Gun-shy: why Niger’s coup stands, for now

Nigeria sorely needed the enormous oil refinery built by Aliko Dangote, who was already Africa’s richest man. We ask what that new capacity means for him, for Nigeria and for the continent. We speak to the surprisingly large and diverse Iranian diaspora in Los Angeles. And how a ...  Show more

Control of the Strait of Hormuz has become the focus of the war in Iran. The options available point to an acute risk of a broadening regional conflict. China is making great strides in building humanoid robots—but so far they are more about entertainment than utility. And a look ...  Show more

For weeks, the regional bloc ECOWAS has threatened to undo the putsch by force. But appetite for a military response—the ultimate deterrent in a coup-prone region—seems small and waning. Russia’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2023/08/14/russia-will-s ...

Following years of military takeovers in the region, <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2023/07/28/nigers-putsch-is-bad-for-the-country-and-for-the-region?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.cont ...

Russia is making steady, piecemeal gains in the region; Ukrainian forces are simply <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2022/06/19/is-the-west-supplying-ukraine-with-enough-weapons?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discover ...  Show more

Russia’s axeing of the Black Sea grain deal reveals a war machine running out of options. We explore how to get the deal <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2023/07/26/the-world-should-not-let-vladimir-putin-abandon-the-grain-deal?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podc ...