The summer of 2009 was host to a wave of violence and protest organised by the far right in Britain, leading Communities Secretary John Denham to draw comparisons with the fascist agitation of the 1930s that culminated in the Battle of Cable Street. Recent months have seen the arrest of two lone individuals, Neil Lewington and Martyn Gilleard, found to be in possession of homemade explosives. On a larger scale, the emergence of the English Defence League, who coordinated a series of protests ostensibly against Islamic extremism, but which heavily featured less targeted Islamophobic sentiment, has provoked fears of a renewed series of race riots.

Regardless of the politicised nostalgia espoused by the far right, today's right-wing extremists have harnessed the power of Britain's twenty-first century connectivity, making virtual inroads after decades of dormancy. In place of the mass rallies orchestrated by the likes of Albert Speer and feats of propagandistic film making exemplified by the Nazi filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl's A Triumph of the Will, modern day fascism has turned to online forums and viral video.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's condemed violence in China's Xinjiang province as "genocide", amongst other notes of solidarity and outrage across the Muslim world sparked by recent events in Urumqi. Erdogan's remarks drew harsh criticism from Chinese media, and Chinese diplomats have demanded a formal apology. Any hope that China could quickly pacify the region, salvaging its international prestige, were dashed in Urumqi yesterday where two Uyghur men who were allegedly calling for jihad were shot by Chinese security forces, large numbers of whom are still in deployment across the city.

The toD verdict: In terms more familiarly directed against western accusations of human rights abuses, the Chinese state condemned Turkey's "interference in Chinese internal affairs" but there is little hope that the wider Muslim world will turn a blind eye to the treatment of the Uyghur population and China's reputation, and even security abroad may suffer.

Perhaps most significantly, al-Qaeda issued a call for vengeance against Chinese workers in Muslim regions, signalling the first direct threat by the terrorist group against Chinese interests. Hamas warned of the dangers of damaging Chinese relations with Muslim people but did not signal any direct threat. In an apparent nod to the risks China's domestic situation now poses abroad, the Chinese foreign minister announced extra precautions would be taken to guard Chinese interests.

Like Turkey, Indonesia bore witness to anti-Chinese riots, where, as in much of South East Asia, Chinese and Muslim populations live alongside. Whether such popular outrage will substantially damage China's close economic and diplomatic relations with much of the Muslim world remains to be seen.

Tribal forces take fight to the Taliban in North West Pakistan

Local officials in Mohmand district of Pakistan's North West Frontier Province reported that 23 Taliban militants had been killed in an attack by a 150 strong pro-government tribal militia in the region. The militia are said to be pursuing the Taliban, who fled to surrounding highlands. The government has pursued a course of supporting local Lashkars, as the tribal militias are known, in regions beyond the pale of the Pakistani state and its security forces. Although the strike is an indication of the effectiveness of such a course, doubts remain over the capacity of Lashkars to systematically suppress Taliban activity.

Meanwhile, an oil truck convoy on route to supply NATO forces in Afghanistan was ambushed approaching the nearby Khyber Pass. Mortar fire preceded a direct attack on the convoy that left two civilians dead and a tanker in flames. It is the latest of several attacks on NATO supply routes in Pakistan which run through Taliban dominated borderlands.

Niger Delta militants strike Lagos

Militants from the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (Mend) launched a daring first attack on Nigeria's first city. Gunmen disembarked from speedboats and attacked the Atlas Cove Jetty, a facility for tankers to unload fuel, within sight of the city's financial district where multinationals such as Royal Dutch Shell are based. At least eight naval personnel were shot in the raid before the facility was blown up using explosives and the gunmen withdrew. The jetty was damaged "beyond repair", according to the executive of a key oil importing firm. The country, despite being the eighth biggest exporter of crude oil, relies on imported fuel due to the underdevelopment of its refineries and is now likely to face fuel shortages.  

