POLITICS: Buddhist Monks Will Sway Sri Lanka Polls

Sinhala Buddhist monks and 'patriotic' forces, aligned behind the candidature of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse, are determined to play a major role in the Nov.17 presidential elections announced this week.

POLITICS: North Korean Atomic Deal a ‘Diplomatic Coup’

Despite snags over the supply of a light-water reactor, Monday's atomic disarmament deal with North Korea represents a major diplomatic coup say observers in India,now an acknowledged nuclear player.

GERMANY: Voters Refuse Woman from the East as First Chancellor

The spectre of political limbo loomed large over Europe's power-house as some 50 million Germans who went to the polls Sunday refused to elect Angela Merkel as the country's first woman chancellor.

SPAIN: Peace Talks with ETA Forge Quietly Ahead

Spain's socialist government is moving cautiously ahead in peace talks with the Basque separatist group ETA, as each of its predecessors has done since 1976, although all of the negotiations have been marked by far more frustration than success.

UKRAINE: The Orange Has Been Sliced

The latest upheaval in Ukrainian politics has produced mixed feelings. Some are concerned that last year's 'orange revolution' brought in a government as corrupt and incompetent as the one it replaced; others see the dismissal of the entire cabinet by President Viktor Yushchenko as a healthy sign of democratic accountability.

DEVELOPMENT: A New Buzzword Hopes to Deliver

The new buzzword in the world of development is a bit of a mouthful; it is being called the 'multi-stakeholder' approach.

ISRAEL: Pakistan Takes a Controversial Step Closer

A surprise between the foreign ministers of Israel and Pakistan in Turkey has run into considerable disapproval in the Arab world. But many Arab nations are themselves reconsidering ties with Israel.

MALAYSIA: Independence Day Observed as Melting Pot Boils

''A melting pot of peoples, cultures and traditions, Malaysia thrives on its diversity and is indeed the epitome of the adage that variety is the spice of life,'' was how the official BERNAMA news agency concluded a special feature for Malaysia's 48th Independence Day on Wednesday.

RELIGION-INDONESIA: Fatwas by Clerics Spur Debate on Islam

Ever since Indonesia's highest Islamic authority, the Indonesian Ulama Council (MUI) issued eleven 'fatwas' or edicts against liberal Islam, a fierce debate has begun raging in the world's most populous Muslim nation on what constitutes an Islamic society.

EGYPT: Relief and Reservations Over Withdrawal

Egyptians are still trying to make sense of the political implications of the dramatic evacuation of Jewish settlers from the Gaza Strip.

POLITICS-US: Has the “Tipping Point” on Iraq Been Reached?

Has the U.S. public lost so much confidence in the George W. Bush administration's handling of the Iraq war that its current strategy - to the extent one actually exists - is unsustainable?

POLITICS-US: Has the “Tipping Point” on Iraq Been Reached?

Has the U.S. public lost so much confidence in the George W. Bush administration's handling of the Iraq war that its current strategy - to the extent one actually exists - is unsustainable?

IRAQ: Constitution May Not Bring Peace

The three main groups negotiating Iraq's new constitution have indicated that they have made little headway on the issues that led parliament to extend the deadline for submitting the draft by a week until Aug. 22. The unresolved issues are mainly federalism and the role of Islam.

MIDEAST: Prepare for the World’s Largest Prison

"This plan is good for Israel in any future scenario," Sharon said of the Gaza pullout; but it may not be as good for Palestinians as it seems.

MIDEAST: Prepare for the World’s Largest Prison

"This plan is good for Israel in any future scenario," Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said of the Gaza pullout. And it may not be as good for Palestinians as it seems.

CORRUPTION-BRAZIL: Seeking Salvation Amidst Rising Tide of Allegations

It is finally President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's turn in the spotlight as the corruption scandal in Brazil continues to escalate, prompting the ruling Workers' Party (PT) and even some opposition forces to work harder than ever to save the government from total collapse.

SRI LANKA: Blame for Kadirgamar Murder Falls Partly on Norway

If the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) militants are indeed linked to the assassination of Sri Lankan foreign minister Lakshman Kadirgamar then Norway, which brokered a peace deal in that country, may have to accept part of the blame.

POLITICS: Europe Plays Nuclear Poker with Iran

The Iranian government's threat to resume limited nuclear activities after the European Union missed a deadline on Sunday to offer new incentives is clearly part of a calculated attempt to mount pressure on the EU-3: Britain, France and Germany.

POLITICS: Europe Plays Nuclear Poker with Iran

The Iranian government's threat to resume limited nuclear activities after the European Union (EU) missed a deadline on Sunday to offer new incentives is clearly part of a calculated attempt to mount pressure on the EU-3 (Britain, France and Germany).

CORRUPTION-BRAZIL: Lula Remains Bullet-Proof as Scandal Rages On

Despite growing evidence of corruption in Brazil's ruling Workers Party, there is little doubt that President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will remain safely in power until the end of his term in January 2007, especially now that even the opposition is striving to shield him from the fallout of the ongoing scandal.

POLITICS: Burmese Junta in World’s Doghouse

Being compelled to relinquish its turn at chairing the regional grouping ASEAN in 2006 may have hurt Burma's military rulers less than the sanctions waved at them by the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday.