NEWS ANALYSIS

Washington, UNITED STATES | AFP | The crisis over North Korea’s nuclear program deepened Thursday when US President Donald Trump underscored his threat to rain “fire and fury” on Kim Jong-Un’s regime by saying his apocalyptic warning perhaps “wasn’t tough enough.” The latest escalation in the stand-off has set the world …

Washington, UNITED STATES | AFP | US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Thursday warned that war with North Korea would be “catastrophic” and said diplomatic efforts were yielding results. Speaking at an event in California, Mattis said his mission and responsibility was to have military options ready “should they be …

United Nations, United States | AFP | In slapping its seventh set of sanctions on North Korea, the United Nations has adopted its toughest measures yet against the regime — but how effective they will be in changing Pyongyang’s behavior is another matter. Days after the UN unanimously approved the US-drafted …

Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | South African opposition leaders piled pressure on President Jacob Zuma on Wednesday after a parliamentary vote of no confidence exposed deep rifts in his ANC party as it readies for a leadership battle. Zuma survived the attempt to oust him, but he was weakened after …

Washington, United States | AFP | US intelligence believes North Korea has now built a nuclear weapon small enough to fit onto a ballistic missile, making it a potent threat against neighbors and possibly the United States, the Washington Post reported Tuesday. The country’s nuclear advances have proceeded much more quickly …

World Bank upbeat about economy | Says Public Private Partnerships on large projects could spur economy Kampala, Uganda | IAN KATUSIIME | The Uganda economy could grow at a rate of 5.2% during the current Financial Year 2017/18, according to the latest World Bank update released on July 25. That …

 Tax experts say government needs to refocus its priorities Kampala, Uganda |  JULIUS BUSINGE  | Uganda Revenue Authority has good and bad news these days. The tax body is collecting more and more money but, at the same time, is failing to meet ever rising annual targets. The pattern of missed …

The headlines after 8 August will be about Kenyatta vs. Odinga. But the real contest for Kenya’s future is being waged at a more intimate and local level. Nairobi, Kenya | AFRICAN ARGUMENTS |  There is an epic battle afoot over the future of Kenya, but it’s not happening where you might …

How Kenya could move away from the politics of ethnicity | In 1992 Kenya held its first multi-party election in 26 years. Since this re-introduction of multipartism, the “politics of tribe” has been blamed for the country’s political tribulations. Nairobi, Kenya | DAISY MARITIM-MAINA |  This has led to a system …

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | AFP | Vilmar Mendonca used to be a human resources director for several companies in Brazil. Now he is homeless, sleeping outdoors along with thousands of other victims of the country’s economic crisis. Mendonca lost his job in 2015 and for a while, he lived off …