The United States Thursday called on the UN Human Rights Council to dump Libya and consulted key allies on imposing sanctions, accelerating the international drive to halt Moamer Kadhafi's brutal protest crackdown.

Key Western nations urged the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday to demand an immediate end to Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's bloody crackdown on civilian protesters and strongly condemn the violence.

Preparations Poland’s six-month presidency of the EU by in July this year are in full swing at the Foreign Ministry with the Eastern Partnership to take centre stage.

“Dawn rolling over, the clouds bring the rain, it’s time to start over, time to join hands.” These were the first lines of Kosovo’s last year’s campaign reaching out to the world. The lyrics give an idea of the country’s continuing challenges. On February 17, Kosovo celebrates the third anniversary of its independence.

Co-author: Martin Wahlisch

Three Years into Kosovo’s Independence: Further recognitions will be crucial for the country’s development

Let me begin by describing a scenario to you.

It’s Wednesday night in Costa Rica, about 8.30pm, and people in Costa Rica, as people do in most countries, are watching prime-time television. On this particular night, Costa Rica takes on their neighbors Venezuela in a soccer match and, due to the mass popularity of soccer in Costa Rica, it is drawing a large audience. Costa Rica scores, and after endless replays and analysis of a truly average goal, the action cuts to a "and here’s the reaction in China" sequence of pictures.

‘I am confident that the multi-continental breadth of the Geneva Consensus of May 27-28th 2009, the ‘soft power’ and ‘smart power’ it represented, the international legitimacy it confirmed, and the politico-diplomatic and strategic space for post-war Sri Lanka that it symbolised, remains safely intact and indeed ably enhanced in the hands of the professionals.’

The government of Ivory Coast's incumbent leader Laurent Gbagbo has officially banned UN radio broadcasts. Mr Gbagbo has refused to stand down following polls in November, which the UN peacekeeping mission in Ivory Coast say was won by Alassane Ouattara.