Middle East & Africa
The war in Lebanon
Israel’s war aims in Lebanon are expanding
It is hoping for political change as well as the destruction of Hizbullah
Direction unknown
Will Donald Trump “stop the wars” in the Middle East?
What he does may depend on which son-in-law spoke to him last
One country, two kinds of family
Why the fertility gap between north and south Nigeria matters
It has enormous implications for development
Israeli politics
Binyamin Netanyahu fires his defence minister
The Israeli prime minister stamps his authority on his government
Democratic norms
What the world can learn from Botswana
Peaceful transfers of power are a wonderful thing
Diminished defences
Israel is keeping open the nuclear option
It has prepared a path to hit Iran’s nuclear sites after America’s election
The aftermath of the Israeli strikes
Iran needs a new national-security strategy
Will it choose a nuclear bomb or detente with America?
The not-quite-peace deal
Another African war looms
An agreement two years ago halted a bloody conflict in Ethiopia but sowed the seeds of new ones
Israel bombs Iran
Israel’s limited missile strike on Iran may be the start of a wider assault
Whatever Iran’s response to the attack, it carries risks for the regime
Not so mellow
Gold is booming. So is the dirty business of digging it up
It is mined in Africa, traded in Dubai and lucrative for warlords and jihadists
Religion re-rooted
How African churches are keeping the faith alive abroad
A revamped version of the prosperity gospel appeals to young immigrants
The wages of truth
Mozambique’s ruling party wins a dodgy election
Two opposition figures were murdered days before the result was announced