May 27

FT Somaliland leader says access deal with Ethiopia can deter Houthi attacks

The leader from the breakaway country without any international recognition promises ‘freedom of navigation’ in the Red Sea where Yemeni rebels have repeatedly attacked shipping. He claims the deal is supported by the 5.7m citizens in his relatively stable territory. But it has met some domestic opposition, including from the defense minister who resigned in protest. Under the deal Ethiopia will lease land for a harbor for a naval base alongside the harbor of Berbera, which is exploited by the UAE. https://www.ft.com/content/c4593986-94dd-478b-96db-ac070e99861e

FT EFF (Economic Freedom Fighters) party lures voters with radical alternative in South Africa

The country’s third-largest party appeals to the electorate with a wealth distribution plan. It is to strip land from the wealthy, seize assets from the mining companies and spend the proceeds on education, free WiFi and electricity, and 24-hour doctors’ clinics. The party may be a possible king-maker if the ruling party slips under 50 percent of the vote. The 43-year-old EFF leader rejected the accusation that he wants to take white property. “Just sharing”, he claims. https://www.ft.com/content/6f390f7f-cdf1-42f4-ae78-9164050b7517

FT Eruption of violence in football’s season of Turkey points to deeper societal malaise

The country’s dominant sport joins the ranks of those institutions in which the public has lost faith. The suspicion that shadowy forces are at play in deciding matches reflected Turks’ dwindling faith in politics and society more broadly, according to the article. https://www.ft.com/content/41489e6b-2950-4904-8296-858f9b75c50f

FT Hong Kong woos China mainlanders eager for more cash and freedom

The territory tries to maintain allure in the wake of the pandemic and the political crackdown. Since the beginning of 2023, Hong Kong authorities have approved visas for more than 93,600 people from the mainland, many of them young professionals from cities such as Shenzhen and Shanghai. https://www.ft.com/content/95134cdb-44db-407c-bd0a-b9e90a6ef135

FT Divided Belgium pulled to political extremes

The far-right and the far-left parties are set to become the largest forces in parliament after the June 9 vote, but in separate language regions. Parliament is highly fragmented and the current government is a coalition of 7 parties, formed after 500 days of negotiations. This is a world record and likely to be repeated after the next election. https://www.ft.com/content/6943090d-6746-4712-be19-77e6a64f95e4

FT Online Chinese version of ‘Kim Kardashian’ banned for being too ostentatious

The government cracks down on social media influencers known for extravagant outfits and displays of wealth. They were driven off the internet due to “violation of self-discipline” rules. The crackdown according to an analyst is considered ethical by many, which makes the authorities more explicit in their actions. https://www.ft.com/content/aa8f30f4-d3ef-4188-b64d-82bab354f187

TT You can’t shut your beach on Sundays, Christian group in the U.S.A. told

The New Jersey Methodists have restricted access to the sea at Ocean Grove for 150 years. After a residents’ rebellion focusing on their religious belief, they have been overruled. Since 1870, when Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association bought the 1 sq mile plot, access to the beach has been blocked between 9am and noon for the 15 summer weeks between this weekend’s Memorial Day holiday and September. https://www.thetimes.com/world/us-world/article/you-cant-shut-your-beach-on-sundays-new-jersey-methodists-told-cth6xsw8r

May 28

FT Chancellor of Germany and president of France: we must strengthen European sovereignty

In a joint op-ed in the newspaper the two leaders conclude that the EU needs more single market, innovation and investment to secure a common future, calling the regional group “mortal” in the global turn of the world, expressed with the German word “Zeitenwende”. They want to reduce “critical dependencies” and “an ambitious bureaucracy reduction agenda to deliver on simpler and faster administrative procedures and cutting bureaucratic burdens for businesses of all sizes”. https://www.ft.com/content/853f0ba0-c6f8-4dd4-a599-6fc5a142e879

FT The U.S.A. breaks global rules as it defends the free world

The newspaper’s chief foreign affairs commentator in an op-ed argues that Washington should dial down its claim to be protecting the so-called “rules-based international order” that is clearly in decline. “People might go to war to defend freedom or the motherland. Nobody is going to fight and die for the RBIO.” https://www.ft.com/content/8249cd96-bda3-48c9-bf91-005df4125f9d

FT Ruling party in South Africa makes billion-dollar pledges ahead of election

The measures include universal health insurance and a basic income grant for the unemployed. In addition land reform and redistribution were pledged. The ruling party vigorously campaigned, regaining some ground, but some see signals that people are in disbelief that the government can afford the pre-election pledges. Polling at 42 percent, the party could decide to work with a smaller opposition party to retain its power platform. https://www.ft.com/content/1630c87b-6aef-452c-b0c2-437a26faaf9a

FT  Burkina Faso junta extends rule to 2029

The military regime abandons elections and cements its control amid an Islamist insurgency and a string of coups in the region. The 36-year-old interim leader will become president and “supreme leader” of the armed forces and will be eligible to contest elections whenever they are held, according to a charter agreed with lawmakers, security forces and loyal religious and civil society groups. It replaces earlier pledges. https://www.ft.com/content/8e32d16a-1a75-4bc5-9d1a-352f6c73a979

FT In the U.S.A. climate push of the government fell flat with Gen Z voters

The government’s clean energy reforms and pollution crackdown still leave some of his base cold. His rival has stronger appeal among the young. Progressive young might stay at home due to frustrations about living costs, foreign policy and the slow process around climate change. https://www.ft.com/content/421a2055-0f42-46ba-8d26-b9e3e7462d15

FT Scandals deprive the far right party of Germany of a breakthrough in local polls

The traditional conservative party in the far right stronghold state election is the overall winner. The far right party had hoped to displace its conservative rival, and even expected outright victories in several of the 13 districts being contested. Instead it now faces run-off elections in nine districts. The results of the far right are still clearly ahead of the score last time. https://www.ft.com/content/e6dffbda-2e05-4746-9b0e-c0b2ca4ef0ac

TT Pope Francis ‘shocks bishops’ with derogatory term for gay men

The pontiff is alleged to have said there was too much ‘frociaggine’, which translates as ‘faggotry’, among those training for the priesthood. It is claimed that the pope whose native language is Spanish and was speaking in Italian, was unaware of how offensive the word was in Italian. https://www.thetimes.com/article/pope-francis-shocks-bishops-with-remark-about-gay-trainee-priests-fp0hlhfs9

TT Russia fuels Sudan civil war in exchange for Red Sea military base

Moscow is providing arms to both the state army and their paramilitary opponents to gain a strategic foothold in the north African region and fund the war in Ukraine.  The second in command of the state army: “Power today lies in financial influence, while values and ethics have become commodities. We must make bold moves to achieve our military and economic goals for the benefit of our country and people.” https://www.thetimes.com/world/africa/article/russia-sudan-red-sea-base-port-sudan-c96rqk32c

TT Papua New Guinea landslide: officials fear 2,000 buried alive

In addition, as many as 1,000 residents face evacuation as the landslide is ‘still active’. At least 150 houses were destroyed when a mountainside collapsed in the northwestern region. https://www.thetimes.com/world/australasia/article/papua-new-guinea-landslide-un-fears-670-people-dead-hqwm03twf

May 29

FT Business in South Africa grows hopeful of smooth election outcome

Executives are confident the ruling party can avoid a coalition with more radical parties that would jeopardize their interests. The ruling party result is improving and polling at 45 percent. The conservative second party polls at 20+ percent. https://www.ft.com/content/3c73e79d-e5a5-4a25-9a66-6cb5d9618063

FT Parliament in Taiwan boosts powers in challenge to president

Large crowds protest against the legal changes that according to the ruling party and civic groups undermine Taiwanese democracy. The opposition dominates parliament. They argue that the president is too powerful in the system. Others see the moves of parliament as a parliamentary coup. https://www.ft.com/content/95f1508d-9d48-4376-bdc9-319b8510ba43

FT Georgia adopts Russian-inspired ‘foreign agents’ law

Parliament overrules the presidential veto after the law was adopted despite strong protests (see May 14). There was a majority of 84 MPs of the 140-strong parliament in favor. The bill mandates that civil rights groups and media outlets receiving funds from abroad must register with the government as “foreign agents” or face fines. The adoption jeopardizes the country’s accession drive to the EU. https://www.ft.com/content/aa1f5b8d-7d3c-4718-9148-629784bad0bc

FT Former spy chief to become PM in the Netherlands

The new PM does not belong to a political party and is a career civil servant. He will lead the four-party coalition that includes the far-right. The other three parties only agreed to form a coalition if the far-right party gave up the traditional right to claim the PM role. https://www.ft.com/content/a9810bbd-6ef6-4022-b724-170fc3d13036

TT Pope Francis apologizes for using derogatory term for gay men

Those in attendance when the Pope made the remark (see May 28) said he was unaware of how offensive the Italian term ‘frociaggine’ was. The pope stressed that the Catholic Church welcomes homosexual people but said they should not be allowed to train for the priesthood. The statement of apology says: “As he has said on various occasions, in the Church there is space for all, for all! No one is useless, no one is superfluous, there is space for all.” https://www.thetimes.com/world/europe/article/pope-francis-shocks-bishops-with-remark-about-gay-trainee-priests-fp0hlhfs9

May 30

FT Citizens in Nigeria perplexed by abrupt change of national anthem

The sudden decision to revert to the old song raises concerns about compliant lawmakers. One analyst: “The speed of this amendment and change shows a lack of priorities”. The new anthem, written by two British women at the time of liberation from the colonial days, was dropped in 1978 in favor of a song written by Nigerians. One senator and ally of the president: “The newly adopted anthem is motivational”. https://www.ft.com/content/5d0953ef-ad01-4006-9c46-4ef293da992e

FT The rising influence of UAE in Africa

As China steps back, the oil-rich Gulf state has become an important source of foreign investment — but with fresh layers of complexity. The UAE also gives military support, for instance to Ethiopia when it was threatened by regional rebels (see December 21, 2021) and in Sudan, where it allegedly supports the rebels to the state army. The most controversial role is with Somaliland (see May 27). It is said that the UAE wants to counter Islamist threats. https://www.ft.com/content/388e1690-223f-41a8-a5f2-0c971dbfe6f0

FT Thailand to indict ex-PM for allegedly insulting monarchy

The so-called lèse majesté charge is the second legal challenge for the government backed by the party of the populist ex-PM. It comes just three months after he was granted parole on a corruption conviction. The charge is considered a signal of the conservative military establishment. https://www.ft.com/content/d1a42986-faa4-4871-910d-20c6fb2b9ed7

