Trilateral Conference Concludes in Delhi (February 19, 2007)
The first structured and sixth trilateral conference between India, Russia, and China ended in New Delhi with an emphasis on cooperation rather than confrontation should govern approaches to regional and global affairs."<More>

Italian Training for Indian Archeologists (February 19, 2007)
In a recent interview with The Times of India, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Culture and Tourism Francesco Rutelli said that Italy will be "training Indian archaeologists in the field of preservation and restoration."<More>

India, Saudi Youth Initiatives (February 19, 2007)
Taking forward the cooperation agreement between India and Saudi Arabia signed during the visit of King Abdullah to India in January 2006, the two nations have agreed to hold bilateral exchange programs involving students, youth, and sportspersons.<More>

Indians 3rd Largest Immigrants to Australia (February 08, 2007)
Indians have overtaken Chinese population in Australia to become the third largest settlers in that continent after Britain (23,320) and New Zealand (20,250).<More>

No Accord over Palestine Control (February 08, 2007)
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh continued their discussions in the Islamic holy city of Mecca to make peace and reach understanding over disagreement on Israel and averting a civil war.<More>

NK Accuses US of Preemptive Attack Plans (February 06, 2007)
A senior North Korean official accused the US of planning a pre-emptive strike to neutralize the nuclear facilities after reports emerged of a large deployment of stealth fighters by the US in South Korea ostensibly for "training" purposes.<More>

First India-Russia-China Structured Meeting (January 30 , 2007)
India, Russia, and China will hold their first structured foreign ministerial meeting in New Delhi seen as an effort to coordinate response and efforts in international affairs, although the foreign ministers have met thrice over the last 2 years .<More>

Lebanon Aid Pledge Mired in Internal Strife (January 29, 2007)
Saudi Arabia and United States got 30 other nations to pledge USD 7.6 billion to shore up a shaky Lebanese government led by Prime Minister Fouad Siniora under siege by Hezbollah-led Shiite population.<More>

Russia Wants Energy, Military Pie (January 25, 2007)
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in India to rejuvenate ties hoping to win a strong share of India’s large energy and military budget and also be the Guest of Honor of the Republic Day Parade that showcases Indian military and cultural might.<More>

Chavez Armed With Decree Powers (January 23, 2007)
Empowering President Hugo Chavez with sweeping powers to enforce economic, social, and political change via, Venezuelan lawmakers called such measures a “historic necessity” to initiate an “unstoppable” process.<More>

Halted Support for US Iraq Strategy (January 22, 2007)
Even as US allies in West Asia expressed support for the US’s new Iraq strategy, Riyadh haltingly expressed support but also doubted the even-handedness of the government in Baghdad to deal with the Sunni population or its capacity to stop sectarian violence.<More>

Mexican War on Drugs (January 22, 2007)
Mexico said that it has deployed 7,600 soldiers in the Pacific coast state of Guerrero to neutralize drug gangs who have committed atrocities such as beheadings and perpetrated violence in resort haven Acapulco.<More>

US for More Sanctions on NK (January 17, 2007)
The US complained that the UN committee monitoring sanctions on North Korea (NK) has not adopted US-sponsored and other amendments to October 14 sanctions that would limit transfer of equipment, goods, and technology to the communist regime. <More>

Hamas Wants Internal Peace (January 16, 2007)
Hamas leader and Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh urged Palestinians to “halt internal clashes” and renewed his call for a “national unity government” but President Mahmoud Abbas’s Fattah party quickly rejected the call as “vague.” <More>

Indo-Portugal Ties Takes Off (January 16, 2007)
Portugal President Professor Anibal Cavaco Silva, a politically representative parliamentary delegation, and large business delegation visited India and signed 4 significant agreements.<More>

Russia to Scale Back Oil Output (January 11, 2007)
Citing “problems in transiting crude across Belarus,” Russian President Vladimir Putin urged Cabinet colleagues to lean on oil companies to explore “the possibility of scaling down extraction of oil” and hinted at diverting oil transit routes away from Minsk.<More>

Venezuela to Nationalize Telecom (January 11, 2007)
Bucking the global trend to privatize and globalize businesses and state-owned enterprises, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez announced plans to nationalize his country’s electrical and telecommunication companies.<More>

Ortega Assumes Power in Nicaragua (January 10, 2007)
Ringing warning bells in Washington, former revolutionary Daniel Ortega assumed office in a ceremony attended by a dozen anti-American world leaders and left ideologues even as he promised to balance economic and ideological considerations.<More>

Saudi Cabinet Changes Possible (January 10, 2007)
Saudi Arabian King Abdullah is reportedly considering his first Cabinet reshuffle and could include changes to important positions as foreign minister and oil minister in order to induce new talent into his regime.<More>

Bolivians Go on Rampage (January 09, 2007)
Thousands of leftist supporters of Bolivian President Evo Morales, including Indian groups, labor unions, and coca farmers, burnt furniture and official records in a state capitol demanding the resignation of a governor supporting conservative opposition.<More>

