Paroled U.S. activist Lori Berenson said Saturday that she and her toddler son were not permitted to leave Peru despite being granted permission in court to spend the holidays in New York with her family.

With the Iraq war officially over and the pullout of U.S. forces nearly complete, host Scott Simon talks with Tom Ricks, author of The Best Defense blog, and Jon Lee Anderson from The New Yorker about the most influential turning points of the war.

As American troops pull out of Iraq, one of the most striking consequences of the war remains unresolved: the issue of people who were forced out of their homes and still can't go back.

After 6,000 miles, NPR Correspondent David Greene crosses into Asia as Russia experiences political unrest.

A new Middle East was on display a few weeks ago when the Arab League approved an unprecedented package of sanctions against Syria. But the agreement is already falling apart, frustrating many in the region.

Many villagers have had property disputes with local officials. But the one in the southern village of Wukan has turned especially bitter. One man died in police custody, and residents have chased local authorities out of the village in Guangdong province.

Pfc. Bradley Manning had his first legal proceeding Friday since being arrested in 2010 on charges of leaking classified information on the Internet. The hearing was held at Fort Meade in Maryland, where Manning's attorney immediately challenged the impartiality of the officer conducting the proceeding. Lynn Neary talks to NPR's Carrie Johnson.