Zimbabwe’s coalition government has approved an ambitious profram of privatization. One of the first tests of that policy will be the sale of NetOne, Zimbabwe’s state-owned cell phone service provider. If private investment provides any gauge whatsoever about the belief that Zimbabwe is on the right course, the fact that private companies are clamoring to […]
Palestinian reconciliation talks in Cairo managed a minor breakthrough, even though the entire discussions seem futile in achieving a final agreement. Fatah and Hamas negotiators agreed to permit the PLO to serve as a “national reference,” essentially a de-facto decision making body until proper elections for a legislative council occur. Hamas initially sought a more […]
State Department Special Envoy Dennis Blair will visit the Gulf and Egypt next week in a likely effort to obtain support for U.S. initiatives aimed at curbing the Iranian nuclear program. While the State Department did not specify the details of issues to be discussed, Ross may also attempt to enlist support for a resolution […]
The Interior Advisor, Rehman Malik, says an operation by the Frontier Corps and the Pakistan Army in Lower Dir has killed 30 militants, but maintains that the operation has nothing to with the Swat deal. In the next breath he also says, “If the militants do not lay down arms after the enforcement of Sharia laws in […]
Anyone who was hoping for the wounds in Kenya’s coalition government to heal over time might be in for a rude awakening. While there have been moments when it looked as if an uneasy peace might hold, rhetoric in the last few days indicates that tensions might be re-mounting in Nairobi. Prime Minister Raila Odinga, of […]
ISLAMABAD: British Prime Minister Gordon Brown pledged on Monday £10 million in assistance to help Pakistan fight extremism and militancy, but expressed no regrets over the arrest of Pakistani students against whom no evidence has been found. ‘We will stand up to extremism together. We will reverse this trend and take them (extremists) on. We […]
On Friday, the European Union will mark the 5th anniversary of the “Big Bang” enlargement, when 15 mainly Western European Members were joined by 10 Central & Eastern European members in the EU. 5 years on many historical issues remain that have tended to divide these countries. Slovenia is currently blocking the entry of Croatia to the EU, due to a dispute […]
The International Monetary Fund is predicting what most of us have suspected: That the Global economic crisis is going to have a negative impact on African growth, which, the constant flow of horrible news from the continent notwithstanding, has actually been reasonably impressive. The news is not apocolyptic, however. While growth in 2008 was more […]
The results are in. I will be following up my preview of the South African elections with an analysis of the outcomes later this week, but here is the shorthand view each party should take away from an election that saw massive voter turnout: The African National Congress: (Almost 11.7 million votes, 65.9%) Still the […]
For the fifth year running, Fortune China has published its “25 Most Influential Business Leaders in China 2008” list, the feature article in the April issue. As in the past, selection was based on “leading executives influential within their corporation and industry, and capable of changing things on a wide scale,” both in China and […]
Top Central Banker optimistic about China’s economic performance China’s overall economic performance is better than expected, according to Zhou Xiaochuan, governor of the People’s Bank of China. Beijing’s top central banker expressed his optimism about domestic demand and financial stability in China at the International Monetary and Financial Meeting held in Washington. Mr. Zhou praised […]
The transition from Memorial Day directly into Israeli Independence Day remains analogous to the historical evolution of the country. Tonight, Israelis gather across the state, paying homage to the sacrifices of fallen soldiers in defense of the country during multiple wars over the last 61 years. Tomorrow, the entire demeanor of the country changes, with […]
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