FT Hong Kong convicts 14 activists in city’s largest national security trial

Two defendants are acquitted of conspiracy to commit subversion in a closely watched case. The case was brought to 47 activists. The remaining activists will be sentenced later. https://www.ft.com/content/ef4ecb3d-49f3-4cc9-862f-14595eacc268

TT Maoris lead protests over New Zealand ‘anti-indigenous’ policies

Thousands of citizens demonstrated in Wellington as the National Party delivered its first budget. Maori leaders want more political power and are critical of the government’s policies. They deem these policies to be aimed against the indigenous community, who make up a fifth of the country’s five million citizens. Those policies include moves to disband the Maori Health Authority, reduce the use of Maori language in government departments and remove references in legislation to the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi, which was an agreement between the British crown and Maori chiefs. https://www.thetimes.com/world/australasia/article/maoris-lead-protests-over-new-zealand-anti-indigenous-policies-3l2l7k7h6

May 31

FT ‘Knives and Kalashnikovs’: violent drug gangs torment city in South of France

A fatal attack on a prisoner convoy in Marseille is linked to an area of the city and exposes failures in the fight against illicit trade. Billions have been poured into hiring extra police and court officials, but the extra resources have been overwhelmed by the expanding drug trade. The freed criminal in the convoy is still on the run. https://www.ft.com/content/11c65285-57dd-49f6-aaeb-82cd94221936

June 1

FT Voters in South Africa put weakened ruling party in a bind

The party might be forced into a coalition with radical left-wingers or a free-market group. One analyst: “It’s a huge reconfiguration of politics.” The ruling party went down from 58 percent in 2019 to 41 percent now. The free-market group favored working with the smaller, radical parties with which it signed the so-called Moonshot Pact. The result shows that together they lack a majority. This is thanks to the new party of the former president convicted over corruption. https://www.ft.com/content/b00118a2-7743-47db-b1cc-cbfd4d8766cf

FT A conviction does not end the threat posed to the U.S.A. by a presidential candidate

The voters in November will still decide the future of the democracy in the country. This is the main conclusion of an editorial of the newspaper on the corruption conviction against a former president, now a presidential hopeful. The conviction shows that part of the judicial system worked. It is sad that the Supreme court is delaying to decide over the “absurd claim” of the former president that he should be immune from prosecution for acts committed in office: his attempt to overturn the election result. https://www.ft.com/content/4957d8e2-c916-4b37-bf99-8b64cb42379a

News from the World Evangelical Alliance

A farewell message to the director of our Geneva office: https://un.worldea.org/a-farewell-message-to-wissam-al-saliby/ 

June 3

FT South Africa on the precipice

The ruling party’s coalition choices will determine the country’s future. In an editorial the newspaper suggests that a ruling party minority government with the main opposition party as backer or a government of national unity (except for the two most radical parties) are viable options to get the country back from the brink. For both the current president is needed to make it work. https://www.ft.com/content/dc673f6b-fcc9-4430-8b3b-d65559b70eef

FT Exit polls forecast decisive majority for incumbent in election India

The ruling party is set to enter a second decade in power when the results are announced on June 4, winning a comfortable majority of between 353 and 401 seats in the 543-seat parliament and easily beating the opposition INDIA alliance. The 73-year-old leader campaigned on the slogan of “Modi’s guarantee”. Exit polls in the past had a mixed record of reliability, but analysts conclude a victory for the government is sure. https://www.ft.com/content/41f48391-ce38-49ed-bd89-c5744f9985c3

FT Winner in 2023 Thailand election says party ban would ‘turbocharge’ calls for change

The winner faces exclusion from public office over a campaign pledge to stop criminalizing insults to the south-east Asian country’s monarch and his immediate family. Last year he was excluded from government, see August 17, 2023. The court ruled earlier this year that the party’s intention to reform the monarchical law amounted to an attempt to overthrow Thailand’s political system. https://www.ft.com/content/45fbbff3-613a-488b-9f87-69904804186d

FT Government coalition in Italy bets on German art historian as Florence mayor

If elected in June, he wants to run the historic city ‘according to corporate criteria, without ideology’. During his eight years of running the main museum – which ended last year, the German person made headlines by battling powerful ticket scalpers who bought museum tickets in bulk, then resold them, outside the gallery and online, at high mark-ups. https://www.ft.com/content/9364b9b3-7485-4d27-9a65-57252d095b1a

June 4

FT Ruling party in South Africa  begins coalition talks as they eye unity government

The president is thought to be seeking a deal with the centrist party but others want a pact with the party of the convicted former president, deeming the centrist party too “white”. The president named the vote “free, fair and peaceful”, adding that “our people expect all parties to work together within the framework of our constitution”. https://www.ft.com/content/6890618e-7618-4223-96cb-8096911fa67a

FT Killing of policeman deepens political chasm in Germany ahead of EU vote

The far right party seizes on the crime perpetrated by an Afghan migrant to stoke fear. Their youth league voiced slogans over so-called remigration, meaning the mass deportation of people with a German nationality and a migrant background. The conservative opposition responded to the crime that apart from punishing the perpetrator the consequences of the act should also reach for those who sympathize with him. https://www.ft.com/content/ab5326b4-1abb-41bf-94d4-bd6a7e07e68b

FT Inflation in Turkey hits 75% but minister says worst is over

The annual consumer prices rose sharply in May as households continue to spend despite hefty interest rate increases. The minister: “We are entering the disinflation process. The permanent decline in inflation will begin in June.” https://www.ft.com/content/74cddf36-36fa-4df9-b720-7b3cafd5e82b

FT Dozens of candidates register to stand in presidential election Iran

The hopefuls include current and former ministers and parliamentarians, the mayor of Tehran, and three woman candidates. The Islamic republic leadership is unlikely to take big risks. The election is on June 28. https://www.ft.com/content/5fbd12f7-5d4f-46b1-b1ee-5c844e63d851

FT President of Argentina turns to an opponent to save his project of radical economic reform

The government appointed a new ‘super minister’, who is a veteran political operator. He is widely seen as the polar opposite of the libertarian president: calm, diplomatic, and with friends across the political spectrum. https://www.ft.com/content/f6d55896-c923-4cf2-8d8f-10f36e6144ae

FT Five challenges facing the election winner in Mexico

The big budget deficit and the record number of murders top the president-elect’s worries. In addition she must worry about the country’s powerful neighbor, the U.S.A. Fourth, the state energy company is the world’s most indebted oil company. And fifth, her predecessor was so charismatic that his influence will still be felt. https://www.ft.com/content/44b92bed-9bbc-4a6e-9a32-b2ed37fb81f0

FT In Britain, ruling party chances hit after populist Brexit campaigner decides to stand in election

This is his eighth attempt to become MP. A new poll shows the opposition party on the left could win a huge majority. The  pro-Brexit party and its leader could peel off yet more voters from the ruling party. https://www.ft.com/content/162aab1c-23e8-4fe6-b5eb-ec48b51a71a9

NYT Arrest threatens reputation of Nepal as South Asia’s model for free speech

Political debates remained largely free, and the powerful could easily be questioned. That openness, in a poor country emerging from centuries of monarchical suppression and decades of insurgency, showed that democratic expression need not necessarily be correlated to economic status. But now a media executive was arrested after his company published critical reports about a powerful government minister. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/03/world/asia/nepal-media-arrest.html

June 5

FT Internal document of ruling party in South Africa advises coalition deal with two centrist parties

The discussion follows the shock election in which the ruling party was stripped of its majority. The document states that the party “should not consider” an alliance with the more radical parties. It describes the latter as “rent-seeking parties” that would be “alienating large numbers of voters who view them as corrupt”. There are other opinions in the ruling party. There is concern that voters would disapprove liaisons with the centrist party perceived as “white” friendly. https://www.ft.com/content/ec2de91c-fba7-493b-9ee9-8840bb8413da

FT Ruling party in India emerges weakened in election

The newspaper dedicates an editorial to the subject and concludes the election result could put the nation’s rise on firmer foundations. The ruling party is set to lose its own outright majority, and with its allies will take fewer seats in India’s lower house than in 2019. The result could strengthen the country’s rise if it encourages the hubristic, Hindu nationalist party to engage in more deliberative policymaking and enlivens Indian democracy. A strong and democratic India matters, for its people — and also for the world. https://www.ft.com/content/d81dde25-3f10-4f12-979c-5f73683e54ef

June 6

FT The unseen dangers of lead contamination

As floods intensify, the threat of the toxic metal seeping into the food chain is as big a problem as sewage in rivers or air pollution, particularly in countries with a longer industrial heritage. https://www.ft.com/content/5bcc846c-9858-4ae3-ae75-06fc17342d3d

FT Ruling party considers national unity government in South Africa

The party has been locked in talks with rivals after losing its 30-year parliamentary majority in last week’s election. The party spokesperson reminded that the party has done that before: in 1994 after democracy was installed. The problem now is that the radicals have left the ruling party and the centrist party is too “white” in the eyes of many. On their part the centrist party has ruled out working with one of the radical parties that the ruling party has also approached. https://www.ft.com/content/7e13ea0c-df85-4232-9880-8f29612b54a6

June 7

FT A single Supreme court judge in Brazil leads the drive to bury biggest corruption probe

He infuriates campaigners by helping dismantle the legacy of the ‘Car Wash’ investigation. He is a former lawyer of the ruling party. Critics have rounded on the fact that the judge made his recent moves alone, without the backing of the full 11-member court. So-called monocratic decisions are a common albeit controversial practice in the court. https://www.ft.com/content/f94f1279-b011-441d-9c9b-2841bab1714f

FT Election in India revives the fortunes of the opposition

The opposition invigorated after stripping the ruling party of its outright majority. It is the biggest breakthrough in the career of the current 53 year old opposition leader, who hails from a family of party leaders. The ruling party won 240 of 543 seats in India’s lower house of parliament, while the opposition alliance won 234. https://www.ft.com/content/0db80b37-e770-4e4d-95b1-6bb7b7c9d71

June 8

FT Elephant invasion pits villagers in Zambia against conservationists

The devastation caused by the animals highlights the tensions between global environmentalists and the local population that live alongside wildlife. Nine people have died since 263 elephants were placed in a Malawi reserve along the border with Zambia in July 2022. The environmentalists claim the park makes shared living space for humans and animals possible. https://www.ft.com/content/c5947f73-6e3a-46a7-8ac1-18a64e7b8888

FT South Africa opposition group claims Russia is funding party of convicted former president

