Ethiopia is intentionally using mega-projects, such as the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), and forthcoming plans for a nuclear power plant, a vast Bishoftu airport, and a major Dangote-backed fertiliser complex, as a deliberate strategy to translate mere claims of national sovereignty into tangible geopolitical and economic influence. The GERD’s
When Kazakhstan quietly achieved the World Health Organisation’s goal of reducing premature mortality from non-communicable diseases by 25%, as the first Central Asian nation to do so, global headlines have been quiet. One can only wonder if this is because this milestone signals something larger than public health success. It
When Kazakhstan quietly achieved the World Health Organisation’s goal of reducing premature mortality from non-communicable diseases by 25%, as the first Central Asian nation to do so, global headlines have been quiet. One can only wonder if this is because this milestone signals something larger than public health success. It
US President Donald Trump has launched a blistering attack on South Africa, saying the country “shouldn’t even be in the G’s anymore” and declaring he will not attend the upcoming Group of 20 (G20) summit to be hosted in Johannesburg later this month (https://iol.co.za/news/politics/2025-11-04-gauteng-ready-to-host-g20-summit-says-lesufi/). Speaking at a business forum in
As the G20 approaches in November, great time and effort needs to be put into aligning the Global South, not just to blanket Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) focusing on the weaknesses of the Global South and Africa in particular, but to cultivate these weaknesses into strengths. On the back of
South Africa faces a systemic skills crisis, not merely a lack of people. The current educational and training systems are inadequate in developing the competencies required by businesses, while policies for attracting international talent are outdated. This problem is exacerbated by rapid global technological advancements, particularly in areas like AI,
Amid mounting trade shocks and heightened geopolitical uncertainties, Chinese President Xi Jinping will join leaders from APEC economies in South Korea in the coming days, in a bid to build consensus for shared prosperity and reaffirm China’s commitment to open, inclusive economic globalisation. The International Monetary Fund has projected that
Global investment giant Goldman Sachs is intensifying its presence in the Middle East by establishing a private wealth management team in Saudi Arabia, marking a significant step in its strategy to capture a growing segment of high-net-worth investors across the Gulf region. The move comes as Saudi Arabia accelerates efforts
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s administration is intensifying efforts to levy taxes on Brazil’s rapidly expanding online gambling sector, aiming to bolster revenue for the 2026 national budget. Finance Minister Fernando Haddad’s initiative, branded under the “billionaires, banks and bets” agenda, targets R$35 billion (€6.2 billion) through levies on companies that
Ethiopia faces renewed instability as its relationship with Eritrea rapidly deteriorates, nearly seven years after their 2018 peace accord. The peace, once a cause for celebration and a Nobel Prize, now seems superficial, overshadowed by escalating hostility, clashing geopolitical interests, and unresolved issues from the devastating Tigray War. What was
