No easy answer for Aceh
With the escalation of violence in Indonesia's oil-rich province of Aceh, a negotiated peace settlement between Jakarta and the secessionists might prove more difficult than ever, writes Damien Kingsbury

Blair's blunder
On the delicate matter of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, or lack of them, opinions within the British government appear to be somewhat divided, writes Alistair Alexander from London

Mercosur revisited
Carlos Menem's withdrawal from Argentina's elections and the consequent victory of his rival, Nestor Kirchner, should give Mercosur a shot in the arm, writes Hisham El-Naggar from Buenos Aires

Eye on Evian
Talks between G8 foreign ministers in Paris focussed on major regional and international security issues, paving the way for the weekend's G8 summit in Evian, writes Gamal Nkrumah

Another day, another dollar
The Bush administration grants the spoils of war to its corporate partners, writes Faiza Rady

Rounding up Al-Qa'eda
The American government has intensified the pressure to crack down on Al-Qa'eda. Anayat Durrani reports from Washington