Commentary: Weird & Wealthy By ARNAUD DE BORCHGRAVE UPI Editor at Large SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y., July 31 (UPI) --

Outside View: Egypt 's democracy By DANA MOSS Oustside View Commentator BRUSSELS, July 20 (UPI) -- On June 20, 2006, Mohammed Sharkawi and Karim al-Shaer were finally released from prison. They were beaten up and incarcerated after they peacefully protested in support of judges who had contested the fairness of the 2005 parliamentary elections. The two

Analysis: S. Korea seeks U.S. role By LEE JONG-HEON UPI Correspondent SEOUL, July 31 (UPI) -- The killing of a second hostage by Taliban militants in Afghanistan has embarrassed South Korean officials who were making desperate efforts to negotiate the safe return of the South Koreans in their 13th day of captivity Tuesday.

Review of the Arab press AMMAN, Jordan, July 31 (UPI) -- Jordan's al-Arab al-Yawm said Tuesday there seems to be no differences between Washington and the "moderate" Arab countries which U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert Gates intend to visit this week.

Review of the Arab press AMMAN, Jordan, July 30 (UPI) -- The Palestinian al-Quds said in a commentary Monday that President George W. Bush's initiative for an international Middle East peace conference next autumn carries positive elements in ending the Israeli occupation and establishing a Palestinian state.

Policy Watch: Japan's cultural power By MARK N. KATZ WASHINGTON, July 30 (UPI) -- If you have a teenager in your house, then chances are you know something about Japanese anime manga, whether in the form of paperback comics, television series, movies, electronic games, or -- as teenagers like to say -- whatever. If indeed your teenager

Analysis: Cheney favors attack on Iran By CLAUDE SALHANI UPI International Editor WASHINGTON, July 30 (UPI) -- Diplomatic arm-wrestling between Iran and the West over the future of the Islamic republic's nuclear program has not prevented talk of the military option as a solution to the crisis, despite the tsunami-like reaction such a military adventure would gener

Analysis: Nepal's pre-ballot troubles By WILLIAM M. REILLY UPI U.N. Correspondent UNITED NATIONS, July 30 (UPI) -- The Himalayan kingdom of Nepal is in trouble, at least for the moment, the United Nations says. But the world organization remains optimistic the problems can be overcome and the nation can reach its goal of peace, stability and prosperity.

Walker's World: France's nuclear deals By MARTIN WALKER UPI Editor Emeritus PARIS, July 30 (UPI) -- While the media focused on France's sale of a nuclear reactor to Libya, the real news may be in the delays in an $8 billion China contract, as Beijing seeks a share in a possible French research breakthrough.

Analysis: Tough sanctions may tame Iran By MEGAN HARRIS UPI Correspondent WASHINGTON, July 27 (UPI) --

Analysis: U.N. peacekeepers investigated By WILLIAM M. REILLY UPI U.N. Correspondent UNITED NATIONS, July 26 (UPI) --

Analysis: Israel, Abbas renew cooperation By JOSHUA BRILLIANT UPI Correspondent JERUSALEM, July 26 (UPI) --

Review of the Arab press AMMAN, Jordan, July 26 (UPI) -- Kuwait's as-Seyassah commented Thursday that U.S. President George W. Bush seems to have finally gone to the source of terrorism by calling for an international conference to revive the Middle East peace process.

Analysis: S. Korea desperate over hostages By LEE JONG-HEON UPI Correspondent SEOUL, July 26 (UPI) -- South Korea is making desperate efforts to negotiate the safe return of its citizens taken hostage by Taliban insurgents, following the alarming killing of one captive in Afghanistan.

Outside View: Boost for U.S. Asia strategy By HARI SUD Outside View Commentator TORONTO, July 25 (UPI) -- U.S. policy is to balance China's growing power by developing an equally powerful nation in India. Central to this policy is the Indo-U.S. nuclear deal, which is near completion, as U.S. and Indian officials announced last Friday in Washington.

Analysis: Arab ministers on peace mission By JOSHUA BRILLIANT UPI Correspondent JERUSALEM, July 25 (UPI) --

Analysis: Terror scare in Afghanistan By STEFAN NICOLA UPI Germany Correspondent BERLIN, July 25 (UPI) -- Westerners in Afghanistan are under an increasing terror threat: On Wednesday, a Danish journalist was briefly abducted, but later released. Two Germans were abducted last week -- one of them died, with the German government currently in talks to save the

Review of the Arab press AMMAN, Jordan, July 25 (UPI) -- The London-based al-Quds al-Arabi commented Wednesday there is a lot of diplomatic activity and visits to revive the Middle East peace process, but there is no real progress on the ground.

