Search results for

Liberia is launching its first large-scale military operation since the end of its brutal civil war. Liberia's army, which has been trained by the U.S. military over the last six years, is going after mercenaries and rebels who are using thick forest as cover from which to launch ambushes in neighboring Ivory Coast.

More than half a million refugees have crossed into Jordan, and the number is expected to rise rapidly. Jordanian officials say the influx is threatening the stability of the kingdom.

Syria's political opposition is meeting in Istanbul this week to choose a rebel government, despite opposition from the Obama administration. The vote has been postponed twice because of internal tensions over naming a rival government to Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime.

The standoff over Iran's nuclear program heads into 2012 with virtually no positive signs for movement. Domestic politics in Tehran and Washington make conciliatory initiatives unlikely.

Arab foreign ministers are meeting in Cairo on Sunday to decide whether or not to continue the Arab League's monitoring mission in violence-torn Syria. Host Rachel Martin talks with NPR's Lourdes Garcia-Navarro.

Syrian ground troops in the central city of Homs have moved into the rebel-held district of Baba Amr. The military has launched what appears to be a final push to finish off the anti-government stronghold.

These days, visiting Tibetan areas is a risky venture for journalists trying to cover the protest movement against Chinese rule, including a rash of self-immolations. But the dangers are far greater for those who talk to them. NPR's Louisa Lim recently traveled there and describes the challenges.

With two days left before the pivotal Florida GOP primary, the front-runners have taken over the airwaves. A steady stream of political ads is filled with insinuations and accusations. Host Rachel Martin speaks with Angie Holan of PolitiFact, which fact-checked some of the ads.

Critics call the country's Salafis a threat to the ideals of economic prosperity, civil liberties and gender equality. The Salafis insist that only their rigid interpretation of Islamic law can govern Muslims. Their stand puts Tunisia's moderate Islamist leaders in a difficult position.

Within two short weeks, a relatively stable West African democracy has gone from preparing for presidential elections to being taken over by a mutinous military. Add to the mix a rebellion in the north, where separatists have captured the fabled city of Timbuktu.