Tens of thousands of files were leaked from the American armed forces to WikiLeaks, a website. They related to the conduct of the war in Afghanistan and sharpened a perception that Pakistan’s military intelligence agency, the ISI, has been backing the Ta… more »

China and Taiwan signed one of their most significant agreements since 1949: a deal designed to liberalise trade and investment across the Taiwan strait. Hundreds of tariffs will be reduced in both directions. Both governments are eager to convince Taiwa… more »

The UN Security Council approved a fourth round of sanctions against Iran over its nuclear programme. Both China and Russia, traditional allies of Iran, voted for the measures. Brazil and Turkey, non-veto-wielding members who have negotiated their own nu… more »

South Korea’s president, Lee Myung-bak, announced punitive measures against North Korea in response to the North’s sinking of one of the South’s warships in March, in which 46 sailors were killed. Trade with the North is to be cut severely, sea lanes clo… more »

After a year of bitter debate in Congress, and a vote to approve a bill by a razor-thin margin in the House of Representatives, Barack Obama finally got to sign a health-care reform act into law. Lauded as the most significant piece of social legislation… more »

Dozens of bombs in Baghdad, most of them non-lethal, heralded Iraq’s general election on March 7th. Turnout was lower than in 2005 but most Iraqis were determined to exercise their democratic rights. Rival alliances led by the prime minister, Nuri al-Mal… more »