Worsening relations between Colombia and Venezuela led to a decision on November 3 by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to close the border between the two countries. Instead of giving in to the obstacle, however, residents from either side are finding every way round it. Read more...

At first sight they seem to be children's drawings of jungles, mountains and rivers. But on closer inspection the details come into focus: people pleading for mercy before being executed, women being raped, hostages tied up, giant cemeteries... Read more...

Iraqi journalist Muntazer al-Zaidi, who shot to fame last December when he threw his shoes at then President George W. Bush, was released from prison on Tuesday. But is he still hailed a hero for his crime? Not all of our Iraqi Observers are convinced. Read more...

A UN expert has called for an investigation into mobile phone footage of what appears to be Tamil civilians, hands bound and stripped naked, being shot dead by Sri Lankan soldiers. Read more and see the video...

It'd be so nice if it was true, but the fact is it isn't: the first settlements - before the Bronze Age, before the Iron Age, probably even prior to the Stone Age - didn't happen because folks liked each other's company. As the old saying goes: safety in numbers ... and fortifications. Read more...

The Obama administration has just handed over five billion dollars to the armed forces to buy more robots. The country's ongoing "War on Terror" employs more unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for its operations in Pakistan and Afghanistan than it does manned planes. Our Observer and expert in robotics tells us that the ethical concerns behind the programme have gone unnoticed. Read more...

A video showing a US instructor yelling at Iraqi police and calling them ‘a bunch of women’ and ‘cowards’ has caused a huge buzz on the Net. Our Observers take a look. Read more and see the video...

This little cyber-presenter, Dickie, seems pretty cute. Listen carefully to what he has to tell you however. He's repeating - word for word - press releases from the Afghan Taliban. Read more...

One of our Observers in Karachi, south Pakistan, has travelled the length of the country in order to administer humanitarian aid in the war-torn region of Swat valley. The refugees are left with absolutely nothing, he tells us, and getting aid to them is hindered by the local authorities. Read his account...

The Sri Lankan Army released footage of the body of Tamil Tiger chief Velupillaï Prabhakaran on Tuesday. But a lot of Tamils refuse to believe it. Today we received supposed proof of Prabhakaran's continued existence. But it looks rather like Photoshop had something to do with it. Read more...