U.S.: Bipartisan Experts Urge “Partnership” with Russia

The administration of U.S. President Barack Obama should work hard on areas of common interest with Russia in order to build a "partnership, however uneasy," that would serve Washington's interests in key areas, including non-proliferation, energy, and counter-terrorism, according to a new report released here Monday by the Nixon Centre and the Belfer Centre for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University.

RIGHTS-VIETNAM: End of the Road for Agent Orange Victims?

Where can Vietnamese victims of Agent Orange get justice? Probably nowhere, after the United States Supreme Court refused to hear, this month, a final appeal by Vietnamese plaintiffs against chemical giants Dow and Monsanto.

ECONOMY-CHINA: National Interest First – Wen Jiabao

While much hope is focused on China as the one bright spot in the current financial gloom, Chinese leaders are drawing a line on global expectations, reminding the world that their country’s priorities come first.

POLITICS-JAPAN: Thinking Big in Crisis Time

Japan has entered a season of grand strategising. Government commissions, business associations, leading foundations, and academic working groups are all developing blueprints for a new, 21st-century Japanese role in the world.

AUSTRALIA: African Resources Behind Growing Links

With hundreds of Australian mining companies now involved in the extraction of natural resources in Africa, the Rudd government is also aiming to play a bigger role in the continent’s affairs.

SOUTH-EAST ASIA: Civil Society Sees Influential Ally in Thai Govt

The Thai government is being showered with rare praise from a traditional adversary, South-east Asian civil society, for the diplomatic high note it struck during a recently concluded regional summit.

ASIA PACIFIC: Know Your Indonesia – Australians Urged

One is cohesive, has a relatively small population and has been democratic since its foundation; the other is fragmented, is one of the world’s most-populous nations and only emerged from years of authoritarian rule a decade ago.

SOUTH-EAST ASIA: Leaders Look to UN for Help With Burma

South-east Asian leaders ended a summit here on Sunday by placing greater faith in the United Nations, than their regional bloc in dealing with a member - military-ruled Burma.

KOREAS: ‘Missile Rattling Won’t Work’

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak warned leaders in North Korea on Sunday that it would be counterproductive for Pyongyang to pursue a path involving the development of missiles that threaten its neighbours.

SOUTH-EAST ASIA: Plans for Regional Rights Body Hit Realities

Plans to create a regional human rights body for the ten-nation South-east Asian bloc are threatening to expose the gulf that separates countries that seek to respect political and civil liberties and the notorious violators.

SOUTH-EAST ASIA: ‘Bali Process’ May Address Rohingya Crisis

South-east Asian governments are examining the possibility of using a seven-year-old regional mechanism, known as the ‘’Bali Process,’’ to find an answer to minority Muslim Rohingyas fleeing ethnic cleansing in military-ruled Burma.

SOUTH-EAST ASIA: Civil Society Edges Deeper Into Regional Summit

In a nod towards greater engagement with people’s organisations, a summit of South-east Asian leaders in this resort town will slightly extend its customary face-to-face with civil society representatives.

US-RUSSIA: Let’s Be Frenemies

A long list of top U.S. officials is urging renewed diplomatic ties between the U.S. and Russia.

ENVIRONMENT-JAPAN: Jail For Nailing Scientific Whaling Lies?

Two Greenpeace activists who exposed a black market in whale meat run by the crew of Japanese whalers face up to 10 years in jail while the government shows no discomfiture over the nailing of its ‘scientific whaling’ claims.

POLITICS: Doomsday Clock May Finally Stop Ticking

The Barack Obama administration’s apparent resolve to take U.S. foreign policy in a new direction is creating ripples of hope for an enhanced U.N. agenda on nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament.

POLITICS: The U.S. Is Back in Geneva

United States diplomats are back in force at the U.N., after having distanced themselves from the world body for several years. This week they contributed to successful mediation between Georgia and Russia, although they did not help resolve a stalemate on gay rights.

CHINA: Clinton Trip Raises Hopes and Fears

United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's upcoming maiden trip to China this week has raised both expectations and apprehensions in Beijing.

CHINA-US: Clinton Urged to Press Beijing on Human Rights

Seven major U.S. and international rights groups are calling on U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to make human rights issues a top priority in her meetings in Beijing next week with Chinese officials.

DEVELOPMENT: Swiss Aid Growing Despite Depression

The global economic and financial crisis has raised questions about whether the level of official development aid from the rich world will be maintained in future, at a time when the needs of the developing and emerging countries are growing as a result of the crisis.

SRI LANKA: India Speaks Up For Embattled Tamils

As humanitarian agencies warned of a major crisis unfolding in Sri Lanka, Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee made a quick dash Colombo to extract promises concerning the safety of some 250,000 ethnic Tamils trapped in fighting between separatist rebels and government troops.

CARIBBEAN: High-Tech Systems Trace Influx of Illegal Arms

The figures are staggering. About half a billion small arms are in use around the world and nearly half a million people are killed by them annually.