THE GRAPHIC TRUTH: GOOD AND BAD GOVERNANCE IN AFRICA

Good news: overall governance in Africa, a measure of how well governments are doing to improve their citizens’ lives, has been steadily improving over the past decade to reach its highest level last year, according to a new report from the Mo Ibrahim Foundation. The problem? That broad-based improvement masks large differences within the continent. Above is a snapshot of how different countries are doing.

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FILE PHOTO: In the photos taken on January 31, 2024, Ukrainian soldiers are deployed in the middle of the conflict with Russia. Ukrainian Intelligence has stated that Russian forces "have already made use" of some missiles delivered to the country by North Korea as part of the invasion and has stressed that there is "cooperation between the two regimes" at a military and weapons.
Handout / Latin America News Agency via Reuters Connect
FILE PHOTO: A Kenyan police officer walks in front of an armoured personnel carrier during a joint operation with Haitian police, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti July 29, 2024.
REUTERS/Jean Feguens Regala/File Photo

Haiti’s government was not amused on Friday after French President Emmanuel Macron was caught on camera calling the island nation’s leaders “morons” for ousting their former prime minister amid escalating gang violence.

Protesters gather at the venue of the 29th Conference of the Parties to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, dubbed COP29, in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Nov. 16, 2024, calling for developed countries to take responsibility for the greenhouse gasses they have emitted.

Kyodo via Reuters

After marathon sessions and deep divisions, COP29 concluded in Baku, Azerbaijan, with a commitment of $300 billion in annual assistance by 2035 to help poorer nations cope with climate change.

Mastercard made a commitment in 2020 to help 50 million more small businesses accept card payments by 2025, a goal it recently met. Many entrepreneurs are tapping into digital commerce to gain an edge, harnessing the broadcasting power of social media and the data insights revealed by modern payment systems while offering shoppers more choice and convenience in how they pay. Read more about how Mastercard is helping provide small business owners with the newest payment technologies and data insights so they can succeed in the digital age and build a stronger, more resilient economy.

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Trump’s return to power—amid global wars, strained alliances, and economic tensions—could radically reshape the world order. It threatens to deepen rifts with Europe, complicate Middle Eastern conflicts, and push US-China relations to a breaking point. That might not be a bad thing, according to Ian Bremmer. He breaks it down on Ian Explains.

- YouTube

As Trump makes his cabinet picks, there's a lot more clarity on the national security side than there is on the economic side, says Jon Lieber. He breaks down the key picks and the key roles that remain open so far.

Test of a Russian ICBM, launched on October 26, 2024. Since invading Ukraine, Russia has placed its nuclear forces on ready and has increased testing and development of its ICBMs.
Russia MOD via EYEPRESS, from Reuters.

All sides are pulling out the stops right now -- for one important reason.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant attend a ceremony for the 70th cohort of military combat officers, at an army base near Mitzpe Ramon, Israel, October 31, 2024.
REUTERS/Amir Cohen

These warrants will pose a test for Israel’s Western allies if Netanyahu ever plans to visit, and raises questions over how they should interact with the Israeli leader more generally.