New Israeli Deputy PM Undercuts Strategy of Pressure on Obama

By staking out a policy line on Iran reflecting the views of the Israeli national security leadership, Deputy Prime Minister Shaul Mofaz has undercut the Benjamin Netanyahu government's carefully planned strategy to get U.S. President Barack Obama to threaten war against Iran if it doesn't give up its nuclear programme.

U.S. Aid Policies in Pakistan Resulting in Anti-U.S. Sentiment

Despite President Barack Obama's stated policy of using foreign aid to improve public perception of the United States in Pakistan, two major new reports suggest that U.S. policies are exacerbating an already soured relationship.

Explanations Demanded on U.S. Inaction on Conflict Minerals

A U.S. government agency is being questioned on why it is dragging its feet on 2010 legislation that would increase transparency in extractive industries around the world, one aim of which would be to cut down on the global trade in "conflict minerals".

Q&A: Children Killed with Impunity in Syria

Radhika Coomaraswamy has been the United Nations Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict since April 2006.

New Initiative to Combat Toxic Threats

Reducing the risks associated with chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) threats is the goal of a new multi-country initiative known as the Centres of Excellence (CoE).

Conflict Heats Up in the Sahara

"We’ve been building a lot of new walls lately," says Polisario Front commander Ahmed Salem as he drives his 4 X 4 across Tindouf in Western Algeria. But the newly introduced security measures may not be enough to ensure the survival of the Western Sahrawis.

Maldives Sees Islamist Resurgence

Former Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed expressed concerns Monday about the state of democracy in his home country, noting the dividing effect of a rising tide of Islamist extremism.

U.S. Dangerously Short-Sighted on Yemen, Experts Warn

As President Barack Obama's administration becomes further enmeshed in what many are calling an undeclared war in Yemen, observers here are urging the government to broaden its policy approach to the country beyond counterterrorism.

OP-ED: Bahrain Repression Belies Government Stand on Dialogue

Bahrain remains a repressive state, and civil rights are violated daily.

Activists Working to Reinvigorate Campaign Against LRA

Activists are aiming to renew the fight against the Lord's Resistance Army, the Ugandan rebel group made infamous by its ruthless leader Joseph Kony, despite noticeably diminished concern for the issue just months after the release of a controversial yet viral video about the leader.

Former Militants in Pakistan Hunted Down by Taliban

“I joined the Taliban six years ago but deserted them last year because I felt that they were wrong. Now, the Taliban are chasing me like a shadow. They want to kill me,” said Abdul Ghafoor, 39, who surrendered to the army in northwest Pakistan in August 2011 and vowed to support the government’s peace efforts.

Little Optimism for Iran Talks, But Lots of Advice

On the eve of a third round of critical talks between Iran and the so-called P5+1 – the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council plus Germany – on Tehran's nuclear programme, optimism about a breakthrough is hard to come by.

U.S. Sets Another Record on Defence Sales, Already

The United States is set to far surpass previous records for defence sales this year, according to U.S. officials.

BOOKS: Guarding the Empire from Four Miles Up

They are unpopular all over the world, with one exception. According to a new Pew Research Center poll, the only country where a majority of citizens support drone strikes is the country that uses the new technology most regularly: the United States.

U.S.: “No Going Back” on Democratic Transition in Egypt, Says Clinton

As angry demonstrators gathered once again in Cairo's Tahrir Square to protest what many are calling a "soft coup" by the military, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton insisted that Washington still expects "a full transfer or power to a democratically elected civilian government" in Egypt.

Former Girl Soldiers Trade One Nightmare for Another

"When I was still at school I was abducted by the Lord's Resistance Army, along with 139 other girls," says Grace Akallo. "I spent seven months in captivity, but I survived, I escaped and I went back home."

Communal Violence Threatens Democratic Change in Myanmar

The outbreak over the past week of communal violence between Buddhists and Muslims in Rakhine State seriously threatens the ongoing reform process in Myanmar, according to experts here.

World Slightly More Peaceful, Despite U.S. Militarisation

Countering a two-year trend, the world overall became slightly more peaceful over the past year, according to an annual report released here on Tuesday.

Tension Around Possible Islamic State in Northern Mali

Tuareg and Islamist rebel groups which seized control of northern Mali in March are trying to find common ground for the joint administration of the territory. Residents of the region fear that individual and collective freedoms will not be respected if such an alliance sets up an Islamic state.

U.S.-Pakistan Talks on NATO Supply Lines Stopped

Six weeks of talks between Pakistan and the United States have been halted, a Defence Department official stated here on Monday.

SYRIA: Conscience Is Their Only Armour

With the international community vowing to ratchet up pressure on the Syrian government, non-violent activists say they remain undeterred even as the situation seems to be deteriorate daily.