According to projections by US media outlets, Mitt Romney handily won the Republican caucuses in Nevada, his second state win in a row on the way to becoming the party's candidate to put against President Obama. 

President Obama delivered the State of the Union speech many observers had expected in an election year. Beneath some boilerplate appeals to bipartisanship, the speech was clearly a rallying cry for his supporters.  

Four permanent UN Security Council members face possible leadership handovers in 2012. Instead of change, writes John Hulsman for DW's Transatlantic Voices column, these transitions will lead to political inertia.  

On January 1 Ban Ki-Moon starts his second term as UN Secretary-General. To leave a lasting mark Ban needs to go beyond his role as a 'global bridge-builder' argues Thorsten Benner in this Transatlantic Voices column. 

At the 48th Munich Security Conference, starting February 3, global leaders and generals will tackle Europe's relationship with Asia and the impact of the Arab Spring. DW spoke with Chairman Wolfgang Ischinger. 

Earlier this week, clashes broke out between Libyan militias and local residents in a town with close ties to Libya's former dictator. The violence shows that the country still has a long way to go toward true stability.