New Goal-Oriented Iraq Strategy (January 08, 2007)
As US Generals gave a sobering view of progress made by their troops in Iraq, a recent report suggested that President George Bush may introduce a new policy in Iraq that includes a set of goals that the government must meet.<More>

Israel Plans to Strike Iran (January 08, 2007)
In what could transform the whole West Asian region into decades of crisis and human suffering, Israel is reportedly planning to launch low-yield nuclear “bunker busters” to destroy Iran’s contentious nuclear sites at Ishafan, Natanz, and Arak.<More>

Abbas Shows Street Muscle (January 08, 2007)
Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas’s supporters showed their strength through a massive congregation at a stadium in Gaza City and encouraged Fattah party strongman Mohammed Dahlan threaten hard-line party Hamas of reprisals.<More>

Indo-Japan Ties Need Boost (January 04, 2007)
Given regional and global developments arising out of globalization and nuclear weapons program of North Korea, industry leaders are asking for a more active political engagement of Japan which they say will be more active this century.<More>

Islamists Driven Out of Mogadishu (January 02, 2007)
Islamists controlling Somali capital Mogadishu the last 6 months and enforcing medieval laws were driven out by Western-supported Somali government troops and backed by Ethiopian tanks and MIG fighter jets.<More>

Saddam Hanged, West Asia Crisis Intensifies (January 02, 2007)
Former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein convicted by a court of questionable credentials following controversial judicial process was hanged heightening the growing divide in the Islamic world that threatens to envelop the region and indirectly the world.<More>

Ethiopia Declares War against Islamists (December 27, 2006)
Ethiopia formally declared war on Islamists in neighboring Somalia claiming that such dramatic step was necessary to protect its sovereignty and its warplanes bombed two Islamist-held airfields in Somalia including the one in capital Mogadishu.<More>

Israel Proposes Prisoner Exchange (December 26, 2006)
In an act of good faith, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert suggested that his government would be willing to release Palestinian prisoners even though the captured Israeli soldiers remain in Gaza but also proposed a formal agreement with the Palestinian Authority.<More>

Japan Considering Nuke Deterrent (December 26, 2006)
In a move that has consequences way beyond the region, a Japanese daily Sankei report says that the Japanese government is apparently considering a nuclear warhead as deterrent to North Korean (NK) nuclear weapons program which is being denied by government spokesperson.<More>

Somalia in “State of War” with Ethiopia (December 25, 2006)
Somali Islamic leader Sheik Hassan ahir Aweys claimed that the nation is in a “state of war…against Ethiopia” contradicting his earlier pledge to return to peace talks with the government and is now asking “All Somalis” to “take part in struggle.”<More>

Little Progress in US-NK in Direct Talks
The United States and North Korea (NK) made no progress in their first direct meeting after a long time on the sidelines of the six-nation nuclear arms talks in Beijing to discuss US financial restrictions on Pyongyang, a key stumbling block in the arms negotiations.<More>

Chavez Single Party System (December 20, 2006)
Venezuela President Hugo Chavez initiated steps to consolidate his landslide re-election to move his nation towards a single party system through consolidation of loosely allied parties and concentrate more powers to himself.<More>

Darfur Force by UNSC (December 20, 2006)
The United Nations Security Council urged Sudan to accept deployment of a peacekeeping force that will contain African Union (AU) and European troops in the ravaged Darfur region to augment the 7000 under-funded and ill-equipped AU force that has failed to stem the bloodshed.<More>

ICG Says Iraq Close to Collapse (December 20, 2006)
As the Pentagon reported an all-time high violence levels, an International Crisis Group (ICG) report warned that Iraq is on the brink of total disintegration and drag the entire West Asian region into a regional war.<More>

No Sanctions Says NK (December 19, 2006)
A defiant Pyongyang declaring itself a nuclear power and threatening to increase its arsenal unless UN sanctions imposed on it since its October 9 nuclear test and remove financial restrictions that prompted the bankrupt nation to break-off the 6 nation dialogue 13 months ago.<More>

Elections in Palestine (December 19, 2006)
Within a year of elections that returned hard-line Hamas into power resulting in the abortion of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and internal discord and civil-war conditions, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced plans that he is pushing ahead with early elections.<More>

Manmohan’s Japan Visit (December 18, 2006)
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited Japan where he invited greater investment from Japan under a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and also requested Tokyo’s support for the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).<More>

Hamas Takes Over Gaza Border (December 15, 2006)
After weeks of politically motivated assassinations and murder of children, Hamas gunmen fought fiercely with Fatah-allied border guards to seize control of the Gaza Strip’s EU-monitored border crossing with Egypt.<More>

Qualitative Jump in Indo-US Relations (December 12, 2006)
In a major show of good faith, US policy makers worked into the night to reconcile the House and Senate versions of the amendments to US law that would facilitate Indo-US civilian nuclear cooperation and will be signed into law by US President George Bush.<More>

Hezbollah Show of Force (December 11, 2006)
Heightening the political deadlock, the pro-Syrian Hezbollah led massive demonstrations outside government offices demanding the government’s dissolution accusing it of “corrupt” leadership but Lebanon ’s west-backed cabinet vowed not to give in.”<More>