Limited access to formal banks as well as nomadic lifestyles have contributed to a huge uptake in mobile money in Somalia. It’s more widely used than cash. But there are dangers, particularly given that operators aren’t tightly regulated. In an interview with Victor Owour, mobile money expert Tim Kelly explains why mobile money has become ubiquitous in the country, and why a lack of regulation makes the system fragile and fragmented.

Speculation is mounting of possible military intervention in Venezuela to topple the country’s president Nicolás Maduro. This follows rising tension in the region following neighbouring Colombia’s alignment with US foreign policy. Louis Monroy-Santander writes that the US has often used indirect means to influence events in South America, using allied forces and governments in the region.