Middle East & Africa
No thanks
The job of Iran’s president is a study in humiliation
Yet people stand for it in their droves
Extreme weather
The “Venice of Africa” is sinking into the sea
Megacities on the continent’s western coast are being swamped by rising oceans
From chaos to country
Is a Palestinian state a fantasy?
Amid war in Gaza, the prospect is at once more relevant than ever and more distant
The light continent
Private firms are driving a revolution in solar power in Africa
Unreliable grids and falling costs are persuading companies to go off-grid
War in the Middle East
Israel’s northern border is ablaze
Can it fight Hamas and Hizbullah simultaneously?
The rainbow nation’s election
A remarkable new era begins in South Africa
A national unity government can save democracy and the economy
Deal or no deal
The president of Somaliland is bargaining for recognition
But a war at home has not helped his case
Out of Africa
The deadly journey to the Gulf
Migrants from Ethiopia to Saudi Arabia risk drowning, extortion and violence
High kicks
Kung fu gives Africans their kicks
A rare soft-power export from China is spreading across the continent
A bridge too far?
Hamas and Israel are still far apart over a ceasefire deal
For all America’s optimism, the two sides look fundamentally irreconcilable
Slender hope
Who are the main contenders to be Iran’s next president?
After the death of the puritanical president, Iran’s reformists hope to win a slice of power