NEWS ANALYSIS

Lagos, Nigeria| AFRICAN ARGUMENTS| Last week, Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, issued a stern warning to soldiers to stay out of politics, raising alarm of a potential coup plot. His statement claimed that individuals had been approaching army officers for political reasons, and cautioned: “Any officer or soldier …

Gambia: Known until now to tourists mainly for muscular young men selling themselves on beaches to much older women from Europe Serrekunda, Gambia | AFP | For decades, The Gambia has built a reputation as a haven for tourists willing to pay for sun, sand, sea… and sex. But its tourism …

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates | AFP |  The renewable energy sector employed 9.8 million people worldwide in 2016, marking a sharp increase from 2012, the Abu Dhabi-based International Renewable Energy Agency said on Wednesday. In its “Renewable Energy and Jobs – Annual Review 2017”, IRENA says the sector employed …

Monrovia, Liberia | AFP |  A football superstar, a former warlord and a soft drinks millionaire have thrown their hats into the ring for the post of Liberian president as Africa’s first elected female leader prepares to step down. A dizzying array of candidates have lined up for the October …

Vatican City, Holy See | AFP |  Billionaire President Donald Trump heads to the Vatican on Wednesday to meet man-of-the-poor Pope Francis, with all eyes on whether they will end their sparring to find common ground. The two leaders have been at odds over issues from migration to climate change, …

  United Nations, United States | AFP |  China on Tuesday took a swipe at the United States, saying there was “no reason” to refuse dialogue with North Korea despite a string of missile tests strongly condemned by the UN Security Council. The council met behind closed doors to discuss …

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | AFP |  The first African to head the World Health Organization, Ethiopia’s Tedros Adhanom, says he aims to replicate his success in turning around his country’s healthcare system on the global stage. The 52-year-old’s campaign focused on overhauling the UN health agency after its much-criticised handling …

Banks setting up company to wipe bad loans off their balance sheets After years of struggling to cope with borrowers failure to pay loans, Ugandan commercial banks have come together to form a joint company to deal with the problem on their behalf. Formation of the company currently called the …

IRAN: US “simply milking” Saudi Arabia for billions of dollars Tehran, Iran | AFP |  The yawning gap between Tehran and Washington has grown even wider with US President Donald Trump’s latest efforts to isolate Iran, which accused the United States of “milking” Saudi Arabia for petro-dollars. Trump’s choice of Saudi …

Australia| FINANCIAL REVIEW| No more petrol or diesel cars, buses, or trucks will be sold anywhere in the world within eight years. The entire market for land transport will switch to electrification, leading to a collapse of oil prices and the demise of the petroleum industry as we have known …