Exiled writer attacked in Hyderabad
Taslima Nasrin, an exiled Bangladeshi writer, was set upon by a Muslim mob in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad after a speaking event. She managed to escape unharmed. Nasrin was driven out Bangladesh after the publication of her controversial novel "Lajja", which detailed the plight of Hindus in communal riots in Dhaka.
To receive our daily security briefings, click hereAfter the attack, Nasrin expressed confidence in the strength of Indian democracy: "It is indeed unfortunate that such incidents come as a reminder of the presence of extremists in this country. But the majority of the people in this country believe in democracy and freedom of expression and that is why I can stay on here and will continue to do so."
State of emergency?
Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf has distanced himself from rumours that his government was considering calling a "state of emergency" in the strife-torn country. A government spokesman insisted that the president "wants free, fair and transparent elections in Pakistan and any action that will play a negative role in this objective is not in line with this thinking."
The Other Pakistan blog decries the "faujistan" that the country has become.
Peace jirga begins in Kabul
The Council on Foreign Relations analyses from an American perspective the prospects of the "peace jirga" - a convention of largely Pashtun leaders on either side of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border - beginning today in Kabul.
Morocco - Polisario talks
Moroccan officials and representatives of the Western Saharan nationalist organization Polisario have met for a second round of talks in New York over a controversial Moroccan proposal for an "autonomy deal".
Stephen Zunes dismisses the Moroccan proposal on terrorism.openDemocracy as a poor solution to Africa's forgotten conflict.
Jolo fighting intensifies
Philippine army helicopters strafed Muslim rebel positions in the southern island of Jolo in a day of intensifying clashes that left 58 people dead.
On terrorism.openDemocracy, analyst Rohan Gunaratna defends the Philippines' Human Security Act as allowing the country to better defend itself from the terrorist threat while maintaining the rule of law.
Mogadishu erupts
Heavy fighting broke out in Mogadishu between rebel and government forces today, with four people reported dead. Instability continues to wrack the country despite a recent peace conference that attempted to reconcile warring factions.
UN expands role in Iraq
The United Nations Security Council unanimously approved the expansion of the organisation's role in Iraq. The resolution extends the UN's presence in the war-torn country for a year and grants it a more prominent advisory role. Most UN staff withdrew from Iraq after the UN compound in Baghdad was bombed in 2003, killing dozens of people including the top envoy, Sergio Vieira de Mello.
Swiss boot camp for world soldiers
Top military brass from Sri Lanka to Sudan are in Switzerland to attend a boot camp with trainers from the Red Cross on observing the rules of war and better protecting civilian populations in situations of armed conflict.
