Phakamile Hlubi-Majola Fears of a confrontation between Iran and the United States are resurfacing. As tensions escalate, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has moved swiftly to consult leaders across the Middle East, seeking to reinforce diplomatic and regional support. At home, however, the country finds itself shaken by a wave of
The reported mass killing in that happened Woro village in Kwara State and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s subsequent deployment of an army battalion is not a mere tragic entry in Nigeria’s long list of violent incidents, it is a stark indicator that insecurity in the country has evolved far beyond
Artificial intelligence has often been discussed as a tech story of better algorithms, faster chips and smarter machines. That phase is over. Governments now see AI as critical national infrastructure, similar to oil, shipping routes, or military systems. The United States is leading a push to turn AI cooperation into
The University of Johannesburg this week hosted a three-day Comparative Governance Forum in partnership with Fudan University, bringing together South African and Chinese academics, policymakers and researchers to engage on governance, innovation and development in a rapidly changing global context. Fudan University is one of China’s leading higher education institutions,
The BRICS Centre for Industrial Competencies (BCIC), which was launched in April 2025 in partnership with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), functions as a one-stop centre that offers integrated services, capacity building, and technical support that is focused on Industry 4.0 competencies, digital manufacturing, and productivity enhancement. It
In early 2026, a new poll from Russia’s independent Levada Center showed something important about how ordinary Russians feel about the war in Ukraine. The poll found that if peace talks fail, most Russians think their country should not make concessions. Instead, a large number say Russia should intensify its
In the final days of January 2026 and the first days of February, developments in Russia’s strategic environment highlighted how Moscow continues to balance security, diplomacy, and resilience in a world of uncertain stability. While much of Western commentary focuses on conflict or economic pressure, Russia’s priorities reflect a different
The recent announcement about the Congolese army (FARDC) having regained control of Uvira, the strategic lakeside city in the province of South Kivu following the withdrawal of the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group, is being hailed in Kinshasa and across African capitals as a symbolic victory for Congolese sovereignty. However this
As the world enters 2026, the global oil market is facing a familiar but uncomfortable reality: there is simply too much oil. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), global supply is expected to exceed demand by more than 4 million barrels per day in the first quarter of the
Mercedes-Benz’s decision to begin production of its fully electric GLB SUV in Hungary is about far more than launching another electric model. It is a clear signal of how global carmakers are redrawing their production maps as costs rise, trade tensions deepen and competition from China accelerates. At a price