The former president’s upstart party is accused by the centrist opposition party of being extremely well financed. On their part the upstart party claims that the critics want to deflect attention from their own funding by foreign countries. The upstart party has not filed any donations, which is mandatory for large donations. https://www.ft.com/content/4b88d21b-a882-43ef-846d-fc13870faee9

FT Conservative elite in Mexico struggles to comprehend left’s landslide election win

The wealthy are out of touch with the majority of ordinary people, critics say. The victory of the left wing party was no surprise, but the scale of it was. Polls claim that almost 90 per cent of the citizens favored policies to narrow the income gap, which is one of the world’s highest according to the OECD. Radical changes to the constitution are possible after the ruling party greatly increased its majority in parliament. https://www.ft.com/content/9bf9d829-6fac-4a8c-8abf-6fda171a1ca7

FT Labor market in the U.S.A. powers past expectations with 272,000 jobs added in May

The markets push back the expected interest rate cuts after the labor and inflation data beat the forecast. https://www.ft.com/content/d5f312eb-e07a-44a2-a7eb-8b369c029071

News from the World Evangelical Alliance

Moss Ntlha, secretary general of the Evangelical Alliance of South Africa (TEASA), is interviewed about the results of the election in his country: https://evangelicalfocus.com/world/26955/south-africa

June 10

FT IMF warns U.S.A. on ballooning fiscal burden

The fund’s second-in-command urges the country and also other advanced economies to reduce their debt to pre-pandemic levels. “The temptation to finance all spending through borrowing really is something that countries should avoid,” she added. And also: “We see grounds in several countries for more progressive taxation.” https://www.ft.com/content/134cc7f3-f2df-43c9-b1b1-e58e6363781a

FT Former president U.S.A. in election campaign: ‘The economy is all people care about’

The rampant inflation could push voters in typical ruling party states to vote for the challenger. He pushes on local grievances to make his case. https://www.ft.com/content/e33c6850-0e30-4f75-9ad3-4a7775f5ece3

FT The ‘kingmakers’ in India set to prop up the incumbent after election

The PM’s future government may depend on two regional politicians suddenly thrust into the national spotlight by this week’s shock general election result. They lead the two largest regional parties. The two have switched allegiances before. https://www.ft.com/content/b57cbb44-b769-4c2c-a2d9-383fbc819c82

FT Coalition government in Germany attacks ‘beer tent’-style speech by stock exchange CEO

His populist tirade reflects the growing frustration among business leaders. He said the country risked becoming a “developing country”.  He contrasted his country with the attractiveness of the U.S.A. Business laments the growing skills shortage, excessive bureaucracy, high energy prices and a heavy tax burden. https://www.ft.com/content/ea89065e-c258-4765-b218-23e6cbf6584b

FT In Ireland political arm of former liberation party of Northern Ireland falters in local elections

The nationalist ambitions to lead the next government are undercut by poor showing against their rivals. The party was once seen as the frontrunner to lead the next national government. But it scored only half the performance of the two coalition parties. The housing crisis in the country is considered a driver to change allegiance among voters. https://www.ft.com/content/9d11a7d6-33e9-48bb-ab31-d36a3ae25bb4

FT PM puts brakes on solar energy rollout in Italy

The PM says photovoltaics are threatening the nation’s ‘food security’, but farmers disagree. Instead, the government will require more costly installations of at least 2.1 meters above ground, to allow cultivation underneath. A government decree also bars farmers from leasing their land to solar developers and instead requires them to invest directly in the renewable energy projects on their properties. https://www.ft.com/content/130fbd9f-16ca-44f6-8edc-c65d73dee8f1

FT Opposition member of war cabinet in  Israel resigns

The centrist former general calls for early elections and accuses the government of mismanaging the war with Gaza. He was a moderating influence on the PM. https://www.ft.com/content/78bc5111-1851-4a71-a5dd-ca9c9dff0241

NYT Iran names six candidates for president, including parliament speaker

The June 28 election to succeed the president killed in a crash comes as the country faces acute domestic and international challenges. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/09/world/middleeast/iran-election-parliament-speaker.html

June 11

FT Keep Ecowas out of internal regional politics, Benin minister says

The West African bloc is urged to focus on the economy and avoid meddling in member states’ domestic affairs. In an interview to the newspaper the minister said that the alliance should be reformed. Its haphazard response to political crises should be different and Benin wants non-interference in internal affairs. https://www.ft.com/content/66d74726-7b18-480f-b57d-6385f0ead72c

FT President of the country and South Africa itself on the edge

Despite losing his parliamentary majority during the election, the president is determined to keep calm and carry on. The newspaper’s foreign affairs commentirelandator met him in his home over the weekend. The president said: “The people have sent us a message. They have decided we have to work together.” The problem with this high-minded message: The main opposition parties detest each other and have diametrically opposed platforms. https://www.ft.com/content/af4cd921-7c55-4458-926c-0293712e17f7

FT President in France plays a high-stakes gamble to call snap election

Trying to contain the far right through early elections after the disastrous EU election result could badly backfire. https://www.ft.com/content/939062f8-5734-4def-a4dd-879430703052

FT Venezuelan gang’s arrival shakes Latin America’s safest nation, Chile

The violent gangsters employ a business model that is less tied to their home countries. They bring kidnappings and killings to relatively safe and prosperous regions. They operate semi-autonomous while communicating with their home base and taking on contract-based work, enabling the gangs to expand into new regions. https://www.ft.com/content/720cb0bb-63d1-4145-9de8-7ef382c6fe59

NYT Gangs in Haiti try to turn into militia

The Kenyan-led deployment, aided by U.S.A. supplies and funding, could face a far more volatile situation than past international UN peacekeeping missions. The growing lethality of the gangs’ arsenals may also indicate a strengthening tie with cartels in Latin America. The rise of gangs started a few decades ago. The armed bandits were used by politicians to suppress voter turnout or anti-government protests and by the business elite to secure land for industrial purposes or to attack rival businesses. But like many things in the country that has now all been upended. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/05/21/world/americas/haiti-gangs-segonn-5.html

June 12

FT Can the party that liberated South Africa still hold it together?

Facing a Friday constitutional deadline to create a new coalition government, the country president is trying to prevent economic chaos while avoiding new splits in his party by proposing a government of national unity. One analyst: “We are now in the era of coalitions. This is likely to last forever.” Also true: there is no tradition of coalitions. By Friday a majority in the 400 delegates parliament needs to vote for a new president. The ruling party only has 159 delegates but is divided on whom to govern with. https://www.ft.com/content/926b8230-3eee-4c31-a8ca-397e2889c444

FT Government in Indonesia will be ‘family enterprise’

The brother of the incoming president is expected to play a key role. Their family played a significant role in the liberation from colonialism, while their father served in the cabinet of two presidents, including the late dictator. The brother recently had a year’s long legal battle for tax payment in Switzerland, claiming he is insolvent. But this does not show in his high level meetings in Asia. https://www.ft.com/content/6e3070e5-62bb-4e45-b170-d85d97065aad

FT Government pitches Argentina as low-regulation AI hub

An adviser to the libertarian president says the country can provide a hedge against growing restrictions in the western countries. He points to tech leaders eager to meet with the president and the advantages of his country which include a well-educated population and a vast supply of land for data centers. Yet, a bill designed to incentivize investment faces a vote in the senate. https://www.ft.com/content/90090232-7a68-4ef5-9f53-27a6bc1260cc

FT President-elect of Mexico vows to press ahead with controversial judicial overhaul

The currency, one of the most liquid emerging market currencies, went down after she backed the proposed reforms that could lead to direct election of top justices. The reforms would be discussed broadly, including by university faculty, lawyers and justices. But also, the party of the president has nearly two third majority. Only one country, Bolivia, currently elects supreme court judges. https://www.ft.com/content/b503f088-cba3-4bc6-ad7e-9b58c22b8813

June 13

FT WHO warns that powerful lobbies hobble moves to cut disease burden in Europe

Alcohol, food, tobacco and fossil fuel sectors oppose efforts to target conditions linked to 2.7mn deaths a year in Europe alone. The WHO study highlights “pervasive” industry interference in policymaking, including well-funded efforts to oppose public interest regulation, shape scientific evidence and public debate, and externalize the costs of harms that products cause. https://www.ft.com/content/3b883978-446a-430b-8cc9-95dd00e165e4

FT ICC prosecutor seeks information about possible Sudan civil conflict war crimes

The ICC is particularly concerned by ‘ethnically motivated’ attacks on civilian populations in the Darfur region. The prosecutor said that the information “seems to disclose an organized, systematic and a profound attack on human dignity”. The commander of one of the two fighting parties is “originally from a Chadian-Arab clan from Darfur”. https://www.ft.com/content/e3dc1aa1-adde-4e82-89c7-7feb3b816719

FT Conservative leader in France deposed by party for backing far right

Political turmoil turns to a farce after the deposed leader locked the party HQ to thwart critics of his expressed preference for working with the far right towards the upcoming snap election. Together they might get a majority, polls show. However the party executive accused the deposed leader of “dictatorial methods”. https://www.ft.com/content/01d80fd3-40f5-4313-a90c-87906c067c51

FT Investigation of the newspaper finds children from Ukraine on adoption sites in Russia

Four missing Ukrainian children are identified and located in Russia, including one given a false identity. The research used image recognition tools and public records, as well as interviews with Ukrainian officials and the children’s relatives. The findings add to the mounting body of evidence of  the International Criminal Court for war crimes. https://www.ft.com/content/2d0013d2-a407-449f-b1e2-3d14fe65188f

TT Socrates and Aristotle sidelined to ‘decolonize’ philosophy

The School of Oriental and African Studies in Britain has created a more diverse curriculum of non-western thinkers to combat the ‘colonial’ teachings of white westerners. It aims to diversify philosophy teaching by incorporating perspectives from Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America. The proposed curriculum includes work by the Ghanaian philosopher Kwasi Wiredu, as well as Professor Nkiru Nzegwu, a Nigerian “theorist of gender”. https://www.thetimes.com/uk/education/article/decolonising-toolkit-prefers-african-philosophers-to-aristotle-s6c78mml6

June 14

FT Ruling party in South Africa has outline of a deal with centrist opposition, says official

The country is poised to have a multi-party coalition administration led by the current president. The two radical parties are outside the deal. One does not want to work with the centrist opposition for being “too white”. The other (the party of the convicted former president) challenged the outcome of the election and fruitlessly tried to stop parliament from meeting on Friday. https://www.ft.com/content/576d733d-690a-4d14-b6fd-7b8db927beb7

FT Government in Argentina wins senate approval for economic reforms

The votes finally boosted the new government’s plans but lawmakers struck down the plan to restore income tax for high earners. At the same time the central bank announced that it had reached an agreement with Chinese authorities to roll over about $5bn in debt repayments due in the next month. https://www.ft.com/content/29bf8aaa-cf19-4a17-83f4-cecbab59b09c

