POLITICS-US: Hawks Belie Iran's "Existential Threat" to Israel

New arguments by analysts close to Israeli thinking in favour of U.S. strikes against Iran cite evidence of Iranian military weakness in relation to the U.S. and Israel and even raise doubts that Iran is rushing to obtain such weapons at all.

POLITICS-US: Even the Rare Bush Success Leaves a Sour Taste

While, in his dreams, U.S. President George W. Bush might have seen a "Mission Accomplished" banner unfurled as the cooling tower at North Korea's plutonium-producing plant was blown up, Friday's internationally televised fireworks at Yongbyon offered merely a glimmer of possible success in a foreign policy legacy that seems to be getting darker by the day.

INDIA: Sansar Chand Acquitted Again

Notorious wildlife trader Sansar Chand - who according to official investigations was responsible for the death of at least 10 tigers in the Sariska Tiger Reserve in 2005 - has been acquitted by a court of law in two cases related to wildlife crime for want of evidence by the prosecution. "It seems that there are no charges from the wildlife department, who was the prosecution in charge of the case," said Alok Kumar Aggarwal, additional chief metropolitan magistrate (ACMM) in New Delhi, "I am of the opinion to discharge him in this specific case, but the trial would go on in other wildlife cases, as per law."

MIDEAST: Hamas and Hezbollah Gain, Almost Hand in Hand

Hezbollah's dramatic seizure of Beirut last month stunned observers and dealt a heavy blow to Washington's Lebanese allies. In Cairo, analysts compared the episode to last year's takeover of the Gaza Strip by Palestinian resistance faction Hamas, noting that both actions were pre-emptive - rather than offensive - in nature.

MIDEAST: Israel Training to Attack Iran

Israeli defence experts were not surprised by a New York Times report over the weekend that the Israeli air force had recently conducted what appeared to be a rehearsal for an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities.

POLITICS-IRAQ: Fear of US-Sunni Ties Undercut Security Talks

The threat by the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki earlier this month to reject the U.S.-Iraq status of forces and strategic framework agreements was prompted in part by U.S. demands for access to bases that were unacceptable to a highly nationalistic Iraqi population.

TRADE: U.S. Farm Subsidies May Survive WTO Doha Round

Delegates at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) disagree with WTO Director General Pascal Lamy’s view that the negotiations on trade in agricultural products are ‘‘nearly there’’.

TRADE: WTO Delegates Following Talks Through News Media

As closed-door meetings proceed between selected countries, other member states of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) have resorted to following media reports in an attempt to stay abreast with the current Doha Round of negotiations on agriculture and industrial goods.

MIDEAST: Ceasefire Makes Israelis Uneasy

The rockets being fired into Israel from Gaza have stopped for now. So have the Israeli raids into the coastal strip. But the majority of Israelis are deeply sceptical that the truce with Hamas, which went into effect last Thursday, will endure. Many also believe that it represents a major achievement for the Islamic movement, not for Israel.

POLITICS-CAMBODIA: Facing One-Sided Polls

While Cambodia’s national election is more than a month away the results are in little doubt. The ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) appears certain to return as the dominant party and, for the first time, win enough seats in the National Assembly to rule on its own.

MIDEAST: New Ceasefire Could Ease the Burden

An Egyptian proposal for a "calming" of hostilities, or tahdia, between Israel and Palestinian resistance faction Hamas officially came into effect Thursday. The deal follows several months of three-way talks between Israeli officials, Palestinian delegations and Egyptian mediators.

RIGHTS: Let May 11 Be A Turning Point For A More Tolerant, Safe, and Prosperous South Africa

June 20 is World Refugee Day. Early this week, the Consortium for Refugees and Migrants in South Africa (CoRMSA) launched a report documenting just how far South Africa has to go in protecting the rights of foreigners in our midst.

MIDEAST: Cracks Widen in Israeli Cabinet

The Prime Minister and the Defence Minister are at each other's throats. The Foreign Minister and the Prime Minister are barely talking. And the Deputy Prime Minister, who wants to replace the Prime Minister, is already talking about what he might do if he does.

EAST TIMOR: Outsourcing Sugar Cane

The East Timor government’s recent decision to grant vast lands to an Indonesian company to plant sugar cane has been heavily criticised by Timorese society, who are demanding that the government immediately revoke the contract with the foreign company.

POLITICS-US: Christian Zionist Gathering Mired In Controversy

The battle lines over Pastor John Hagee have been drawn, redrawn, and are no doubt being drawn again as this is being written. The San Antonio, Texas-based mega-preacher with the multi-million-dollar empire has always been controversial, but these days, the pastor is a lightning rod for critics.

SOUTH ASIA: India-Pakistan Peace Survives

As Pakistan stumbles towards democratisation amidst domestic political uncertainty, armed unrest led by Islamists along the Afghanistan border, and strained military relations with the U.S., a broad consensus in favour of the peace process with India survives - almost miraculously.

EUROPE: Irish Say No to Military and Neo-Liberalism

The rejection of the European Union's latest treaty by Ireland's electorate has been interpreted as a vote against the bloc's increasing emphasis on bolstering its military capacities and its efforts to prioritise free market principles over social protection.

POLITICS-US: Bush Pledges on Iraq Bases Pact Were a Ruse

Two key pledges made by the George W. Bush administration on military bases in its negotiations with the government of Iraq have now been revealed as carefully-worded ruses aimed at concealing U.S. negotiating aims from both U.S. citizens and Iraqis who would object to them if they were made clear.

MIDEAST: Israel and Syria in Diplomatic Charade

After an eight-year hiatus, Israel and Syria have resumed negotiations - albeit via Turkish middlemen - on the issue of the strategic Golan Heights, occupied by Israel since 1967. But according to analysts in Cairo, neither side appears entirely genuine in its desire to reach a final settlement.

POLITICS: Was Obama's Rhetoric on Israel for Real?

When Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic candidate for the November U.S. presidential elections, addressed one of the most influential pro-Israeli lobbying groups last week, he offered himself as a more trusted ally of Israel than his rival, Republican candidate John McCain.

TURKEY: Headscarves Ruling Leading to Bigger Confrontation

In Phase One of what has been called a "judicial coup", Turkey's Constitutional Court has ruled against amendments spearheaded by the Islamic-rooted ruling party to allow headscarves at universities. Headscarves are considered an expression of political Islam by opponents, and an expression of freedom by their proponents.