EUROPE: Cold War Leaves Some Chilling Ghosts

'The Cold War as ancient history', ran a headline in the International Herald Tribune Feb. 4, above an article on how teenagers in the former East Berlin know little about communism.

POLITICS-INDIA: Paying a Price For Launching Israeli Spy Satellite

India's traditionally friendly relations with Iran have come under unprecedented strain because of the launching of an Israeli spy satellite by an Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) rocket a fortnight ago.

TURKEY: Headscarves Decide National Identity

Turkey's Islamic-rooted governing party is moving ahead with hotly contested constitutional amendments that would lift the ban on headscarves at universities. Opponents see it as a danger-laden step undermining the currently rigid secular regime by introducing Islamic principles that may extend far beyond higher learning.

POLITICS-MALAYSIA: Rising Hindu Activism May Upset Poll Calculations

A new political force - right wing Hindu activism - has emerged in multi-ethnic Malaysia adding, in an election year, volatility to the country's already religiously charged politics dominated by the majority Malay Muslims.

TURKEY: Historic Visit – And Largely Inconsequential

Constantinos Karamanlis, the first Greek prime minister to visit Turkey in 49 years, ended an uneventful three-day official trip to Ankara and Istanbul last week that is unlikely to have any impact on the erratic relations between the two East Mediterranean countries.

POLITICS-US: One More Year of the Same

With just less than one year left in his presidency, George W. Bush remains as focused as ever on the Middle East and Iraq and appears reluctant to take on any major new foreign policy challenges in the time that he remains in power.

WORLD SOCIAL FORUM: More Words than Action

Unlike the massive gatherings of past years, the World Social Forum’s "Global Day of Action" Saturday did not fill avenues around the world, nor did it make headlines in any major progressive media outlet, let alone mainstream ones.

TURKEY: No Agreement, But a Breakthrough

For the first time in half a century, a Greek head of government has paid an official visit to Turkey. The two Mediterranean neighbours, often described as the worst of friends or the best of enemies, attempt to tackle their old problems in a volatile eastern Mediterranean.

FINANCE: Global Meltdowns and the Perversions of Lucre

No explanation of the financial malaise afflicting the world economy would be complete without mention of Wall Street's bankrolling of politicians, pay practices, and shifting of risk to investors.

POLITICS: Kenya’s Problem Goes Beyond Ethnicity and Elections

There is more to Kenya’s post-election violence than a bungled vote count and so-called tribal rivalries. As protests degenerate into organised ethnic violence in Rift Valley towns and countryside, the root-cause of the unrest lies elsewhere.

WORLD SOCIAL FORUM: Diversity, a Birthright Waiting to Be Recognised

For many people, the World Social Forum (WSF)’s influence and effect is waning, perhaps because it has outpaced public opinion and the dominant political processes, but not the real needs of the times, which require complex and urgent solutions.

INDONESIA: The &#39Kemusuk Thug&#39 Is Finally Dead

Minutes after hearing of Suharto’s passing away on Sunday, Marco, a militia leader in the capital, donned battle fatigues and raced to the former president’s mansion on Cendana street to help with guard duties.

MIDEAST: Alarm Bells Sound Over “Jewish State”

Within recent months, several Israeli and U.S. officials have stressed Israel's unique character as a "Jewish state". But according to many Arab observers, the designation negates the right of Palestinian refugees to return to Israel, and leaves the door open to expulsion of Israel's Arab citizens.

INDIA/US: Nuclear Deal Runs Out of Steam

Has the controversial United States-India nuclear cooperation deal finally run out of steam after tough, and at times tortuous, negotiations spread over two-and-a-half years?

KENYA: Media’s Role in the Election Fallout

As Kenya’s tenth parliament met for the first time last week, the violence that rocked the country after the announcement of Mwai Kibaki as the presidential winner in the Dec. 2007 elections had largely died down. But the country is bracing for more violence and turmoil.

TRADE: ”Divide and Rule” Manoeuvre Planned for WTO Doha Round?

Process issues have once again risen to the fore in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) as members brace themselves for the release of a new set of negotiating texts for agricultural and industrial tariff liberalisation at the end of this month or early February.

EGYPT: Bush Visit Brings Rift with Washington

During his recent eight-day tour of the Middle East, U.S. President George W. Bush spent only three hours in Egypt, a key U.S. ally. According to some local commentators, Bush's short stopover did much to suggest that the longstanding "strategic relationship" between Washington and Cairo is showing signs of strain.

SERBIA: Preparing to Vote Really Between EU and Russia

The two leading candidates in the presidential elections Sunday headed into a second round Feb. 3 as expected. Less expected was the high turnout.

TURKEY: Restoration Plan Over Bumpy Road

A day after French President Nicolas Sarkozy expounded on his plan for 2008 and coined the term "policy of civilisation", Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan presented his road map for the new year, which he baptised the "national restoration plan".

TRADE-AFRICA: Doha Round Stuck on Issues of Development (Again)

African negotiators are concerned that their development concerns have been sidelined in the much vaunted Doha Development Round of negotiations at the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Whether the round, which has missed previous deadlines, will be concluded this year or not depends on several issues.

CHALLENGES 2007-2008: U.S. Election Fever May Delay Doha Talks

A busy negotiating schedule is lined up for this year at the World Trade Organisation (WTO). The question remains whether negotiators will have to continue passing the time as the powers-that-be in Washington are consumed by pre-election politics, or if the technical solutions which they have been working on could, in fact, lead to a conclusion of the Doha Development Round.