South and North Korean ships clash off west coast. Iran charges US hikers with espionage. Japan promises $5 bn aid package for Afghanistan. Somali pirates expand operations. Fort Hood gunman linked to Al Qaeda. All this and much more, in today’s security update...
Abbas's threat to resign puts PA in jeopardy. China outlines £6bn plan for African development. Saudi forces gain ground against Shia insurgents. Market bombing kills mayor and eleven others near Peshawar, Pakistan. Iraq agrees essential electoral law. Obama announces 34,000 more troops for Afghan
A new wave of urban assaults poses a severe challenge in the cities of south Asia and beyond.
Ten million children are born annually in India. Primary education should be a vital lifeline, for those who survive.
In an age of climate change and deepening inequality, the spreading Naxalite insurgency in India - not al-Qaida - may show the world its future.
Mousavi supporters clash with police in Tehran. Afghan policeman kills five British troops in Helmand province. The US delegation to Burma meets Aug San Suu Kyi. The US Congress rejects Goldstone Report. All this and more in today’s security briefing.
War and mismanagement have produced a breakdown of trust, decency and reciprocity in Afghan society. Gender activism needs to be understood in that context, and not be tempted by crude cultural determinism.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai wins tarnished election. US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton sparks criticism for praise of Israeli concessions. Suicide bombing kills dozens in Rawalpindi. South Sudan leader calls for independence. UN chides Congolese army for civilian massacres. All this and more
Iran seeks alterations to an international agreement over its nuclear programme. The political stand off in Honduras appears to have been solved by an agreement between Manuel Zelaya and Roberto Micheletti. Presidential hopeful Abdullah Abdullah withdraws his candidacy from the Afghanistan elector
Eight boats in the hands of Somali pirates following spate of hijackings. Zimbabwe calls UN human rights experts a gatecrasher. US officials seek resolution prior to Honduran elections. Venezuela accuses Colombia of US-backed espionage. India will withdraw troops from Jammu. All this and more in t
A powerful bomb blast in Peshawar leaves ninety dead, hundreds wounded. Six UN employees killed in Kabul. Guinea’s September massacre pre-planned according to Human Rights Watch. The political crisis deepens in Zimbabwe. The Hague hears how Karadzic ‘ordered’ ethnic cleansing. All this and more in
The international intervention in Afghanistan is beset by problems. But it can still be put right if the strategy is “civilianised” and “Afghanised” under United Nations leadership, say Pierre Schori & Shahrbanou Tadjbakhsh.
