News: On Thursday 2nd January, Senator Mitch McConnell led a delegation of U.S. Senators on a visit to Afghanistan. While in Kabul they met with President Karzai and Afghan Parliamentarians to push forward talks to sign a crucial bilateral security deal and halt the release of prisoners the United States considers a threat to security. The Republican Senator Lindsey Graham told reporters at a news conference in Kabul on Thursday…

News On December 22, (2013) Bangladesh Election Commission formally sent a letter to the Armed Forces Division to deploy the army to maintain law and order before, during and after the January 5 national election. According to media reports, 43,660 members of armed forces have started their duties in 59 districts ‘in aid of civil administration' from December 26. Around the same time, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called Sheikh…

News On 3 January, Interfax-Russia Agency reported that the President of Russia together with the Prime Minister inspected the readiness of the Olympic facilities and infrastructure for the Games in Sochi. Putin and Medvedev also found time to ski and talk over a glass of mulled wine. Comment The trip of Putin and Medvedev in Sochi was held after the resonance explosions in Volgograd, where tens of people died and…

Headlines: Islam to Become Ireland's 2nd Largest Religion Moscow Patriarchate: Russia Must Do More to Combat Radical Islam Afghanistan Rejects Grim US Intelligence Forecast as Baseless China Strengthens Pakistan Ties with $6.5bn Loan For Nuclear Power Details Islam to Become Ireland's 2nd Largest Religion Population statistics compiled by the Central Statistics Office confirmed that Islam is now Ireland's fastest-growing religion and, at its current rate of expansion, it is set…