Barack Obama may not yet have brought about as much change as promised, but he himself has certainly changed. He has learnt that he will have to fight dirty to get things done – and this means his first year in office can…

Once a roaring trade hub, Nepal is now among Asia’s poorest nations. But with huge hydroelectric potential and a prime spot between the world’s two fastest-growing economies, the Himalayan nation could soon regain some of…

As the finance minister in Zimbabwe’s government of national unity, Tendai Biti is trying to repair the economic damage inflicted by the Mugabe regime. He likens it to drowning in a sewer but is confident he can make a…

Do too many diplomats and NGOs spoil a city? Brussels, Ottawa, Canberra and even DC have a lot to answer for in the dull stakes, but what’s a capital city to do? Become both an economic and administrative hub? Or simply…

Thanks to substantial foreign investment and its status as the home of the African Union, the Ethiopian capital is positioning itself as Africa’s diplomatic hub. As the AU divides over how to expand its mandate, Addis is…

But only a third of countries have acknowledged it and the young state has no seat at the UN and is forbidden from playing in international football matches. However, in the capital, Pristina, they have a plan.