Analysis: The Blair, which project? By CLAUDE SALHANI UPI International Editor WASHINGTON, July 25 (UPI) -- Despite his optimism, Tony Blair will find out soon enough why the Middle East is such a difficult assignment, where for the past 60 years nearly all the negotiators who ventured before him into the quagmire of Middle East peacemaking efforts have not bee

Walker's World: India's nuclear deal By MARTIN WALKER UPI Editor Emeritus MUNICH, Germany, July 25 (UPI) -- India's nuclear deal with the United States, finally brokered after personal intervention by Vice President Dick Cheney, is part of a wider pattern of U.S.-Indian strategic cooperation that is turning India into an Asian regional superpower.

Analysis: Tony Blair kicks off new job By JOSHUA BRILLIANT UPI Correspondent JERUSALEM, July 24 (UPI) --

Commentary: Intelligent intelligence By ARNAUD DE BORCHGRAVE UPI Editor at Large WASHINGTON, July 24 (UPI) -- President John F. Kennedy once said he got "far more out of the New York Times than the CIA." Those were the days when major U.S. newspapers and the three networks maintained foreign bureaus staffed by prize-winning foreign correspondents all over the wor

Analysis: U.N.: Women still face obstacles By CAROLYN NARDIELLO UNITED NATIONS, July 24 (UPI) --

Analysis: Seoul in hostage dilemma By LEE JONG-HEON UPI Correspondent SEOUL, July 24 (UPI) -- South Korea is facing a dilemma over how to ensure the safe release of its citizens taken hostage in Afghanistan after kidnappers have called for direct talks to discuss the fate of the 23 captives in an apparent bid to win bigger concessions.

Review of the Arab press AMMAN, Jordan, July 24 (UPI) -- The London-based ash-Sharq al-Awsat commented Tuesday on the election victory of Turkey's Islamist Justice and Development Party, saying it provides an opportunity for this party to prove whether it becomes the first "reasonable" Islamic group.

Analysis: Seoul striving to free hostages By LEE JONG-HEON UPI Correspondent SEOUL, July 23 (UPI) -- South Korea is struggling to win the safe release of 23 citizens taken hostage in Afghanistan, with the deadline set by Taliban insurgents to start killing them just hours away.

Outside View: The third dimension By BOUTHAINA SHAABAN UPI Outside View Commentator DAMASCUS, Syria, July 23 (UPI) --

Analysis: All quiet on the Mideast front? By CLAUDE SALHANI UPI International Editor WASHINGTON, July 23 (UPI) -- All is quiet on the Middle Eastern front -- for the time being. A little over a year after the war between Israel and the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah ended almost as abruptly as it had started, there are rumblings of renewed violence possibly breaki

Analysis: More Islam, democracy in Turkey By STEFAN NICOLA UPI Germany Correspondent BERLIN, July 23 (UPI) -- Turkey's ruling party after Sunday's election triumph will want to prove that more Islam and more democracy can coexist on its route into the European Union.

Policy Watch: Saudi-Russian partnership By MARK N. KATZ WASHINGTON, July 21 (UPI) -- At the time of Russian President Vladimir Putin's February visit to Riyadh, some Russian commentators expressed the view that improved Saudi-Russian ties were occurring at the expense of Saudi relations with America and the West.

Walker's World: Turkey's new balance By MARTIN WALKER UPI Editor Emeritus PARIS, July 23 (UPI) -- The Turkish election result Sunday that saw a re-election triumph for the moderate Islamic government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has produced a tense but potentially stable political balance in one of the world's most pivotal countries.

Commentary: Dogs of war By ARNAUD DE BORCHGRAVE UPI Editor at Large WASHINGTON, July 23 (UPI) -- Republican candidate for the presidency Rudy Giuliani, the leading hawk among presidential hopefuls, has appointed Norman Podhoretz senior adviser for foreign policy. A founding member of the neo-con movement, Podhoretz, in the June issue of Commentary ma

Analysis: Knowledge, tech key for poor By WILLIAM M. REILLY UPI U.N. Correspondent UNITED NATIONS, July 20 (UPI) -- nowledge and technology must be harnessed to achieve the kind of economic growth needed to reduce poverty, says the latest U.N. report on improving conditions in the world's 50 Least Developed Countries.

