ISDEI Instituto de Seguridad, Defensa y Estudios Internacionales

Arctic nations are meeting for a key summit and China is aiming to expand its influence in the resource rich area. Ice is melting away at a record-breaking rate in the Arctic, exposing valuable natural resources and opening up new shipping routes. Measurements taken last August found levels of Arctic sea ice were at their lowest levels since satellites began measuring the ice in 1979. China doesn't own any Arctic territory - in fact, its northernmost point is more than 1,400km south of the Arctic Circle. But it's nevertheless taking a strong interest in the region, building a physical presence there and using diplomacy and trade ties to gain a foothold. China’s actions in the region have paid off as it, along with five other non-Arctic states, have been granted permanent observer status to the Arctic Council, an intergovernmental forum of eight countries with Arctic territory. Gaining observer status does not allow China any voting rights on the Arctic Council. But it does

Hundreds of thousands leave for safety in Bangladesh and Myanmar as Cyclone Mahasen starts crossing the low-lying coast. Hundreds of thousands of people in Bangladesh and neighbouring Myanmar have been evacuated, as Cyclone Mahasen approached one of the poorest countries in Asia with winds of around 100km per hour. The United Nations said that more than 4.1 million people could be at risk from the cyclone, which started crossing the country's low-lying coast on Thursday. Mahasen first hit Khepupara on on the southern coast and has started bearing down on the ports of Chittagong and Cox's Bazar. Eyewitnesses told the Reuters news agency low-lying coastal areas were covered in waist-deep water as the storm crossed and trees were uprooted and houses damaged. Two people were reported killed, one crushed by a falling tree and another as he made his way to a shelter. Bangladesh evacuated more than 700,000 people living in low-lying areas to thousands of cyclone shelters on Wednesda

As the Syrian conflict increasingly implicates and spills over into Lebanon, a priority for its government and international partners must be to tackle the refugee crisis, lest it ignite domestic conflict that a weak state and volatile region can ill afford. “Lebanon’s fate historically has been deeply intertwined with Syria's. As Syria heads even more steadily toward catastrophe, there is every reason for Lebanese of all persuasions to worry about their own country -- and to do something about it.” Sahar Atrache, Crisis Group’s Middle East & North Africa Analyst In its latest report, Too Close for Comfort: Syrians in Lebanon , the International Crisis Group examines the impact of Syria’s war on its most fragile neighbour. It focuses on the presence of over a million Syrians, half of them refugees – a figure that is a quarter as great as the state’s citizen population of four million. The influx of refugees aggravates state dysfunction, taxes Lebanon’s already limited reso

OVERVIEW Kenyan democracy was severely tested in the lead-up to, during and after the 4 March 2013 elections. On 9 March, following a tense but relatively peaceful election, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) declared Jubilee Coalition’s Uhuru Kenyatta president-elect. He garnered 50.07 per cent of the vote – barely passing the threshold for a first round victory. His closest opponent, former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, challenged his victory in court, but despite allegations of irregularities and technical failures, the Supreme Court validated the election. Although Odinga accepted the ruling, his party and several civil society organisations questioned the election’s shortcomings and its impact on democracy. President Kenyatta and his deputy, William Ruto, will have to restore confidence in the electoral process and show robust commitment to the implementation of the new constitution, in particular to devolution, land reform, the fight against corruption and

Vessel with 200 Rohingya Muslims evacuating camps ahead of storm sinks, leaving only one survivor, say UN officials. A boat carrying about 200 Rohingya Muslims who were evacuating ahead of a storm has capsized off western Myanmar, killing all but one person, UN officials have said. Kirsten Mildren, of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), told Al Jazeera there was only one confirmed survivor from Tuesday's accident. Barbara Manzi, head of the Myanmar OCHA office, said the boat struck rocks off the Pauktaw township in Rakhine State, and sank late on Monday. The victims were trying to escape Cyclone Mahasen which is expected on Thursday and Friday. The UN has warned the storm could lead to "life-threatening conditions". Al Jazeera's Everton Fox explains the weather impact of Tropical Cyclone Mahasen Myanmar state television said on Monday that thousands of people displaced by communal violence last year had been evacuated from makeshift c

Four new cases of coronavirus confirmed in Eastern Province as WHO officials visit to consult medical staff. Saudi Arabia has confirmed four new cases of the SARS-like coronavirus in its Eastern Province, state media has reported, citing the health ministry. The health ministry said that one of the four new cases had been treated and the patient had been released from hospital, while the three other new cases were still being treated, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday. On Sunday, Saudi Arabia said it had a total of 24 confirmed cases since the disease was identified last year, of whom 15 had died. World Health Organisation officials visiting Saudi Arabia to consult with the authorities on the outbreak said on Sunday it seemed likely the new virus could be passed between humans, but only after prolonged, close contact. The new virus (nCov) can cause coughing, fever and pneumonia. A virus from the same family triggered the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) th

First batch of Kurdish fighters withdrawing from Turkey received by their comrades in northern Iraq. The first group of Kurdish fighters to withdraw from Turkey under a peace process has entered northern Iraq. The 13 men and women arrived in the area of Heror near Metina mountain on the Turkish-Iraqi border on Tuesday and were greeted by comrades from the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in a symbolic step towards ending a three-decades-old insurgency. They were carrying Kalashnikov assault rifles, light machineguns and rocket-propelled grenade launchers and had rucksacks on their backs. After the welcome, the apparently-exhausted fighters put down their weapons and warmed themselves at a fire. "We faced many difficulties because of rain and snow" during seven days on the road, one of the fighters said, adding that they were observed by Turkish aircraft. PKK fighters began leaving their positions in southeast Turkey on May 8 after a ceasefire declared by Abdullah Ocalan, their

At least six people, including three paramilitary forces personnel and two policemen were killed and another 46 were injured in a suicide attack on the convoy of the Balochistan inspector general police in Quetta late on Sunday night. A police official said the suicide bomber rammed his explosives-laden vehicle into the convoy of IG Police Mushtaq Sukhera. He said the IG narrowly escaped the attack which shattered the windows of nearby homes. When contacted, Balochistan Home Secretary Akbar Hussain Durrani told Pakistan Today that the explosives weighed 1,000 kilogrammes. He said the IG had just reached the residence when the blast occurred, adding that three personnel of Frontier Corps and two policemen were among the dead. At the time of the blast, the activists of the Balochistan National Party were also passing by. After the blast, the electricity supply was disrupted due to damages to power pylons. No group has claimed the responsibility for the blast until the filing this repor