NYT In a first, pope plans to attend summit western economic powers

The pope is expected to join the country leaders for the meeting to discuss the ethical implications of artificial intelligence. The PM from Italy said the pope would have “a decisive contribution” on the subject. A church historian: “The pope’s G7 presence breaks with a long tradition in the Roman Catholic Church of refusing such invitations on the basis that a pontiff does not need state leaders or anyone else to offer him a platform to speak.” https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/13/world/europe/pope-francis-g7-summit.html

June 15

FT President of South Africa re-elected after striking deal with opposition

The power-sharing arrangement quells investors’ fears of a coalition with radical left parties. The partners are the centrist parties, one white dominated and one Zulu dominated. The president: “This is not a grand coalition of two or three parties, This is a government of national unity and we have been here before. We were here in 1994 when we sought to unite our country and affect reconciliation.” https://www.ft.com/content/439b5283-876d-411a-95a8-dc28215c776f

FT Budget stand-off pushes coalition in Germany to the brink

The government tries to reconcile internal stances between the three parties on how to plug a massive financing gap that some estimate at up to €40bn. The deadline for accepting the draft budget is July 3. The social democratic party has warned the coalition on the threat to social cohesion if social spending would decrease. The coalition struggles with a constitutionally enshrined “debt brake” that is a trademark idea of the party of the finance minister. https://www.ft.com/content/a01ab1bc-718c-4d39-b8d8-a257ecbaff45

FT Outgoing president of Mexico pushes ahead with plan to fire 1,600 judges

The investors are alarmed by his proposed reform of the Supreme Court and the judicial system. The president responded by saying he is not bothered to restrain from what he sees as fighting corruption inside the judicial system. He sees his policy as ushering in a historic “transformation” of the country, on a par with its independence from Spain and its bloody revolution. https://www.ft.com/content/3319d056-7522-4e36-8210-f908346c9f41

News from the World Evangelical Alliance

Our Global Advocacy Director shares about hate speech laws and freedom of expression in Christianity Today: https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2024/june-web-only/hate-speech-bible-pakistan-finland-canada-united-nations.html

June 17

FT Floods leave citizens in Brazil living close to rivers with a grim choice: rebuild or leave?

Towns weigh up their future after a climate-fueled disaster strikes the agricultural powerhouse of Rio Grande do Sul. The state’s response could hold lessons for other parts of the world threatened by extreme weather events associated with global warming, with officials and scientists warning that neighborhoods and even entire towns at risk from future inundations might need to relocate. https://www.ft.com/content/3121fb3f-36e6-4515-8a8a-ae32a29741e5

FT ‘Less BS, more jobs’: billionaires in India face heat of new era after election

The powerful tycoons remain central to the PM’s plans but voters have shown disquiet at inequality. The PM blamed the tycoons for funneling funds to the opposition. The disappointing performance of the ruling party makes the tycoons less dependent. As an investment place, the country remains central internationally. https://www.ft.com/content/11355013-6a4a-4548-8a58-9339a3602a5e

June 18

FT The race against time to defeat mosquito-borne diseases

Researchers are trying to tackle the threat before nature’s ‘flying needles’ become more prevalent and resistant to prevention. Mosquitoes are great survivors whose ubiquity and menace has long given them an outsize presence in the human imagination. One expert: “Trade, travel, climate change — all of these are really drivers of [this] emergence.” https://www.ft.com/content/816c4a17-b938-49c2-b2c0-28b1497084de

FT IMF warns of ‘profound concerns’ over rising inequality from generative AI

The fund says governments should do more to protect their economies in the face of massive potential labor disruptions, also in higher skilled jobs. All this despite “immense potential of AI to boost productivity growth and advance the delivery of public services”. https://www.ft.com/content/b238e630-93df-4a0c-80d0-fbfd2f13658f

FT The fantasy economics of the far right and left in France

Both the far right and leftwing are touting populist and uncosted policies and in favor of huge spending increases. The danger for France is that its fiscal outlook is already cloudy; Standard & Poor’s downgraded its debt last month. The newspaper sees “a worrying lack of awareness of the dangers along France’s political flanks and in the country at large”. https://www.ft.com/content/90f12e3a-afff-4d85-87ba-f93d2539e2b8

FT Sudan is tumbling into the Somalia trap

The battle for Khartoum has parallels with Mogadishu’s bloody descent in the 1990s. Back then it also started with a feud: two militia leaders together ousted a strongman ruler, then fell out. A former special adviser to the ex-PM, warned the war could last another decade “unless there is a united civilian front that can bring everyone together to work on stopping the war”. https://www.ft.com/content/89691d68-64a9-498c-abed-c9e8b4dca8a4

FT Trade union in Germany unleashes battle over pay by demanding 7% wage rise

The metal workers union makes its pitch for millions of electrical and metal workers in the country’s manufacturing heartlands. This demand “in one of the weakest parts of Germany’s economy reflects workers’ continued efforts to claw back purchasing power after the biggest inflation surge for a generation two years ago”. https://www.ft.com/content/d5587a0b-864c-45c7-8a02-72c8a24a62f6

FT The healthcare crisis in Columbia is pitting government against business

The president is accused of ‘destroying’ the system as he pushes on with what he says is a necessary overhaul. The government says the reforms, such as nationalization of health care insurance, are necessary to weed out corruption, make the system financially sustainable and improve coverage in rural areas. https://www.ft.com/content/c21bb499-cb9e-4469-9738-20ff44485a6e

FT Radical party in Britain pledges £88bn in ‘radical’ tax cuts

The plans ‘do not add up’ and will cost billions of pounds more than claimed, the Institute for Fiscal Studies warns. The party itself accepts that the plans are radical but claims they are not like “the £45bn in debt-funded tax cuts set out under the short lived government in 2022 that sent financial markets into meltdown”. https://ft.pressreader.com/1389/20240618/281535116157522

TT Trapped between armies, ethnic and religious minority in Myanmar fears ethnic cleansing

The junta that persecuted them is now recruiting them for the civil war — and the insurgents are no more friendly. Already in 2018 the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights described the campaign of violence against the minority “a textbook example of ethnic cleansing”. https://www.thetimes.com/world/asia/article/trapped-armies-rohingya-ethnic-cleansing-myanmar-xsh70ppjm

June 19

FT Government will ‘struggle’ to survive, opposition leader in India says

The politician claims a ‘tectonic shift’ after the election in an exclusive interview with the newspaper. Both the ruling party and the opposition capitalized on religious sentiments (see January 28 and March 9 respectively). The opposition’s results were a surprise and the ruling party’s results a disappointment. https://www.ft.com/content/b46e5f2e-c030-4cbf-b877-3acfdeb13842

NYT Protests erupt in Kenya over tax hike proposals

The government is trying to pass a finance bill in Parliament that would involve increasing taxes. Critics say it will raise the cost of living for Kenyans who are already struggling economically. Police officers used tear gas and water cannons against the protesters and quickly started making arrests. More than 200 people, including journalists, were arrested, according to human rights groups. The Catholic bishops of Kenya appealed revisions to protect the vulnerable. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/18/world/africa/kenya-protests-proposed-tax-hikes.html

NYT Legislature in Thailand approves same-sex marriage

The bill, which needs the king’s endorsement to become law, underscores Thailand’s status as a relative safe haven in Asia for L.G.B.T.Q. people. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/18/world/asia/thailand-same-sex-marriage-vote.html

June 20

FT Investors cheer as South Africa appoints new president

The currency and equities rise after the ruling party seals a power-sharing agreement with two centrist parties. The surge in confidence marks a stark reversal for South Africa’s markets, which had been shunned by foreign investors over the past five years, as economic reforms stalled and electricity blackouts became common. https://www.ft.com/content/592d40f7-465a-4148-81d3-6da519370ffa

FT Italy to give regions greater fiscal powers

The EU and the Italian central bank have warned that the law could increase pressure on public finances. The law sets out the procedure through which regional governments could obtain greater autonomy in spending tax revenues. It is intended to be budget-neutral. https://www.ft.com/content/569a26e3-cc2d-4227-bcc9-578de50c330e

FT Hamas raids Gaza banks to fund insurgency

Lenders robbed at gunpoint lose $120mn as Palestinians queue for days to rescue their own cash. The thefts amounted to at least a third of the cash stored in stranded vaults. Residents must pay a fee a week in advance to even join the queue for a cash machine. The stability of the Bank of Palestine is not threatened as the lion’s share of its business is in the West Bank. https://www.ft.com/content/f5788b08-0f26-4b1e-9d8e-e665e5506da7

FT Unbalanced power structures of France are storing up trouble

The chief risk is not reckless far-right economic policies but that the  president and PM are so at odds that chaos follows. The country has a profoundly dysfunctional system, marked by the presidency’s wide-ranging executive authority and by the centralization of power. https://www.ft.com/content/d9b2d691-3f7f-4d86-87db-4b98ef8d94f3

TT Emperor in Japan admits his family is running out of heirs

His dynasty is shrinking, but he can’t say a word about the politics of letting women accede to the throne. This month Japan’s ruling and opposition parties abandoned discussions on how to deal with the problem. According to a poll 90 percent of the public is in favor of the option of female succession but conservative politicians even oppose male children of female royals to be a candidate. Instead, adoption into the royal family of descendants of its former cadet branches, which lost their royal status after the Second World War, is considered. https://www.thetimes.com/world/asia/article/japanese-emperor-admits-his-familys-existential-problem-zd36lzrc0

NYT Intense heat in Saudi Arabia kills dozens at Hajj

With forecasts saying that temperatures would top 113 degrees Fahrenheit, or 45 degrees Celsius, on Tuesday, officials issued advisories to pilgrims urging them to stay hydrated, minimize outdoor activities, and carry umbrellas to block direct sunlight. The country reported that 1,8mn people travelled to Mecca this year. Reports about the casualties come from the countries of the pilgrims. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/19/world/europe/hajj-deaths-mecca-heat.html

June 21

FT How multinational companies are starting to back away from green targets

In the past year, many have dropped or missed goals to cut emissions or to loosen ties with polluting sectors. Most have justified the failure to keep up the effort with a common complaint: political and regulatory factors outside companies’ control are slowing progress. The newspaper adds: governments are in the same boat. One of the suggestions for change: be more realistic in communication. https://www.ft.com/content/c9fee776-1471-442c-aae8-8d78fe60faeb

