Business Day reports that business confidence in South Africa is at a six-year low. I am actually surprised that things in South Africa are not worse given the calamitous tone of forecasts in the United States. Perhaps this is just the beginning, and South Africa faces a grim long-range economic picture. Or possibly South Africa's […]
… the former speaker of the Knesset reflects on the meaning of the conflict of Gaza for him and his children.
at least according to the New York Times’ travel section.
Vice President-elect Joseph Biden stopped over in Afghanistan the day before yesterday, right after a visit in Pakistan with Prime Minister Gilani and just before he was due to stop in Iraq. Biden did not just stop in Kabul, but actually spent his time in Afghanistan's south, mainly in Kandahar, where the insurgent presence has […]
American President-elect Barack Obama met with Mexican President Felipe Calderon in Washington on Monday. More detailed analysis to follow, but see coverage here. Significantly, the BBC points out that this will be “Mr Obama's first [meeting] with a foreign leader since his election in November”. Although high-profile issues of the global financial crisis and wars […]
The Guinean coup has caused the countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to worry about the ripple effects of instability in that country. Thus the heads of state of ECOWAS member states were to hold an extraordinary meeting in Abuja, Nigeria, today. This will mark the first regional crisis that Ghana's new President John […]
From the little island nation of Cape Verde comes a potentially innovative possibility for addressing water shortages. The solution? Converting fog into potable water.
Much has been made of the political aspects of the Russian-Ukrainian gas dispute. However, a thoughtful scholarly paper at the Council on Foreign Relations offers an alternative explanaiton: Moscow…has resorted to bullying, blackmailing and otherwise interfering in the sovereignty of its neighbours. In some cases, the motive is simply money: Ukraine owes Russia nearly […]
In recent weeks South Africa's newly established African National Congress dissident party, the Congress of the People (COPE), has dominated the political discussion and thus in many meaningful ways has won the news cycle. The ANC has consistently fought back, but have consistently appeared to be reacting to COPE rather than actively controlling the agenda. This appears to be […]
who knows? Maybe Ohio and Michigan will start getting remittances from workers in the Gulf as well. … of course that is a joke. Indyk's piece raises some important points about the many levels on which the issues driving Middle East politics need to be addressed.
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