After years of diplomatic isolation over its actions in the western region of Darfur, Sudan is seeing the first signs of a more conciliatory attitude from Barack Obama's administration.

ECONOMIST: Lubna Hussein makes an ass of the law

Subject to confirmation by parliament, the new prime minister will be Yuri Yekhanurov, a technocrat who has signalled a less aggressive attitude to past privatisations and a more conciliatory one to Russia sensible, given that a rise in Russian gas prices could be disastrous.

ECONOMIST: The dream of a democratic, non-corrupt Ukraine may die