FT Birth rates in rich countries halve to hit record low

The steep decline in fertility will ‘change the face of societies’ and affect growth prospects, says OECD. The study found a positive association between female employment rates and higher fertility rates, but found that the cost of housing was an increasing barrier to having children. A “low fertility future” will require a focus on immigration policies. https://www.ft.com/content/f0d2a5a7-e5ef-4044-8380-ff690b609a5a

FT Reformist candidate in Iran jolts presidential race with nuclear pitch

The 69 year old surgeon is an outsider but rattles hardliners by pressing for the revival of nuclear talks and a softer stance on the hijab issue. He woes disillusioned voters by convincing them that presidential elections in the theocracy do matter and that the outcome of next week’s vote could usher in change. Just 48 percent of the voters turned out during the last election in 2021. https://www.ft.com/content/8c57562b-834e-4c52-b9dd-3a0c13ade800

FT Ruling party in Brazil seeks to gag central bank chief

Senior politicians filed a lawsuit against him over alleged political bias. The lawsuit came a day after the president publicly criticized the bank chief, claiming that he “works much more to harm the country than to help” by not cutting rates more quickly. The bank sector answers to this criticism by pointing to the enduring inflation, from their perspective due to the fiscal expansion. https://www.ft.com/content/2d400d3c-154e-4cc4-936f-68f2cb2841f4

TT Unholy row of Vatican erupts in ‘trial’ for Pope’s arch-critic

With liberals and hard-liners at loggerheads, the ultra-conservative critic says the authorities want to try him for splitting the church. The 83 year old former papal ambassador to the US who has become a rallying figure for conservative enemies of the Pope, called the charges laid against him by the Vatican “an honor”. https://www.thetimes.com/world/us-world/article/vaticans-unholy-row-erupts-in-trial-for-popes-arch-critic-9f0b83l6l

June 22

FT President in Russia appoints family members and friends to senior positions

The prominence of the Kremlin princelings indicates that the president, 71, is making plans to ensure his regime’s longevity even as he puts the country on a war footing to sustain his invasion of Ukraine, analysts say. https://www.ft.com/content/f34d6b64-f802-43d9-b919-33f6bdd3c59c

FT Members of a family sentenced to jail in Switzerland for exploiting domestic foreign staff

The Geneva court found them guilty of treating their employees from India as indentured servants. https://www.ft.com/content/edc177b9-d032-45e0-b87d-68ec0d5d2d04

News from the World Evangelical Alliance

Together with Caritas Internationalis WEA in the human rights council calls on national governments to develop relocation policies of internally displaced persons (IDP’s) in which religious, economic, social and cultural rights are fully respected. https://un.worldea.org/wea-and-caritas-international-call-on-governments-to-develop-national-relocation-policies-with-full-participation-of-affected-communities/

June 24

FT The absence of honesty in election of Britain will undermine democracy itself

The newspaper’s chief economic commentator argues that treating the voters as mere children can only guarantee ever-rising cynicism. He sees “cynical public relations exercises”, where what is necessary is that politics “confronts fundamental challenges” in fundamental debate. https://www.ft.com/content/9372a789-401d-40de-b940-eea915b73065

FT Challenger in presidential election U.S.A. claims Christianity under threat

The former president seeks to rally Evangelical voters by portraying himself as a persecuted defender of the faith. In a graphic manner he addressed the annual “Road to Majority” conference organized by the influential Faith and Freedom Coalition. The organizer claimed the former president kept to his promises. A survey conducted earlier this year found around four in five white evangelical Protestant voters said they would vote for him if the election were held today. https://www.ft.com/content/23d4aac7-7f04-486e-8e8c-041b216e9292

FT Opposition leader in Venezuela says only huge fraud can stop victory

She is banned from standing for president, but is the opposition’s biggest asset ahead of the July election. At the same time, there have been many false dawns for the opposition. The opposition is setting up a massive structure for election monitoring, hoping it can prevent fraud to destroy its chances, claiming this time around most citizens are convinced that the incumbent needs to leave. https://www.ft.com/content/8abafb63-6151-4e47-9fe6-a865a5eccb3e

TT Vatican renews China deal despite human rights concerns

Critics say the church has not done enough to address democracy fears. The terms of the agreement are secret, but it is understood that it allows the Chinese government influence over the selection of bishops in the country. The highest-ranking Vatican official after the pope: “We love and admire China, its people, its culture, its traditions, the efforts it is making at the moment.” In reality the pact is meant to avoid a schism. https://www.thetimes.com/world/europe/article/vatican-renews-china-deal-despite-human-rights-concerns-x03wfmxgv

NYT The Architect who made public housing in Singapore the envy of the world

With a focus on affordability, community, convenience and light, he replaced squalid slums with spacious high-rises. A recent spike in some sale prices, however, has saddened him. He oversaw the development of about half of the more than one million apartments that make up public housing in the small and exceptionally prosperous city-state of 5.6 million people. He created self-contained neighborhoods and the government enforced ethnic mixing. “In the West, the experts condemned it as social engineering because you’re interfering with the freedom of individuals,” he said. “But we did that — and succeeded.” Today, close to 80 percent of Singapore’s residents live in public housing and about 90 percent of the units are owned on a 99-year lease. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/24/world/asia/singapore-public-housing-urban-planner.html

June 25

FT Coalition government in South Africa hits early hurdle

The formation of a cabinet is delayed as the former ruling party dismisses its new coalition partner’s demands as ‘outrageous’. Based on the result of the election the new partner wants 12 of the 30 cabinet positions available. In addition they claim the post of deputy president, as is standard practice in coalitions. The party claims that negotiations are still going on. Eight more parties have joined and one of them says the major minority party is over demanding. https://www.ft.com/content/6164736f-7548-4564-b991-cd1760551ec8

FT Kenya engulfed by youth-led protests against tax rises

The government’s plan to increase government revenue has been met with public anger. Direct taxes are sought for a range of items from bread to sanitary pads. The government yielded to the protests, promising to withdraw planned taxes on bread, cooking oil, locally made nappies and other products. But it also clamped down on prominent critics of the plan. The country has been grappling with liquidity challenges and the plans are made under pressure of the IMF. https://www.ft.com/content/eadf0d8a-730c-4934-8c10-8edd075982ff

TT Pope appoints his critic to top job

The archbishop is the new papal nuncio to the Baltic states. Last year the pope ordered him to leave the Vatican and the two men traded insults. The archbishop used to be the last pope’s private secretary and wrote a book after his death saying the new pope is too liberal. His appointment in the Baltic states is seen as a diplomatic move. The Russian church was very close to the former pope and his assistant could be useful in rapprochement. https://www.thetimes.com/world/europe/article/pope-francis-appoints-critic-gorgeous-georg-ganswein-hjs2g6l5w

TT ‘Heretical’ nuns face eviction from convent in Spain

Following the excommunication of a group of Poor Clare sisters, the Vatican claim they no longer have any right to live on the property near Burgos. Led by their mother superior the nuns have joined the Pious Union of the Apostle Saint Paul, considered a sect by the Catholic Church and headed by Pablo de Rojas Sánchez-Franco, who was excommunicated in 2019. Central in the conflict is the wish of the nuns to sell the convent. https://www.thetimes.com/world/europe/article/heretical-nuns-face-eviction-spanish-convent-kw22nh2fq

June 26

FT President of Kenya warns of ‘attack on democracy’ after protesters storm parliament

The president addresses the nation after protesters were killed and dozens injured when police opened fire on anti-tax demonstrators. The president claimed normal rights were guaranteed but the protests were “infiltrated and hijacked by a group of organized criminals”. Young Kenyans — many of them jobless and calling themselves Generation Z — have spearheaded the protests against the law over the past week. The Chief Justice said she was “deeply concerned” about the allegations of abductions by the police. https://www.ft.com/content/eadf0d8a-730c-4934-8c10-8edd075982ff

FT Haiti receives first Kenyan officers to battle gang violence

The African country will lead a coalition aiming to bolster the police force overwhelmed by fierce fighting with gangs in the Caribbean nation. The national police force, with approximately 9,000 officers, has struggled to contain about 200 gangs that have grown in power since the assassination of the president in July 2021. The mission is considered risky. https://www.ft.com/content/60faef4f-38e6-48c7-bb19-bbfeef3b1c71

FT Ultraorthodox in Israel must serve in army, court rules

The end of religious exemption from military service creates an ‘open wound’ within the government coalition. Two of the five coalition parties see the exemption as a core issue. The court considered that there is no legal basis for the exemption. The number of ultraorthodox exempted had soared to more than 60,000, partly because of the rapid growth of the Haredi population. Exemption follows joining religious school to study the Torah. https://www.ft.com/content/91580cdf-30a1-4c28-9962-a024ed2ecf8a

June 27

FT In Kenya president drops tax rises after deadly protests

Rights groups allege that at least 23 people were killed after parliament was stormed. The president said that “after listening keenly to the people of Kenya who have said loudly that they want nothing to do with this finance bill 2024, therefore I will not sign [it] and it shall subsequently be withdrawn”. He declared the storming of parliament as “treasonous” and an attack against democracy. Protesters see the more moderate tone of the president as an attempt to confuse citizens. https://www.ft.com/content/0aa8780f-e50d-4238-9fca-431cc4e978eb

FT Burkina Faso junta struggles to contain jihadi violence

An assault at a military outpost near the border of Niger killed more than 100 soldiers. Regime tensions exacerbate the dire security situation. It cannot deliver on its promise after the coup to improve security. About 2mn people — 10 percent of the population — have been displaced from their homes. The regime has cancelled the promised elections and wants to rule until 2029. https://www.ft.com/content/a5b84721-6024-419b-acec-00109f5ed2fa

FT Centrist politicians in France regain their ‘freedom’ from the president

Several presidential hopefuls prepare for a new political era. The president is in his final term and the ambition is to build a broader majority spanning center-left and center-right to replace the outgoing centrist administration. The snap election has accelerated the process of distancing from the president, also as a way to build an alternative to the popular far-right party. https://www.ft.com/content/a66668da-012b-4a60-9c3b-de2af5d1cd96

FT Far-right leader in France vows ‘cultural battle’ against Islamism and demands EU rebate

The 28-year-old party chief is ‘convinced’ his party will secure an outright parliamentary majority in the snap elections. He intends to pass a law this summer to end birthright citizenship for people born in France to foreign parents, a practice that has existed since 1515 and now requires those with foreign-born parents to officially request citizenship at age 18. https://www.ft.com/content/b54d149e-3329-4fbd-97a9-7d5aebb6fbad

