NEWS ANALYSIS

Tehran, Iran | AFP | From a Yemeni missile attack to the resignation of Lebanon’s prime minister, the “Cold War” between Middle East rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran has been heating up. Experts believe the risk of a direct military clash is low, but why have tensions escalated now and how …

Ljubljana, Slovenia | AFP | Slovenia’s internet-savvy President Borut Pahor on Sunday won a second term in a runoff vote that was marred by an abysmally low turnout. Centre-left ex-premier Pahor, 54, had been touted to win in October, but a record low 44-percent turnout triggered a repeat vote, with 1.7 …

Belgian in alleged US$1bn scam Kampala, Uganda | HAGGAI MATSIKO | President Yoweri Museveni commissioned it on Feb.20 amidst pomp and celebration, but just nine months later African Gold Refinery (AGR) has run into big trouble. Its Belgian owner, Alain Goetz, has been uncovered as a dealer in so-called “conflict or blood …

Danang, Vietnam | AFP |  The leaders of the US and China laid out sharply divergent visions for the future of global trade on Friday, with Donald Trump doubling down on his “America First” rhetoric, leaving counterpart Xi Jinping to defend the “irreversible” tide of globalisation. Xi, who has emerged …

Brussels, Belgium | AFP | The EU warned Britain on Thursday that time is running out to reach a divorce deal by the end of the month, a necessary step to guarantee moving the Brexit process on to trade negotiations. As Brexit talks resumed in Brussels, concerns are growing among EU …

Washington, United States | AFP | Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga sharply criticized the role of Western diplomats and election observers in the recent presidential vote and warned Thursday that the country is moving toward “outright dictatorship.” Odinga boycotted the presidential election held in September and has termed it a “sham.” …

Beijing, China | AFP |  Xi Jinping and Donald Trump have one thing in common — they both want to make their nations great again. But while China’s leader is on the rise, the US president arrives in Beijing laden down with heavy baggage. Xi will roll out the red …

How an oddly timed outbreak is testing emergency strategies Kampala, Uganda | FLAVIA NASSAKA | On Oct.11, a woman died in Chemuron village, Kween District in an Eastern Uganda. She had a fever, headache, and was bleeding from several places. Doctors attending to her had feared the worst and sent her …

In Germany, determined switch from fossil fuels to clean, low-carbon energy meets skeptical critics Kampala, Uganda | RONALD MUSOKE | On the outskirts of Cottbus, a quiet small city in Germany’s northeastern state of Brandenburg is Drehnow, a village of about 800 people. On this warm October afternoon, one sees a …

Kayihura in trouble: The story behind arrest of top cops, the Rwanda twist Kampala, Uganda | HAGGAI MATSIKO | Days after it happened, the scene at the army General Court Martial in Makindye, Kampala, on Oct.27 remains unforgettable. Seven police officers; among them a few very senior ones, were paraded for trial …