Regions

Two items of note: Weak Opposition to Karzai, So Far… The Afghan Election Commission started excepting nominations for presidential and provincial offices for the upcoming August elections and one thing seems clear, incumbent President Hamid Karzai appears to have a strong chance at retaining his position. No other major candidate has so far put in […]

The schools are closed. Soccer matches are played in empty stadiums and movie theaters have closed their doors. There are no public events and it is no longer possible to have lunch in a restaurant. The army has been giving out masks out on the streets. Shopping malls are nearly empty, as well as the […]

Has the Speaker of Kenya’s Parliament come up with a temporary palliative to the proximate cause of tension between President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga? Speaker Kenneth Marende has stepped in as temporary chair of the House Business Committee in Parliament, a disputed post that has been the source of tensions between Kibaki and […]

Following Jordanian King Abdullah’s visit to the White House last week, Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh spoke with Middle East Progress, stressing the need for a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Unlike representatives from other Arab nations, he stated that the Arab Peace Initiative does not expire, but he urged a quick resolution to the […]

This is a busy week for the normally sleepy town of Tromsø, Norway a city over 200 miles north of the Arctic Circle, as it is hosting two conferences: one on global warming, and the annual Arctic Council meeting. Global Warming Conference On Tuesday, Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and former Vice President Al […]

RAWALPINDI: Following successful operation against militants in Lower Dir, security forces on Tuesday afternoon launched an offensive against the Taliban militants in the Buner district. “The aim of the offensive, which began at 4 pm, is to eliminate and expel the militants from Buner,” Inter-Services Public Relations Director General Maj-Gen Athar Abbas told a news […]

The point of no return could be crossed in the near future if the Taliban are not subjected to decisive and telling action. The government dithered and the army stayed its hand even as the militants who want nothing less than the state’s overthrow flexed their muscles and moved from Swat to Buner and then […]

‘Operation Pathway’ was perhaps destined for failure the moment the UK’s top counter-terrorism officer was photographed with files providing details of planned police raids on Pakistani students. The officer concerned was forced to resign and the police action, which had been in the works for months, was moved forward at short notice. The result: mass […]

Is it racist to oppose the African National Congress? Of course not. And the very question can reveal a deep-seeded, self-serving cynicism on the part of those who would levy such an accusation. At the same time, there is one reality that makes that cynicism practicable: While it is not racist to oppose the ANC it […]

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton came to Beirut this past weekend to voice American support for the pro-Western March 14 coalition of Sunni and Christian leaders in the upcoming election. She delivered a letter to President Sleiman from President Obama declaring that the United States would not “sell out” Lebanon in any deal made in […]

Canadian Governor General Michaelle Jean arrived today in Oslo, Norway to embark on a three-day tour of the country meant to bring the two states closer together. The Governor General is the official representative of the Queen of England. She remarked that Canada and Norway’s shared northern geography makes them “brother and sister in the […]

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown visited the Afghan government in Kabul and with British troops in Helmand Province yesterday and is on to Pakistan today. Brown was there to show his support for his nation’s troops and offer support to President Karzai and his government. Brown announced that he would ‘announce‘ a new British strategy […]