Small bands of mercenaries extend Russia’s reach in Africa

Jan 15th 2022DAKAR AND MOSCOWAS HE HANDED over a large wooden key on December 14th, a French colonel symbolically passed control of a military base in Timbuktu to his Malian counterpart. The tricolore, which had flown over the camp in northern Mali since France sent troops there in 2013 to counter jihadists and separatists, was replaced by a Malian...

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Richard Leakey established Kenya as a prime source of hominid fossils

Jan 15th 2022THE LITTLE Cessna had been in the air no more than ten minutes when its single engine sputtered and began losing power. Richard Leakey ramped up the fuel mixture, cutting the air intake—a mistake at that altitude. Unable to restart the engine, he found himself free-falling towards villages and schools. There were children below, waving...

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Ethiopia promises peace but keeps bombing rebels and civilians

Jan 15th 2022NAIROBITHE MOOD at the international airport in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital, is strikingly upbeat. In recent weeks arriving passengers have been met by smiling dancers and patriotic music. Garlands of flowers and bright yellow carpets adorn the arrivals hall. Banners proclaim the “Great Ethiopian Homecoming”, a state-sponsored effort...

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TikTok isn’t silly. It’s serious

Jan 15th 2022“WHEN YOU gaze into TikTok, TikTok gazes into you,” wrote Eugene Wei, a tech blogger, in 2020, explaining the almost clairvoyant nature of TikTok. What the algorithm sees as it gazes into your columnist, a neophyte user, is anyone’s guess: a random feed delivers tips on how to design a ball gown, someone barking at a dog, Rod Stewart with...

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Jair Bolsonaro’s scorn for data leaves Brazil in the dark

Jan 15th 2022São PauloAS THE OMICRON variant sweeps the globe, scientists cannot accurately track its impact in Brazil. In early December the government’s main system for counting cases and deaths was hacked in a ransomware attack. Since then, the site has been down. On January 7th more than 63,000 cases were registered in 24 hours, the most since September....

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As violent crime leaps, liberal cities rethink cutting police budgets

Jan 15th 2022New YorkIN THE DAYS after George Floyd was murdered by a Minneapolis police officer in May 2020, protesters took to the streets across America. They urged cities to “defund the police”, and politicians listened. Eric Garcetti, the mayor of Los Angeles, called for his department’s budget to be cut by up to $150m. London Breed, San Francisco’s...

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Letters to the editor

Jan 15th 2022Listen to this storyYour browser does not support the <audio> element.Enjoy more audio and podcasts on iOS or Android.Letters are welcome via e-mail to [email protected]Wither the centre groundFar too few Republicans are prepared to stand up for the sensible and staid party it once was, known for its belief in free markets and private...

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Why North Dakota, not New York, may be the land of opportunity

Jan 15th 2022C OUNTLESS PROTAGONISTS of great literature and film make the fateful decision to move to New York City in search of prosperity. This very persistent association seems sensible. Average wages in the Big Apple are double those in the typical American city. Yet the real rags-to-riches opportunities may be in humbler places.Listen to this...

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China does not have it all its way in the South China Sea

Jan 15th 2022DISPUTES IN THE South China Sea go back decades. They involve Brunei, China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam, all with contesting claims. But it was only ten years ago that China, which makes outlandish maritime claims for nearly the whole sea, greatly upped the ante. First, it provoked a stand-off that left it in control...

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A corruption probe is only the latest of Chinese insurers’ woes

Jan 15th 2022HONG KONGWANG BIN has gained the undesirable distinction of becoming China’s first “tiger” of the year. The term refers to a senior official ensnared in a corruption probe (as opposed to a “fly”, a lower-level cadre). Mr Wang, the chairman and Communist Party secretary of China Life, one of the world’s largest insurers, is a big catch....

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