NYT Behind the deadly unrest in Kenya, a staggering and painful national debt

The fastest growing economy in Africa, is on the brink of a fiscal calamity. The $80 billion in domestic and foreign public debt accounts for nearly three-quarters of Kenya’s entire economic output. Across Africa, nations are spending more on interest than on health or education. This month, Pope Francis convened a meeting at the Vatican and called for debt forgiveness and a rethinking of the world’s financial architecture to manage the growing crisis. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/26/business/kenya-tax-protests-debt.html

June 28

FT What a Dutch central bank research tells us about economic success in politics

That is, that when prices swing wildly this cuts confidence in all institutions. As with a romantic relationship, once trust is broken it is painfully hard to restore. Opinion polls suggest the U.S.A. economy is imploding but hard data shows something else. The one thing that is crystal clear is that we need to update the famous 1990s mantra that elections rest on “the economy, stupid”. Today, it is economic feelings — not “just” facts — that matter. https://www.ft.com/content/712d40eb-009f-4a6a-a786-57bf709001bc

FT In South Africa president holds talks with coalition partner after its threat to quit coalition

The parties seek to resolve their dispute over cabinet posts. The president reneged on an agreement to give the coalition partner the powerful trade and industry ministry, part of a deal that would have allocated the coalition partner six cabinet positions out of 30. This is less than the opposition partner demanded, see June 25. The trade union protested against giving the coalition party the industry ministry. https://www.ft.com/content/0799c999-fea7-4bc9-bf05-ecdf7017da30

FT General in Bolivia arrested after apparent coup attempt

Military vehicles left the central plaza in the capital hours after armed soldiers tried to force their way inside the national palace. After being arrested the general claimed on TV that he acted on the request of the president, who needed something to boost his popularity. The president was an ally of the first ethnic president of the country but they fell out. The general had earlier remarked the former president should not be returning to power. https://www.ft.com/content/5ed0088b-7252-4687-b9dd-515360d96e63

FT US Supreme Court error appears to reveal setback for Idaho abortion ban

A draft document, erroneously posted on the website, suggests that the court authorizes emergency abortions in the state of Idaho, despite the almost total ban on abortions in that state. https://www.ft.com/content/1084cc43-2e6a-4702-8ed2-7b645309b499

FT Thousands of Chinese tech workers fail to get visas in India, industry says

The government’s ambitions to become a manufacturing power is damaged by souring diplomatic relations with China. https://www.ft.com/content/eafd8547-b7d8-4dee-990c-e8ceaf8edcb3

June 29

FT Latin America was famed for coups, but Bolivia shows how it has changed

The risks to the region’s institutions lie elsewhere. The plotters in Bolivia did not show up victoriously on TV but were filmed on a mobile phone receiving a scolding from the democratically elected president. Though military coups may be out of fashion, the region has a long-standing weakness for messianic but authoritarian leaders elected democratically. https://www.ft.com/content/a77f3783-3bde-413a-ad75-cd89800df922

FT TV debate of presidential hopefuls signals an alarming moment for democracy in the U.S.A.

The incumbent looks too frail to fulfil his mission of defeating his fitter opponent who cannot be trusted for his dishonesty. This is the conclusion of the newspaper in a dedicated editorial. “The [self-declared] shining city on a hill of freedom and democracy is looking tattered and rundown.” https://www.ft.com/content/ad9965b7-1de4-4f9b-b2d7-69b5c94416dc

FT Supreme Court in U.S.A. deals blow to agencies’ rulemaking authority

The majority decision overturns a long-standing doctrine that has guided courts and regulators for 40 years. The conservatives concluded that the doctrine was “unworkable” and gave too much deference to unelected bureaucrats. The liberals in the court argue that 40 years of precedent is  being discarded. https://www.ft.com/content/a83967b6-4716-41c7-a138-9630028f6d2b

FT IMF warns that U.S.A. must ‘urgently’ address debt burden

The fund says that rising deficits in the country create a growing risk to the domestic and global economy. The recent surge of the debt burden, off the back of successive projected fiscal deficits in the coming years, would leave the debt burden in excess of previous highs in the aftermath of the second world war. https://www.ft.com/content/7f6e1199-7a3e-402c-9375-6cbe9783178f

TT Newest Catholic bishop in China promises to toe the party line

Communist Party officials controlled the process by which he was appointed. This only happened after he promised to “uphold socialist principles”, under an agreement allowing the Communist Party (CCP) to control the appointments process. At his inauguration he said he would adhere to the principle of “Sinicisation” of religious practices. The Vatican has no formal diplomatic relations with China, only with Taiwan. There are five recognized “religious organizations” in China — Buddhism, Daoism, Islam, Catholicism and Protestantism. https://www.thetimes.com/world/asia/article/chinas-newest-catholic-bishop-promises-to-toe-the-party-line-339pxtt0z

News from the World Evangelical Alliance

WEA and its long standing partner the Salvation Army join hands in the human rights council to call on States to recognize prostitution as a system of exploitation and violence: https://un.worldea.org/wea-and-salvation-army-call-on-states-to-recognize-prostitution-as-a-system-of-exploitation-and-violence/

July 1

FT President in South Africa unveils new cabinet after coalition breakthrough

The centrist coalition party takes six ministerial posts and the position of an extra deputy finance minister in the unity government after fraught negotiations. Six more smaller parties also participate but the two radical parties were excluded. https://www.ft.com/content/1c9628b0-d19f-45e0-918b-8fdf7399fd17

FT In Britain the party leading in the poll wants ‘mission-driven’ government

The goals are clear: growth, the National Health System, clean energy, safer streets and opportunity. The party wants the government to approach it with overarching policy systems including the participation of outside experts to make ministries interact functionally. A plan to make it work is necessary. https://www.ft.com/content/0dca7689-ccf0-4281-8afd-e23076d96a76

FT Far right wins first round of snap election in France

The centrist party of the president falls to third place behind the leftwing alliance. The first-round results suggest the far right and its allies are on track to win the most seats in the National Assembly and potentially even an outright majority in the final round of voting on July 7. The bargaining will be between the centrist and leftwing party on how to handle the far-right success. https://www.ft.com/content/581cde6f-fc6d-4618-a505-8070c699edc0

TT Violent protests against ultra-orthodox conscription in Israel

The police used a water cannon as thousands of Haredi Jews demonstrated against the unanimous court ruling to begin enlisting the community for military service. Haredi’s believe they are protecting Israel through their study of the Torah and any interference would corrupt their youth and destroy their well-preserved and protected way of life. https://www.thetimes.com/world/israel-hamas-war/article/violent-protests-against-ultra-orthodox-conscription-in-jerusalem-shl9g3mpd

NYT Taliban of Afghanistan talks with UN go on despite alarm over exclusion of women

The meeting is the first between the regime and a UN-led conference of  global envoys who are seeking to engage the Afghan rulers on critical issues. The two-day conference in Doha, Qatar, is the third of its kind. It is part of a United Nations-led effort, known as the “Doha process,” started in May 2023. It is meant to develop a unified approach for international engagement with Afghanistan. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/30/world/middleeast/afghanistan-un-taliban-talks-women.html

July 2

FT Region leader in Spain denied amnesty promised by federal PM

He orchestrated a failed referendum for regional independence. His party supports the federal government and the amnesty law was tailor made for his situation, see March 15. The supreme court has now decided the terms of the law do not cover his decisions to use government funds for the referendum. https://www.ft.com/content/e38cdef2-a189-4216-b03b-d9f27a47b695

July 3

FT The incumbent in the U.S.A. and the tragedy of liberal denialism

The left ignores problems on its own side, and recent history has turned on that failure. The newspaper’s commentator on the U.S.A. sees a pattern and also refers to the extreme leftist former Labor leader in the British EU referendum. Another is the constant evasiveness in the left about the woke movement and formerly the communist threat. He cites George Orwell about “lack of power in facing unpleasant facts”. https://www.ft.com/content/d431b97f-7431-4066-bd80-9dab3b215fea

FT Eclectic rightwing government takes office in the Netherlands

The far-right party has five ministries in the new cabinet, including trade and migration. It is led by a party-less PM who formerly was spy chief. The coalition partners did not want the far right party leader as PM. He remains in parliament and continued his anti-Islam rhetoric.  A candidate minister for his party failed the security vetting. https://www.ft.com/content/a2d4d634-5fbb-4458-a242-04d4ec64c2ce

FT Left and centrists in France pull candidates from run-off vote in attempt to block far right

The move marks a coordinated attempt to keep the far right first round election winner out of power. The parties dropped more than 200 third placed district candidates in the hopes that their voters will go to centrist or left. A hung parliament remains a likely outcome, with 91 three-way contests remaining. https://www.ft.com/content/e409e56d-4eac-4567-a60f-b756b1c3dc42

July 4

FT The heavy choices of Kenya

The newspaper dedicates an editorial to the situation and links it to the general conditions in a flawed debt market in need of improvement. The protests in Nairobi last week show the limited options for countries to avoid default. Substantial tax rises on essentials are ill-advised in an economy with an official poverty rate of 38.6 per cent. The government struggled to contain the unhealthy borrowing in the past. https://www.ft.com/content/e2ecc8db-a80c-4e0c-ba34-5e8338165de2

FT How far right in France built a national movement

What the newspaper calls “old school retail politics” have helped bring the far right party to the brink of political power. The president came to power in 2017 with a pledge to change government and bring it closer to the people. He failed to deliver and the far right cultivates misgivings of the citizens about this and politicians in general. https://www.ft.com/content/faf67275-2508-4c61-a5b7-3d8f4126455b

FT More than 100 die in stampede at religious event in India

The local media suggest the devotees at the Hindu gathering in Uttar Pradesh far exceeded the permitted amount. Some 15.000 had arrived to attend the event by a popular local Hindu preacher. A make-shift tent collapsed. The PM pledges the victims would be helped “in every way possible”. https://www.ft.com/content/29ca09cb-da55-49ef-b988-c6ff2f62d714

FT ‘Smuggled’ food and $64 peppers: grocery stores in war torn Gaza fight to survive

The small retailers try to keep trading in the bombed-out wastelands. The supply is harmed by blocked borders, gang looting and corruption with food coupons. https://www.ft.com/content/ff760bed-7dcf-46d8-9efe-b83d728ae673

FT Inflation in Turkey cools for first time in 8 months

Consumer prices increased 71.6% in June, a slower rate than expected and down from a nearly two-year high of 75.5 per cent in May. It is considered a sign that the government’s pivot away from an unconventional monetary policy is working. https://www.ft.com/content/cb3beb0c-96d4-43e5-a13b-2fb1eee51bc9

