South Africa’s government is looking fragile
Budget announcements are rarely memorable events in South Africa. But the statement on March 12th by Enoch Godongwana, the fi...
A horrific killing spree shakes Syria
Syria is in the throes of its worst bloodshed since the fall of Bashar al-Assad three months ago. Since March 6th Sunni fight...
Lebanon’s new government must do three big things immediately
IT IS almost like starting a government from scratch. When the president of Cyprus came to visit his Lebanese counterpart in ...
Why some Africans see opportunity in foreign-aid cuts
ENDING DEPENDENCE on foreign donors would not only lead to prosperity but also to “self-respect for our nation”. Thus argued ...
Israel’s army adopts a high-stakes new strategy:more terrain
THE SECOND stage of the ceasefire in Gaza, whereby Israel and Hamas were to officially end the war there, was supposed to sta...
Could political upheaval hit Jordan next?
Jordanians came out in their tens of thousands to hail their king as a hero. On February 13th state television broadcast thei...
In a dictator’s palace, Syrians debate a new constitution
Hundreds of Syrians gathered on February 25th in the opulent reception hall of what is now called the People’s Palace in Dama...
Israel and Hamas have something in common
DIPLOMACY is often the art of kicking the can down the road. That was always the case with the truce between Israel and Hamas...
The sea is swallowing an African island
Standing on the shores of Nyangai, a small island off the coast of Sierra Leone, Melvin Kargbo points to his old football fie...
How to make cash in Africa’s coup belt
THE BOSS of Barrick Gold, a Canadian mega-miner and the world’s second-largest gold producer, is no stranger to bust-ups with...