Russian president and US destroyer descend on Georgia

The USS Stout, a guided missile destroyer, weighed anchor of the coast of Georgia ahead of US-Georgian naval exercises widely seen as a show of US strength directed at Russia's attempt to restore its dominance in the Caucasus. The exercises will take place off the Georgian coast, a large portion of which is under the de facto control of the separatist state of Abkhazia. 

The deployment comes a day after Russian President Dmitry Medvedev made a surprise visit to the Russian sponsored breakaway republic of South Ossetia. The visit was denounced by Georgian President Miheil Saakashvili reacted harshly to Medvedev's surpeise visit and meeting with South Ossetian leader Eduard Kokoity, who he denounced as an "unwashed murderer" and "corrupt criminal". 

Gunmen kidnap two French citizens in Mogadishu

Two French citizens were abducted from their hotel by armed men in Mogadishu, the war-ravaged capital of Somalia. The men, who have been reported to be either journalists of security consultants, were taken hostage after around ten gunmen disarmed hotel guards on Tuesday morning.

The attack follows a recent outbreak of fighting around the presidential palace in the capital. Militants retreated from their positions around the palace after the active intervention of African Union peacekeepers, leaving scores killed and around 150 wounded after heavy fighting on Sunday. The reported intervention of African Union troops is the first since their deployment under rules of engagement which limit their use of force to self-defence. An African Union spokesmen said the peacekeepers only engaged in a show of force, rather than all-out combat, with the militants.

Mugabe supporters disrupt conference for new Zimbabwe constitution

A conference intended to draft a new constitution for Zimbabwe was disrupted by Zanu-PF supporters of President Robert Mugabe who sang revolutionary songs, threw bottles at politicians and engaged in scuffles with supporters of MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai. The clashes, in which a MDC councillor was badly wounded, forced the cancellation of the event and riot police were deployed to restore order. After the violence subsided, Mugabe and Tsvangirai met and gave a joint press conference at which both stressed the necessity of a new constitution and ruled out an investigation into the origins of Monday's disturbances. The constitution, which it is hoped will give parliament more power to balance the executive, is intended to replace the existing constitution agreed with Britain in 1979.

Four combat troops were killed in Baghdad overnight just as American forces were handing over security for Iraq's major cities to Iraqi forces. American troops in the capital were redeployed to two bases near Baghdad airport. In honour of the handover, a milestone in the US planned full withdrawal by 2011, Iraq declared 30 June National Sovereignty Day and held fireworks and rallies to mark the occasion.

The toD verdict: Iraqis' celebration of their national sovereignty as American troops leave major urban areas after six years of occupation is understandable yet with greater responsibility for internal security, the fledgling government will face a host of challenges. In a sign of continued instability, the parades and celebrations were held within Baghdad's Green Zone, which, while under Iraqi control since January, continues to highlight the instability of central government.

Although the Iraqi government has spun the withdrawal as a "victory", doubts remain that Iraqi forces can secure the country's major cities that have been host to several violent attacks in recent days, including a car bomb in Mosul which killed ten yesterday and two blasts in Baghdad last week in which over 150 people died. Despite the fall in aggregate levels of violence, the ability of insurgents to continue to launch large scale attacks must fill Iraqi military leaders with foreboding. Keep up to date with the latest developments and sharpest perspectives in a world of strife and struggle. Sign up to receive toD's daily security briefings via email by clicking here

President Nuri al-Maliki warned his enemies of the "fatal mistake" of underestimating Iraq's ability to defend itself, but the challenges posed by external powers are no less substantial than those of a home grown insurgency. General Ray Odierno, the US's top commander in Iraq, warned that neighbouring Iran was still "supporting, funding and training surrogates inside Iraq" and blamed attacks on individuals "supported by Iran". Iraq's National Sovereignty Day should not be taken to mark independence from outside forces, and Iraqi stability will continue to depend on Iranian good will and American diplomatic support.

Taliban-Pakistan ceasefire collapses in Afghan borderland

Taliban in North Waziristan have abrogated a standing ceasefire with the Pakistani government, launching a raid that killed sixteen soldiers. The terms of the agreement, reached in February 2008, are not disclosed but Taliban spokesmen blamed "Pakistan's failure to stop the drone attacks in North and South Waziristan".

