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People are increasingly acknowledging that the global economy is stronger than they thought COMMENT | JIM O’NEILL | In February 2017, I wrote an optimistic commentary called “The Global Economy’s Surprising Resilience.” The piece came as a surprise to those who saw only bleak prospects for Western countries, not least the …

While 140 characters may have been more appealing than 700-word pieces, brevity is no longer enough COMMENT | BAJINDER PAL SINGH | Social media are no longer the new kid on the block, but in 2016, platforms like Twitter and Facebook looked poised to nudge traditional newspapers into obsolescence. Following President …

The model of Rwanda, which is a world leader in health-care access and outcomes, should be everywhere COMMENT | SAMUEL KARGBO | In late October, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) confirmed what many had long suspected: millions of dollars donated to fight the Ebola outbreaks …

Why the misery index has a role to play in assessing the state of an economy and success of policy COMMENT | KOICHI HAMADA | The United States, Europe, and Japan are all making positive economic strides. In the U.S, the unemployment rate is falling, and now stands at just over …

Why is country mortgaging her future by relying on external borrowing rather than tax revenue? COMMENT | MUSA MAYANJA LWANGA & FLORENCE NAKAZI | In the recent past, owing to Uganda’s many development needs including large infrastructure projects and expanding public administration costs, government expenditure has significantly exceeded revenue collection. This has …

CRISPR-Cas technology is poised to change the world, but those changes need to be positive  COMMENT | TECHNOLOGY | Antoine Danchin |  Since its introduction four decades ago, genetic engineering has been a source of high hopes for health, agriculture, and industry. But it has also provoked deep anxiety, not least …

  SOUTH SUDAN: The revitalisation process can restore the tainted credibility of key players if they avoid previous mistakes. COMMENT | Duop Chak Wuol |  Countries are created in line with international treaties and norms, and the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is the deciding factor for any organised society …

INEQUALITY: Unless it is confronted, social cohesion and democracy itself will come under growing threat  COMMENT | Kaushik Basu | At the end of a low and dishonest year, reminiscent of the “low, dishonest decade” about which W.H. Auden wrote in his poem “September 1, 1939,” the world’s “clever hopes” are …

Uganda’s (Africa’s) paradox: Why youth unemployment and urban poverty is a sign of progress  Andrew M. Mwenda | THE LAST WORD | Uganda, like all African countries, has a big problem of youth unemployment. Some figures put it at 83%. Unemployed and underemployed youths are relegated to slums in towns where …

COMMENT | LOUIS GAKUMBA | This is not a feel-good story. As impossible and improbable as it sounds, last month a story broke out of Libya; shocking images of thousands of African immigrants caged behind bars like cattle for auction sale. Emaciated and frail, some were sold for as little as …