Middle East & Africa
Doubling down on extremism
Hamas’s pick of Yahya Sinwar as leader makes a ceasefire less likely
The appointment of the architect of October 7th ties the group closer to Iran
Lamps going out
The Middle East braces for wider war as Iran weighs its response
After Israeli strikes, America is rushing troops to the region and airlines are steering clear
Ransom notes
Ethiopia is in the midst of a kidnapping epidemic
As the government hails a new IMF deal, lawlessness is spreading
Under the hump
Somaliland’s camel herders are milking it
Commercial dairies are scaling up an old trade
After Ismail Haniyeh
Will Hamas turn from war to politics?
The assassination of its political leader poses a string of dilemmas
Two knocks in the night
Israeli strikes on Beirut and Tehran could intensify a regional war
At the very least, they will delay talks over a ceasefire in Gaza
One big step closer
Israeli retaliation in Lebanon seems inevitable
But it still wants to avoid all-out war against Hizbullah
Africa unplugged
Why the AI revolution is leaving Africa behind
Large infrastructure gaps are creating a new digital divide
Congo’s intensifying war
Rwandan soldiers may outnumber M23 rebels in Congo
The prospect of dislodging the rebels is becoming dimmer
Jaw-jaw and war-war
Bibi Netanyahu offered spectacle over substance in America
His fourth address to Congress was historic, but held few answers for Israelis
Mutual attrition
Israel and the Houthis trade bombs and bluster
For now, though, neither side is a strategic threat to the other
A damning opinion
The world court says Israel’s occupation is illegal
But will the International Court of Justice’s ruling have any effect?