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Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson Special correspondent Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson is based in Berlin. Her reports can be heard on NPR's award-winning programs, including Morning Edition and All Things Considered, and read at NPR.org.
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Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson

Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson is a NPR foreign correspondent based in Cairo.
Tensions Mount In Lebanon Over Hariri Murder Probe

Lebanese wave their national flag as they attend a rally marking the fifth anniversary of the assassination of Lebanese premier Rafik Hariri in downtown Beirut on February 14, 2010. Anwar Amro/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Anwar Amro/AFP/Getty Images

Middle East

Tensions Mount In Lebanon Over Hariri Murder Probe

Fears are growing that Sunni-Shiite friction will erupt into sectarian war if the U.N. tribunal investigating the 2005 assassination of Lebanon's president indicts members of Hezbollah.

Tensions Mount In Lebanon Over Hariri Murder Probe

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Middle East

Ahmadinejad Ends Lebanon Trip Near Israeli Border

Iran's president wrapped up his first state visit to Lebanon Thursday. He spoke to an enthusiastic crowd in southern Lebanon near the Israeli border and then met with Lebanon's prime minister in Beirut.

Ahmadinejad Ends Lebanon Trip Near Israeli Border

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Iranian Leader's Visit Raises Tensions In Lebanon

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad waves to the crowds from the sunroof of his SUV upon his arrival in Beirut on Wednesday. Thousands of cheering Lebanese welcomed Ahmadinejad to Lebanon, throwing rose petals and sweets at his motorcade at the start of a visit that underscores a growing recognition of Iran as a power broker in the region. Mahmoud Tawil/AP hide caption

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Mahmoud Tawil/AP

Middle East

Iranian Leader's Visit Raises Tensions In Lebanon

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was given a rousing welcome Wednesday by Shiite supporters of Hezbollah, the militant Islamist group that is strongly backed by Tehran. But U.S. officials fear the Iranian leader will inflame already growing tensions among Lebanon's various sects over a U.N. investigation into the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

Iranian Leader's Visit Raises Tensions In Lebanon

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Middle East

Hezbollah Welcomes Iran's President To Lebanon

Even before he arrived, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's trip stoked tensions inside and outside Lebanon. Critics accuse him of trying to turn Lebanon into an Iranian base on the Mediterranean Sea. Others welcome him as the president of a country that spent hundreds of millions of dollars rebuilding Lebanon after the 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel.

Hezbollah Welcomes Iran's President To Lebanon

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Middle East

Police Brutality Trial Continues In Egypt

The trial of two Egyptian policemen accused of beating a man to death continues in Alexandria. Eyewitnesses at the trial say the officers slammed the victim's head into stone steps until he died, but police say they were only trying to dislodge a packet of drugs from his throat. The case has received international attention, and some hope the trial will bring an end to the claimed culture of police brutality in the country.

Police Brutality Trial Continues In Egypt

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World

Egypt Policemen Back On Trial In Brutality Case

Two Egyptian policemen are back on trial in Alexandria for the beating death of Khaled Said at an Internet parlor on June 6. Two plainclothes policemen dragged the 28-year-old man away after he refused to show them his identification, according to witnesses who say that the officers then repeatedly slammed Said's head into nearby stone steps until he was dead.

Egypt Policemen Back On Trial In Brutality Case

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Middle East

Civilians Flee From Battle In Southern Yemen

Government troops in Yemen have been battling al-Qaida militants in a remote southern town since the beginning of this week. The government acknowledges that some 2,000 civilians have fled their homes in the battle zone. Other reports put the figure much higher.

Civilians Flee From Battle In Southern Yemen

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Afghan Voters Head To Polls Amid Threats, Fraud

In Jalalabad, women walk past posters of candidates running in Saturday's parliamentary elections. Officials are seeking to reassure wary Afghans that it will be safe to vote, despite threats from the Taliban warning people not to leave their homes. Rahmat Gul/AP hide caption

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Rahmat Gul/AP

World

Afghan Voters Head To Polls Amid Threats, Fraud

Afghanistan elects a new parliament on Saturday. But the credibility of the election is at risk. As the war between the Taliban and U.S.-led coalition continues and predictions of widespread election fraud grow, many voters say they may stay home.

