POLITICS-U.S.: Military Finds Itself in Twilight Zone

On the day that U.S. citizens honoured the nation's war dead, the U.S. armed forces found themselves in a twilight zone somewhere between glory and hell.

POLITICS-U.S.: Military Finds Itself in Twilight Zone

On the day that U.S. citizens honoured the nation's war dead, the U.S. armed forces found themselves in a twilight zone somewhere between glory and hell.

POLITICS: World Cannot Afford Failure on the Nuclear Front

With the seventh Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) ending in abysmal failure late last week at the United Nations, the worst fears about a tiny number of influential states holding the rest of the world hostage to their narrow interests have materialised.

SOUTH ASIA: Maoist Overture to Enter Nepal’s Mainstream Politics?

While India denies that its security agencies helped arrange meetings between a top Nepali Maoist leader and its political establishment, analysts welcome dialogue with the rebels as a key to ending a seemingly intractable crisis in the neighbouring Himalayan kingdom.

NEPAL: Strange Restraint in the Face of Indian Revelations

Nearly four months after the royal coup in Nepal, the Indian press this week unveiled secret links between India's intelligence services and Nepal's Maoist rebels. But curiously, the revelations have failed to kick up a raging controversy in Nepal.

POLITICS-CHILE: Major Shake-Up in Presidential Race

The unexpected recent appearance of a second right-wing presidential hopeful shook up the race for the December elections in Chile, but the most significant impact was the withdrawal of one of the ruling centre-left coalition's two potential candidates, Soledad Alvear of the Christian Democratic Party (PDC).

POLITICS-INDIA: Gov’t Fears Friends More Than Enemies

A year after defeating the Hindu fundamentalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the national polls, the Congress party of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has more to fear from its friends than enemies.

U.S.: Security Missteps Spawn Quirky Cases

Expanded powers and a heightened sense of alert have helped U.S. law enforcers take some dangerous people off the country's streets since the White House declared its ''war on terror''. But they also have triggered some bizarre missteps.

POLITICS-TUNISIA: Little Room for Taking Government to Task

The plight of Tunisian attorney Mohamed Abbou has been in the spotlight for several weeks now, with U.S. State Department spokesman Richard Boucher being quoted earlier this month as saying Washington was "very concerned" about Abbou’s imprisonment.

POLITICS-U.S.: ‘Republican Revolution’ Architect Mulls White House Run

Nearly a decade after being named Time magazine's ''Man of the Year,'' Newt Gingrich is out greasing the skids for a possible 2008 run at the White House with a tour promoting ''Winning the Future: A 21st Century Contract With America'', a book containing a series of 20th century proposals wrapped in 21st century rhetoric. The book had a short stay on the New York Times bestseller list but will the public be buying Gingrich as presidential timber?

POLITICS-U.S.: Bolton Embarrassment Latest Setback for Bush Hawks

The failure of U.S. President George W. Bush's U.N. ambassador-designate to get the unanimous support of Republican members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee has dealt a new setback to the coalition of unilateralist hawks that led the drive to war with Iraq and is strongly opposed to diplomatic engagement with Iran and North Korea.

SOUTH AMERICA: Summit with Arab Countries Turns Political

The summit of South American and Arab countries took on clearly political overtones, in contrast to what the Brazilian government apparently intended when it organised this "alliance of civilisations" aimed at bolstering economic ties between the two regions.

SOUTH AMERICA: Summit with Arab Countries Turns Political

The summit of South American and Arab countries took on clearly political overtones, in contrast to what the Brazilian government apparently intended when it organised this "alliance of civilisations" aimed at bolstering economic ties between the two regions.

POLITICS: Iraq Clouds Blair Victory

The invasion of Iraq rebounded a little on the government of British Prime Minister Tony Blair to dent his majority as he returned to a third term as prime minister.

POLITICS: Iraq Clouds Blair Victory

The invasion of Iraq rebounded a little on the government of British Prime Minister Tony Blair to dent his majority as he returned to a third term as prime minister.

TSUNAMI IMPACT: Last Chance for Gov’t and Tigers to Work Jointly

Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga's wish for the traditional Sinhala and Tamil New Year, which fell on Apr. 14, was that the devastating tsunami would finally bring unity in her divided nation.

ECUADOR: A Controversial Solution to the Crisis – Yet Again

Middle and upper-middle class demonstrators not organised in political parties or social movements played a central role in the week-long protests that preceded the downfall of former president Lucio Gutiérrez.

POLITICS: Japan’s Africa Aid Package Could Translate Into Support For U.N. Bid

The Asia-Africa Summit scheduled to begin in Bandung, Indonesia on Friday could be an opportunity for Japan to play a leading role in alleviating poverty among African nations, which might augur well for its bid for a permanent seat at the U.N. Security Council.

POLITICS: India, Pakistan Take A Big Stride Forward

Barely 10 days after launching a landmark bus service connecting the two divided parts of Kashmir, India and Pakistan Monday took a giant stride forward by declaring that the peace process between them is ''irreversible'' and will be pursued sincerely and purposefully.

POLITICS: India and China Sign Win-Win Deal

Asian giants India and China buried four decades of bitterness over their common Himalayan border by signing agreements that provide for 'early' settlement of the dispute. The accords also allow both countries to build a partnership based on peace and prosperity.

POLITICS: Business First Before Border Talks at India-China Summit

It comes as no surprise that Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao kicked off his four-day visit to India from the southern city of Bangalore - the information technology hub of the subcontinent and one of world's four biggest technology clusters. This is a clear indication that Beijing prefers to put business first before its 45-year-old border dispute with its southern neighbour.