Europe
latest news & developments
The transatlantic rift and South Africa’s new matrix of economic diplomacy
Amidst a fractured global landscape and a deep transatlantic rift, South Africa is charting new pathways of autonomous engagement. By fostering a resilient partnership with the…
Africa: The only continent in all four hemispheres; global role still undecided
Its cities are expected to absorb hundreds of millions of new residents in the coming decades, making urban governance, infrastructure planning and service delivery central to…
Africa has a gift the world still needs
The demographic case is equally striking. More than 60% of Africans are under 25. By 2050, one in three people aged 15 to 24 anywhere on Earth will be African. A continent this…
The Sahel region has become the gateway for jihadist terrorism in Africa
The three Sahelian countries — Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger — which have experienced military coups, have not been able to contain the growing episodes of terrorism they have…
A moment of diplomacy and global connection
The presentation of credentials is a cornerstone of diplomatic protocol, symbolising mutual recognition and the formal commencement of an ambassador’s duties
South Africa’s dangerous drift away from sovereignty and nationhood
Transnational commitments are celebrated, while attachment to the nation‑state is treated with suspicion
Age of cruelty
The rise of darkness indeed splits the world … It divides us into those who believe in humanity and those who feel entitled to do whatever they want
From the US-led rules-based order to multipolar international law
Recently, Canada’s PM Mark Carney declared the end of the rules-based order. It was an outstanding speech. Yet, US unilateralism first soared in the 1980s. The rest of the West…
Surge of imports and lack of EV readiness disrupts the automotive industry
As Europe tightens emissions rules and imports gain market share, carmakers say South Africa must urgently align industrial policy with the global shift to new-energy vehicles
Fire alert not heeded
South Africa’s approach to wildfire management has not adjusted at the same pace
Angst about Trump’s Greenland threat
When coercion is directed outward from the West toward the Global South it is normalised, bureaucratised and framed as responsible governance
Europe’s dilemma: Standing by Ukraine as Trump courts Putin
Russia’s demand for Ukraine to surrender the free parts of Donbas is ‘equivalent to the US having to give up Florida’
It’s time to talk about weaponising visas against Africans
Most rejections by European countries and the US are based on ‘reasonable doubts about the visa applicants’ intention to return home’. Many Africans believe otherwise
Europe’s defence gamble: Can more spending buy true autonomy?
Military might without a coherent political and ethical framework won’t help the continent stand up to the US and risks repeating the mistakes of the past
Truth and lies in the GNU faux pas
Here and worldwide people are feeling detached from society and lonely, so they grab onto populist political leaders and parties