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The Iraqi town of Halabja is dominated by Kurds, the group that has been fighting the Islamic State in northern Iraq. However, some Kurdish residents have been slipping away to join the Islamic State.

Kurdish Officials Worry About Kurds Joining The Islamic State

In the Kurdish city of Halabja, young men have been disappearing to join ISIS. It's a trend the authorities don't really want to discuss. But they are clamping down to try to make it stop.

Judge John Gleeson says, about mandatory minimum sentences for drug crimes, "people in Congress meant well. ... But it just turns out that policy is wrong."

Judge Regrets Harsh Human Toll Of Mandatory Minimum Sentences

Thousands of people are imprisoned for decades, if not life, because of tough drug sentences. Now judges, lawyers and advocates ask whether it's time to dial back those penalties.

NPR's series looks at the human toll of mandatory minimum prison sentences. The White House and the Justice Department have taken the unprecedented step of asking for candidates who might win early release from prison through presidential pardons or commutations in the final years of the Obama presidency.

From Judges To Inmates, Finding The Human Casualties Of Mandatory Sentencing

Amid the backdrop of debate inside Washington and across the country, an NPR series will focus on the human toll of the tough mandatory minimum prison terms for drug crimes.

Contestant From War-Torn Syria Wins 'Arab Idol'

Over the weekend, a champion was crowned in the Middle East's version of American Idol. Syrians cheered as 21-year-old Hazem Sherif from the war-scarred city of Aleppo was announced the winner.

Robot Flies Economy From LA To Frankfurt

German researchers purchased the robot named Athena, and found a passenger seat was cheaper than shipping her in a box.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott and his wife, Margie, pay their respects at the Martin Place memorial site on Tuesday in Sydney, Australia.

Thousands Lay Flowers At The Site Of Hostage Siege In Sydney

A day after two people plus a gunman were killed, thousands of Australians left bouquets of flowers at a makeshift shrine. Prime Minister Tony Abbott and his wife visited and signed a condolence book.

Saudi Arabian women wear their traditional face covering, the niqab, at a coffee and chocolate exhibition in the capital Riyadh on Monday. A prominent religious figure said on Twitter that the face veil is not mandatory, sparking a heated national debate.

A Tweet On Women's Veils, Followed By Raging Debate In Saudi Arabia

A prominent ultra-conservative figure says face veils for women are not mandatory. Now everyone is weighing in on the hottest topic in the kingdom.

Cuba, U.S. Agree To Prisoner Release Including American Alan Gross

Signaling what could be a major shift in U.S. relations with Cuba, Gross, who has been jailed in Cuba for five years, will be released, while the U.S. will release three Cubans.

Men play chess at the Maximo Gomez Domino park in Little Havana in Miami, where political opinions are shifting.

Polls Show Cuban-American Views On U.S.-Cuba Relations Are Nuanced

For years, Cuban-Americans in Miami supported punitive policies against Cuba. But since Obama's election, that view has moderated.

Aurora Leveroni, 91, is also known as "Nonna Marijuana."

Way Beyond Brownies: Vice Launches A Marijuana Cooking Show

"Nonna Marijuana's Italian Feast" is the first episode of a Web series exploring pot cuisine. It features a charming 91-year-old grandmother who cooks cannabis Italian food infused with love.

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