PAKISTAN: Another Terror Attack For TV Cameras

The brazen armed attack on a police academy near Lahore on Monday underlines the danger that the Pakistani state faces from militancy linked to the ‘war on terror', but with historic roots in the earlier Afghan war of liberation from Soviet occupation, or ‘jihad' against ‘God-less communists'.

CAMBODIA: Khmer Rouge Trials May Expose US, China

Limits placed on a United Nations-backed war crimes tribunal in prosecuting surviving leaders of the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime may not prevent revelations about international actors linked to Cambodia's dark period.

ECONOMY: High Stakes, Modest Outlook for G20

Talks on the global economic crisis, to be held Thursday, could prove a timely reminder of the perils of hype.

MIDEAST: All Change, and Nothing Changes

In the Middle East this week it's all change. In fact, it's all diplomatic stasis. Neither Monday's Arab League summit in Doha nor Tuesday's induction of a new Israeli government in Jerusalem is likely to break or even ease the conflict deadlock that grips the region.

POLITICS-US: Some Strategists Cast Doubt on Afghan War Rationale

The argument for deeper U.S. military commitment to the Afghan War invoked by President Barack Obama in his first major policy statement on Afghanistan and Pakistan Friday - that al Qaeda must be denied a safe haven in Afghanistan - has not been subjected to public debate in Washington.

MIDEAST: Path to Peace Needs New Realism on All Sides

With Benjamin Netanyahu now close to announcing his government line-up in Israel, the issue of whether and how to include Hamas in Palestinian-Israeli peacemaking is moving to the top of the Middle East agenda.

RIGHTS-US: Obama Faces Spate of “Terror War” Lawsuits

Human rights lawyers are proving to be a major headache for the new administration of President Barack Obama, stepping up court challenges on issues of prisoner abuse to test the reality of the president's pledge to create a "an unprecedented level of openness" in government.

UKRAINE: Struggling to Find a Saviour

Who will save Ukraine? On the verge of state bankruptcy, the country is considering its options both East and West.

POLITICS-MALAYSIA: New PM Must Overcome Credibility Deficit

Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi steps down this month, forced out by powerful factions in the ruling United Malay National Organisation (UMNO) that feared his liberal policies and compromising ways with political opponents who wish to dismantle rule by an entrenched elite.

ECONOMY-SINGAPORE: Perils of Globalisation

This tiny island republic sits on trillions of dollars in foreign reserves. Yet, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in a BBC interview this month that his country cannot spend its way out of the economic downturn, until the global economy heals.

RIGHTS-PAKISTAN: Hopes Pinned on Reinstated Justices

As he resumes office as Chief Justice of Pakistan on Tuesday, Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry will doubtless mull over the years since Mar. 9, 2007 when he was first unceremoniously sacked by then president Gen. Pervez Musharraf.

MIDEAST: Disputes Coming to a Head

Key issues in conflict between Israelis and Palestinians are all coming to a head. But, even if these immediate issues are resolved, in any event, the conflict itself and an overriding diplomatic paralysis threaten to take long-term hold and to stymie all efforts to move the conflict onto a peace track any time soon.

MIDEAST: Pressure Mounts on Egypt to Deliver Results

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak weathered the recent war in neighbouring Gaza much more successfully than many observers had expected, and after the war ended Jan. 18 he emerged as the sole mediator in negotiations over stabilising the ceasefire and other key related issues.

FIJI: Caught Between Coups and Corruption

The December 2006 coup, Fiji's fourth in less than 20 years, was dubbed a "cleanup campaign" by military commander Frank Bainimarama, now Fiji's interim prime minister.

U.S./LATAM: Economic Crisis May Overwhelm Obama’s Goodwill

For all the goodwill that U.S. President Barack Obama is showing toward Latin America, he may find his efforts overwhelmed by the global economic crisis and growing pressure from labour unions - a key Democratic constituency - opposed to the kind of "free trade'' agreements favoured by his two predecessors, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.

U.S.: Plan to Split Taliban Lures Obama Deeper into War

Advanced reports on the Barack Obama administration’s strategy to "peel off" a majority of insurgent commanders from the "hard core" of Taliban suggest that it will be presented as a political route to victory in Afghanistan that would not require U.S. and NATO troops to win militarily.

POLITICS: Five Days That Changed Pakistan

A late night meeting between Pakistan's army chief, President and Prime Minister led to the dramatic announcement in the wee hours of Monday morning that Iftikhar Mohammed Choudhry would be restored as Chief Justice.

MIDEAST: Unity Moves May Test U.S. Resolve

Throw a stone into troubled waters and you won't see concentric circles rippling out. Many stones have recently been thrown into the muddy waters of the Middle East - the Gaza War, Israel's electoral lurch rightwards and the Arab world setting up stall in advance of the Obama Administration preparing new directions for the region.

US-MIDEAST: Even Mixed Signals Mark a Policy Shift

The British government has announced it will hold talks with the political wing of Lebanon's Hizbullah. The Barack Obama administration sent two envoys to Syria to discuss steps to improve relations. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has invited Iran to take part in a conference on the future of Afghanistan.

POLITICS-PAKISTAN: Long March – A Long View

Barely a year after being elected, the Pakistan government faces a political storm involving a street agitation spearheaded by lawyers and opposition political parties allied with religious parties.

MIDEAST: Palestinian Unity as Elusive as Deal With Israel

Intensive unity talks are under way in Cairo as five Palestinian committees, representing 13 factions and independents, face each other across a table in a bid to form a new Palestinian unity government.