NYT Two kings battle for a millennium-old throne in Nigeria

Two men claim to be the emir of Kano, an ancient kingdom in the north of the country. Their struggle for power and influence is feeding into a wider competition ahead of the presidential election in 2027. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/03/world/africa/nigeria-kano-emir-kingdom-battle.html

July 5

FT Mass protests in Kenya expose African fury with IMF

The government of the country is the latest of a developing country that is caught between multilateral lenders and an angry population. The IMF demand of austerity measures in exchange for much cheaper loans does not work anymore for the country that borrowed heavily with other sources when money was cheap. A former president of Nigeria: African states should “be the architects of our own fortune”. https://www.ft.com/content/0e1be993-90e1-4477-9c29-41400c0d1c98

FT How the investment world is trying to navigate geopolitics

An industry that a decade ago was hoovering up mathematicians to devise new trading strategies is now leaning on political scientists for guidance to understand where politics advance business. https://www.ft.com/content/23ce295d-bf65-47fd-bebd-808b5a7bcab5

TT Army chief in Zimbabwe: independence party will rule until donkeys grow horns

Opposition figures criticized his speech. He was responsible for ordering the shooting of protesters in 2018. The general said the army would march citizens to polling stations and make them vote for the independence party. https://www.thetimes.com/world/africa/article/zanu-pf-will-rule-until-donkeys-grow-horns-boasts-zimbabwe-army-chief-gwnjcqs7b

TT Government of Kenya freezes ministers and parliamentarians pay as protests rage on

The president cracks down on lavish spending amid a financial crisis that prompted a wave of unrest. He is known for his penchant for luxury goods and his U-turn comes after an original proposal to raise all state officials’ salaries by 2.5 percent but by Wednesday the government announced that the pay rises were off altogether. https://www.thetimes.com/world/africa/article/kenyas-president-freezes-minsters-pay-as-protests-rage-on-7fb3shzft

July 6

FT The change brought by election is an opportunity for Britain

The opposition’s big victory also brings a heavy responsibility to restore trust in politics. The tectonic plates of British politics have shifted as they do only once every couple of decades. But the overwhelming election of a moderate, non-Eurosceptic leader can help the country to reclaim its role as a voice of democratic rationalism on the world stage. https://www.ft.com/content/6803eb32-1efe-479c-b6ff-4bc4c3bf1b34

FT Central bank chief in Ireland warns the government against pre-election giveaways

The bank chief says that using the vast budget surplus to fund cost-of-living relief would risk stoking inflation. He said the budget surplus should be used to “keep thinking about the big transitions we are facing: demographics, climate change and digitization”. The surplus is thanks to a vast inflow from corporation tax, the bulk of which is paid by global technology and pharmaceutical companies based in the country. https://www.ft.com/content/fbaee8b9-96e3-415a-8bb5-d75014c53627

FT Government in Germany unveils budget after tensions inside coalition

The package, agreed after 80 hours of coalition talks, includes measures to boost corporate investment, tax incentives for R&D and plans for longer working hours. The chancellor said that Germany should be an ‘anchor of stability” in the region. https://www.ft.com/content/e72a10ed-d193-4914-8e28-e67689dadd0f

News from the World Evangelical Alliance

WEA is hosting regional webinars on the question “What is Evangelism”. On the 12^th, 17 h Kenya time, the series continues with the brothers and sisters in Africa: https://worldea.org/webinar/

July 8

FT State-owned power utility in South Africa expects fresh loss as it keeps lights on

It managed 100 days without power cuts. Its CEO said to the newspaper that the next thing is to fix its reputation with global investors, which has been badly damaged by 16 years of broken promises to fix the problem. The loss is due to a record use of diesel. https://www.ft.com/content/e74ee9a7-eb99-4651-8e7b-6013d7f14d03

FT ‘People are addicted to escape’: psychoactive drug crisis hits Sierra Leone

The poor west African nation struggles with a surge in use of the toxic drug  ‘kush’.  The president in a televised address called it a national emergency. An arrest warrant was issued for an importer of the drug, living in the Netherlands. It is part of a growing trend of substance abuse across Africa, particularly among the continent’s youth. The problem is overwhelmingly male: only one in 10 drug users in Africa is female. https://www.ft.com/content/f1bcbef0-a02d-446c-ac61-d255cb551052

FT China stabbing attacks raise concerns of growing social tensions

Economic doldrums, unemployment and isolation could be playing into a crime wave, analysts say. The victims are often Japanese, amid escalating anti-Japanese rhetoric on Chinese state media. This was later acknowledged and major Chinese internet platforms banned hate speech against Japan. Official statistics do not show the violence trend. https://www.ft.com/content/954dd160-3102-477f-b816-1a1769f0a628

FT Pakistan finance minister warns taxes must rise to break bailout cycle

The former banker says the government must ‘get real’ as it seeks its 24th IMF package. The designed tax rises that will mostly fall on salaried workers, who comprise a relatively small part of the mostly informal economy, as well as on some retail and export businesses. https://www.ft.com/content/1b88fff6-bebb-4650-9677-7a7caa268f05

FT Reformist wins presidential election in Iran

The successor of the president killed in a helicopter crash seeks to ease social restrictions and re-engage with the west to secure sanctions relief. The former health minister secured 16.3mn votes in Friday’s run-off, defeating a hardliner opponent who garnered 13.5mn votes, according to the interior ministry. https://www.ft.com/content/d1e10d95-68ed-4282-8b3d-44e1c36ea995

July 9

FT Serbia, the European country doing its own geopolitical hedging

Its government is forging close ties with the team of the presidential contender in the U.S.A. This is a classic bet-hedging move as it attempts to pursue a middle course in a multipolar world.  The government likes to play off America and the EU against Russia and China and pursue a middle course that best suits the long-term interests of the country. https://www.ft.com/content/00f2269b-4a9e-468b-a777-12341817fde9

FT France edges back from the far-right brink in the election second round

The centrists and the left have prevented the far right from taking the lead for now (see July 3). They need to form a viable coalition to prevent political paralysis. In an editorial the newspaper laments that with no group holding a majority a damaging political paralysis now threatens one of Europe’s biggest economies. That could still help the far right during the 2027 presidential election. https://www.ft.com/content/0288aa2f-c9f1-497b-bded-6bcd41586b6d

July 10

FT Will shock therapy revive the economy of Nigeria — or sink it further?

The president says his reforms are necessary to achieve market discipline, but millions could be pushed into poverty in the process. His predecessor pursued ineffective economic policies with an interventionist theme. Decades before that, Nigeria fell to the resource curse for its oil. https://www.ft.com/content/137058b2-d48a-4adf-91f1-e25494350e6e

FT OECD urges governments of affluent countries to cushion green shift for low-skilled workers

The call from the Paris-based organization comes amid rising voter discontent in Europe over the economic impact of the shift to reach net zero. High energy jobs are often well unionized, while people in green jobs miss collective bargaining strength. https://www.ft.com/content/a7daf32e-a614-4066-9640-e70a5a0c0f81

FT New ambassadors of Poland in limbo as PM and president tussle over policy

The rightwing president has blocked the 50 pro-EU nominees of the PM to diplomatic posts around the world. The opposition party also tries to work with likeminded governments abroad to block new appointments, according to the foreign minister. https://www.ft.com/content/e0d675fd-fc86-4037-8db8-ffd188c74bbd

July 11

FT The Palestinian Authority’s shrinking influence in the West Bank

Authority is undermined by surging settler violence, military raids and economic pressure. The governance structure was formed to make a two state solution possible, but is largely dysfunctional and corrupt. One Arab diplomat: “What makes Palestinians really angry is the humiliation and the loss of dignity”. https://www.ft.com/content/e9b65a59-8346-419e-b004-715e236e3d9d

FT President of France calls for ‘governing pact’ in parliament

The president breaks days of silence to say ‘no one won’ after snap election. Without using the word “coalition”, the president urged political parties to “engage in sincere and loyal dialogue to build a solid majority, which has to be pluralistic, for the country.” https://www.ft.com/content/db291c74-7d4c-42f8-953a-961a5f8bde8b

July 12

FT Global population to shrink this century as birth rates fall

The UN report shows an earlier — and lower — peak for the number of people in the world to reach its maximum level. The UN urged societies ageing at a fast pace to use technology to improve productivity, boost life-long learning and create opportunities to extend working lives. https://www.ft.com/content/2d37dc16-5c73-4f2a-92a5-a78326f9dc3d

FT President of Kenya fires most of cabinet after mass protests

The sackings follow the deaths of 39 demonstrators amid anger over tax increases. The proposals have been withdrawn and the government would now cut expenditure, starting with its own costly bureaucracy. The president has sought to lay blame on the previous government for overborrowing. This week the credit rating of the country changed to Caa1, the credit agency’s marker for very high credit risk. https://www.ft.com/content/d8ae8f43-9d17-4766-86c2-489c79008c4c

FT How UBS fell out with the establishment of Switzerland after rescuing Credit Suisse

The bank’s leaders and the financial officials of the government clashed over issues from capital requirements to chief executive’s pay. The bank warns that other countries will take over the banking expertise while politicians are under pressure from the citizens that the UBS bank was given too good a deal with the takeover of failing Credit Suisse. https://www.ft.com/content/a2ff49db-6c3f-4a55-9289-386c7159fcc9

TT Who could be the next PM of France?

The poor performance of the president bloc has catapulted four disparate parties into an uneasy alliance. The radical left leader is a firebrand personality, but the socialists have vowed not to break with him. He has now put forward a young assistant to take the lead. The parties fall short of a ruling majority. It is unclear how they can run the government and be a counterforce against the powerful president. https://www.thetimes.com/world/europe/article/france-prime-minister-candidates-0gcdh8djf

July 13

FT In Poland coalition split hampers the PM’s bid to roll back abortion ban

The junior partner joins the rightwing opposition to vote against a bill to decriminalize helping women to terminate pregnancies. Lawmakers voted on Friday 218 to 215 against the bill, with two abstentions. The deputy premier from the junior coalition partner led his party’s vote against the bill, although four of his MPs voted in favor. https://www.ft.com/content/b434c728-1774-4800-b194-d43466f0914c

News from the World Evangelical Alliance

In the human rights council WEA urges Nigeria to disarm violent armed groups and boost security presence in Middle Belt communities that are vulnerable: https://un.worldea.org/wea-urges-nigeria-to-disarm-violent-armed-groups-and-boost-security-presence-in-middle-belt-communities-that-are-vulnerable/

July 15

FT A dark day of violence in the U.S.A.

