Culture

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

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

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

People celebrate with the Syrian opposition flag, in Damascus, on December 10, 2024. Islamist-led rebels took Damascus in a lightning offensive on December 8, ousting president Bashar al-Assad and ending five decades of Baath rule in Syria. Omar Haj Kadour/AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Omar Haj Kadour/AFP via Getty Images People celebrate … Read more

A screenshot of the AI-generated “Daisy” — a new program launched by British phone company O2 to combat phone scams. Screenshot captured by NPR/O2 hide caption toggle caption Screenshot captured by NPR/O2 British mobile phone company O2 has unveiled a new creation, Daisy, a chit-chat and kitty-cat loving artificial intelligence “granny” who talks to scammers … Read more

As Haiti spirals deeper into crisis, gang violence killed nearly 200 people over the weekend. This takes the death toll in 2024 in Haiti to 5,000 people. Source link

In this photo provided by Saudi Press Agency, SPA, Syrian President Bashar Assad listens during the Arab summit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, May 19, 2023. AP/Saudi Press Agency hide caption toggle caption AP/Saudi Press Agency President Bashar Al-Assad and his father, Hafez Al-Assad, combined to rule Syria for more than a half-century, always with an … Read more

French President Emmanuel Macron, center left, and his wife Brigitte Macron, third right, visit the restored interiors of Notre-Dame Cathedral, Friday, Nov.29, 2024 in Paris. Christophe Petit Tesson/AP hide caption toggle caption Christophe Petit Tesson/AP PARIS — Donald Trump is off on his first international trip as president-elect, ready to join world leaders and dignitaries … Read more

Chile is poised to create it’s 47th national part in the coming year, protecting wilderness at the southern tip of South America. That’s thanks in large part to the work of a U.S. conservationist and her organization. We go to the bottom of the world to see the stunning landscape that will make up the … Read more

Every time a presidential transition takes place, a familiar phrase crops up: “the U.S. has one president at a time.” But Trump is already declaring foreign policy plans that differ from Biden’s. MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST: Every time a presidential transition takes place, a familiar phrase crops up – the U.S. has one president at … Read more