Middle East & Africa | National service in Eritrea
Miserable and useless
Thousands flee the country every year to escape the clutches of the army

Israel’s radical new course in Gaza
A deeply flawed plan to fight Hamas and feed Gazans

Ivory Coast is gearing up for an unfair election
The disqualification of another opposition candidate bodes ill for democracy

What a wrecked ferry reveals about war in South Sudan
Amid constant conflict, the country’s economy can’t catch a break
Africa’s charcoal economy
Why a dirty fuel remains stubbornly important on the continent
Donald Trump’s Syria policy is still a work in progress
America’s evangelicals may be Ahmed al-Sharaa’s most important allies
Iran’s leader hopes America can save his faltering regime
Ali Khamenei has no choice but to engage with the Great Satan