Pakistan has been preparing for an offensive against the Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud's forces in South Waziristan but the collapse of the treaty with Hafiz Gul Bahadur in the north raises the danger of an escalating conflict.

North Korea enriching uranium

The South Korean government has warned that their Northern neighbour was "moving forward" with the enrichment of uranium, giving the country a potential second source material to complement their established plutonium based nuclear arsenal. North Korea's plutonium development at the Yongbyon plant has been closely monitored by foreign intelligence services but uranium offers the potential of secret underground enrichment.

The question of Kim Jong Il's successor as the nation's leader, considered to have fuelled the North's recent bellicose warnings, nuclear tests and missile launches, may have come a step closer to conclusion with South Korean intelligence reporting that Kim's youngest son, Kim Jong Un, had been officially nominated as heir. South Korea's defence minister however advised caution, suggesting that no final decision has yet been reached.

Sri Lankan army will establish Tamil unit

Sri Lanka's reconciliation minister, Vinyagamoorthi Muralitharan, has announced plans to from an ethnic Tamil military unit in the country's armed forces. Muralitharan defected from the LTTE in 2004, constituting the Tamileela Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal party (TMVP), a paramilitary organization and political party which will form the basis of the new unit. Although now an established democractic party with representation in the ruling coalition, the TMVP have been subject to criticism for recruiting child soldiers and abusing civilians. Sri Lanka, despite declaring vicrtory in the country's civil war against the LTTE, has outlined plans to significantly expand its standing army.

Ousted Honduran president vows to return

Michael Zelaya, the president of Honduras displaced by a military coup on Sunday, promised to return to the country on Thursday to restore democratic process and resume his interrupted tenure as president. Zelaya called on the nations armed forces to return to their barracks and to "stop repressing the people". Leaders from across the Americas called for the restoration of Zelaya's government, with Venezualan president Hugo Chevaz halting oil exports to the nation in the interim and withdrawing diplomats in a joint move with other members of the ALBA alliance of left leaning governments in the Americas. 

Russian war games raise fears in Georgia

Russia launched a series of provocative military exercises in the Russian Caucasus, close to the Georgian border. A Russian military spokesmen did little to soften the potential impact of the exercises, describing preparations for "battle readiness" in the region which have been attacked by Georgian officials as "further increasing tensions".

In a further sign of Russia's increasing dominance in the Caucasus, UN observers were forced to withdraw today from Georgia's borders after the failure of negotiations to prolong their mission in the country due to Russian objections.

Iran's highest body, the Guardian Council, has announced it is prepared to partially recount last week's electoral votes in a bid to prevent further unrest. The runner up and figure head of the opposition Mir-Hossein Moussavi, who led calls for a full re-run, asked supporters to stay at home after planned rallies today promised further violence. Meanwhile, foreign journalists have been confined to their offices in Tehran to prevent reporting of continued violent confrontations in the capital which claimed the lives of at least seven people on Monday

The toD verdict: The Iranian government admitted its first major concession today in the face of protests with its offer of a recount, but the move may only aim at breaking the momentum of the opposition movement as protests become increasingly confrontational. Combined with the Culture Ministry's restrictions on press freedom in the capital, the measures indicate a desire on the part of the regime to stave off international criticism which was in part prompted by the shocking images of state violence that emerged in recent days.

Australia, Japan and the European Union all voiced criticism of Iran's handling of the protests while Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad attempted to sure up support during a state visit to one of Iran's key supporters, Russia, in a growing competition between the state and opposition for international support. Hinting at possible international sanctions, British prime minister Gordon Brown warned of "implications for Iran's relationships with the rest of the world".

After these limited concessions, Iran's fate rests with the tactics and reaction of the opposition movement. The BBC's Jon Leyne suggested Moussavi would reject the Guardian Council's offer, a move that may reinvigorate opposition protests he had called off today. So far Mousavi, a former Prime Minister, has attempted to maintain a face of loyal opposition to the incumbent president, but the state's arrest of close aides and supporters raises the possibility that he will refashion himself as a more radical opponent of the regime. Evidence of a rising opposition movement emerged at Tehran University, a predicted site of protest quickly cordoned off by police following the election results, where 120 academics have resigned.

