Under international pressure and three weeks into its war in the Gaza strip, Israel declared a unilateral ceasefire on Saturday and a halt in what has proven to be a devastating invasion of the territory. Twelve hours later, the leaders of Hamas also called a halt to their fire.
The toD verdict: Israel announced their plan to remove all troops from Gaza by the inauguration of Barack Obama today, but this is conditional on Hamas holding all fire and so far the Israeli government has refused to release figures on troop withdrawals. Many of their forces are also remaining on the border in case of renewed hostilities. In addition, it is not clear whether a full withdrawal includes the troops which are being held behind to prevent Hamas from re-arming. The ceasefire already seems to have been broken, with 16 rockets fired from the Gaza strip into Israel on Sunday and retaliation from Israel in the form of air attacks. Keep up to date with the latest developments and sharpest perspectives in a world of strife and struggle.
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Despite Ehud Olmert's declaration that "we have reached all the goals of the war, and beyond", neither side seems to have achieved their ultimate objectives. Whilst Hamas has retained its hold over the area, according to several reports it is severely weakened. The Israelis have not ended the rocket fire into the southern parts of their territory. There is, furthermore, worried speculation in Lebanon over Israeli intentions in the country after Israeli officials warned Hezbollah that they would be the next target after Hamas.
World leaders including Nicholas Sarkozy and Gordon Brown called for a middle east peace conference to be held when they met in Egypt on Sunday. With Israel failing to send a representative and Hamas' absence due to their international status as a terrorist organisation, it remains to be seen whether the meeting will hold much clout with the two sides in maintaining this fragile ceasefire.
Miliband: "war on terror" was a mistake
During a major policy speech last Thursday, the British foreign secretary David Miliband criticised the whole concept of a "war on terror" as "misleading and mistaken". He said that the phrase, which has not been used by the British government for two years, did manage to capture the seriousness of the situation and the need for cooperation in working against the threat of terrorism, but that in setting out battle lines as they did, those espousing the war on terror played right into the hands of their enemies. He went on, in an article he wrote for The Guardian, to highlight the importance of upholding the rule of law and human rights, using Guantánamo Bay as an example. The Foreign Secretary's speech used the Mumbai attacks as an example of the failure of the "war on terror" and his speech, coming just days before the inauguration of US President-elect Barack Obama, seems to have been a direct criticism of the current Bush administration and an attempt to persuade the incoming government.
Riots in eastern Europe signal "social meltdown"
Riots broke out across eastern Europe as people took to the streets to protest against their governments' policies in the face of the economic crisis. More than 100 people were detained after a peaceful protest of 10,000 people last Tuesday in Riga, the capital of Latvia, ended in violence in what were the worst riots seen by the country since the fall of the USSR. Latvia's economy is the weakest in the European Union, and the government was forced last year to adopt a 7.5 billion euro IMF and EU rescue package. The next day saw a 2,000-strong protest in the Bulgarian capital of Sofia, where citizens armed with stones and snowballs stood outside the Parliament building and called for the resignation of top government figures. Lithuanians also took to the streets in protest on Friday, and after eggs and stones were thrown at official government buildings the police intercepted with tear gas and rubber bullets.
These protests are reminiscent of those in Greece, which lasted for two weeks and resulted in a government reshuffle. Latvia and Lithuania have both enjoyed the label of "Baltic Tiger" in recent years, buoyed by foreign investment, a boom in the house market and annual growth of around 8%. However, Dr Jonathan Eyal, a regional specialist at the Royal United Services Institute think-tank in London, said eastern European countries did not have the means to deal with the global economic slump and risk "social meltdown".
Civilians die in Taliban attack on central Kabul
A suicide bomber struck the centre of the Afghan capital of Kabul on Saturday, killing two civilians and injuring at least six US soldiers. The Taliban have claimed responsibility for the attack, which took place in an area which houses the German embassy and a US base, along with various offices of the United Nations. The former two buildings were said to have been targeted because of their troop involvement in the country. A Taliban spokesman proclaimed the bombing to have been a victory, saying that they intended to use more of the same tactics if such "a good result" could be had. This attack comes at the same time as the release of an al-Qaeda video advising Germany to end its mission in Afghanistan. Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, the Secretary-General of NATO, stated in an article published on Sunday that a weak government with little centralised control was more to blame for the country's current situation than the Taliban presence.
Clashes kill sixteen in Pakistani tribal region
Saturday night saw the outbreak of violence between security forces and insurgents in the Kandaro tehsil in Mohmand tribal region, which resulted in the death of at least 14 of the militants and the injury of several more. Two paramilitary soldiers were also killed. The clashes started when helicopter gunships shelled suspected Taliban hideouts after an attack on Pakistani troops, and went on until the next morning.
North Korea fears invasion as their nuclear capabilities grow
The North Korean military accused South Korean President Lee Myung-bak on Saturday of plans to invade the North and cautioned that there would be harsh retribution in the case of such an attack. Lee denies the allegations that he is planning an invasion, but this latest comment seems to signal the freezing over of relations, which have been increasingly chilly since the ascendance last year of Lee in South Korea, who takes a tough approach to the government in Pyongyang. US experts warn that North Korea has "weaponised" enough of its stock of plutonium to make up to five nuclear bombs. However, the country will not reveal its nuclear programme to arms inspectors and would not confirm any intentions to relinquish the weapons. Despite various promises to scrap its nuclear programme, disarmament talks with North Korea have failed for the past 15 years.
Politicians in danger as elections draw near in Iraq
Sheik Hassan Zaidan al-Luhaibi, a prominent Sunni Arab tribal elder and former general, was killed in a suicide attack on Sunday. He was one of the leaders of a coalition running in the provincial elections, which are to take place at the end of January throughout Iraq, excluding in Kurdistan and the province of Tamim, where the disputed governorate of Kirkuk is located. A suicide bomber entered into the sheik's tribal guesthouse in Nineveh Province and detonated an explosive-filled vest. This incident is one in a string of killings of politicians in the lead-up to the elections in Iraq. Last Friday, Haithan Kadhim al-Husaini, a Shia candidate from Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki's party, was shot dead in Babil Province, south of Baghdad. On 31 December, a Sunni Arab candidate was assassinated in Mosul.
