Alaco

A campaign in Jordan against a gas deal with Israel underlines the challenges in building ties.more >

Kremlin-watchers were kept busy over the summer with a veritable feast of political manoeuvrings and developments. Amongst them was the dismissal of President Vladimir Putin’s chief-of-staff Sergey Ivanov, high profile arrests of corrupt officials and United Russia’s overwhelming victory in the State Duma elections. Some of news stories were more predictable than others, but the reported radical shake-up of security services was a bolt from the blue, prompting fears of a possible revival of Putin’s former all-powerful employer, the KGB.more >

Foreign investment has been driving Ethiopia’s rapid economic growth, but progress is being imperilled by unprecedented anti-government protests.more >

Remote, long-forgotten industrial towns rarely make the front pages in Russia, never mind internationally. But for a few days in September Norilsk, home to the world’s largest producer of nickel and palladium, hit the headlines, although for all the wrong reasons.more >

Saudi Arabia's break with a Sunni ally in Lebanon could jeopardize a fragile political balance.more >

Since taking office in mid-2014, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has pursued the twin goals of maintaining social order and breathing life into the country’s sclerotic economy. He has been relatively successful with the former but has struggled with the latter. In desperate need of economic stimulus, he is now courting the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the nemesis of Egypt’s presidents-of-old. That may provide much-needed fiscal stability, but can he introduce Fund-mandated reforms without fuelling social tensions?more >

Despite promising potential reserves and a favorable regulatory framework, Israeli offshore gas exploration is a tough sell. more >

Myanmar has sought to repair relations with China in an apparent effort to help resolve its long-running civil war and spur economic growth. more >

While recent electoral setbacks have hurt Angela Merkel, they do not diminish her chances of re-election.more >