The European Union , 27 Member States, 492 million consumers, a single market and the greatest free trading zone in the world, with open borders in 18 of its Member States. Only 53 years after the end of one of the most atrocious wars in history, the European Union has not only created tenable peace […]
There is lots going on these days across the continent, so without further palaver, I’ll point you in the right directions to catch up. Your first stop should probably be the latest Pambazuka News, which has useful articles on Chad, Zimbabwe, lots on Kenya, and other important issues. From there you can go to the […]
The sun will rise, the sun will set, and South African sport will exist in a perpetual case of turmoil. Or so it seems. Winning the Rugby World Cup last year does not seem to have provided a balm to SARU's (usually self-inflicted) wounds and in many ways seems to have rubbed them raw. Even […]
Former Mexican President Vicente Fox spoke at the New York Democracy Forum last week, giving a candid presentation that outlined his anger at the wall being constructed along the U.S.-Mexico border, his support for revamping NAFTA and the creation of a temporary guest worker program for Mexican migrants. [kml_flashembed movie=”http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docid=-8813317554481503136″ width=”400″ height=”326″ wmode=”transparent” /]
My initial response to this article asserting that Simba Makoni has quite a challenge ahead of him was to wonder what sort of moron might argue anything to the contrary. Fortunately, though, the reporter goes deeper than the “no tea party” argument: Makoni's real challenge is to show he has the clout to attract enough […]
Kofi Annan seems optimistic that he can broker agreements in Kenya that will allow for that country to begin to heal. One of the key elements to any solution appears to be the establishment of a coalition government that will sit until the country can hold new elections, which would probably not take place until […]
The revolution which swept away a dynasty and altered political Islam for the rest of our lives turned 29 today, marked by celebrations in the Iranian capital of Tehran. (Ahmadinejad speaks in front of a giant mural. ABACA via Middle East Times) During the celebrations, Ahmadinejad struck what will inevitably be called “a defiant note.” […]
Charles R. Stith, a former US ambassador to Tanzania and director of the African Presidential Archives and Research Center at Boston University, has an op-ed piece in today's Boston Globe endorsing the Millennium Challenge Initiative as a way to help develop Africa. He argues that partisan squabbling over the amount of funding to provide the […]
There can be little doubt that the past year has been the most trying in Thabo Mbeki's oft-tumultuous presidency. Tonight he gave his State of the Union address before parliament. He certainly had plenty of fodder from which to work: The electricity crisis, crime, poverty, the daunting prospect of hosting the 2010 World Cup, and […]
Take your pick on Kenya: Grim pessimism or cautious optimism? By my nature I try to steer clear of Afro-pessimism, so I’ll side with the latter, well aware that the former always has a case to make in contemporary Africa.
Robert Mugabe is going to face a surprise challenge in the upcoming election that he called recently (to great outcry from the opposition and observers of the country's politics). Simba Makoni, a former finance minister whom Mugabe forced out of office in 2002, appears to have the support of many dissidents within ZANU-PF as well […]
Seymour Hersh has an in-depth look at the Israeli attack of Syria last year, which some claim was an attack on some kind of nuclear facility. Hersh is always worth a read. Here is a teaser. Sometime after midnight on September 6, 2007, at least four low-flying Israeli Air Force fighters crossed into Syrian airspace […]
US soldiers have killed three members of a family in Tikrit, after US officials said that the troops were fired on before entering the house. However, The New York Times is reporting that an AP correspondent quoted a relative as alleging that the US soldiers kicked open the door of the house and began firing […]
We've all read that Beijing is bringing its A-game for the upcoming Olympic games. As a major milestone and once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to show face as a key international player, the country is busying itself with strategic preparations to deliver an effective and meaningful sale this summer.The number 8, when pronounced in Mandarin (ba), rhymes with […]
[Christoper Padilla by Al Diaz for the Miami Herald] In 2000, under the direction of the Clinton Administration, the US found itself at a critical juncture for decision: further integrate China into the global economy, or throw away decades spent building a trusting relationship? Now, with the deepening bilateral trade deficit, the US finds itself […]