Angolans are set to have a new president following Eduardo don Santos’ decision not to contest last week’s elections after 38 years in the job. The ruling MPLA's candidate João Lourenço is well on the way to running the country after garnering the majority of votes. John Schubert argues that Lourenço, who campaigned under the motto 'improve what is good, change what is bad' and has vowed fight corruption, is unlikely to bring about much change in the oil-rich but desperately poor country.
World Water Week focusses attention on water issues around the globe. Transboundary water can be a point of serious tension or a catalyst for peace. Despite this, 11 countries that share the Nile River Basin have yet to reach a deal on how to share its scarce resources. Richard Kyle Paisley explains why cooperation is needed.
Why did Barack Obama’s tweet in which he echoed the words of Nelson Mandela cause such an outpouring of support and resonance among twitterati? Caryn Abrahams believes it’s because it said what progressive-minded individuals wanted to say about the Charlottesville right wing violence in the US, but simply couldn't find the words.
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João Lourenço, set to become Angola’s president, is unlikely to bring any major changes.
EPA/Manuel de Almeida
Jon Schubert, Université de Genève
Angola's president-elect, João Lourenço, has a reputation for relative probity. But, he's unlikely to rock the boat as Eduardo dos Santos remains party chairman.
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Politics + Society
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George W. Gathigi, University of Nairobi
Kenya's press has admitted to self-censorship after the August 8th poll to avoid a repeat of 2008's post-election violence. But by refusing to inform the public has the media lost credibility?
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Environment + Energy
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Richard Kyle Paisley, University of British Columbia
The urgency of an agreement to reasonably and equitably share benefits on the Nile Basin can't be overstated. It would create a a transparent atmosphere in the countries that depend on the Nile.
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Arts + Culture
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Caryn Abrahams, University of the Witwatersrand
Barack Obama may have chosen Mandela's words for his tweet precisely because they offered some distance from the political space in the US.
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From our international editions
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Simon McMahon, Coventry University
The number of people arriving has risen, but is not the highest on record.
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Simon McCarthy-Jones, Trinity College Dublin
The symptoms of 'schizophrenia' are very real, but experts are looking for a better way to define them.
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Sheila MacNeil, University of Sheffield
The actress knows it's not all about creams.
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