President Obama to make crucial decision on Afghan war soon. Israel, Hamas close to prisoner exchange deal. Philippines declare state of emergency after political massacre. Second blast at Russian arms depot kills eight. All this and much more, in today’s security update.
Border zones are potential incubators of conflict. Criminal gangs exploit weak state presence to forge a parallel state and prosecute their criminal enterprises sustained by fear, violence and brutality.
Rahimullah Yousufzai, the well-known Peshawar editor of The News International, has been covering Afghanistan and Pakistan for the past thirty years. Rare interviews with Osama bin Laden and Mullah Omar to his credit, he offers a deep insight into the evolution of the Taliban. Kaustav Chakrabarti
Rwanda’s Commonwealth bid meets opposition on human rights grounds. Iran’s opposition resolute in the face of government crackdown. Iraqi government bypasses electoral veto. 21 killed in violence over Philippine elections. Algerian 9/11 suspect proved innocent. All this and more in today's securit
Can India and Pakistan resolve their differences and follow a course of enlightened self-interest in Afghanistan?
On the fifth anniversary of the Orange Revolution, with presidential elections in Ukraine imminent, Andreas Umland looks back on how the Kremlin has spun the events of 2004, and how that version has played back in Ukraine
“Is it working?” is the question most commonly asked of aid. In response, aid agencies feed the public a diet of overwhelmingly “good news stories” to convince them that it is working. This diverts attention from the central question: how to reduce the major gap between what aid currently does and
Obama demands cooperation from Iran and North Korea at South Korean summit. Karzai sworn in as president. Peshawar faces further bombing. Yemeni forces claim scalps in battle with Houthi rebels. South African mercenaries training pro-government militia in Guinea. All this and more in today's updat
A significant shift is required if international statebuilding and peacebuilding projects around the world are to contribute to peace and lead to reconciliation while also engaging with international standards for democracy and human rights.
Global preoccupation with fragile environments is on the rise. Can south-south and triangular co-operation help? Brazil thinks so. A reply to Oliver Richmond.
International Alert supports a series of small post-conflict initiatives in Burundi. And some of the values that motivate these are also dear to the liberal hearts of the international community. A reply to Oliver Richmond’s ‘Liberal Peace Transitions’.
