Eyder Peralta

You might remember a story from about a year ago of a plumber from Texas whose used truck ended up in hands of Islamist militants in Syria.

A photo of the truck posted on Twitter showed the Ford F-250 being used by jihadis. Last week, the plumber filed a ...

A Texas plumber who traded in his old F-250 pickup is suing the dealership because the truck ended up in Syria — in the hands of Islamist fighters, still emblazoned with the plumbing company decals.

Royal Dutch Shell says it plans to cut 2,800 jobs after it completes the takeover of the BG Group.

The news comes on the same day that China gave the deal the final go-ahead.

NPR's Jeff Brady reports for our Newscast unit:

"The cut of 2,800 positions accounts for ...

In a preliminary report released on Monday, Egyptian investigators say they have found no evidence that a Russian passenger plane flying over the Sinai was downed by terrorist or criminal action.

NPR's Leila Fadel filed this report for our Newscast unit:

"The Russians say it was a bomb. The ...

A day after representatives from 196 countries signed an agreement that aims to curb climate change, it's time to start assessing its import.

Yesterday, Camila broke down the basics. Today, we've rounded up four pieces that help you understand the deal — and the politics around it — ...

A Russian destroyer in the Aegean Sea fired warning shots at a Turkish fishing ship that got too close on Sunday, the Russian Defence Ministry said.

Of course, this news comes during a time when relations between the two country are strained over Turkey's downing of a Russian war ...

It has been a season for firsts in Saudi Arabia: During the run-up to the country's third-ever elections, the absolute monarchy decided to to give women the vote and to also allow them the right to seek positions on the country's municipal councils.

Today, the government announced that several of ...

The second season of Serial, a podcast produced by This American Life and WBEZ in Chicago, is here.

This season focuses on the controversial story of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl. We've covered that case quite a bit on this blog, but Serial is giving it the long-form investigative treatment ...

Experts are casting doubt on a claim by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that his country has developed a hydrogen bomb.

The claim, according to the BBC, was reported by an official state news agency KCNA. Here's more from the BBC:

"Mr Kim made the remarks as ...

The husband-and-wife team who killed 14 people during a shooting rampage in San Bernardino, Calif., had been radicalized before they "started courting or dating each other online," FBI Director James Comey said on Wednesday.

Details about Syed Rizwan Farook's and Tashfeen Malik's lives have been sparse, but during congressional testimony, ...

Citing her "steadfast moral leadership in a world where it is in short supply," Time magazine chose German Chancellor Angela Merkel as its person of the year.

Merkel, the magazine writes, has led her country and Europe amid a refugee crisis, an economic crisis and terrorist attacks.

The magazine ...

French authorities say they have identified the third attacker in the siege at the Bataclan concert hall that left scores of people dead.

Le Parisien identifies the 23-year-old man as a French national who traveled to Syria in 2013.

The New York Times reports that Prime Minister Manuel ...

Donald Trump has faced a torrent of criticism after releasing a policy proposal that would ban all Muslims from entering the United States.

His fellow Republicans haven't held back: Marco Rubio called it "offensive," and Jeb Bush called it "unhinged." A number of others — politicians, pundits, experts ...

The president of the University of Maryland is recommending that the university change the name of its football stadium.

Wallace D. Loh said the name should be changed from "Byrd Stadium" to "Maryland Stadium," because the stadium's namesake, H.C. "Curley" Byrd, was a proponent of racial segregation.

Reuters reports ...

Oscar Pistorius, the double-amputee sprinter who came to be known as the "Blade Runner," will be released on bail while he awaits his sentence over the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

Pistorius' legal battle has been long: Last year, a lower court convicted Pistorius of a lesser charge and ...

A Chicago police officer who shot and killed a black man who was running away from police will not be charged, Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez said on Monday.

The decision comes on the same day that the Justice Department announced that it was launching an investigation into ...

The United States Department of Justice will investigate whether the Chicago Police Department has systematically violated the civil rights of citizens when it uses force and deadly force.

In a press conference on Monday, Attorney General Loretta Lynch announced that her department was launching a so-called "pattern or practice" ...

For the first time since it instituted a warning system in 2013, Beijing has issued a "red alert" over dangerous levels of air pollution.

The state news agency Xinhua reported that the city's air is thick with smog and the skyline is obscured by the haze.

The agency reports:

...

The government of Bashar Assad in Syria says the U.S.-led coalition struck one of its army camps on Sunday killing three soldiers and wounding 13.

The Washington Post reports that the accusation is the first of its kind since the United States began bombing Islamic State targets in Syria ...

Dealing a big blow to President Nicolas Maduro's Socialist leadership, Venezuelan voters handed a majority of congressional seats to a coalition of opposition parties.

NPR's Lourdes Garcia-Navarro reports the opposition gains control of congress for the first time since Hugo Chávez ushered in victory for the leftist movement in 1999. ...