Britain to hold Iraq war inquiry

Gordon Brown announced yesterday that Britain's participation in the Iraq war will be subject to an official inquiry. The government's critics, including both the Liberal and Conservative opposition parties, have continued to call for greater openness, however, doubting whether the government's appointees, operating without public scrutiny, will be fully independent. John Chilcott, a member of the Butler inquiry into the intelligence on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, will lead the inquiry which also notably includes Lawrence Freedman, a major intellectual voice behind military intervention to promote democracy but a critic of the Bush administration's handling of the war. The government has ruled out any prosecutions based on evidence provided to the inquiry and participation will be purely voluntary.  

Three hostages killed in Yemeni kidnapping

Three of the nine European hostages captured in Yemen were found dead yesterday. The German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier announced the departure of a German forensics team to help identify the mutilated bodies, among whom Steinmeier feared were almost certainly two missing German nurses, as well as a South Korean aid worker. The Yemeni authorities have offered a £15,000 reward for any information leading to the release of a British engineer, and a German doctor and his wife and three children who are still missing. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the kidnappings in a country plagued by several violent anti-government groups. The unprecedented murder and mutilation of women, distinguishing this case from the two-hundred kidnappings which have occurred in the country in the past fifteen years, has led western security experts to suspect al-Qaeda but the Yemeni government blame the Shiite Houthi tribe.  

US sets out North Korean nuclear cordon

The US navy will hail and request permission to inspect North Korean merchant marine in international waters, track ships to international destinations and pressure port authorities to investigate any exported cargo under plans to enforce reinvigorated sanctions agreed at the UN Security Council meeting on Friday. The US will not, however, forcefully board North Korean ships, after North Korea warned that such measures would constitute an act of war, but maintained its right to seize war materials if discovered. The success of such a confrontational policy rests on international unity outweighing the commercial advantages of liberalised maritime trade with the North Korean fleet. Promisingly, China, a potential weak link in the partial embargo, has reaffirmed its commitment to uphold the UN measures.  

In a further show of solidarity today, US president Barack Obama will meet South Korean president Lee Myung-bak. Although both statesmen are likely to present a united front with regard to the security situation on the Korean peninsula, the troubled free trade arrangement signed by both nations' previous administrations may present a stumbling block in otherwise amicable negotiations.

Russia vetoes extension of UN mission in Georgia

Proposals before the Security Council to extend the UN monitoring mission to the breakaway republic to Abkhazia were vetoed by Russia last night whose UN envoy denounced the "old realities" on which the mission was premised. Georgia and its western allies reacted hostilely to Russia's use of its veto on the contentious issue, accusing Russia of attempting to cover up its expanding military presence in the region. Only Nicaragua has joined Russia in recognising both breakaway provinces as independent republics, confounding a Russian campaign to consolidate the regions' diplomatic independence.    

North Korea provoked international outrage yesterday by testing its second nuclear bomb. Seismic tremors confirmed the nation's claims to have successfully tested an underground device as powerful as that which destroyed Hiroshima in 1945. With little indication that the country was attempting to soften the diplomatic fallout of its nuclear test, North Korea today test fired two short range missiles raising the possibility of a complete nuclear weapons capacity in the near future.

The toD verdict: Despite their obvious international security implications, it has been plausibly suggested that North Korea's missile and nuclear tests are more concerned to secure Kim Jong Il's personal authority following a reported stroke and the looming question of succession. Peter Beck, a Korean specialist at the American University in Washington claims that the "internal domestic dynamic is taking precedence over external factors".

