Special Reports - UPI.com

Jordan monarchy faces growing challenges

Wed, 16 May 2012 15:22:50 -0400

AMMAN, Jordan, May 16 (UPI) -- Jordan's Queen Rania is coming under mounting criticism over alleged corruption in the Hashemite kingdom's political elite as the pro-Western monarchy faces major challenges to introduce reforms and scrap the 1994 peace treaty with Israel.

Somalia entering critical phase, U.N. says

Wed, 16 May 2012 13:16:36 -0400

UNITED NATIONS, May 16 (UPI) -- Financial and logistical support is needed from the international community to help implement the transition plan under way in Somalia, a U.N. official said.

Mladic accused of ethnic cleansing

Wed, 16 May 2012 13:11:06 -0400

THE HAGUE, Netherlands, May 16 (UPI) -- Former Bosnian Serb military commander Ratko Mladic helped orchestrate an ethnic cleaning campaign in Bosnia in the 1990s, a prosecutor said.

Liberia's Taylor calls for reconciliation

Wed, 16 May 2012 12:25:55 -0400

THE HAGUE, Netherlands, May 16 (UPI) -- Reconciliation should be a guiding principle when assessing past atrocities committed during civil war, convicted former Liberian President Charles Taylor said.

South Sudanese refugees returning home

Wed, 16 May 2012 12:14:07 -0400

JUBA, South Sudan, May 16 (UPI) -- The first wave of South Sudanese refugees arrived in the capital of Juba following an airlift organized by international aid agencies, the United Nations said.

Amnesty: Mali abuses are widespread

Wed, 16 May 2012 12:04:54 -0400

NEW YORK, May 16 (UPI) -- The human rights situation in Mali is the worst in a generation as rebel forces in the north are likely carrying out war crimes, Amnesty International said.

Lebanon uneasy over Syrian conflict

Wed, 16 May 2012 12:00:43 -0400

BEIRUT, Lebanon, May 16 (UPI) -- The opposition March 14 bloc in the Lebanese government said it blames Syria for deadly clashes in the country that left at least seven dead this week.

U.S.: DPRK rights abuses deserve attention

Wed, 16 May 2012 11:58:49 -0400

WASHINGTON, May 16 (UPI) -- A U.S. lawmaker said the North Korean government has a longstanding legacy as one of the worst human rights abusers in the world.

Concerns linger ahead of Libyan vote

Wed, 16 May 2012 11:33:38 -0400

BRUSSELS, May 16 (UPI) -- With Libya preparing for its first national election in a generation, a European lawmaker expressed concerns about the availability of weapons in the country.

Teenagers fighting in Congo

Wed, 16 May 2012 10:59:01 -0400

GOMA, Democratic Republic of Congo, May 16 (UPI) -- More than 10 percent of the child soldiers recruited by a Congolese warlord were under the age of 15, Human Rights Watch said.

Myanmar and South Korea set for business

Wed, 16 May 2012 06:30:00 -0400

SEOUL, May 16 (UPI) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak arrive back from Myanmar with a pocket full of business agreements as well as a pledge to release a North Korean prisoner.

Algeria's political battle: Army vs. spooks

Tue, 15 May 2012 14:12:05 -0400

ALGIERS, Algeria, May 15 (UPI) -- Algeria's military-backed National Liberation Front, the aging heroes of the independence war against France 50 years ago, was the clear winner in parliamentary elections last week.

No fraud in expat vote, Egypt says

Tue, 15 May 2012 14:01:17 -0400

CAIRO, May 15 (UPI) -- Cairo said there weren't any serious concerns of voter fraud in the ballots cast for the presidential election by Egyptians living overseas.

U.N. eyes Sudan border disputes

Tue, 15 May 2012 13:56:50 -0400

UNITED NATIONS, May 15 (UPI) -- Sudan is called on to pull its forces from the disputed territory of Abyei following a similar move by South Sudan, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said.

ICC targets Congolese rebel leaders

Tue, 15 May 2012 13:31:23 -0400

THE HAGUE, Netherlands, May 15 (UPI) -- The chief prosecutor at the International Criminal Court announced he wanted two rebel leaders in the Democratic Republic of Congo arrested.

U.N.: Bring LRA leaders to justice

Tue, 15 May 2012 13:28:01 -0400

UNITED NATIONS, May 15 (UPI) -- Prosecuting one of the senior commanders of the Lord's Resistance Army would send a strong message to the militant group, a U.N. envoy said.

AQAP infiltrates Yemeni capital

Tue, 15 May 2012 12:51:48 -0400

SANAA, Yemen, May 15 (UPI) -- A militant with al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula is believed to have entered the Yemeni capital to carry out a car bomb attack, the Interior Ministry said.

U.S. Embassy in Beirut wary of Syrian spillover

Tue, 15 May 2012 12:48:05 -0400

BEIRUT, Lebanon, May 15 (UPI) -- The U.S. Embassy in Beirut expressed concern about the security situation in Lebanon following reports of violence near the Syrian border.

Iraqi detainee policies under scrutiny

Tue, 15 May 2012 10:20:38 -0400

BEIRUT, Lebanon, May 15 (UPI) -- The Iraqi government continues to hold detainees incommunicado at a prison in the Green Zone that's supposedly closed, Human Rights Watch said.

ECOWAS frustrated with Mali

Tue, 15 May 2012 09:59:29 -0400

ABUJA, Nigeria, May 15 (UPI) -- African leaders threatened to reinstate sanctions against military authorities in Mali unless they relinquish authority to civilian leaders.

'Occupy' movement in Moscow banned

Tue, 15 May 2012 09:31:21 -0400

MOSCOW, May 15 (UPI) -- Anti-government protesters in Moscow were ordered to end their sit-in after allegedly damaged downtown landscape, a city department said.

Lee makes 'landmark' visit to Myanmar

Tue, 15 May 2012 06:30:00 -0400

YANGON, Myanmar, May 15 (UPI) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak has embarked on a "landmark" but tightly monitored visit to Myanmar for talks with President Thein Sein.

Croatia, China laud deepening ties

Tue, 15 May 2012 06:30:00 -0400

ZAGREB, Croatia, May 15 (UPI) -- China and Croatia vowed to strengthen their economic and political ties over the weekend as the two countries marked 20 years of diplomatic relations.

Sri Lankan police find weapons cache

Mon, 14 May 2012 16:41:10 -0400

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, May 14 (UPI) -- Sri Lankan police have uncovered thousands of pounds of C-4 explosives in what is believed to the largest find of weapons since the end of the island nation's civll war in 2009.

Palestinian hunger strikers reach deal with Israel

Mon, 14 May 2012 14:36:53 -0400

RAMALLAH, West Bank, May 14 (UPI) -- Palestinian prisoners held by Israel called off a 4-month hunger strike, which was protesting indefinite detention without charge and harsh prison conditions.