Abdiwali Gaas elected new President of Puntland

The former Prime Minister of Somalia, Abdiwali Mohamed Ali Gaas, has become the president-elect of the semi-autonomous region of Puntland Somalia, in a hotly contested parliament vote. He will be the fifth person to hold the post. Abdiwali Gaas, garnered Read on! →

Gold Rush: Striking inequality in rural Tanzania

The United Republic of Tanzania is one of the largest producers of gold in Africa. Small-scale mining is responsible for a sizable percentage of all exports, but with a distinct lack of regulation in this sector communities are exposed to Read on! →

Puntland politicians to pick new President

Puntland is a tiny semi-autonomous region in eastern Somalia, the only and first administration under the new federal government in Somalia. It is roughly a third of the country, and has a population of 3.5 million, enjoying relative stability in Read on! →

From Bully to Friend: Changing America’s international image

Even though President Obama is enjoying his holidays in Hawaii, he will most certainly think about his past and future decisions. Without a doubt, the Middle East will figure prominently among his list of key topics for the year 2014. Read on! →

Israel and the West Bank build a bridge over murky waters

The new Memorandum of Understanding signed between Israel and West Bank in December 2013 goes some way to addressing Palestinian water shortages but it does not address the root causes of this shortage and the disparity in water supply between Read on! →

The rise of frustrated nationalism in Russia

International media followed events in a southern Moscow suburb with a sense of foreboding and concern. Youths rioted, fought with security services and attacked migrants in retaliation for the killing of a young Russian named as Yegor Sherbakov. The murder Read on! →

The Wrath of Khans: The other presidents of Russia

In between musings about the economy and his republic’s famous honey, Rustem Khamitov admits he is the last President of Bashkortostan. In case your knowledge of ‘stan’ geography is a bit rusty, Bashkortostan is a semi-autonomous republic within Russia, home Read on! →

Berlusconi’s downfall: The last act of a classic tragedy

Although Silvio Berlusconi is arguably one of the most prominent political figures in Europe, he is well known for all the wrong reasons. His career has been overshadowed by innumerable scandals. But from repeated allegations of corruption to questionable bunga-bunga Read on! →

Banking on Merkel: Germany expected to hold course on Eurozone

Germany is likely to continue with the same cautious, pragmatic approach in overcoming the crisis, despite the Southern Eurozone countries’ expectations of changing the policies. The decisive day, 22 September 2013, not for the German people only but also for Read on! →

Peace down the line: Are Iran and the US ready to talk?

On Friday the 27th September, the president of the United States and his Iranian counterpart had a 15-minute phone talk, which signalled the first such high-level dialogue between these two countries for over 30 years. Since the Iranian Shah was Read on! →