NEWS

Violence in the region fuelled by the decade-long fight with Islamist groups linked to al-Qaeda and Islamic State has worsened from 2020 to 2023. On March 8, 2024 Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali have agreed to set up a joint force to tackle security threats across their territories, Niger’s armed forces chief Moussa Salaou Barmou…

By Sarah Rainsford On March 5, 2024 If you want to go to a concert in Kharkiv these days, you have to know who to ask. In Ukraine’s second city, just 40 kilometres from the Russian border, mass gatherings have been banned since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Most cultural events that do take…

Iran’s monarchists have moved closer to Israel, which they see as a key ally in their fight to reinstate the Pahlavis. By Sina Toossi On March 9, 2024 As millions of people took to the streets to denounce Israel’s brutal assault on Gaza that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, demanding justice and peace,…

By Cathrin Schaer On March 7, 2024 Locals in southern Syria have been protesting peacefully for months now, despite their government’s brutal crackdown. But last week, for the first time, a demonstrator was killed. Locals in the southwestern Syrian city of Sweida have been demonstrating against their government since mid-August last year and up until last…

What do Yemen’s suddenly world-famous rebels really want, and what will make them stop? By Joshua Keating On March 9, 2024 Until last week, the damage wrought by the campaign of attacks Yemen’s Houthis have been waging against shipping in the Red Sea has been mostly measured in dollars and cents. Cargo ships have made long, expensive…

By Daniela Mohor On March 6, 2024 A quick synopsis, and a reading list to get up to speed. SANTIAGO Haiti has descended into chaos, with what’s left of its government calling a state of emergency even as acting prime minister Ariel Henry can’t return to the country due to escalating unrest, and as a…