MIDEAST: Israel May Have Become a Liability for U.S.

The relationship between two of Iran's strongest critics, the U.S. and Israel, is once again under the spotlight as the international heat on Iran's alleged nuclear programme increases following a warning from International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director-general Mohamed ElBaradei for the Islamic republic to show more transparency.

POLITICS-THAILAND: ‘Class Struggle’ in Political Battle

Beyond the sound and fury at the rallies and violence at recent protests here in Thai capital, a larger, more painful struggle over how to resolve deep divisions in electoral democracy continues - and may well reshape politics in this South-east Asian country.

U.S.: McCain Sinks on Economy, Palin Pick, Negative Attacks

Overwhelmed by crashing stock markets and what is increasingly seen by even traditional conservatives as a Faustian bargain with the extreme right-wing core of his Republican Party, Sen. John McCain's chances of winning the Nov. 4 presidential elections have fallen sharply over the past three weeks.

POLITICS-MALAYSIA: Mahathir May Return to Centre Stage

Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi’s planned stepping down in March 2009 may well see a return to the authoritarian rule familiar to Malaysians during the 22-year iron rule of his predecessor Dr. Mahathir Mohamad.

POLITICS: Afghan Peace Talks Widen US-UK Rift on War Policy

The beginning of political talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban revealed by press accounts this week is likely to deepen the rift that has just erupted in public between the United States and its British ally over the U.S. commitment to an escalation of the war in Afghanistan.

POLITICS-MALAYSIA: Regime Change May Hit Reforms

It took exactly seven months after a severe general electoral setback for Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi to announce that he would not be defending the presidency of the dominant party in the ruling coalition in party polls next year.

THAILAND: Another Bout of Military Rule?

The battle for Bangkok has entered a new and violent phase, the logical end of which can only be another bout of military rule.

POLITICS-THAILAND: Tired of Instability – But More Ahead

In the wake of Tuesday’s violent clashes with anti-government protesters that saw the Thai prime minister clambering over Parliament’s walls to safety, Noi, a Thai employee, says: "This is like a horror movie with no ending."

LEBANON: In an Uneasy Togetherness with Syria

Small countries right next to one another, Syria and Lebanon seem light years apart. The two countries have shared a rocky relationship for decades, characterised mainly by Syrian dominance. Once again this relationship appears to be put to test as reports of Syrian deployment on Lebanon's borders abound.

ECONOMY-US: This Sucker Could Go Down

Crises seem to awaken the inner poet of the commentariat, and the Crash of 2008 is no exception.

MEDIA-TURKEY: Messenger Comes Under Attack

Many sections of Turkish media critical of the government say Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is bent on silencing them through intimidation - or controlling them through purchase.

EAST TIMOR: Int'l Peacekeepers Not Key to Stability

East Timor’s political elite cannot leave the country’s stability up to the International Stabilisation Forces (ISF). They must unite and stop bickering for power, according to experts, academics and observers.

ISRAEL: Up Against the Red Light on Attacking Iran

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will travel to Moscow next week for talks that will focus largely on Iran's nuclear programme at a time when there seem to be growing signs that the U.S. is unenthusiastic about the idea of an Israeli military strike on Iran's nuclear facilities.

POLITICS: South Korea’s Persistent Dream of Regionalism

Northeast Asia is a critically important locus of geopolitics, but it lacks a regional security structure. The Six Party Talks - involving the United States, the two Koreas, China, Japan, and Russia - offer one potential model for regional collaboration.

IRAQ: Is Kurdish-Arab “Honeymoon” Over?

Tensions between Kurds and the Iraqi government over disputed territory have heightened recently, raising fears that they might lead to ethnic clashes between Kurds and Arabs at a time when the war-torn country is slowly recovering from years of sectarian violence between Shia and Sunni Arabs.

ISRAEL: A Second Woman PM On Her Way

Just a week after Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni was charged with forming a new government, it looks as if the new leader of the ruling Kadima party is on the way to cobbling together a new ruling coalition.

ENERGY-LATIN AMERICA: PDVSA’s Growing Presence

Central America, Cuba, the Dominican Republic and islands in the eastern Caribbean are receiving more and more oil from Venezuela, while major refineries are planned in South America - at Pernambuco in northeastern Brazil, and at El Aromo, on Ecuador's Pacific coast.

WORLD: Fair Trade – An Old Idea That’s Become a Fashion Statement?

The idea of making trade fair is as old as ethics itself.

POLITICS: Financial Crisis Likely to Further Erode U.S. Influence

While the White House and U.S. lawmakers hash out final terms of a proposed 700-billion-dollar Wall Street bailout, foreign policy analysts are warning that the current financial crisis could very well hasten the decline of U.S. power and influence overseas.

POLITICS-US: Swiftboating Obama on the Cheap

In 2004, the so-called Swiftboating of Sen. John Kerry's U.S. presidential campaign changed the course of history by helping defeat the Massachusetts senator, and the tactic appeared to become an instant blueprint for future political campaigns.

LEBANON: ‘Incoherent’ Agreement Spells the Way Forward

The Lebanese unity government has finally came to terms with its ministerial declaration after weeks of political haggling. What promises and threats does the incoherent declaration hold for Lebanon in a polarised local and regional context?