… AfCRA is not just a response to "Africa's unhappiness with the incumbent players", Hannah Wanjie Ryder, chief executive of consultancy Development Reimagined, told a recent seminar organised by the Chatham House think tank. …
… Before the 2022 elections, then-presidential candidates William Ruto and Raila Odinga crisscrossed the US and UK, appearing at institutions such as Chatham House and holding town hall meetings with Kenyans abroad. …
… "There's a worry that if they push too hard against Israel right now, it'll feed into what's sometimes called the siege mentality that Netanyahu often speaks to," said Julie Norman, an expert at Chatham House think tank. …
… For Farea al-Muslimi, a research fellow at the London-based Chatham House think-tank, "this is an attempt by the Houthis to basically go into a war with Saudi Arabia". …
… Fergus Kell, of British think tank Chatham House, said Russia did not have much to gain from the visit but was "taking the opportunity of a weakened (Tanzanian) administration". …
… It doesn't have a massive amount to gain, but it is taking the opportunity of a weakened (Tanzanian) administration," added Fergus Kell, of British think tank Chatham House. …
… The election is "likely to be among the least competitive of the seven national elections held since multiparty democracy was introduced in 1991," Ahmed Soliman and Abel Abate Demissie of the Chatham House think tank wrote last week. …
Africa is launching the Africa Credit Ratings Agency (AfCRA) on Wednesday, backed by the African Union, to offer an alternative to the "big three" global credit ratings agencies (Fitch, Moody's, S&P) that many see as unfairly assessing African economies. The agency will judge the creditworthiness of countries, businesses and institutions, and will be based in Mauritius.
Africa is launching the Africa Credit Ratings Agency (AfCRA) on Wednesday, backed by the African Union, to offer an alternative to the "big three" global credit ratings agencies (Fitch, Moody's, S&P) that many see as unfairly assessing African economies. The agency will judge the creditworthiness of countries, businesses and institutions, and will be based in Mauritius.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has opened the door to the UK's possible return to the European Union, floating options ranging from staying as is to joining the EU's customs union, single market, or eventually full membership. The EU welcomed the shift in tone but said it is waiting to see what the UK government does next, rather than making changes based on rhetoric alone.
As the 2027 general election approaches, Kenyan political leaders are traveling to the United States seeking legitimacy, lobbying opportunities, and financial support for their campaigns.
As Israeli elections approach in October, Western nations are signaling tougher stances on Israeli settlement expansion and settler violence in the occupied West Bank. Britain's foreign secretary vowed a major policy reset on West Bank construction, and France's foreign minister urged the EU to ban trade with settlements, citing record levels of settler violence.
Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis announced a maritime embargo of Saudi Arabia, stepping up tensions as the rebels threatened the top oil exporter's ability to bypass the Strait of Hormuz. The blockade, if enforced, could strain Saudi Arabia's economy by cutting off Red Sea port access and hurt global markets reliant on Saudi crude exports.
The United States launched a third night of strikes on Iran, hitting targets including Bushehr and Bandar Abbas, as President Trump planned to reimpose a blockade on Iranian ports and floated a 20 percent fee on Strait of Hormuz cargo. Iran's Revolutionary Guards responded by firing missiles and drones at Bahrain, targeting a US forces residential building and other facilities.
The Middle East has experienced US and Iranian attacks of unprecedented scale since an April ceasefire, with fighting over the Strait of Hormuz jeopardizing peace efforts. Iran's foreign ministry said it would stop complying with a June framework agreement if Washington failed to meet its commitments, though Tehran said it was continuing talks with mediators from Qatar, Pakistan and Oman.
Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan began a three-day visit to Russia on Wednesday, meeting Vladimir Putin at a time when her country's reputation in the West has been badly damaged by accusations of massacring people during election unrest and conducting abductions and murders of critics. Putin, one of the first to congratulate Hassan on her election victory, called for increased bilateral trade during their televised meeting.
Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan begins a three-day state visit to Russia to meet Vladimir Putin, after Western diplomats and rights groups accused her government of massacring hundreds of people during election unrest in October and conducting abductions and murders of critics. The U.S. has said it is reviewing relations with Tanzania and last week sanctioned a senior police officer over torture allegations, while Putin congratulated Hassan for winning 98 percent of the vote and relations between Tanzania and Russia have been warming.
Ethiopians voted on Monday with the Prosperity Party of incumbent Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed expected to win a landslide victory. Abiy, who has ruled since 2018, has been criticized for growing authoritarianism despite his earlier Nobel Peace Prize win for mending relations with Eritrea.
Ethiopians went to the polls on Monday with the Prosperity Party of incumbent Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed set for a landslide victory. The election is seen as among the least competitive since multiparty democracy began in 1991, with the opposition fragmented across more than 40 parties and the ruling party running unopposed in dozens of constituencies.
The UAE has deepened ties with Israel and the US after Iranian missile attacks threatened its economy, gaining access to Israeli air defence systems to counter more than 2,800 drones and missiles. The shift widens a divide with Saudi Arabia and risks further antagonising Iran, which the UAE views as its biggest threat.
Ethiopia holds a general election on June 1, with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, in power since 2018, all but guaranteed victory despite multiple armed conflicts and economic strain. Abiy's Prosperity Party won 485 of 502 contested seats in the last election in 2021, which was disrupted by the Tigray civil war; his government has since cracked down on opponents, rights groups, and journalists.
Ethiopia holds a general election on June 1, with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed expected to win despite armed conflicts and economic challenges from the Middle East war. The ruling Prosperity Party, which won 485 of 502 contested seats in 2021, has barely campaigned, and analysts describe the upcoming election as likely to be among the least competitive since multi-party democracy was introduced in 1991.
The United Arab Emirates is leaving OPEC and OPEC+ starting in May, marking the biggest oil producer exit from the cartel and straining ties between the UAE and Saudi Arabia. The UAE, previously OPEC+'s fourth largest producer accounting for nearly 13 percent of OPEC production, left because it was frustrated with Saudi-led quotas that capped its output at 3.4 million barrels a day, while seeking to expand capacity to five million barrels by 2027.
The United Arab Emirates is leaving OPEC and OPEC+ starting in May, marking the departure of the cartel's fourth-largest producer and a significant blow to the Saudi-led group's ability to regulate oil prices. The UAE, which pumped 3.6 million barrels per day in February and accounted for nearly 13 percent of OPEC production, had long been frustrated with OPEC quotas capping its production at 3.4 million barrels a day and seeks to expand capacity to five million barrels a day by 2027.