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Human rights: the role of NGOs in foreign policy
11/02/2012 - BEYOND BUSINESS

Human rights: the role of NGOs in foreign policy

The Washington-based organisation Freedom House says it's committed to spreading democratic ideals worldwide. It openly says it's helping activists in countries like Burma and Belarus to get organised and stand up against repression. But the NGO has been harshly criticized. It's funded by the US government. And that's sparked accusations that Freedom House is an American foreign policy tool - something the organisation denies.
Government vs Supreme Court: political battles in Pakistan
27/01/2012 - PAKISTAN

Government vs Supreme Court: political battles in Pakistan

The Pakistani political scene is once again a battleground. Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has been in the Supreme Court to answer charges of contempt, while President Asif Ali Zardari cannot shake off accusations of corruption dating back to the 1990s. The head of state may be immune from prosecution but outside the turmoil, opposition figures are circling, waiting for their chance to pounce.
Inside Burma: On the road to peace and democracy?
18/01/2012 - THE DEBATE

Inside Burma: On the road to peace and democracy?

Democratic overtures catch Burma-watchers by surprise, but human rights campaigners say they’re sceptical: many more political prisoners remain behind bars and substantive peace talks with ethnic rebel movements are yet to happen.
How far will Assad go?
10/01/2012 - THE DEBATE

How far will Assad go?

Ten months after the start of the Syrian uprising, we analyse the words of its embattled president: his denial, his threats and his defiance. Melissa Bell's panel discusses what the one-and-a-half hour speech tells us about the strength of the regime of Bashar al al-Assad, besieged as it is by sanctions and under continued pressure from within.
Opposition rejects National Assembly chief as interim president
10/01/2012 - GUINEA-BISSAU

Opposition rejects National Assembly chief as interim president

A coalition of Guinea-Bissau opposition groups on Tuesday rejected a proposal for the head of the National Assembly, Raimundo Pereira (pictured), to become interim leader following the death of President Malam Bacai Sanha in Paris on Monday.
Ex-army chief arrested over alleged plot to topple government
07/01/2012 - TURKEY

Ex-army chief arrested over alleged plot to topple government

Former army chief Ilker Basbug (pictured) was arrested Friday in connection with a suspected plot to overthrow the government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Basbug is the highest-ranking officer yet to be implicated in the investigation.
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Tunisia's first democratically elected government sworn in
25/12/2011 - TUNISIA

Tunisia's first democratically elected government sworn in

Tunisia's new coalition government, led by Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali of the moderate Islamist Ennahda party, was sworn in on Saturday, with 30 ministers and 11 junior secretaries of state taking the oath at the presidential palace in Carthage.
Norman Ornstein, Resident Scholar, American Enterprise Institute
23/12/2011 - THE INTERVIEW

Norman Ornstein, Resident Scholar, American Enterprise Institute

Douglas Herbert meets Norman Ornstein, Resident Scholar, American Enterprise Institute. They talk about American politics. Confronted with Healthcare Reform and with last summer's debt ceiling crisis is America's government broken ?
Finance minister elected to cabinet presidency
14/12/2011 - SWITZERLAND

Finance minister elected to cabinet presidency

Swiss MPs on Wednesday elected Finance Minister Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf (pictured) to preside over the country’s cabinet, even though her party is too small to be entitled to a ministerial portfolio according to a decades-old power-sharing consensus.
Suu Kyi's opposition party to regain legal status
13/12/2011 - BURMA

Suu Kyi's opposition party to regain legal status

Authorities in Burma will allow pro-democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi's opposition party to re-register as a legal political entity, press reports said Tuesday. The move paves the way for Suu Kyi to run for a seat in parliament early next year.
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