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A demonstrator waves South Africa's flag during a protest calling for the deportation of undocumented immigrants
Analysis

The Rainbow Nation has an issue with its neighbors

On the outskirts of Durban this week, over a thousand immigrants fled their homes and set up a makeshift camp nearby after angry residents ordered them to leave, accusing them of taking jobs and economic opportunities from South Africans.

​Smoke billows from southern Lebanon
What We're Watching

Israel and Lebanon agree to renew ceasefire, US lawmakers check Trump’s war powers, and Africa’s got game (literally)

Lebanon and Israel signed a ceasefire, but Hezbollah didn't, and that is a problem. With Netanyahu under pressure to escalate, Trump searching for a face-saving exit, and Iran unmoved by US muscle-flexing, the deadlock shows no signs of breaking.

Progress on maternal mortality is slowing
Graphic Truth

Progress on maternal mortality is slowing

The global maternal mortality ratio stood at 197 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2023 — nearly three times the WHO's target of fewer than 70 by 2030 — raising fears that global health targets are slipping out of reach.

Fidel Castro and his brother, Armed Forces Minister Raul Castro (L), preside over the 100th anniversary of the death of independence hero Antonio Maceo, in this photo from December 7, 1996.
What We're Watching

Former Cuban president indicted by US, Dublin voters consider gangster candidate, Ebola prompts postponement of India-African Union summit

The Justice Department yesterday charged Raúl Castro, the younger brother of Fidel, with murder and a conspiracy to kill American citizens over a 1996 incident in which the Cuban military shot down two civilian planes.

Hard number: Some African states turn to AI surveillance
Hard Numbers

Hard number: Some African states turn to AI surveillance

Chinese banks are helping with the investments.

​French President Emmanuel Macron and Kenya's President William Ruto at the Taifa Hall of the University of Nairobi, in Nairobi, Kenya, on May 11, 2026.
Analysis

Can France redefine its relationship with Africa?

French President Emmanuel Macron is trying to redefine France’s relationship with the continent, making it based on economic partnerships rather than a shared colonial history.

​US President Donald Trump and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva meet on the sidelines of the 47th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, October 26, 2025.
What We're Watching

Trump-Lula meeting today, UK local elections testing Starmer’s leadership, New generation of African leaders step into the spotlight

Trump hosts Brazil’s Lula at White House today, Britons go to the polls, Morocco’s young prince steps into the spotlight

Is water the next geopolitical battle?
Analysis

Is water the next geopolitical battle?

More than 70% of the earth’s surface is covered in good old H2O, so it would seem there’s plenty to go around. But the vast majority, at least 97%, is contained in the oceans as saltwater. The growing scarcity of freshwater for drinking, cooking, industrial, and agricultural uses is quickly moving water up as a global risk. In fact, our parent company, Eurasia Group, added it to its Top Risks list for 2026 as “The water weapon.”

​A China-Africa general cargo ship carrying domestic engineering vehicles departs from Yantai Port in east China's Shandong Province to Nigeria on 27 April, 2026.
What We're Watching

China’s duty-free approach to Africa, Israel and Ukraine’s beef, the helium hold-up in Hormuz

China tries to sell Africa on its zero-tariffs approach, “Stolen” grain creates beef between Ukraine and Israel, Hormuz hits helium