SOMALIA: Manifestation of Stealth Trusteeship

Somalia is currently under what James Fearon and David Laitin of Stanford University call "a neo-trusteeship system". Various external powers, while disagreeing among themselves, make the important decisions for the Somali people.

COTE D’IVOIRE: Pro-Ouattara Forces Launch Palace Assault

Heavy fighting is continuing in Abidjan where forces loyal to Côte d'Ivoire's presidential rivals are battling for control of the country's main city.

Rights Groups Deplore Order to Try 9/11 Suspects at Guantanamo

U.S. human rights groups reacted angrily to the Justice Department's announcement Monday that the self-acclaimed mastermind of the 9/11 attacks on Lower Manhattan and the Pentagon will be tried before a military commission at the Guantanamo detention facility in Cuba.

LATIN AMERICA: Tracking Down Radioactive Food Imports

Rather belatedly, Latin America is beginning to test products imported from Japan to check that they are not contaminated with radioactivity from the Fukushima nuclear power station that was severely damaged by the Mar. 11 earthquake and tsunami.

U.N. Member States Falter in Protecting Staffers, Peacekeepers

The United Nations has remained virtually helpless as hundreds of its staffers, mostly peacekeepers, are killed, kidnapped or victimised by unbridled violence worldwide.

MIDEAST: Goldstone’s Volte-Face Gladdens Israelis, Angers Palestinians

Israelis have breathed a national sigh of relief following the publication of an absolutely unexpected article in last Friday's Washington Post. The column's title and author said it all.

CLIMATE CHANGE: Uncertain Future of Kyoto Protocol Alarms Green Groups

With just seven months to go before a pivotal U.N. climate change summit in South Africa, green groups are raising the alarm here about the future of the Kyoto Protocol, the world’s only international treaty that mandates most industrialised nations to cut their environment polluting greenhouse gases (GHG) to save the planet from overheating.

OP-ED: Misunderstanding Bahrain’s Shia Protesters

Listening to the rhetoric coming out of Tehran, one might assume that Bahrain's Shia opposition is relying on help from its co-religionists next door. But, in fact, the opposite is true: the Shia opposition wants nothing more than for Tehran to stay out of the sectarian dispute unfolding in the tiny kingdom.

‘Democratic’ Poll Cloaks Kazakh Autocracy

Kazakhstan's nine million registered voters went to the polls Apr. 3. Incumbent Nursultan Nazarbayev is not expected to lose.

/UPDATE*/: Violence Threatens Nigerian Elections

Nigeria's staggered general elections have been postponed after the Independent National Electoral Commission was unable to deliver voting materials to polling stations in time. Campaigning for the polls was overshadowed by pre-election violence including bombings and gun attacks on campaign rallies, politically-motivated assassinations and violent clashes between members of rival parties.

Libya Poses Immigration Challenge to Italy

The influx of migrants arriving from Libya and other African countries has created an unprecedented humanitarian crisis in southern Italy.

U.N. Staff Killed in Afghanistan Quran Protests

Afghan officials say at least 11 people have been killed at a United Nations operational centre in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif when protests over the burning of the Quran by an American preacher turned violent.

Violence Threatens Nigerian Elections

As Nigerians go to the polls on Apr. 2, pre-election violence has raised fears the elections will not be free and fair. The campaign period has featured bombings and gun attacks on campaign rallies, politically-motivated assassinations and violent clashes between members of rival parties.

HONDURAS: Civilians Keen to Redefine Role of Military

Reasserting effective civilian control over the Honduran armed forces, after a coup that overthrew President Manuel Zelaya in June 2009, will require constitutional reform and a greater grasp by society on defence issues.

Fukushima Forces Europe to Rethink Nuclear Energy

The unfolding catastrophe at the Japanese nuclear power plant Fukushima has forced a number of European countries to radically rethink their energy policies and eventually renounce nuclear power.

In Cambodia, Women Fear Death at Childbirth

Death haunts women in this Cambodian village at a moment of happiness - when they give birth.

PHILIPPINES: Migrant Workers Put Jobs Before Safety in Libya

Amidst political turmoil in Libya, thousands of migrant workers from the Philippines face a dilemma - either they risk their lives working in the conflict- ridden country, or they return home and face job insecurity.

ECONOMY-ARGENTINA: Unemployment and Shortage of Skilled Workers Coexist

Despite the fast growth of the Argentine economy, unemployment remains a tough nut to crack. While many areas face a dearth of skilled workers, a large number of unskilled workers find it impossible to land a job.

Syria Braces for Mass Demonstrations

Syrian opposition movements are readying for a day of rallies, dubbed "Friday of Martyrs", across the country even as authorities announced a raft of measures aimed at meeting some of the protesters' demands.

COTE D’IVOIRE: U.S., U.N. Press Gbagbo to Yield

As forces loyal to Ivorian President-elect Alassane Ouattara closed in on Abidjan Thursday, the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon called for the incumbent president, Laurent Gbabgo, to immediately step down.

BAHRAIN: Slashing Levies to Help Businesses Cope With Unrest

Bahrain is considering slashing or putting on hold levies on businesses to help them cope with the deteriorating economy, with losses topping an estimated 500 million dollars since the beginning of unrest here in February.