Jan 08 World news quiz: Mideast rift widens and North Korea drops the H-bomb By Larisa Epatko Two nations in the Middle East deepened their rivalry this week, and North Korea made provocative claims that it tested a hydrogen bomb. Test your knowledge of these events and more in our 5-minute world news quiz. Continue reading
Jan 04 Watch 7:23 How does the Iran-Saudi Arabia conflict affect Mideast diplomacy? By PBS NewsHour Why did Saudi Arabia execute a prominent Shiite cleric if it knew that it would inflame tensions with Iran? Judy Woodruff gets analysis of what that rivalry means for the region from Vali Nasr of John Hopkins University and Randa… Continue watching
Dec 17 Watch 4:05 How fragile Yemen peace efforts affect the fight against the Islamic State By PBS NewsHour In Yemen, there have been small signs of progress at peace negotiations between the government and Shiite Houthi rebels, but tanks are still blasting and gunfire still cracking despite a cease-fire. The conflict, which has ravaged the Arab world's poorest… Continue watching
Dec 01 Russia may finally come around on Assad’s future, Obama says By Nancy Benac, Associated Press PARIS — President Barack Obama expressed optimism Tuesday that Russia will ultimately come around on the need for Syrian President Bashar Assad to leave power to end his country's long civil war, but warned the turnaround would not come overnight. Continue reading
Nov 05 Between the Middle East and U.S., a growing gulf By Michael D. Mosettig ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates -- Rarely do gatherings of international policy wonks and officials produce defining or crystallizing moments. Continue reading
Nov 05 Americans souring on Obama’s Islamic State plan, poll finds By Josh Lederman, Emily Swanson, Associated Press WASHINGTON — Americans are souring on President Barack Obama's approach to fighting the Islamic State, according to an Associated Press-GfK poll that also found deep pessimism about U.S. prospects for success in Afghanistan and uncertainty about Obama's plan to leave… Continue reading
Nov 04 Watch 7:16 How 20 years since Rabin’s death has changed peace prospects By PBS NewsHour Continue watching
Nov 04 Watch 4:22 The assassination that shattered Mideast peace dreams By PBS NewsHour Twenty years ago Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin addressed an evening rally in Tel Aviv in support of his peace accords with the Palestinians. Moments later he was fatally shot by a Jewish ultra-nationalist who opposed the peace initiative. Chief… Continue watching
Nov 02 Watch 6:20 How the Islamic State group justifies brutality with an apocalyptic vision By PBS NewsHour The Islamic State militant group is taking advantage of chaos and upheaval in the Middle East to recruit fighters by prophesying the end of days, says William McCants, an early Islam historian. McCants joins chief foreign affairs correspondent Margaret Warner… Continue watching
Oct 31 With Syria deployment, Obama crosses own red line By Julie Pace, Associated Press Even as President Barack Obama sent U.S. troops back to Iraq and ordered the military to stay in Afghanistan, he insisted Syria would remain off limits for American ground forces. Now the president has crossed his own red line. Continue reading