Pakistan faces amnesty deal turmoil. US security firm Blackwater is accused of running covert operations in Pakistan. A leaked UN report finds the UN-backed offensive in DR Congo is failing. The US rejects landmine ban treaty. Khmer Rouge prison chief expresses remorse. All this and much more in t
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.
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
Why does America take Palin seriously? The answer lies in gender politics, and in the history of right-wing populism. That populism is at its strongest at a time of social anxiety.
Iraqi vice-president’s veto threatens Iraqi elections. Seven out of ten Afghans blame poverty and corruption for continued instability. Israel plans to expand settlement in East Jerusalem. Six suspected Muslim separatists killed in South Thailand. Five Iranian protestors sentenced to death. All th
Afghan government reveals new unit to tackle corruption. UN inspectors warn of more hidden nuclear sites in Iran. Thirteen Iraqi villagers killed by gunmen. China and US remain divided on Iran. All this and much more, in today’s security briefing.
Iran faces mounting international pressure on nuclear issue. UN considering withdrawal from Congo. Militants bombard French hosted talks in Afghanistan. Obama calls for extension of universal rights to China. US demands release of Burmese dissidents. Clinton outlines narrow goals in Afghanistan. A
The promise of a reinvigorated peace process in the middle east which accompanied Barack Obama to power is likely to go unfulfilled. Instead, the region appears on the perilous verge of a relapse into war.
The US Ambassador to Kabul cables the Whitehouse expressing his reservations about troop increases. President Obama faces diplomatic hurdles in his visit to Japan. Saudi Arabia evacuates villages and closes schools in response to escalating violence in Yemen. All this and more, in today’s security
Saudi offensive against Houthis provokes Arab-Iranian diplomatic row. Cambodian refusal to extradite Thai ex-PM freys neighbourly relations. Taliban footage shows dominance in Nuristan. Somali pirates strike again. Security firm Blackwater in bribery scandal. FARC rebels kill nine Colombian soldie