What do a steel company, urban development projects and golf courses all have in common? They are three of the latest targets of Hugo Chávez’s nationalization drive – and part of his plan for renewed popularity. The background is a severe shortage of decent housing: over 2m homes are needed, by some counts, in a [...]

It is quite simply paradoxical juxtaposition – a delegation from Uganda on one hand seeks a seat at the United Nations Security Council on behalf of the continent of Africa, a symbolic request unsurprisingly indicative of the bravado of the Museveni administration while on the other, the nation has prospectively failed meeting the Millennium Goals [...]

Operating in Brazil comes with inherent risks; yes we’re talking about a nation on the rise, strong economic potential and a major boost in infrastructure that will raise the collective eyebrows of the international community. However, when mining a precious metal, one must heed caution. Many times, risks include corruption and political unrest. In some [...]

Opposition parties in Ivory Coast staged protests today as the west African country awaited the annoucement of a new government after President Laurent Gbagbo scrapped the previous one. The protests are growing in volatility as a nation awaits a government in flux. The head of the former rebel New Forces (FN), Guillaume Soro, whom Gbagbo reappointed [...]

ENI SpA’s chief executive said yesterday that the Italian energy company will pull out of Iran after current contracts to develop two gas fields there run out, amidst international pressure to isolate the country over its highly controversial nuclear program. Paolo Scaroni also said the company plans to raise around euro1.5 billion from selling off [...]

Lifting the many sanctions burdening Zimbabwe is clearly essential for the nation’s growth. Importers would be able to re-develop their once bountiful export market, private enterprise would be promoted to flourish, the agricultural and mining sectors can regroup and work diligently without threat of corruption and communities can be given the resources to fight the [...]

After a six-year trial, the former Zambian President Frederick Chiluba was acquitted on corruption charges on Aug. 17th. A few days later, the Zambian government decided not to renew the contract of the Corruption Task Force chairman, Maxwell Nkole. We’ve previously documented the great victory for political corruption which has taken place following the acquittal [...]

All enlightened governments should consider Venezuela a “no-go” zone. This is because the country, under Hugo Chavez, has descended into a kleptocracy. Industries, like coffee and rice, have just been nationalized and confiscations without compensation are underway. Two Canadian mining companies are victims, as are Venezuelan business interests, and there are gross human rights abuses, [...]

Nigeria’s security forces have arrested scores of members of an Islamic sect loosely modelled on Afghanistan’s Taliban movement, freeing women and children after violent clashes which have killed more than 150 people. Members of the group — known as Boko Haram — have attacked police stations and government buildings as well as rampaging through residential [...]

Newly-elected South African President Jacob Zuma, from the offset, knew he could not expect much of a honeymoon, despite the landslide victory of his ruling African National Congress (ANC) party in April’s general election. His campaign pledges had raised expectations too high, unfortunately coinciding with South Africa sinking into its first recession in nearly two [...]