Search results for

Handcuffed and under Iraqi guard, Saddam Hussein is charged with war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity before an Iraqi court. Saddam questioned the court's jurisdiction and refused to sign the charge list. Earlier, Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez relinquished leadership of the multinational force in Iraq to Gen. George Casey. Hear NPR's Steve Inskeep and NPR's Philip Reeves.

Last December, Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf pledged to step down as head of the army at the end of 2004 and move the country back toward democratic government. But now Musharraf says voters want him keep his military post, fueling doubts he'll resign. Hear NPR's Philip Reeves.

A draft constitution has been presented to Iraq's National Assembly. But there was no vote, and discussions on its contents are ongoing. The news came six minutes before the midnight deadline. Minority Sunni representatives have threatened to hold up final approval.

Iraqi Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr calls for calm after violent clashes between his supporters and a rival militia. This rift within Iraq's Shia erupted at an acutely sensitive time -- Iraq's politicians are supposed to agree on a draft constitution by midnight Thursday.

Millions of Afghans vote for a new parliament despite the surge of violence in the weeks leading to the election. There were reportedly several dozen Taliban attacks in the country's south and east, and two rockets landed near an election center in Kabul. But officials said the election overall was remarkably peaceful.

A succession of three car bombs detonate in central Baghdad killing at least 43 people and wounding more than 50. The bombs exploded within half an hour of each other, in one case killing rescue workers as they arrived to help those wounded in an earlier bombing.

A year ago, people who predicted that Iraq was headed toward a Shia-Sunni civil war were scoffed at by supporters of the U.S.-led invasion. But sectarian strife appears to be on the rise in Baghdad.

A tsunami survivor in Sri Lanka tells a harrowing tale of his days since the waves hit. NPR's Philip Reeves reports.

Warlords in Afghanistan could hijack upcoming elections and entrench their own power, a report from Human Rights Watch warns. The group says local strongmen are using force, threats and corruption to dominate the election process and intimidate candidates and voters. Hear NPR's Philip Reeves.

Relief assistance is only beginning to reach South Asian regions hardest hit by Saturday's 7.6-magnitude earthquake. While hundreds of millions of dollars in aid has been offered, impassable roads, rain and a shortage of helicopters have slowed relief deliveries to survivors.