Welcoming Karzai
Hopes are pinned on Afghan President Hamid Karzai's visit to Pakistan to iron out differences between the distrustful neighbours, reports Iffat Idris from Islamabad

Big is beautiful?
Politicians sipped champagne while anti-war protesters were tear-gassed at the Athens EU meeting, writes Gavin Bowd

Afghan impasse
As the world awaits the fate of an Iraq without Saddam Hussein, Afghanistan's future continues to lie in precarious imbalance, writes Negar Azimi

Obasanjo's clean sweep
Nigerian opposition parties cry foul after their rout in presidential elections, writes Gamal Nkrumah

Cypriot celebration
Cyprus joins the European Union in spite of lingering tensions between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish communities in the divided island, reports Michael Jansen from Nicosia

Nukes as deterrent
Given regional pressures, the Beijing meeting between the US and North Korea may set a historical precedent, writes Faiza Rady