Israel and Lebanon clash at the border; Arming the Saudis; Terror title shifts to South Asia; IMU leader Yuldashev dead

The incredible shrinking Russian government;
Medvedev refocuses on anti-corruption

That a Pakistani-born U.S. national was responsible for the latest attempted terrorist attack on U.S. soil should come as little surprise. Pakistan has stood, almost unchallenged, at the epicenter of global terrorism for the post-9/11 era. Individuals or groups based in Pakistan have been involved in the majority of planned attacks on Western nations since 2001 and the country has played a critical role in the resurgence of the Taliban in Afghanistan. Finally, nuclear-armed Pakistan maintains a network of Islamist militant groups focused on targeting India and is now host to a ferocious Islamist insurrection of its own; an insurgency that is now more deadly than those in either Iraq or Afghanistan. In short, no discussion of counterterrorism is complete without an examination of Pakistan and its role in Western terror attacks, the Afghan War, and its own attempts to combat domestic terrorism.

Iron Dome ready in November; Saudi legal reform takes a step forward; Iran's hand in Iraq highlighted by U.S. general; France "at war" with AQIM; Turkey gives boost to Azeri enclave

Beijing Maglev plans criticized in Chinese press; China and Russia fret over heroin exports from Afghanistan

China faces tough choices on Cheonan; Hong Kong Dems press for independence

Nato courting Moscow for Afghan assistance; Pakistan's constitution gets a makeover; More hardware to Sino-Indian border; New intel satellite for India; Iran and Pakistan reach deal on "Peace Pipeline"

A new day for Russian justice?;
Some rare positive demographic news

U.S. ponders new base in Kyrgyzstan; In Iran's shadow, Arabs see Israel in different light, Nabucco, two steps forward; Yemen peace holds