Given these complications, how then is the world to respond? North Korea's test clearly violated UN Security Council Resolution 1718 which followed its first test in October 2006, a point reiterated at the UN Conference on Disarmament convened today. Japan and South Korea, among other nations, condemned the attack, the latter calling for "clear and strong message" to be sent to Pyongyang. The strength and contents of the message remain unclear despite the UN Security Council unequivocally and unanimously condemning the test last night. Russia and China, although having distanced themselves from Pyongyang in recent years, are unlikely to support extreme additional sanctions. North Korea relies on little more from the more hostile West than food and fuel aid for its impoverished population, aid which on humanitarian grounds it would be impossible to withdraw, and the UN may be forced to continue its dependence on meaningless measures such as embargoes on the whisky said to be enjoyed by North Korean party cadres.   

If analysts such as Beck are correct and Korea's accumulating arsenal is just for show, containment rather than confrontation may prove the best option. Since its neighbours are either nuclear powers (China and Russia) or firmly within the US nuclear umbrella (Japan and South Korea) there is little risk of North Korean nuclearisation provoking a domino effect in the region. Having strained China's support, North Korea, although willing to take on the world on the diplomatic stage, is unlikely to do so militarily. The most serious threat posed by the tests is the possibility of the black-market sale of nuclear technologies to other nations or groups, a danger underlined by the past activities of Pakistani nuclear physicist AQ Khan from whom it is thought North Korea originally acquired its own nuclear technology.      

Darfur battle leaves 63 dead

A Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) attack on a Sudanese military base near the Chadian border left 43 rebels and 20 soldiers dead according to army statements. The success of the attack is disputed, with UN observers claims that the rebels had captured the base conflicting with government reports that it remained under military control. Over 400 people took refuge at a UN base during this latest instalment of an ongoing conflict that has displaced two million and claimed 300,000 lives. If UN reports prove correct, it would be the second JEM capture of a military base near the Chadian border in recent days. Khartoum blames the strength of the rebels in these borderlands on covert support from the Chadian government, who in turn have levelled accusations that Sudan supports rebels operating within its own territory.

Violence spreads across Punjab following spiritual leader's assassination

Rioters in the western Indian state of Punjab vented their anger on trains and public buildings yesterday after Sant Rama Nand, a fringe Sikh religious leader, was shot dead in an attack during a visit to a Sikh temple in Austria. Soldiers and armed police were deployed to disperse the rioters, at least one of whom was shot dead by security forces during an attack on a police station.  Nand was a leading figure in the Dera Sach Khand, a minority Sikh sect with a largely Dalit following, the low caste formerly known as "untouchables". The sects increasing assertiveness has angered mainstream Jat Sikh community who accuse them of the misuse of holy texts. Manmohan Singh, India's first Sikh Prime Minister, called for the restoration of "peace and harmony" between the two communities.

Sri Lanka war crimes investigation splits UN

A divided UN Human Rights Council convened today to discuss the controversial possibility of a war crimes investigation into the recent Sri Lankan conflict. India, China and Russia appear likely to uphold the sovereignty of the island nation against European led calls for an investigation into crimes on both sides of the civil war. In spite of the fierce opposition aroused, the motion has been derided as not going far enough by human rights groups since it proposed a Sri Lankan-led, rather than independent, investigation. Yesterday's preliminary hearing found the 47-seat council split evenly with eighteen nations for and eighteen against the motion while nine remained undecided. The divisions, which trace a geographic fault-line between west and east, have permitted Colombo's UN representative Dayan Jayatilleka to blame interference on the mentality of "former colonisers".

Meanwhile, in Sri Lanka, the government have rejected further compromise solutions to the conflict. The defeated LTTE raised the prospect of becoming an unarmed democratic party but Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa claimed that "after years of their violent activities" such a transformation was impossible. Continuing their commitment to a military solution to the conflict, the government announced plans to enlist at least 100,000 extra soldiers to guard against any Tamil militant resurgence.     

Swat campaign risks humanitarian disaster

The NGO Human Rights Watch has warned of a pending "humanitarian catastrophe" if the Pakistani Army occupying the Swat Valley does not begin airdrops of food, water and medicine while lifting the curfew currently imposed in the region. Despite army orders to evacuate and the successful flight of around two million people, approximately 200,000 remain trapped in the war zone. Allegations of civilian mistreatment have been levelled at both the Taliban and the army, the former accused of detaining civilians for use as human shields while the latter has come under fire for artillery and aerial bombardment of residential areas.

