With hair-trigger nature of EPL hiring and firing Arsenal manager is now sitting on time bomb
For all that is said of the grumpiness (and, increasingly, rage) of the football supporter, there is much to be said for optimism. It’s a fleeting feeling, but for a couple of weeks during the summer anything and everything is on the table, although it does usually come crashing back...
Pakistan: Springboard of terrorism pushed further on the periphery of world economy by bad reputation
Pakistan is going through a particularly challenging time, even by the standards of its reputation as a crisis-prone country. Since former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan lost a parliamentary vote of no confidence and was ousted from office in April, the cricketer-turned-politician has been threatening continued street protests by his...
As South Africa plans for smart technology to fix broken policing system, risks of abuse loom large
Emerging technologies are seen as critical tools for making South Africa safer. This includes a rise in spending on city surveillance systems (including CCTV cameras), body cameras for police, automated number plate recognition, and even aerial drones. For many in government and the tech sector, ‘smart’ technologies – including those...
Why and how US spies tracked, traced al-Qaeda chief Zawahiri in Afghanistan and killed him
A US drone strike in Afghanistan this weekend killed Ayman al-Zawahiri, who helped Osama bin Laden plot the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States and helped al-Qaida survive and spread in the years after. By finding and striking al-Zawahiri, President Joe Biden said, the US was ensuring that...
Resurgence of armed conflict explains confidence crisis UN, AU peace missions face in eastern DRC
Violent protests erupted in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in late July 2022, resulting in the deaths of at least three peacekeepers and several civilians. The United Nations mission in the Congo has long suffered a crisis of confidence among local communities. It has been accused of failing to protect...
Ronaldo and De Jong transfer sagas aside, CR7 and Barcelona are earning Man United sympathy
Manchester United have been at the sharp end of two transfer sagas, but Cristiano Ronaldo and Barcelona’s self-centredness has not been their fault. So, has this been a successful pre-season for Manchester United or not? Opinion is divided. On the one hand, the appointment of Erik ten Hag seems to...
Retired president Mbeki’s stinging critique warns South Africa is on verge of ‘Arab Spring’ uprising
Former South African President Thabo Mbeki recently launched a sharp critique of the governing African National Congress (ANC) for failure to address what it has labelled the triple challenge of poverty, unemployment and inequality. Mbeki, who led the party from 1997 to 2007, said the government seemed to have no...
Oil drilling: ‘Rebellious’ DR Congo says national economic interest takes precedent over environment
In May, Didier Budimbu, Congo’s minister of hydrocarbons, said the country, which currently produces about 25,000 barrels of oil a day, has the potential to produce up to one million barrels. At current prices that’s the equivalent of $32 billion a year, which more than half of Congo’s GDP. Tosi...
Despite marquee signings, EPL hivemind verdict is: Arteta will be Arteta and Arsenal will be Arsenal
The pre-season hivemind has Arsenal as the weakest of the Big Six and that’s mainly a judgement on Mikel Arteta. It’s not a perfect system, but I’ve always enjoyed perusing pre-season odds as a way of gauging expectations for the season. Sure, Liverpool and Manchester United will always be a...
Why young Americans are against ‘geriatric oligarchy’ of politicians who ‘stay in office way past their prime’
As he campaigns for a Manhattan congressional seat against fellow Democrats twice his age, 38-year-old Suraj Patel harnesses the frustration of his generation toward those who have held office for decades. In his telling, Representatives Jerry Nadler, 75, and Carolyn Maloney, 76, are part of a crop of Democrats who...