Analysis: Israel releases 255 'terrorists' By JOSHUA BRILLIANT UPI Correspondent TEL AVIV, Israel, July 20 (UPI) --

Analysis: Can Iran's nukes weather quakes? By CLAUDE SALHANI UPI International Editor WASHINGTON, July 20 (UPI) -- What does Japan and Iran have in common? Japan has nuclear power plants and Iran is on its way to acquiring nuclear technology. Japan is prone to powerful earthquakes, and so is Iran. This is where the similarities end.

Commentary: Radioactive body politic By ARNAUD DE BORCHGRAVE UPI Editor at Large WASHINGTON, July 20 (UPI) -- If a $25 million reward didn't get anyone to betray Osama Bin Laden and his comfortable underground headquarters in Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) along the Afghan border, who's the genius who thought $50 million might do the trick?

Analysis: Assad sets terms for peace talks By JOSHUA BRILLIANT UPI Correspondent TEL AVIV, Israel, July 19 (UPI) --

Analysis: Kosovo's independence quest By WILLIAM M. REILLY UPI U.N. Correspondent UNITED NATIONS, July 19 (UPI) --

Outside View: Russia warns West on Kosovo By MARIANNA BELENKAYA UPI Outside View Contributor MOSCOW, July 19 (UPI) -- Russia will not support the new draft resolution on Kosovo submitted to the U.N. Security Council by Britain, France and the United States on July 16.

Analysis: Seoul pushes for North detente By LEE JONG-HEON UPI Correspondent SEOUL, July 19 (UPI) -- Buoyed by recent progress in international efforts to eliminate North Korea's nuclear armament, South Korea is seeking to speed up reconciliation and cooperation with its communist neighbor by holding high-level talks.

Review of the Arab press AMMAN, Jordan, July 19 (UPI) -- The Palestinian al-Quds remarked in its editorial Thursday on Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' speech to the Palestine Central Council in which he insisted he wouldn't speak to Hamas after its "coup d'etat" in the Gaza Strip and called for early elect

Analysis: PA's Abbas plans early elections By JOSHUA BRILLIANT UPI Correspondent JERUSALEM, July 18 (UPI) --

Analysis: U.N. Kosovo vote unlikely By WILLIAM M. REILLY UPI U.N. Correspondent UNITED NATIONS, July 18 (UPI) -- Members of the U.N. Security Council -- minus Russia -- are attempting to revise the latest Western draft resolution aimed at putting Serbia's province of Kosovo on an independence track.

Review of the Arab press AMMAN, Jordan, July 18 (UPI) -- Arab newspapers Wednesday gave mixed reactions to President George W. Bush's proposal for an international conference for peace in the Middle East.

Analysis: Bumpy road for N. Korea talks By LEE JONG-HEON UPI Correspondent SEOUL, July 18 (UPI) -- Six-nation talks on North Korea's nuclear weapons programs resumed on Wednesday with a strong note of optimism about a process of disarming the defiant communist country.

Analysis: Bush's failed Mideast policy By CLAUDE SALHANI UPI International Editor WASHINGTON, July 18 (UPI) -- U.S. President George W. Bush hopes to convene an international conference next autumn to pave the way forward for the stalled Middle East peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians. Well, at least with half the Palestinians, as the administration wi

Walker's World: Trouble with Sarkozy By MARTIN WALKER UPI Editor Emeritus PARIS, July 18 (UPI) -- With nearly three weeks left to go of his first hundred days, the honeymoon of France's new President Nicolas Sarkozy has been more like a whirlwind.

Analysis: Israel's Peres gets top job By JOSHUA BRILLIANT UPI Israel Correspondent JERUSALEM, July 17 (UPI) --

Atlantic Eye: Twisting the shadow of 9/11 By MARC S. ELLENBOGEN UPI International Columnist PRAGUE, Czech Republic, July 17 (UPI) --

Review of the Arab press AMMAN, Jordan, July 17 (UPI) -- The Palestinian al-Hayat al-Jadeeda said in a commentary Tuesday it did not expect a breakthrough in the Palestinian-Israeli peace process in the near future and predicted the Palestinian Authority will not last much longer if there is no real political b