Afghan Voters Head To Polls Amid Threats, Fraud

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Bank's Woes Reveal Tensions Over Afghan Corruption

Afghans walk past a branch of Kabul Bank in the capital on Wednesday. Shareholders met this week to decide the fate of the bank after suspected irregularities raised concerns over the country's biggest private financial institution. Ahmad Massoud/AP hide caption

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Ahmad Massoud/AP

World

Bank's Woes Reveal Tensions Over Afghan Corruption

Alleged corruption involving a private bank in Afghanistan reportedly benefited President Hamid Karzai's relative. The government has responded quickly to probe the bank's troubles. But some analysts say the reaction is more about politics than finding ways to eliminate corruption.

Bank's Woes Reveal Tensions Over Afghan Corruption

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A Treacherous Trip On Afghanistan's Ring Road

Afghanistan’s Ring Road, the main highway connecting this war-ravaged country, is littered with burned out vehicles like this bus. They were destroyed by roadside bombs or rocket propelled grenades fired by insurgents. Soraya Nelson/NPR hide caption

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The Two-Way

A Treacherous Trip On Afghanistan's Ring Road

U.S. taxpayer money paid for paving much of Highway 1 in Afghanistan, the road that links Afghans and their economy across a mountainous country. But roadside bombs and huge craters make for a difficult obstacle course in the cross-country trek.

Running Scared: Afghan Candidates Risk Their Lives

Afghan metal workers put together billboards for Ghazni candidate Daoud Sultanzoi. The incumbent is seeking re-election to his seat in parliament. Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson/NPR hide caption

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World

Running Scared: Afghan Candidates Risk Their Lives

Any American politician will tell you that campaigning is vital to winning an election. But in Afghanistan, candidates say campaigning is likely to get you killed. As a result, many of the candidates in the upcoming Afghan elections are finding it difficult to get their message out.

Running Scared: Afghan Candidates Risk Their Lives

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World

Afghan Government To Back Kabul Bank

Top executives at Afghanistan's largest private bank resigned this week amid allegations of gross mismanagement. That left the government scrambling to calm fears and prevent a run on the bank.

Afghan Government To Back Kabul Bank

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World

Graft-Fighting Afghan Prosecutor Forced To Retire

The fight against corruption in the Afghan government has received another setback with the dismissal of a senior justice official for his role in pursuing cases against some of President Karzai's most senior officials.

Graft-Fighting Afghan Prosecutor Forced To Retire

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In Egypt, Turning Back The Clock For Ramadan

Muslim Egyptian men pray during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan at Cairo's historic Al-Azhar mosque in September 2009. Some experts say many Egyptians have lost the meaning of the holy month, spending too much time after hours partying, eating and watching TV. Khaled Desouki/AFP/Getty Images) hide caption

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Khaled Desouki/AFP/Getty Images)

Middle East

In Egypt, Turning Back The Clock For Ramadan

The Muslim world begins celebrating the holy month of Ramadan, fasting from dawn to dusk, and breaking the daily fast by celebrating with family and friends. In Egypt, there are some worries about the excess and government plans to turn back the clock, bringing sundown an hour earlier during the month.

In Egypt, Turning Back The Clock For Ramadan

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In Cairo, An End To The Cacophony Of Calls To Prayer

Ahmed Abdel Aziz sings the call to prayer, or the azan, at Al- Maghfara Mosque in a suburb of Cairo last month. Holly Pickett for NPR hide caption

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Holly Pickett for NPR

Middle East

In Cairo, An End To The Cacophony Of Calls To Prayer

In Egypt's sprawling capital, no longer will the call to prayer be delivered locally by each mosque. Instead, the government's Ministry of Religious Endowment has announced it will broadcast a single call from a downtown studio. Many Egyptians are unhappy with the change set to commence next week.

In Cairo, An End To The Cacophony Of Calls To Prayer

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