POLITICS-JAPAN: Tectonic Upheavals Await Ruling LDP

The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has ruled Japan for all but one of the last 53 years. But the LDP's unpopularity, the rise of a strong second party with a charismatic leader and a limp economy may combine to upend Japanese politics in 2008.

SRI LANKA: Writing Tamil Tigers&#39 Obit

By withdrawing from the Norwegian-brokered ceasefire, signed in 2002 with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), the Sri Lankan government is only ‘’legalising existing ground reality,’’ a government spokesman says.

POLITICS-US: How the Pentagon Planted a False Hormuz Story

Senior Pentagon officials, evidently reflecting a broader administration policy decision, used an off-the-record Pentagon briefing to turn the Jan. 6 U.S.-Iranian incident in the Strait of Hormuz into a sensational story demonstrating Iran's military aggressiveness, a reconstruction of the events following the incident shows.

POLITICS-KENYA: Annan&#39s Weighty Terms of Engagement

Former U.N. chief Kofi Annan has his work cut out for him as Kenya 's tenth parliament is due to convene Tuesday amid calls from the opposition Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) for a 3-day mass protest beginning Wednesday.

POLITICS-CHINA: Taiwan Closer to Reunification

Despite Taiwan’s pro-China opposition landslide win in the weekend legislative elections, Beijing remains anxious about the outcome of the Mar. 22 presidential vote, anticipating surprise last-hour twists in an already fiercely contested race.

POLITICS-US: Official Version of Naval Incident Starts to Unravel

Despite the official and media portrayal of the incident in the Strait of Hormuz early Monday morning as a serious threat to U.S. ships from Iranian speedboats that nearly resulted in a "battle at sea", new information over the past three days suggests that the incident did not involve such a threat and that no U.S. commander was on the verge of firing at the Iranian boats.

MIDEAST: U.S. Seen in Policy Retreat

Recent months have witnessed several notable political reorientations in the Middle East, involving Iran, the Gulf states, Egypt and Lebanon. Several experts say the changes reflect a shift in Washington's regional strategy following recent U.S. policy setbacks.

BOLIVIA: Talks Hold Out Hope in Polarised Country

Bringing Bolivia’s four youngest and strongest sons back into the fold will not be an easy task for leftist President Evo Morales, who is attempting to keep a heavily polarised country together.

POLITICS: Will Naval Incident Undermine Bush&#39s Iran Message?

It is by now almost routine. With recurring frequency, U.S. leaders tour the Middle East depicting Iran as the region's greatest threat.

POLITICS-KENYA: Kibaki Spoils Reconciliation Bid

When Kenya’s controversially re-elected president, Mwai Kibaki, appeared on national television to address the nation Tuesday evening, hopes were that he would address the humanitarian crisis his country faces in the wake of post- election tribal violence and hold out an olive branch to his rival Raila Odinga.

PAKISTAN: Bhutto&#39s Murder Rekindles Ethnic Suspicions

The assassination of Benazir Bhutto, leader of the powerful Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and twice prime minister, has pushed to the brink a country already known for regionalism and ethnic suspicion.

COLOMBIA: Hostage Release “Blasted”

- "Uribe, reflect, my brother, let’s work for peace," said Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez when the release of three hostages by Colombia’s FARC guerrillas was postponed over the New Year’s holidays.

POLITICS-US: Rice and Gates Divided over Iran’s Role in Iraq

A State Department official's assertion in late December that Iran had exerted a restraining influence on Iraqi Shiite militia violence signaled a major divergence of views between Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Secretary of Defence Robert Gates over how to portray Iran's role in Iraq.

CHALLENGES 2007-2008: New Year Begins Unhappily In What Was Home

The end of 2007 produced a telltale indication of what the New Year seems likely to bring to Iraq.

POLITICS-MALAYSIA: Election Year Fraught With Multiple Troubles

Malaysia enters what is widely expected to be an election year with its ruling coalition looking its frailest in recent times. Economic grievances, inter-religious disputes and unfulfilled pledges have spawned growing disillusionment with the administration of Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi that could erode popular support for the ruling coalition.

POLITICS: A Tribunal for Bhutto?

When former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri died in a bomb blast in February 2005, the United Nations Security Council immediately passed a resolution calling for the establishment of an international tribunal to investigate his murder.

CHALLENGES 2007-2008: Bush’s Twilight Year Looks Grim

If the last days of 2007 are any indication, U.S. President George W. Bush’s last year in office is shaping up as grim and lonely.

CHALLENGES 2007-2008: Iraq Progresses To Some Of Its Worst

Despite all the claims of improvements, 2007 has been the worst year yet in Iraq.

COLOMBIA: Hostages Release Goes Far Beyond Personal Ordeal

The long ordeal of two of the 45 hostages held by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), whose release was promised by the guerrilla leadership on Dec. 18, appears at long last to be coming to an end.

POLITICS-KENYA: Voters Reaffirm Democracy; Now It&#39s the Politicians&#39 Turn

Kenya's presidential, parliamentary and local council polls on Thursday were far from perfect. The main opposition candidate for the presidency and favourite to win the election could not locate his name in the voters' register in a constituency he has represented for the past 15 years.

CHALLENGES 2007-2008: Gates Led Realist Resurgence in ‘07

2007 will likely go down in U.S. history as the year in which the balance of power in the long-running struggle between hawks and realists in the administration of President George W. Bush shifted decisively in favour of the latter.