Abbas presses Obama for settlements clampdown

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will demand Obama pressures Israel to "fully halt settlement activities" when the two statesmen meet on Thursday, a Palestinian Authority spokesman indicated. At Obama's first meeting with Netanyahu ten days ago disagreement on the issue of a two state solution and settlements was obvious; Obama's demand that "settlements have to be stopped" went unanswered with Netanyahu's public statements making no mention of the issue. Reports have since indicated however that Netanyahu would be willing to remove two dozen outposts, the small settlement units deepest inside the West Bank, in a potential deal with the US when Defence Minister Ehud Barak travels to Washington next week. 

Abbas's close ally and his chief negotiator with Israel Ahmed Qureia raised the possibility of Israeli settlers receiving Palestinian citizenship as a way out of the deadlock. Such a radical proposal is unlikely to make much headway.

France opens first military base in Gulf

Sarkozy travelled to Abu Dhabi today to commission the opening of France's first military base in the Gulf region. The base, or "peace camp" as it is officially termed, will house around 500 French troops, an air strip and training camp. The choice of the United Arab Emirates appeals not only for its strategic location, in close proximity to the Straits of Hormuz and Iran, but follows a strengthening of relations between the two countries signalled by French contracts to construct two nuclear power stations in the oil-rich state and the sale of French Mirage fighter jets and tanks to the Emirates' armed forces. Sarkozy told UAE news media he wanted France to "shoulder its responsibilities" in the Gulf, a possible reference to a desire to complement or even rival British and American dominance in the region. France will however have to expand significantly its presence if it is to match the US which has numerous bases in Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman and Saudi Arabia.

King Abdullah of Jordan predicted war within eighteen months if peace efforts in the middle east are obstructed. An American-Jordanian peace offensive reaches its apogee in coming weeks, the most crucial element being US President Barack Obama's meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu next Tuesday. Jordan and the US joined diplomatic forces in the region after Abdullah met with Obama in Washington last month. Their efforts aim for a general peace conference, at which Israel will normalise its relations with all its Arab neighbours, with some of whom it remains in an official state of war, in return for territorial and political concessions.

The toD verdict: On 4 June Obama will address the Muslim world in a landmark broadcast. Current American efforts will determine whether it will be hailed as a victory speech or derided as one of many hollow appeals for peace the region.

The UN added its voice to the chorus of peace calls, with Secretary General Ban Ki Moon urging Israel "to fundamentally change its polices" on settlements in the West Bank. The demands follow increased exposure of Israeli housing policy, particularly in East Jerusalem, where Israel is accused of deliberately manipulating regulation and planning laws at the expense of Palestinian residents. Pressure from the UN, however, is a far more familiar element in the middle east peace process and one which Israel and Arab states have had little compunction in ignoring in the past.  

Attention will now turn to the recently elected Nethanyahu government, with a backlog of hardline pronouncements on Israeli security, for any indication of its willingness to talk. Nethanyahu recently vowed to the Knesset that he would not relinquish Israeli control of the Golan heights, captured from Syria in 1967, and a critical bargaining point in any peace between the two nations. On an international stage, however, Nethanyu appears more conciliatory. At meetings with Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak he expressed his desire to "resume peace talks between us and the Palestinians", but as yet he has refused to endorse the two state solution which has been the basis of prior negotiations.

US soldier kills five comrades outside Iraq counselling clinic

A US soldier opened fire on fellow troops after a dispute with staff at a military base's counselling centre in Iraq, killing five before being taken into custody. Monday's shooting was the sixth such attack since the 2003 invasion, in which a total of nine US soldiers have been deliberately killed by their comrades.

The shooting highlights the dangers of psychological stress in a combat environment. Up to one in five US soldiers is reported to be suffering from post traumatic stress in Iraq, with two-thirds reluctant to seek help for fear it will set back their military careers. There are an estimated five attempted suicides per day among US forces in Iraq.

