Pakistan seals Afghan border for NATO supplies

Nearly half the cargo for foreign troops routes through Pakistan:

Supplies for NATO in Afghanistan have been hit by a Pakistani blockade enforced after a cross-border strike killed 24 of its troops, but it remains unclear how seriously coalition forces will suffer. There are around 140,000 foreign troops in landlocked Afghanistan waging a 10-year battle against a Taliban-led insurgency who rely on fuel, food and equipment brought in from outside.

Full Story

Egypt’s first legislative elections :

Muslim Brotherhood poised for a big win

Egypt’s influential Muslim Brotherhood is bracing for a big win in the country’s first legislative elections since Hosni Mubarak was ousted. The Islamist movement, which has been banned for decades, stepped out of the shadows after the uprising in January that ended Mubarak’s 30-year-rule and saw power handed to a military junta led by the strongman’s defence minister.

Full Story

US seeks clout on China doorstep

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton heads this week on a historic visit to Myanmar that aims not only to pry open the closed nation but to shake up the battle for global influence right on China’s doorstep.

Full Story