On the 4th of March, 2009, the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for the arrest of Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir. The ICC at The Hague had been preparing for months and finally announced its first warrant ever for a sitting President.

When one reads about India's trade partners, the first few names which come up are the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, China and the EU amongst others. What would happen if one would add names such as Brazil, Venezuela and Bolivia to this list? It would normally be seen as a surprise given that historically none of these countries have actually figured as prominent trading partners. All this has undergone a severe change and India is off building stronger relations with countries which are touted to be part of the NEW LATIN LEFT.

On the 2nd of March 2009, donor countries mainly the US, UK, GCC nations and the EU - astonished the world with their combined pledge of $5.2 billion, aimed to support reconstruction and rehabilitation in Gaza. The Palestinian Authority (PA) originally hoped to raise $2.78 billion for reconstruction efforts after the December war and final figure of nearly double that amount seemed a rare and fortuitous development.

The 2-month old Bangladesh government, under Prime Minster Sheikh Hasina, has just gone through its first acid-test the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) mutiny in February 2009. Before it could be quelled, this mutiny by the country's paramilitary force, known as the BDR, left over 74 dead. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's reputation has been enhanced greatly for suppressing the mutiny successfully through political means, instead of resorting to military force. This way, Hasina has also managed to send out a message to the international community that Bangladesh has a stable democratic government at its helm; this is sure to give a much-needed boost to the country's economy in form of more foreign investment and aid.

Living in India we have all heard or experienced the notion of cricket being like a religion to millions of ardent fans. To the people of the subcontinent, the likes of Tendulkar, Murali and Akram are revered regardless of ones religious beliefs, caste, ethnicity or social status. The perception that sports, or in this case cricket, could rise above political uncertainty and turmoil has always held true, no more so than in the Mecca of the sport South Asia. Yet, the recent attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore challenged that perception, with cricketers and officials being targeted in a brazen terrorist assault reminiscent of the audacious Mumbai attack in November last year. For the sports aficionados the sanctity of their ˜religion had been breached while for Pakistan's government and the international community, this was another instance of the deepening crisis confronting Islamabad.

A few months ago, we celebrated the victory of Barrack Obama in the US elections. We feel justified. Within the first fifty days of his administration, the world is sailing on the winds of peace and reconciliation. We are witnessing a new sense of hope in almost every part of the world.