Politics of desperation
The defeat of two of the most sympathetic US lawmakers to the Arab cause was a setback for Arab, Muslim, African Americans and the Democratic Party, argues Manar El Shorbagy

Close shave for Karzai
The recent attempt to assassinate Hamid Karzai signals troubled times in Afghanistan, writes Iffat Malik from Islamabad

Muzzling the press
Following the release of a documentary exposing top officials in the act of accepting bribes, the Indian government has cracked down hard on journalists, reports Shaikh Azizur Rahman from New Delhi

Awaiting the 'facts'
British Prime Minister Tony Blair is now locked into a military alliance with US President Bush that is unlikely to unravel. Gavin Bowd writes from London