Japan's new secrecy law is yet another disturbing symptom of the country's rising militarism, broadening the government's power to classify state secrets amidst increased belligerence in the region.
US congressional efforts to introduce new sanctions legislation threatens the fragile ground gained through diplomatic efforts to secure an interim nuclear deal with Iran.
The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons should be a technical agency of the UN. But it has arguably become a piece in a geo-political chess game dominated by the US, invited into Syria to act in contravention of its remit.
With a fractious opposition internally and rival external powers engaged, the prospects are challenging for the ‘Geneva II’ conference on Syria. Threat of indictment for war crimes by the International Criminal Court could concentrate combatant minds.
How can the US and Russia look past their longstanding rivalry to move the political track forward and bring Syrian parties to the negotiating table?
Given the tumultuous history between the negotiating countries, the interim deal signed over Iran’s nuclear programme is a real achievement. Provided all sides deliver on their commitments, this deal is an opportunity to build confidence and potentially break through the historic trust deficit.
How much risk are we willing to accept? The dangers of maintaining nuclear weapons remain the same but the issue has fallen out of public awareness, and a mistake could be disastrous.
Britain's collusion in the Sri Lankan state's violent tactics of repression is finally coming to light. But it's only one part of its long history aiding police brutality across many former colonies - and much more remains unknown.
A comprehensive peace will clearly not be achieved militarily, but how can the warring factions engaged with the complex conflict in Afghanistan be brought into negotiations? Engagement with Alternative Dispute Resolution practices at the regional level offers potential.
Nuclear weapons policy reaches far into our daily global economic, trade and foreign relations, yet for the most part is inaccessible to public scrutiny. This week the EU will discuss the presence of America's B61s in Europe: an opportunity to open up the debate.
Despite notes of caution and a lack of concrete offers, Presidents Obama and Rouhani set the stage for increased engagement at the UN last week. With calls for a WMD-free zone in the Middle East reaffirmed, Israel's game plan will be central.
Talks foundered because the US insisted that Iran must not have uranium enrichment facilities on its own soil in any circumstances, and the EU3 bowed to this diktat from Washington. This time, we must do better.
