ZG-ADMIN 
As the future of Syria begins to emerge, one minority group is particularly fearful about how they’ll be treated. The Alawites feel like they were mistreated by now-deposed dictator Bashar al-Assad, but because he was a member of that sect, they are also unfairly tied to him in the minds of other Syrians. We go … Read more
The Economic Community of West African States hopes to use this time to convince the three nations to stay in the bloc. Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger will have a six-month grace period following their exit from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), scheduled for January 29, a year after the countries announced … Read more
SCOTT DETROW, HOST: It has been a historic week in Syria, the first week in a half-century that the Assad family did not rule the country. As rebels took hold of Damascus and Bashar al-Assad fled to Russia, thousands of political prisoners were released into freedom, and Syrian people were dancing in the streets. (SOUNDBITE … Read more
Backlash has been building in the United States following a news report that links one of President-elect Donald Trump’s proposed cabinet members to an effort to revoke approval for the polio vaccine. On Saturday, The Associated Press news agency published a statement from a spokesperson for Robert F Kennedy Jr, whom Trump has nominated to … Read more
NPR’s Scott Simon speaks to Syrian-American composer Malek Jandali about the fall of the dictatorship in Syria and his hopes for his homeland’s future. SCOTT SIMON, HOST: Compositions of Malek Jandali include protest chants from Syria, his homeland. (SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “YA ALLAH”) UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: (Chanting in non-English language). (Chanting in non-English language) UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: … Read more
Singapore – Masoud Rahimi Mehrzad’s father was in a remote part of Iran when he received the news that he had long dreaded. His son was to be hanged in Singapore’s Changi Prison. Suffering from deteriorating health and with just a week’s notice until the execution at dawn on November 29, he was unable to … Read more
A man waits for evacuation to western Ukraine as he stands by a bed in a city theatre that hosts refugees running from Russian offensive in the Donetsk region, in Pavlohrad, Dnipropetrovsk region, Ukraine, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024. Efrem Lukatsky/AP hide caption toggle caption Efrem Lukatsky/AP KYIV, Ukraine — Russia launched a massive aerial attack … Read more
Here are the key developments on the 1,023rd day of the Russia-Ukraine war. Here is the situation on Friday, December 13: Military Fighting around the key eastern city of Pokrovsk in Ukraine is “extremely intense” after a months-long Russian push, according to Ukraine’s top military commander. Ukrainian troops repelled nearly 40 Russian attempts to storm … Read more
In the aftermath of the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria, how are the insurgents planning to resurrect the state? A youth, holding a rifle borrowed from a Syrian opposition fighter people, poses for a picture on the top of a government forces tank that was left on a street, at the Umayyad Square … Read more
The United Nations General Assembly has voted overwhelmingly to demand an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and expressed support for the work of the UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA). The assembly on Wednesday passed a resolution demanding an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, which was adopted with 158 votes in favour … Read more