Arms Trade Treaty Called a “Leaky Bucket”

As heated negotiations on a global Arms Trade Treaty near their close Friday at United Nations headquarters in New York, members of civil society as well as some U.N. member states are highly disappointed by what they call the draft text's numerous loopholes.

Syria Bolsters Troops in Battle for Aleppo

Activists say thousands of troops have been sent to Syria's second city, Aleppo, as clashes were reported in the city for the sixth consecutive day.

A Divided Security Council Leads Syria into U.N. Dead End

Just before the Western-inspired resolution against Syria was vetoed in the U.N. Security Council (UNSC) last week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was quoted as saying the United Nations was trying to support a revolutionary movement inside the country - which happens to have strong political, economic and military links to Moscow.

Obama Pressed on Syrian End-Game

With the Bashar Al-Assad regime badly bloodied by last week's assassination of its top security officials and fierce fighting over the weekend in both Damascus and Aleppo, the administration of President Barack Obama is being pressed on the U.S. role in the presumed end-game.

New Satellite Evidence Suggests Sudanese Atrocities

An NGO here unveiled new satellite evidence on Friday that would seem to suggest the torching of a village in southern Sudan by state soldiers.

Israel Walls Itself In

As Israel continues to build walls and fences along virtually each of its borders, analysts say the country’s isolationist policies and unwillingness to deal with the Palestinians and other Arab neighbours through anything other than forceful means spells disaster.

Syria Escapes Threatened Sanctions by Third Double Veto at U.N.

Syria became the first country in the history of the United Nations to be "protected" for an unprecedented third time by double vetoes cast by Russia and China in the Security Council.

Investigation Exposes Arms Trafficking Network in Mauritius

An investigation by the Conflict Awareness Project has exposed an active arms trading network of associates of former trafficker Viktor Bout that involves companies from the United States, South Africa and the United Kingdom, among other countries.

Families of U.S. Victims of Drone Attacks Sue Top Officials

Family members of three U.S. citizens killed last year in drone strikes in Yemen filed a lawsuit here Wednesday accusing U.S. intelligence and military officials of violating the victims' rights under the U.S. constitution and international law.

Netanyahu – Unlike Olmert – Refuses Explicit Iran Attack Threat

The perception that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is threatening to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities unless sanctions and diplomacy succeed in shutting them down has been the driving force in the Iran crisis.

Syria Blast Strikes at Heart of Assad’s Rule

Syria's defence minister and interior minister are among those who were killed after a suicide bomber struck the National Security building in Damascus during a meeting of cabinet ministers and senior security officials, state media reported.

Negotiators Lack Focus at Arms Treaty Talks, Observers Warn

More than halfway through four-week negotiations for a binding treaty to regulate the global weapons trade, observers are warning that the talks are a week behind schedule.

Report Claims No Pakistani Civilian Deaths from Drones in 2012

Civilian deaths due to drone strikes in Pakistan are falling rapidly, and the death rate is now close to zero - or so asserts a New America Foundation (NAF) report.

Sudan, South Sudan Resume Talks Amid Doubts for Long-term Success

Ahead of an Aug. 2 deadline, the leaders of Sudan and South Sudan over the weekend engaged in their first direct talks since hostilities spiked in late April.

Russia Says West Using “Blackmail” over Syria

Russia has said it would block moves at the U.N. Security Council to extend a U.N. monitoring mission in Syria if Western powers did not stop resorting to "blackmail" by threatening sanctions against Damascus.

Human Rights Worse After Gaddafi

“The human rights situation in Libya now is far worse than under the late dictator Muammar Gaddafi,” Nasser al-Hawary, researcher with the Libyan Observatory for Human Rights tells IPS.

SOUTH KOREA: Stuck in the 20th Century?

South Korea is at the cutting edge of global technology. It is one of the most wired countries, and its biggest cities have the fastest Internet connections in the world.

Obama Piles New Sanctions Against Iran

In the latest ratcheting up of pressure on Iran, the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama Thursday imposed new financial sanctions against Iranian and other companies whose operations allegedly support the country's nuclear and ballistic-missile programmes.

U.N. Increasingly Reliant on Private Security Contractors

The United Nations is increasingly hiring Private Military and Security Companies (PMSCs) for its missions across the world, raising concerns over the use of firms known for participation in human rights abuses, as well as an overall lack of accountability structures governing these contractors within the U.N. system.

U.S. Commits 10 Million for Mali Refugees as Intervention Talk Builds

President Barack Obama on Thursday authorised the release of 10 million dollars in emergency funding to help with the refugee crisis stemming from continued violence in northern Mali, in response to warnings that international aid efforts were in danger of drying up in coming months.

Widespread Muslim Scepticism of U.S. as Democracy Advocate

Despite continuous assurances that the United States favours democratic rule during the 18-month-old "Arab Spring", majorities or pluralities in six predominantly Muslim countries see Washington as an obstacle to their democratic aspirations, according to a new survey released here Tuesday.