TURKEY: Chilling Mid-Summer Elections Coming Up

The generals are in their offices, the troops and tanks in the barracks, the students at school, and the tourists in the bazaars. Life in Turkey is back to normal. Abdulah Gül's decision to withdraw his controversial candidature to the Turkish presidency has made this possible.

BRITAIN: With Friends Like His…

That boring old truism, that people are judged by the company they keep, must be true also of leaders. Because that is where outgoing British Prime Minister Tony Blair hit his tragic flaw - he kept rather close company with U.S. President George W. Bush.

POLITICS: Can Europe End the Lose-Lose Game with Iran?

As the world powers gather in Berlin this week to discuss new punitive measures against Iran's nuclear programme, Europe is faced with a daunting task.

ENVIRONMENT: Momentum Grows to “Ban the Bulb”

On Feb. 20, Australia announced it would phase out the sale of inefficient incandescent light bulbs by 2010, replacing them with highly efficient compact fluorescent bulbs that use one-fourth as much electricity.

FRANCE: Another Political Thatcher Is Born

Nicolas Sarkozy's triumph in the French presidential elections could open the way for deep political and social changes, not unlike those that began with the era of Margaret Thatcher in Britain in the 1980s.

FRANCE: Another Political Thatcher Is Born

Nicolas Sarkozy's triumph in the French presidential elections could open the way for deep political and social changes, not unlike those that began with the era of Margaret Thatcher in Britain in the 1980s.

IRAN: Sanctions Aggravate Rights Situation

As economic sanctions are applied to this country for its nuclear activities, hardliners in the government are getting strengthened and successfully demanding even harsher curbs on individual liberties.

POLITICS-US: Slowly, Slowly, the Ship of State Turns Realist

With just over 18 months left in office, the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush appears once again to be moving in a more "realist" direction in its dealings with the rest of the world, including the Middle East.

U.S./IRAQ: Bush Holds Iranian Officials as Bargaining Chips

When the George W. Bush administration announced in January that it was targeting Iranian officials in Iraq, it justified the policy as necessary to protect U.S. troops because of their alleged involvement in attacks on U.S. forces.

ENERGY-CENTRAL ASIA: Wrangling Over Pipelines Wrecks Early Prospects

A combination of East-West geopolitical rivalries and haggling between former Soviet republics is delaying the construction of a series of oil and gas pipelines that could help alleviate the world's future energy supply concerns.

INDIA: Trillion Dollar Economy Status – Mixed Blessing

India's emergence as the 12th country in the world with a trillion-dollar economy could prove to be a mixed blessing. There are fears that it could slow down the growth of this country's computer software and information technology (IT)-enabled services as well as the export of textiles and garments.

TURKEY: Damocles’ Sword Now Hanging Lower

The Chinese have a saying, ‘May you live in interesting times'. It's a curse. Turkey has been living in "interesting times" for the past two weeks. And it may be a while before the country reverts to uninteresting ones.

TURKEY: The Military Weighs In

Turkey's presidential election, once considered a simple matter by a parliament under single- party domination, has become a major case before the Constitutional Court - complicated by a sudden military involvement.

JAPAN/US: China Remains Main Concern

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's first visit to the United States comes at a time of great uncertainty for both Japan and Asia. The North Korean nuclear crisis remains suspended between crisis and resolution. The free trade agreement between the United States and South Korea, still unratified, will have an unclear impact on the rest of East Asia.

JAPAN: Abe’s US Visit – One More Step to a Formal Military

More than half-a-year after he took office, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will pay his first visit to the United States on Thursday - a much delayed trip considering that Japan-U.S. ties are top priority.

POLITICS-INDIA: Dalit Woman Favoured to Win Polls in Key State

When the results of the ongoing elections in northern Uttar Pradesh state are out on May 11 chances are high that a ‘hung' assembly would emerge, reflective of the highly fragmented polity in India's most populous province.

POLITICS-BANGLADESH: No More a Battle of the Begums

With Bangladesh's two main political figures, Sheikh Hasina Wajed and her arch rival Begum Khaleda Zia, facing indefinite exile, people in this impoverished country expect a spell of governance devoid of corruption, political chicanery, religious fundamentalism and violence.

MIDEAST: Two Percent Israelis Do Trust Olmert

Two percent. That is the lowest-ever recorded trust rating achieved by an Israeli prime minister. And the new record holder is Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

POLITICS-U.S.: Wolfowitz Defenders Double Their Standards

Some of the same neoconservative institutions that are defending World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz against charges that he unethically promoted the career and compensation of his romantic partner were among the most aggressive in attacking former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan for alleged nepotism on behalf of his son.

JAPAN/CHINA: Economically Close, Politically Wide Apart

The smiling photographs of Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao, his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe by his side, suggest serious rapprochement during last week's landmark visit to this country. But the common expression used to define the complex relationship between Asia's two key players remains the same - ‘economically close, politically wide apart'.

MIDDLE EAST: GCC Countries Complicate US’ Iran Plans

With members of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) urging dialogue rather than war with Iran over its nuclear programme and reluctant to allow their territories to be used in any attack, Washington's pressure tactics against Tehran appear to be faltering.