Hundreds killed as Somali government denies collusion with Islamist insurgents

The Somali government denied reports that poorly paid soldiers had been selling military hardware to Islamic insurgents, their official enemies. President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed blamed radical Islamists for the recent resurgence of violence in Mogadishu, who he claimed were the agents of foreign countries. Violence spread across the war-worn capital over the weekend. Seventeen-thousand people have fled the fighting, while three hundred of those who could not escape were wounded and over 120 killed.

Pakistan captures Taliban stronghold

Pakistani military spokesmen claimed a series of victories for government forces in the ongoing battle for the Swat Valley. Special forces heli-dropped behind Taliban lines, capturing the rear-base of Maulana Fazlullah, a militant cleric, and his retinue of 4,000 fighters. Interior Minister Rehman Malik was pleased by government successes, hoping that "the operations will be completed very soon". His hopes can only be shared by the estimated 360,000 people forced to flee recent fighting in the Swat Valley. Aid agencies and members of parliament have criticised army actions and the government's provision for displaced civilians. Brad Adams of Human Rights Watched warned Pakistan that the Taliban's exploitation of innocents was "not a blank cheque for the Pakistani Army".

Afghans hope for fresh start with new US commander

Controversial US tactics in Afghanistan maybe set to change with the dismissal of NATO's Afghan theatre commander General David McKiernan halfway through his tenure of command. McKiernan had pressed for an extra 30,000 troops for the next 12 months in Afghanistan, only a third of which were promised by the Obama administration. The radical move is said to be the first US dismissal of a general from a combat theatre since Douglas MacArthur's outspoken campaign to nuke China during the Korean War. Defence Secretary Robert Gates announced his replacement as Lieutenant General Stanley McChrystal, who earned his stars in American Special Forces and received personal praise from former president George W Bush. McChrystal's reputation however was tarnished by Senate scrutiny of alleged mistreatment of prisoners by units under his command in Iraq and Afghanistan.

While some speculated that the shake-up was a response to criticism of last week's deadly Farah airstrikes, the Defence Department claimed the move had been planned weeks before. Afghan President Hamid Karzai warned on Sunday that NATO risked losing "the moral war" with the Taliban if air strikes were not reigned in but US security advisor General James L Jones and Gates both defended US commanders' freedom of action in Afghanistan.

Meanwhile Taliban fighters staged an audacious raid on government buildings in southern Afghanistan, underpinning the need to reinvigorate the NATO-Afghan counterinsurgency. Four suicide bombers struck in the town of Khost, killing four Afghan soldiers and two bystanders in an attempt to storm the town governor's headquarters. It is the latest attack in what has been the deadliest year so far for coalition forces in the country.

Keep up to date with the latest developments and sharpest perspectives in a world of strife and struggle. Sign up to receive toD's daily security briefings via email by clicking here

Gordon Brown is in Pakistan today amid expanding military operations against Taliban-controlled areas of the country, which somewhat fulfill his claim that the region is the "crucible of terrorism". Despite rumours that President Asif Ali Zardari snubbed the British Prime Minister by delegating today's press conference to his premier Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, both emphasised unity in the face of a common threat. Brown pledged £10 million in military aid and training for Pakistani forces and highlighted the security concerns arising from Britain's large Pakistani population.

The toD verdict: Brown's arrival in Pakistan could hardly have been better timed, as a major confrontation intensifies between government and Taliban forces. Pakistan escalated its offensive today launching air strikes against suspected hideouts in the Buner district that killed over 70 people while heavy fighting in Lower Dir caused 30,000 people to flee their homes. Although military officials claimed operations were enforcing breaches in its peace treaty with Pakistani Taliban, there is an obvious danger that fighting will spread and develop into an all-out civil war. A spokesman for the militant group Tehrik-e-Nifaaz Shariat Muhammadi, which suspended peace negotiations yesterday in protest, warned of a "storm" across Pakistan if the government did not halt its offensive.

