Middle East & Africa
Running in place
After a dramatic week in Gaza, where does the war stand?
The Rafah offensive has not really begun, and a ceasefire is probably still weeks away at best
An uphill struggle
Under Joe Biden, America struggles to reassert itself in Africa
As Chinese and Russian influence rise, the odds are against it
Negotiations over Gaza
Israel and Hamas are not that far from a ceasefire agreement
But does Israel’s prime minister actually want to reach a deal?
Israel and Hamas
Hamas talks up a truce, but Israel may still invade Rafah
Will Israel agree to ceasefire terms?
Land of lousy armies
Why are Arab armed forces so ineffective?
Governments are splashing the cash, but that may do little to burnish their armies’ reputations
Campus protests
University protests about Gaza spread to the Middle East
But Arab students are looking to America for inspiration
How Gulf states rule
Gulf governments are changing, but not how they talk to citizens
Rumours about downpours in Dubai and rosé in Riyadh stem from a lack of trust
Democracy’s dividends
How South Africa has changed 30 years after apartheid
Poverty is rife and inequality still starkly racial
In a pickle
Israel’s prime minister does not know where to go
Binyamin Netanyahu may be losing the plot
Militia mayhem
The Middle East has a militia problem
More than a quarter of the region’s 400m people live in states dominated by armed groups
Your money or your life
How much do Palestinians pay to get out of Gaza?
Middlemen are profiting from Gazans’ desperation
The Cyrus cylinder
Why Iranian dissidents love Cyrus, an ancient Persian king
The British Museum is sending one of Iran’s adored antiquities to Israel