Myanmar

N Korea food crisis set to continue. Turkey and Iran to collaborate against Kurdish rebels. Southeast Asia flooding kills hundreds, displaces thousands. Obama announces US troop withdrawals from Iraq. All this in today’s security briefing...

The presidents of Vietnam and Myanmar visit New Delhi to strengthen cooperation with India. Kenya launches military operations against al-Shabab in Somalia following the kidnapping of aid workers. The US sends advisors to help fight the Lord's Resistance Army, and a recent poll reveals the Afghan population's perception of the situation in its country. All this in today's security briefing.

International pressure on Gaddafi mounts. Belarus violates Ivorian arms embargo as violence escalates. Rangoon bomb blast. Yemen to announce government of national unity within 24 hours. North Korea threatens war over leaflets. All this and more in today’s briefing...

Egypt's military maintain ambiguous stance on protests. 99% of southerners vote for independence, according to first official reports. Surge in political violence ahead of April’s elections in Nigeria. Elected parliament convenes in Myanmar for first time in twenty years.

Human trafficking needs a joint-up approach if it is to be beaten in Burma, says Thanawat Pimoljinda

The Myanmar military government is allegedly attempting to gain nuclear weapons with the aid of North Korea. Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in absentia. A major new pipeline is set to be agreed on by central and south Asian leaders in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. All this and more, in today’s security update.

The traces of optimism that had surrounded Burma’s first notionally democratic experience for two decades vanish on closer inspection of the outcome, says David Scott Mathieson in Chiang Mai.

Obama calls for building bridges with Muslim world. Pro-democratic parties concede defeat in Myanmar. Afghans upbeat about future, according to poll. Troops at Britain's 'Abu Ghraib' trial may be guilty of war crimes. All this and more in today’s security briefing.

Feared drug lord ‘Tony the Storm’ killed in battle near the US-Mexico border. Post-election fighting causes thousands to flee Burma. Over half of fighters in Somali militias are children, says UN official. All this and more in today’s security briefing.

China attempts to block UN report on Chinese arms in Darfur. Ten killed in Mindanao bus bombing. Pre-election violence in Guinea rumbles on. Burma bans foreign observers from 7 November poll. All this and more in today's security update.

Benjamin Zawacki of Amnesty International details the numerous human rights concerns raised by Myanmar's anticipated election.

Clinton promises security for Afghan women. Sudanese security services criticised for role in repression. Israel likely to secure F-35 fighter deal. ASEAN summit hears concerns that Burma is seeking to develop nuclear weapons. All this and more in today's security briefing.

Baghdad bombings in wake of inconclusive election bargaining in Iraq. Suspicions mount of North Korean involvement in Cheonan sinking. Murders taint government-opposition relations in Ethiopia. US warns Burma over purchases of North Korean weapons. All this and more in today's briefing.

NLD boycott of Burmese elections draws strong criticism. Suspected coup attempt in Guinea Bissau. Sudan opposition pullout throws elections into doubt. ICC to probe Kenya post-election violence. Bangladesh to commence trial of 1971 war crimes. All this and more in today's update.

LRA rebel group denies any involvement in mass killings in Congo. Burmese opposition decides to boycott election. North Korea feared responsible for sunk South Korean ship. Afghan offensive in Kandahar to be launched in June. All this and much more, in today’s security briefing.

The former UN envoy to Afghanistan criticises Pakistan’s arrest of senior Taliban figures, saying this has put talks with the militant leadership at risk. The Quartet condemns Israeli settlement construction. The Burmese military sustains casualties fighting against northern rebel groups. All of this and much more, in today’s security update.

The IDF locks down parts of the occupied West Bank as uncertainty looms over talks between the Palestinian Authority and Israel. Thailand increases security measures ahead of protests planned for Sunday. The UN special rapporteur on human rights in Burma calls for a commission to investigate possible crimes against humanity committed by the junta. An opposition leader in the Gambia has said that individuals recently detained by the government do not know why they are being held. All this and more, in today’s security update.

Efforts to revive middle east peace talks overshadowed by Israeli settlement construction in east Jerusalem. Tibet marks anniversary of 1959 uprising. Ahmadinejad in Afghanistan for talks. Governor of Plateau State blames Nigerian army for killings. Aung San Suu Kyi barred from polls. Aid workers killed in Pakistan. All this and more in today’s security briefing.

Burmese military junta unveil laws for elections later this year. French navy captures 35 Somali pirate suspects. Bali bombing mastermind thought dead after shoot-out with Indonesian police. Iran calls for China to withstand sanctions pressure. All this and much more, in today's security briefing.

UN discusses withdrawal of peacekeepers from DRC. Burma-North Korea ties create new headache for US. Rise in birth defects in Fallujah may be linked to US weapons. German court jails bomb plotters for foiled attacks. Nigerian rebel group claims attack on Italian oil facility. All this and more in today's security briefing.