With the death of Pope Francis, the world loses not only a church leader but also a moral compass

EMPIRES advance and empires retreat, though not in circumstances of their own choosing — to borrow from one Karl Marx — and certainly never smoothly or without upending entire regions, countries and societies in their wake.
With this in mind, what unfolded in Afghanistan a year ago with the panicked withdrawal of US forces to end Washington and its allies’ 20-year occupation of the country was a historic tipping point, a significant signpost pointing to US hegemonic and imperial decline.
In this respect, the chaotic and panicked scenes at Kabul airport, where US and British military forces hastily attempted to effect the evacuation of their own nationals still in the country, along with those Afghans who worked with them during the country’s occupation, drew comparison with Saigon in 1975. They did so with good reason.

JOHN WIGHT previews the much-anticipated bout between Benn and Eubank Jnr where — unlike the fights between their fathers — spectacle has reigned over substance


