- Kenya and Britain: Drawing a line under history
A long wait for the Mau MauINDEPENDENCE songs were sung, antique walking sticks were waved and Britain’s representative in Kenya gamely ventured some words in Swahili to express his regret that Kenyans had been tortured during the Mau Mau uprisi…
- 7 days ago, 13 Jun 13, 7:10pm -
- Iran’s election and the internet: Behind a thick curtain
AFTER a string of strong performances on the world stage in recent years, Iran’s national kick-boxing team has had to drop out of an international championship in Greece this month. The Greek embassy in Tehran, citing “communications disruptions…
- 7 days ago, 13 Jun 13, 7:10pm -
- Libya’s government and the militias: Is the tide turning?
Battling for the soul of BenghaziTHE scavengers for disused metal fled, as riot police wearing their old Qaddafi-era uniforms drove back into their old base after recovering it from one of Libya’s most powerful Islamist militias, Libyan Shield N…
- 7 days ago, 13 Jun 13, 7:10pm -
- Democratic Republic of Congo: Bigger guns are on their way
THE first stretch of road seen by new UN troops in Congo after their arrival at the airport in Goma, the country’s second-biggest city, is a stark indicator of what lies ahead. The road—a rare bit of tarmac—was the site of a stunning victory no…
- 7 days ago, 13 Jun 13, 7:10pm -
- Syria’s civil war: The regime digs in
“YA GHALI,” says a driver greeting the soldier manning a checkpoint of concrete blocks painted with the Syrian flag and plastered with pictures of Bashar Assad in regime-controlled central Damascus. This salutation was never in use in the capi…
- 7 days ago, 13 Jun 13, 7:10pm -
- The Central African Republic: A new grey zone
Not so safe with SelekaTHE long-troubled Central African Republic is drifting deeper into crisis under an unruly band of rebels whose coup in March ended President François Bozizé’s decade of rule. Seleka, the rebel alliance, is struggling wit…
- 7 days ago, 13 Jun 13, 7:10pm -
- Syrian refugees in Turkey: Will they ever go home?
EVERY so often Leila Bitar slips out of Altinozu Camp and across the border from Turkey into Syria to visit the grave of her son. A 30-year-old fighter in the Free Syrian Army, he died in battle eight months ago in Latakia, in north-west Syria. Leila…
- 7 days ago, 13 Jun 13, 7:10pm -
- Iran’s presidential election: You never know
THE last time Iran had a presidential vote, millions took to the streets calling foul when the incumbent, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, was declared the winner. Four years on, the Islamic Republic has not yet fully recovered from the ensuing political hear…
- 14 days ago, 6 Jun 13, 7:01pm -
- Iran and alcohol: Wet and dry
Absolutely disgracefulTHE middle-class northern suburbs of Tehran are the wet part of Iran. In no other place in the Islamic Republic are piety and conservatism less evident and alcohol consumption more so. But a run on the rial throughout 2012, s…
- 14 days ago, 6 Jun 13, 7:01pm -
- Qatar: Democracy? That’s for other Arabs
Is the emir saying hello or goodbye?IN AN emirate presenting itself as the face and financier of regional reform, Qataris could be forgiven for asking when they may taste at home what their leaders preach abroad. Political parties are banned in Qa…
- 14 days ago, 6 Jun 13, 7:01pm -
