The plight of the 8,000 women raped in the Democratic Republic of the Congo last year sums up the wider issue of the deplorable situation which many women face on a daily basis. Nearly half of the world’s women suffer some form of physical and/or sexual violence at least once in their lifetimes, while in some countries the figure reaches 87 per cent.

09.02.2010
Iran’s representative at the IAEA, Ali Asghar Soltaniyeh, stated February 8 that Iran had officially informed the IAEA of its works to produce 20 percent enriched uranium for the research reactor in Teheran. It seems very surprising that the new decision of the Iranian administration comes in contrast with Ahmadinejad’s statement which he made on February 2. That day, he said that Iran was ready to ship low-enriched uranium for further enrichment to other countries and receive nuclear fuel in return

09.02.2010
Ukraine’s relations with Russia will improve no matter who eventually takes the president’s office. Yushchenko and his team did their best to worsen Ukraine’s relations with Russia as much as possible. The winner’s name has not been announced officially yet, but everyone knows that Ukraine will have another Viktor at the head - Viktor Yanukovych

08.02.2010
As NATO gets ready for a massive troop surge in Helmand Province, the local population flees ahead of what both sides promise to be the Mother of All Firefights. The Taleban have sneered at NATO’s warning to move away or lay down arms in this important bastion, the center of the drugs trade which finances their operations and promise a bloodbath. But is it really necessary?