POLITICS: Iran Nuke Moves Hint at Interest in Deal

Iran's unexpected agreement with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) head Mohamed Elbaradei to resolve old issues surrounding its nuclear programme in less than two months, and the fact that it has installed only two-thirds of the centrifuges previously announced, indicate that Tehran may be positioning itself for another bid for a diplomatic solution.

CLIMATE CHANGE: The New Utopia, Keeping the World As It Is

Utopias have always inspired humankind - from the defence of enlightenment against religious fanaticism during the Middle Ages, to reconstruction after last century's wars, to the end of colonialism.

POLITICS: Bush Indictment of Iran Tops Usual Rhetoric

The George W. Bush administration has seemingly taken advantage of the Congressional recess to escalate tensions with Iran.

EUROPE: Russian Gas May Escape Politics

Many European politicians look desperately for alternatives to Russian gas, but while concerns over excessive dependency on one source are legitimate, many have missed the point that in the big energy game economic considerations weigh more heavily than political ideology.

DEVELOPMENT: Farewell to "Flush and Forget"

In urban settings, the one-time use of water to disperse human and industrial wastes is becoming an outmoded practice, made obsolete by new technologies and water shortages.

INDIA/JAPAN: Abe’s Visit Underlines New Strategic Alliance

With Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s just-concluded maiden visit to India, New Delhi has taken one more step towards fashioning a new posture towards East Asia, seeking to expand its political influence in the region and strengthen economic ties with it.

MEDIA-US: How Iraq War Backers Morphed Into “Critics”

Sep. 15 is the deadline for the George W. Bush administration to submit a report to Congress defending its Iraq "surge strategy", an escalation of more than 30,000 U.S. troops designed to increase security in the war-torn nation.

SOUTH KOREA: Pyongyang Can Queer Presidential Elections Pitch

What may have won businessman Lee Myung-Bak a nomination as front-runner for the Dec. 19 presidential elections favoured to replace left-wing incumbent Roh Moo-Hyun is public sentiment for a return to the days when South Korea enjoyed a strong economy.

MIDEAST: Preparing for War, Talking Peace

Israeli officials have used almost every public platform over the last week to declare that Israel has no war-like intentions toward Syria. Officials in Damascus have made similar soothing proclamations, insisting they have no belligerent intentions toward Jerusalem. And, recently, senior officials from two Arab states passed on messages to Israel that Syria is not planning an attack in the coming months.

UKRAINE: Election Set to Bring Another Crisis

The political crisis that has ravaged Ukraine since President Viktor Yushchenko decided to dissolve parliament is not likely to end with the early elections scheduled for Sep. 30.

TURKEY: Gul’s Nomination Risky for Erdogan

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's decision to nominate Abdullah Gul as candidate for the presidency of Turkey can only be labelled brave. Half of the country's population, joined by the opposition and the General Staff of the armed forces (TSK), had expected that another, moderate personality would have been put forward for the post.

POLITICS: Terror Label for Guard Corp Entrenches US-Iran Enmity

The White House's decision to designate the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps as a terrorist organisation could deal a double blow to efforts to utilise diplomacy with Iran to stabilise Iraq.

IRAQ: U.S. Tags Iran for Casualties from Its Own Attacks

When a top U.S. commander in Iraq reported last week that attacks by Shiite militias with links to Iran had risen to 73 percent of all July attacks that had killed or wounded U.S. forces in Baghdad, he claimed it was because of an effort by Iran to oust the United States from Iraq, referring to "intelligence reports" of a "surge" in Iranian assistance.

PAKISTAN-AFGHANISTAN: Kabul Peace Jirga Falls Short

In a sharp departure from Pakistan's repeated denials of providing sanctuary to the Taliban, President Pervez Musharraf for the first time acknowledged in his speech to the Kabul peace jirga that there is support for the Taliban in the tribal areas of his country.

TURKEY: It’s About What the Wife Wears

The ten-day campaign for election of the 11th president of the Turkish Republic kicked off last Friday, but the names of the candidates are still unknown. The name of Abdullah Gul, minister for foreign affairs, remains on top of the aspirants list. However, there is growing speculation that a more moderate leader may be nominated through multi-party consensus.

POLITICS-INDIA: Nuke Deal With US Draws Domestic Opposition

The "breakthrough" United States-India nuclear cooperation agreement finalised three weeks ago in Washington has run into serious all-round opposition in India and put Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in a piquant situation

POLITICS-US: Anbar "Turnaround" Undercuts War Rationale

In hailing what he has called an "almost breathtaking" turnaround in Anbar Province that has weakened al Qaeda as a triumph for his new military strategy in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus has put a favourable spin on a development which actually challenges the central rationale for continued U.S. military occupation of Iraq.

AFGHANISTAN: Reconstruction Can Help Win War Against Taliban

On Jul. 26, coalition aircraft pounded Taliban targets in Helmand province in southern Afghanistan, killing 78 civilians and reducing to rubble, countless mud-walled homes.

US/MIDDLE EAST: ‘Plan Against Iran May Trigger Arms Race’

The new United States plan to sell arms to Saudi Arabia and other allies in the Middle East to counter growing Iranian influence could trigger an arms race and worsen instability in an already volatile region, say experts.

POLITICS: U.S. Demanding Iran Restrain Shiite Groups

A little-noticed statement by U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker after last week's U.S.-Iran meeting revealed that the main demand of the George W. Bush administration to Iran is not to stop supplying weapons to Shiite militias but to use its influence with Shiites in Iraq to reduce their attacks on occupation forces.

TURKEY: Constitutional Struggle Is Not Yet Over

The election of the 11th president has returned to the table as a hot issue after the military declaration Monday evening that it stands by its views expressed in the spring on the profile of the next head of state.