While the action has been welcomed in many quarters in Britain and answers continued US calls for tougher domestic policy, Pakistan may find itself facing criticism akin to accusations it levelled against the US for its repeated aerial assaults against suspected Taliban targets in the northwestern border regions. Pakistan may, instead of pacifying its frontiers, embroil itself in a heightened conflict while losing the vital support of the population among which the Taliban militia operate. Keep up to date with the latest developments and sharpest perspectives in a world of strife and struggle. Sign up to receive toD's daily security briefings via email by clicking here

Three killed in Turkish police raids across Istanbul

Sixty separate raids against radical leftist and Islamist groups conducted across Istanbul last night left one militant, a senior police officer and a 16-year-old bystander dead. The casualties occurred as one police raid against Revolutionary Headquarters, a far-left organisation, degenerated into a six-hour-long firefight. Turkish media criticised the operations for a lack of preparation and for delays in cordoning off or evacuating the surrounding area, resulting in the shooting of a TV journalist who strayed too close to the fighting. Seven police officers were also injured in the raid, which marks the latest instalment in a violent struggle with the Turkish left going back to the foundation of the modern state in 1922. 

Hospital patients fall victim to Fatah-Hamas rivalry

Gazans with serious illnesses are some of the most recent victims of rivalry between Hamas and Fatah. The West Bank's Fatah government have withheld funds from a medical referral committee since it was taken over by Hamas officials on 22 March. The committee was responsible for arranging medical treatment abroad for sick Gazans, and its suspension has so far resulted in the death of eight Palestinians awaiting treatment in Israel and Egypt and the continued suffering of the approximate 1,000 patients referred abroad every month.

An Egyptian crackdown on smuggling into the Gaza strip has placed further strain on the war-torn territory. Reuters' sources estimate that up to 4/5 of crossborder activity has been curtailed since Israeli operations in Gaza began in December 2008 and shortages of consumer and goods and fuel are now reported.

Gaza's economic and physical health now depends on ongoing unity talks between Fatah and Hamas which were resumed in Cairo on Monday. Mushir el-Masri, a senior Hamas official, indicated in a press statement today that Hamas would "listen carefully to all suggestions and ideas that might end the current rift".  Meanwhile, the US appeared to be sending mixed messages regarding the possibility of a unity government. Secretary of State Clinton promised on Thursday that no "entity controlled by Hamas" would receive US aid just as the Obama administration proposed legal changes to Congress which conditionally permit the distribution of aid in the event of a coalition government.

Aid workers released by Somali captors

A Belgian doctor and Dutch nurse working for Medecins Sans Frontiers were released on Tuesday after nine days in the captivity of Somali gunmen. Their captors are thought to be local residents, unaffiliated with the Islamist al-Shabab group that controls the area where they were captured and ordered their unconditional release. The incident confirms Somalia's place as one of the most dangerous countries for humanitarian work, with 35 aid workers killed in 2008 and 26 abducted. Nevertheless, the country remains in desperate need of support, with half the population thought to require food-aid. 

Tide turns against Somali pirates

Yemeni special forces yesterday succeeded in retaking a hijacked oil tanker in the Gulf of Aden, capturing nine pirates and killing three others. Yemeni raids successfully recaptured two further vessels in a series of rare victories against piracy in the region. In a separate incident, pirates who launched a failed bid to capture an Italian cruiseship were fought-off by private security guards before being captured by a Spanish war ship and detained on the Seychelles islands.

Snub to Swedish foreign minister provokes EU diplomatic clash with Sri Lanka

The Sri Lankan government prevented Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt from joining his British and French counterparts in a peace mission to the conflict stricken country. The mission signalled growing international pressure for a ceasefire, supported by the UN and EU since Monday. Europe has protested angrily at the measures, which were labelled "lamentable" by the Foreign Minister of Czech Republic, currently holding the EU presidency. Sweden has a long history of brokership in international conflict and helped monitor the now lapsed ceasefire between the government and Tamil Tigers from 2002 to 2006. The nation has withdrawn its ambassador from Colombo in response to the diplomatic affront.