Militants attack Iraq's largest oil refinery as sectarian clashes spread The Sunni militant group that has stormed across Iraq invaded the country's largest oil refinery today, hitting it with mortars. The government is using limited air attacks to strike back at ISIS, which now controls large areas of Iraq's north.June 18, 2014
US captures suspected ringleader of attack in Benghazi The United States says it has captured a militant suspected of leading the terrorist attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, said Pentagon Press Secretary Rear Adm. John Kirby.June 17, 2014
ISIS rebels drive closer to Baghdad; US considers options The extremist group Islamic State of Iraq and Syria is tightening control of Iraq's Sunni Muslim heartland, attacking the strategic city of Baqouba, less than 40 miles from Baghdad. The U.S. is sending up to 275 military personnel to bolster its embassy in the capital; President Obama is also reportedly weighing air strikes.June 17, 2014
More US troops to Iraq; special forces considered President Barack Obama notified Congress Monday that up to 275 troops could be sent to Iraq to provide support and security for U.S. personnel and the American Embassy in Baghdad. About 170 of those forces have already arrived and another 100 soldiers be on standby in a nearby country until they are needed, a U.S. official said.June 16, 2014
Journalists James Fallows and Kelly McEvers speak at WPI Award-winning journalists James Fallows of the Atlantic and Kelly McEvers of NPR give keynote addresses about the role of journalism and their experiences covering a variety of cultures and situations around the world. They spoke in St. Paul at the World Press Institute's 50th Anniversary Celebration, June 13-14, 2014.Minnesota Public Radio News Presents, June 16, 2014
US open to talks with Iran over Iraq Kerry said Washington is "open to discussions" with Tehran if the Iranians can help end the violence and restore confidence in the Iraqi government.June 16, 2014
Pakistan launches ground offensive against Taliban Pakistan has launched a major offensive against the Taliban in North Waziristan, mobilizing some 70,000 soldiers and launching air attacks against insurgents in the region.June 15, 2014
Ukraine promises 'adequate response' after rebels shoot down plane Pro-Russian militants in eastern Ukraine shot down a military transport plane as it made an approach at Lugansk Airport on Saturday. All 49 people on board were killed. The Kyiv Post reports this marks the deadliest day in the conflict between the central government in Kiev and pro-Russian rebels.June 14, 2014
ISIS in Iraq: An Islamist group too extreme even for Al-Qaida The Sunni militant group ISIS, known for its brutal tactics and harsh interpretation of Shariah law, is pushing farther into Iraq. The organization is considered so extreme that even al-Qaida leaders want nothing to do with it.June 14, 2014
Greg McNeal on Minnesota Somalis traveling to Syria to fight Greg McNeal, an expert on national security law from Pepperdine University, joined MPR News' Tom Crann to discuss the recent news that as many as 15 young Somali-American men from the Twin Cities have traveled to Syria to join radical groups trying to overthrow President Bashar Assad's regime.June 13, 2014
Jihad in Syria lures Somalis from Minnesota Over the past few months, as many as 15 young Somali-American men from the Twin Cities have traveled to Syria to join radical groups trying to overthrow President Bashar Assad's regime, according to the FBI.June 12, 2014