After the shooting of the presidential challenger, politicians have a great responsibility to call for calm and unity. Violence has no place in democracy. The undermining of free speech and political tolerance, and the rampant rise of social media disinformation, is a factor of serious concern. Sadly, they are not an anomaly in the country’s long experiment with democratic governance. https://www.ft.com/content/82634eda-f1af-43ff-ac58-5560cbff7467

FT Can the government of China keep a lid on the mounting social strains?

The authorities are increasingly concerned about rises in unemployment, mental illness and crime linked to the economic slowdown. In the past the “surveillance state” had the “performance legitimacy”. This is undermined now that the economic reality prompts different policies. https://www.ft.com/content/b86d84ef-219a-4ce5-9c88-d7b32979006a

FT China plays down hopes for ‘strong medicine’ at top economic policy meeting

The communist party’s third plenum this week (see July 19) is expected to focus on investment in cutting-edge technology, fiscal and social welfare policy. A shock therapy like in the past is not expected. https://www.ft.com/content/6f4079ea-e8fe-46c8-84b3-75aff56b7011

FT Government of Italy seeks to bring nuclear power back

Rome plans to allow investments in small reactors as part of a bid to lower the country’s carbon emissions. Renewable technologies such as solar and wind power “cannot provide the security that we need”, the responsible minister argued, reflecting his government’s skepticism towards these technologies. Nuclear development was derailed by a 2011 referendum in which more than 90 percent of the voters rejected it. https://www.ft.com/content/a726934b-ba97-4e2c-b60d-e24a227a416f

July 16

FT Public energy company in South Africa warns unpaid bills risk new power crisis

The failure by municipalities to pay debts worth billions of rand risks thwarting the company’s recovery efforts, according to the utility chief. The municipality debt grows by 833mn USD per year. The company has now started a case against Johannesburg for a debt of 280mn USD. Some politicians have promised debt relief to their constituency. https://www.ft.com/content/554f6d29-6471-4f0b-90b8-75b66ed46062

FT Incumbent cements hold on Rwanda after election walkover

The strongman president secured 99 percent of the vote after rival candidates were prevented from running. Supporters credit him with bringing development to the county of 13mn people while forging a sense of identity from the ashes of one of the worst genocides in history. https://www.ft.com/content/491cd50b-07fe-4969-ae5f-76d411d74144

FT Incumbent in Venezuela launches charm offensive as rival soars in polls

The threat to the authoritarian leader has led to questions about how far he will go to cling on to power. He took over in 2013 from the founder of the country’s ongoing so-called Bolivarian Revolution, which combines a state-led economy with nationalism. This went well so long the oil dollars underwrote it. https://www.ft.com/content/89e8a043-4c09-4522-9a8a-572a4fe0853e

FT President-elect of Indonesia plans sharp rise in debt, says top adviser

The advisor is confident that the country can retain its investment-grade rating if the debt to GDP rate rises to 50 percent, from 39 percent at present, if the government boosts tax revenue. “We don’t want to raise the debt level without raising revenue”, he added. https://www.ft.com/content/5dbe5110-9f14-4f88-8001-abe74ac13133

NYT Gambia votes to keep ban on female genital cutting, in dramatic reversal

The lawmakers in the West African country had supported overturning the prohibition, but changed course on Monday after a vociferous campaign led by women. Of the 53 members of Gambia’s National Assembly present on Monday, 34 voted to keep the ban, and 19 to overturn it. In March, when 47 members were present, 42 of them voted to overturn the ban. Many Muslims in Gambia believe that cutting is an Islamic practice — a claim made by some religious leaders in the country but disputed by many Muslim scholars. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/15/world/africa/gambia-ban-female-genital-cutting.html

July 17

FT Shock therapy alone will not cure economic ills in Nigeria

The government’s reforms need to be bolstered by a national strategy for growth. This is the conclusion of another editorial of the newspaper about the country (see also March 13). The shock measures so far have pushed tens of millions of already impoverished people deeper into misery. Without a long term plan for prosperity the measures are a disjoint. https://www.ft.com/content/86fd53bd-9adb-47f4-8e4e-589f80ecf190

FT Why the rise of the vice-president choice by the presidential challenger divides business in the U.S.A.

Some dealmakers detect an anti-M&A [Merger & Acquisition] agenda in the populist ideology of the vice-presidential challenger. Big tech has supported him but industrial lobbyists consider him an “intellectual powerhouse” able to channel the anger and disenfranchisement of the working classes. Some even evoke the likeness of a far left Democrat politician from Vermont. In a separate comment the U.S.A. national editor of the newspaper calls him “unapologetic Christian conservative”. https://www.ft.com/content/ff258541-dfe3-4dd9-99bf-2a1d26b6a21c

FT Turkey unveils corporate tax overhaul

The government proposes a minimum 10 percent levy on companies in a move to cool the economy. The reforms aim to broaden the tax base and contribute to efforts to bring down scorching inflation by tightening fiscal policy. The move would bring Turkey in line with an OECD deal aimed at keeping businesses from seeking refuge in low-tax havens. https://www.ft.com/content/adc63fb8-c085-4d51-946d-01d20899f3fe

TT Wife of PM in Spain ‘had 8 meetings with tycoon who won €23m deals’

The tycoon testifies that the meetings took place at the presidential couple’s official residence. The court case regarding this issue earlier caused turmoil for the government, see April 25. https://www.thetimes.com/world/europe/article/pedro-sanchezs-wife-met-businessman-8-times-before-23m-contracts-7gr3r0q0g

July 18

FT President of Kenya has misread the popular mood

With domestic politics marring his polished international image, the president offers lessons for other leaders. He ran and won without the endorsement of the incumbent. His electoral revolution was commendable and modern by defining a social contract between voters and a government promising to deliver services and opportunity. But the execution did not calculate the popular unrest it triggered. https://www.ft.com/content/3a3d7388-96eb-4aa4-9ab5-4b552f058fbb

FT Brazil to spend record $900mn on local vote as politicians raid budget

The sums allocated to campaign activities soar despite the pressure to rein in national spending. Lawmakers have defended the allocation as part of the democratic process. In the past it has been used for corruption. https://www.ft.com/content/d36d2407-15fb-40c6-a63b-307548fbcbd3

FT New ruling party in Britain champions a more active state

The newspaper dedicates an editorial to the significant change in government from market orientation. It concludes the new government seeks to rapidly capitalize on the political momentum built up from its historic election win, with strategic intervention in markets, including publicly owned utilities. The newspaper states that the government should strive to be an enabler, not a controller. https://www.ft.com/content/825f2379-3e7a-4699-8ab9-e3f5afd6e69d

July 19

FT What makes the challenger in the U.S.A. election irresistible

The newspaper dedicates two lengthy articles to the subject: “Why the Maga (Make America Great Again) faithful across America still believe in him. For many admirers, unapologetic, unreformed masculinity is the former president’s primal allure. A large part of the article is dedicated to the role of white Evangelicals. A history professor of Calvin University is quoted: “The indictment, the impeachment — none of that in any way has shaken the base.” https://www.ft.com/content/563a6c72-d754-44aa-a35d-cb6ad6275b64

FT Leaders in China warn of economic risks and call for stronger social controls

The top Communist party committee, composed of 363 members and alternate members of the Communist party’s elite Central Committee, outlined the needs at the five-year policy meeting. “It is necessary to strengthen public opinion guidance and effectively prevent and resolve ideological risks.” It also wants a more dynamic market environment [and] optimize the efficiency of resource allocation. https://www.ft.com/content/2d3af467-e8c8-45ca-84c0-7798b95b9bc7

TT Internet suspended as jobs protest in Bangladesh leaves dozens dead

Members of the security services were also killed during a demonstration against retaining a quota of government posts for families of the 1971 independence war army veterans. The government had scrapped the system in 2018 but the High Court reinstated it. Students, who face spiraling rates of unemployment, argue that the system is discriminatory and want a return to hiring based on merit. The government now says it wants to talk to the protesters but they say it is too late. https://www.thetimes.com/world/asia/article/jobs-protest-in-bangladesh-leaves-at-least-16-students-dead-kh8ngzp2v

NYT In France parliament votes to keep a centrist leader, enraging the left

A left-wing bloc that won the most seats in legislative elections this month called the re-election of an ally of the president a denial of democracy. The so-called Republican front of left and center parties that kept the far-right from power in the runoff election on July 7 turned into a center-right front to keep out the left. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/18/world/europe/france-parliament-assembly.html

July 20

FT The president of South Africa vows to turn country into a ‘construction site’

The presence of the pro-market centrist party in the coalition is fueling business optimism. The president said the country would introduce a “sustainable form of income support” to help the 32.9 percent of South Africans without jobs, one of the highest unemployment rates in the world. https://www.ft.com/content/0cc69d85-bae2-4a51-b32e-b11cee440baf

FT 57-year-old occupation of Palestinian territories by Israel is illegal, UN International court of Justice rules

The court found that none of the legal architecture of the occupation complied with international humanitarian law. The decision, a response to a 2022 request of the UN General Assembly, will have little immediate effect as it is not binding. All elements of the ICJ’s findings were backed by a majority of the court’s 15 judges, though the exact number varied for different rulings. https://www.ft.com/content/6a60da92-5795-46c6-9175-2f425d3805d0

FT The blueprint for power of the challenging party in the U.S.A. contains the seeds of its own demise

In an op-ed a professor in the history of public affairs says the challenging political party reminds us of the alternatives to republics, that showed how a republic could be brought down by three variants of collapse: tyranny, oligarchy and anarchy. The challenger for the presidency evokes tyranny and the rich oligarchs supporting him see anarchy as creative. In the end the party blatantly depends on the wealthy. https://www.ft.com/content/a7eea0af-bf9f-4635-812b-271c30620e72

NYT ‘Other’ conflict in DRC kills thousands in the west near the capital Kinshasa

The conflict is overshadowed by the fighting in the east of the country. The dispute in the west between two ethnic groups has resulted in thousands of civilians killed and more than 550,000 displaced. For decades, two main ethnic groups in the western Congo region, the Teke and the Yaka, lived in relative peace in the Mai-Ndombe province under a mutually-agreed rule: the Yaka rented land from the Teke, considered the customary landowners, by paying a tax on the crop they cultivated. The conflict started when the tax was raised. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/19/world/africa/crisis-western-congo.html

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FT = Financial Times, TT = The Times, NYT = New York Times. Nearly all Africa related items in the FT and all religious life oriented items are included. Original articles may be editorials, news reports or blogs. The focus is on (potentially) enduring trends in statehood, valuable for SDG16. We comply with all copyright rules (see also Copyright Policy | Help Centre (ft.com)) and encourage all readers to read the full text.