Middle East & Africa
A storm over a port
Ethiopia’s gambit for a port is unsettling a volatile region
Abiy Ahmed is doing a deal for a stretch of Somaliland’s coast
The constitutional crisis can wait
Israel’s Supreme Court strikes back
The justices block a controversial law aimed at weakening the power of the courts
Ever darker
The year everything (and nothing) changed in the Middle East
Months of bloodshed have only reinforced the region’s existing woes
The year in review
Death, debts and democratic doubts in Africa
After a miserable 2023, can the continent do better in 2024?
A barely governable country
For Congo’s next president, winning may be the easy part
Whoever it is, a staggeringly hard task beckons
Hostage to hell
Israel isn’t sure what to do about the hostages in Gaza
Every option is fraught with danger
A nightmare within a nightmare
A supposed haven in Sudan falls to a genocidal militia
The worse of two bad factions is winning the war
Cancelling Christmas in the Holy Land
The plight of Christians in Bethlehem and Jerusalem predates the latest Gaza war
Their number is continuing to dwindle
Piracy and peace
Attacks on shipping threaten to upend peace talks in Yemen
The Saudis want to end their war with the Houthis, even as America may fight them
Third time unlucky
Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi wins another stage-managed election in Egypt
But his voters are angry about a faltering economy and the war next door in Gaza
In need of guidance
Why is Israel using so many dumb bombs in Gaza?
Smart bombs are more precise but less plentiful. More civilians in Gaza may be dying as a result