On 8 September, as part of a joint initiative involving twelve countries, the UK foreign secretary made a statement to the House of Commons announcing new sanctions targeting Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Most notably, Ed Miliband condemned the ‘ethnic cleansing' taking place there. The measures he detailed will target ‘specific companies and individuals who provide services such as construction, infrastructure, financing, or real estate for settlement expansion'. This move is (…)
- 2026/09 / DossierNormal view
UK sanctions: Israel can rest easy
Somaliland in the Great Game
The small self-proclaimed state of Somaliland is aiming to become a regional player: it is now an ally of Israel and has commercial and security agreements in the Gulf. Now it's hoping for US support.
- 2026/09 / article, 2026/09 SomalilandSomaliland at the centre of regional geopolitics
Somaliland in the Great Game
The small self-proclaimed state of Somaliland is aiming to become a regional player: it is now an ally of Israel and has commercial and security agreements in the Gulf. Now it's hoping for US support.
- 2026/09 / article, 2026/09 SomalilandThe search for an alternative to the dollar is on
Donald Trump's red scare
Macron, worst ever president?
Emmanuel Macron leaves the Élysée in eight months. And, in keeping with the political journalism tradition whereby last-minute criticism apparently makes up for a decade of deference, the brickbats are coming thick and fast. The Economist, having once regarded him as the ‘saviour of Europe', now mocks a ‘lame duck' president. Two Parisian courtiers have devoted a book to ‘the story of an exceptional man … who screwed things up in an exceptional way'. Alain Minc, mouthpiece of the liberal (…)
- 2026/09 / editorialSomaliland at the centre of regional geopolitics
New alliances replace old certainties
Germany: charting its own course
Since Russia invaded Ukraine, Germany has broken with its postwar military restraint: it is rearming at speed and has set its sights on becoming NATO's leading European power, with US blessing.
- 2026/09 / 2026/09 germanyMilitary spending fuels Rheinmetall's rise
Germany wants to build ‘the strongest conventional army in Europe'. And the country's defence giant Rheinmetall is expanding into new sectors, from shipbuilding to space, to supply what it needs.
- 2026/09 / 2026/09 germanyThe new German model: rearming the economy
As its postwar industrial export model fades, Germany is turning to rearmament to jump-start growth. This controversial strategy risks alienating neighbours and a younger generation that rejects any return to military service.
- 2026/09 / 2026/09 germanyIG Metall: grim transition from trains to tanks
Many German companies are shifting their production towards military manufacturing – creating a dilemma for unions and workers caught between securing their livelihoods and building weapons.
- 2026/09 / article, 2026/09 germany