troops in Syria

5:45pm December 11, 2024

by Greg Myre

The U.S. still has troops in Syria, where they've been for a decade. Yet during the same period, the U.S. Embassy has been shuttered, complicating the work of U.S. diplomats and intelligence officers.

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How do the insurgents in Syria plan to resurrect the state?

5:28pm December 11, 2024

by Jane Arraf

It's been less than a week since a coalition of opposition fighters overthrew the Syrian regime. Opposition leaders and government workers are rolling back decades of repression and corruption.

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The state of Arab Spring countries following Assad's fall in Syria

4:49pm December 11, 2024

by Justine Kenin

NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with Steven Heydemann, Middle East Studies director at Smith College, about how Syria might avoid replicating Arab countries that are worse off after overthrowing dictators.

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Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 FIFA World Cup — a controversial pick

1:07pm December 11, 2024

FIFA's selection of Saudi Arabia to host the World Cup was celebrated in the kingdom but criticized by human rights groups, who fear residents, visitors and migrant workers will be at risk of abuse.

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