IRAQ: In Tatters Beneath a Surge of Claims

What the U.S. has been calling the success of a "surge", many Iraqis see as evidence of catastrophe. Where U.S. forces point to peace and calm, local Iraqis find an eerie silence.

LEBANON: This Assassination Could Change the Region

For many in the Middle East, politics is essentially a matter of converging interests - and the life and death of Imad Fares Moughnieh is no exception. His assassination in Syria has resonated across the borders of Lebanon, Syria and Iran.

TRADE-UGANDA: Privatisation of Seeds Moving Apace

The Ugandan parliament will soon have a hearing on the draft Plant Variety Protection Bill, approved by the cabinet early last year. If passed unmodified, the bill is likely to entrench the rights of breeders and companies while curtailing the rights of small farmers to exchange, save and breed new varieties using hybrid seeds.

TRADE-UGANDA: Exposing &#39&#39The African Green Revolution&#39&#39

Uganda’s major trade partners are not only looking for food markets but also for seed markets. This has happened in a push that has been packaged as ‘‘the new green revolution’’ by corporations involved in biotechnology and chemicals. They have been supported by philanthropic organizations, notably the Rockefeller Foundation and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

EGYPT: Border Breach Raises Fundamental Questions

Authorities sealed the border with the Gaza Strip earlier this month after more than a half million Palestinians flooded into Egypt's Sinai Peninsula in late January. But while most have since returned home, the episode served to highlight Egypt's tenuous control over its border with the troubled territory next door.

CUBA: Raul Castro’s Challenges

Lacking the charisma of his brother but possessing a personality that is perhaps easier for the average Cuban to identify with, Raúl Castro, slated to replace Fidel as Cuba’s new president, will have to push through major economic and political transformations if he hopes to guarantee the survival of the country’s socialist system.

POLITICS-PAKISTAN: Voting For Change

With unofficial results for Pakistan’s general elections heralding major upsets for President Pervez Musharraf’s allies, the message was loud and clear: despite the pre-poll manipulations and irregularities voters have rejected the politics of hate and religious extremism.

POLITICS-CHINA: Kosovo Holds Lessons For Tibet, Taiwan

Tiny Kosovo may be worlds apart from China but the territory’s unilateral declaration of independence this week has explosive implications for the Asian giant.

POLITICS-PAKISTAN: Voters Get Carrots, Sticks in Lacklustre Polls

Voter apathy marked Monday’s general elections that were accompanied by allegations of massive manipulations and violence on the one hand and lofty promises of development and cash gifts by some candidates on the other.

POLITICS: Can the U.S. Brace Its Fall?

"Is the American era over?" That was the big question that launched a lengthy analysis by veteran international affairs reporter James Kitfield in the influential ‘National Journal’ last May. Significantly, the article - which featured interviews with an all-star cast of former top U.S. policy-makers - was titled "The Decline Begins."

POLITICS-PAKISTAN: Massive Manipulation Of Poll Process Alleged

Although many Pakistanis see Monday’s polls as an opportunity to move forward, away from military interference in politics, the pre-poll process has taken place amid allegations of massive rigging and manipulation.

EAST TIMOR: Australia Flexes Muscles Following Coup Bid

Australia’s rapid response to this week’s attacks on East Timor’s president and prime minister speaks volumes about how East Timor’s large southern neighbour sees its role in the fledgling nation and the region.

POLITICS-US: Election Outcome May Hinge on Youth Vote

Voters under the age of 30 are becoming more influential in the American political process, according to recent statistics. When historians write about the 2008 Presidential election, they may very well dub it the "Year of the Youth Vote."

POLITICS-MALAYSIA: Civil Society Leaders Enter Election Fray

Malaysia’s Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi had parliament dissolved Wednesday, paving the way for snap elections that political analysts say will see the opposition gain ground thanks to voter discontent over rising prices, crime and ethnic tension.

EGYPT: In spite of U.S., Cairo Welcomes Iranian Overtures

In recent months, Washington has tried hard to convince Arab leaders of the threat to the Middle East posed by Iranian regional ambitions. Nevertheless, several recent visits to Egypt by top-level Iranian officials suggest that Cairo, despite U.S. objections, may be close to restoring diplomatic ties - severed for almost 30 years - with Tehran.

EAST TIMOR: Involve Indonesia In Stabilisation Efforts?

East Timor President José Ramos-Horta was reported in a stable condition after emergency surgery in Darwin hospital, for gunshot wounds sustained Monday, but his fledgling country appeared heading for a critical phase.

POLITICS-US: The Cat’s Pause

As the man responsible for the health and strength of the U.S. military, Pentagon chief Robert Gates is increasingly finding himself between the devil and the deep blue sea.

LEBANON: Internal Conflict in Chilling Rise

The year 2000 heralded the end of Israel's occupation of Lebanon, with the exception of the much disputed enclave of the Shebaa Farms, located at the country's southern western tip between Israel and Syria. Since then, concern over Hezbollah's new role has been in the political spotlight, leading to a continuous rise in tensions, especially following the 2005 assassination of former prime minister Rafik Hariri.

IRAN: Fishing In Troubled Caspian Waters

The unresolved issue of dividing the Caspian Sea among its five littoral states has become a sensitive one for many Iranians who allege a concession to Russia may be in the making by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s government, in return for supporting Iran’s nuclear policies.

TURKEY: This Turban Could Bring Trouble

Thanks to an alliance between the ruling Justice and Development (AK) and Nationalist Action (MH) parties, the Turkish Grand National Assembly has approved legislation to lift the ban on wearing the Muslim headscarf for female students at universities.

DEVELOPMENT: China Outdoes Europeans in Congo

The massive deal that China signed with the Democratic Republic of Congo last year is not the "second colonisation" that some Europeans allege it is. The agreement appears, in fact, a promising way to kick-start an economy.