The escalating tension between Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela is as incredible as it is dangerous. The shaky international community cannot allow an armed conflict to break out in the Andes region, or even a new focal point of tension in the American continent. Rhetoric can turn into drama, states the author.

The Middle East is experiencing a new escalation in the violence between Israeli soldiers and Hamas militants. According to the analysts, the only way out involves the reestablishment of a framework for global negotiation between the Israeli authorities and the Palestinian factions of the West Bank and Gaza, an option that could lead to the creation of another National Unity Government, provided that an agreement is reached beforehand. But in order for this to happen, the author states that Israel must renounce its project of getting rid of Hamas by force.

• Alert before the Unreasonableness of Hamas
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The supporters of Taiwanese independence consider Kosovo to be a precedent that encourages them not to give up in their struggle. Nevertheless, the differences between the two cases are obvious, and not only due to the democratic imperative necessary to constitute a state; neither the origin of the dispute nor the regional and international context of the two cases is similar either. This is why the consequences of Kosovo’s independence will probably be felt more in the South Caucasus (Transcaucasia) or Europe rather than in the Far East, states the author.

• The Kosovan State is unviable
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• Kosovo´s final status: another chapter of turmoil in the Balkans?
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• China-Taiwan: Playing with...the Torch
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The very first fundamental condition that must be met in order for a State to exist is for other international players to recognize it. In that case, Kosovo is already a full State, since it has been recognized by the strongest members of the European Union (France, the United Kingdom, Italy and Germany) and the United States. But is this recognition enough for Kosovo to begin its independent life? Does Western support make the Kosovan State viable?

• An intermediate solution to the Kosovo conflict
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• Kosovo´s final status: another chapter of turmoil in the Balkans?
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With the once-postponed elections almost upon us, the PPP is still riding on the crest of a sympathy wave and will most likely come out on top and reach an agreement with Sharif’s party. However, the United States continues to support Musharraf. The author argues that if this misguided trend continues, Islamic radicals could gain a stronger foothold in the region, which would certainly not aid the American-led global war on terror.

• Why Pakistan is a "desirable" state for radical Jihadism
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• The aftermath of the Benazir assassination in Pakistan’s politics
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When it tore down part of the wall at Rafah, Hamas was acting for the party’s own benefit, in an attempt to implement its Islamic Revolution program at the expense of unity between Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The author argues that Israel should lift the sanctions imposed upon Gaza and negotiate a comprehensive peace plan with Palestinian President Abu Mazen for the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Neighboring countries such as Egypt should partake in the dialog, and Hamas and other factions must also comply with the peace process.

• Olmert is unaffected by Jerusalem’s storms
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Regarding the release of FARC’s hostages, the presidents of Colombia and Venezuela are prisoners of domestic policy, the author says. Chávez needs outside success to assimilate the referendum’s political debate, and Uribe needs to demonstrate that Chávez is not the only one capable of leading negotiations to free hostages. The author points out that the international community is hoping that these events will reduce the current tension between Colombia and Venezuela, and not the other way around.

• The intimate relationship between narcotrafficking and the State
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• The international mediation in Colombia, is it defusing the conflict?
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Ever since the last elections in Kenya, the world has seen the country sink into violence, due to the accusations of fraud in the elections controlled by president Mwai Kibaki. The author says that the most serious European press has analyzed the conflict as a typical expression of the savage tribal confrontation characteristic of Blacks. However, other sources assert that the majority of assassinations have occurred at the hands of the State, and not at those of any Kikuyu tribe or ethnic group. Why the African Union must shake off its indifference and avoid another Darfur.

One of the quandaries facing terrorism analysts today: the jihadist’s dilemma of whether to promote collective or individual action among potential adherents. Although this may appear to be an obscure issue, so specific as to interest only counterterrorism analysts, it is actually a widely applicable and underappreciated topic that could directly impact the type of terrorism Europe may face in the future. As such, it is a concern for all.