Africa

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Ceasefire Calms Congo
 Ceasefire Calms Congo 
Oct 31, 2008 6:54 AM CDT

Ceasefire Calms Congo

10 dead as fleeing refugees run into brutal government soldiers

(Newser) - Fighting in the Democratic Republic of Congo has eased after rebels declared a cease-fire, reports the Los Angeles Times. As paramilitary forces moved through the countryside, refugees flooded into the eastern city of Goma—only to face assault, rape and murder at the hands of the Congolese army. UN officials...

Congolese Exodus Begins as Rebels Reach Key City

(Newser) - The strategic Congolese city of Goma descended into chaos today, raising the likelihood of a bloody regional war. Government soldiers commandeered cars, taxis, and motorbikes in a retreat from advancing rebels, joining tens of thousands of terrified refugees struggling to stay ahead of the violence. Tutsi rebels said they had...

Somali Suicide Bombers Strike UN Compound

At least 22 dead in series of coordinated blasts as talks begin

(Newser) - Suicide bombers struck a UN compound and several other targets in northern Somalia today, killing at least 22 people, as talks about Somalia's political crisis began in neighboring Kenya, officials said. "We are still counting the bodies," said a spokesman for the breakaway republic of Somaliland, where bombers...

Namibia's Ivory Sale Raises Poaching Fears

Legal auction could lead to more poaching

(Newser) - Namibia kicked off two weeks of ivory auctions yesterday, marking the first time in almost a decade that the elephant tusks have sold legally, reports the Times of London. Seven tons brought $1.18 million from Chinese and Japanese buyers, and 108 tons—the equivalent of 10,000 elephants—will...

Powell Busts a Move at Concert for Africa

General says it's Africa's time to prosper; takes to stage for Yahooze

(Newser) - Colin Powell wowed the crowd at a concert showcasing African music in London last night by singing and dancing with a Nigerian hip-hop band, the Daily Telegraph reports. Before climbing on stage, the former secretary of state made a speech highlighting his African-American heritage and calling on the world to...

New 'Top-Dog' Careers for Out-of-Work Bankers

I-banking may be dead, but opportunities are out there

(Newser) - Now that the investment-banking party is over, what are all those hotshot bankers going to do? Bloomberg's Matthew Lynn takes a look at potential new "top-dog" careers:
  • African development. The pioneers who nurture African nations’ industry and infrastructure will be rewarded by the continent’s mineral resources and huge
...

Somali Standoff Continues as Nations Move to Fight Piracy

EU plans force to combat maritime criminals, who took $30M in ransom in '08

(Newser) - With pirates still holding a munitions-laden ship off Somalia’s coast, the European Union plans a security force to crack down on maritime crime in the area, the BBC reports. The US Navy has surrounded the MV Faina to ensure the weapons aboard are not given to terrorists, and Somalia...

Pirates Discuss Ransom for Arms Shipment

But demands diminish as international noose appears to tighten

(Newser) - The Somali pirates who hijacked a Ukranian ship carrying a weapons shipment are in ransom negotiations with the vessel’s owners, the BBC reports. No governments are involved in the talks, sources said. The pirates seem to be flexible: They initially asked for a $35 million ransom, then $20 million,...

Turmoil Can't Douse Zimbabwe's Hope
 Turmoil Can't Douse 
 Zimbabwe's Hope 
COMMENTARY
Sep 29, 2008 3:05 PM CDT

Turmoil Can't Douse Zimbabwe's Hope

Author cheered by 'thriving currency' of home

(Newser) - Since June's election, Zimbabwe's economy has been in crisis. Store shelves are empty and inflation is out of control. Robert Mugabe remains in power. So why would anyone want to stay? The answer isn't easy, but it's simple, Kate Chambers writes in the Christian Science Monitor. "I like living...

Malaria Fight Gets $3B Booster Shot
Malaria Fight Gets $3B Booster Shot
Sep 27, 2008 12:05 PM CDT

Malaria Fight Gets $3B Booster Shot

Initiative will focus on Africa, stress the need for persistence

(Newser) - The global fight against malaria will get an unprecedented $3 billion push from a global alliance of nonprofits, financial institutions, and governments, the Wall Street Journal reports, with a focus on prolonging the effort beyond initial successes. The Global Malaria Action Plan aims for multibillion-dollar yearly funding through 2020, and...

Interim Prez Takes Reins in South Africa

Motlanthe viewed as able to ease tensions within ruling party

(Newser) - Kgalema Motlanthe was sworn in as South Africa’s caretaker president today after winning three-quarters of a parliamentary ballot, the BBC reports. The left-leaning intellectual is seen as someone who can ease rifts between supporters of Jacob Zuma, head of the African National Congress party head, and former President Thabo...

Mukasey Steps Into Genital Mutilation Case

Citing further danger, AG gives woman second shot at asylum

(Newser) - In an extremely rare move, the US attorney general has stepped into a low-level immigration case and ordered that a victim of female genital mutilation be given another chance at asylum, CNN reports. AG Michael Mukasey slammed a previous decision that said the African woman had no reason to fear...

Mbeki Will Resign in S. Africa
 Mbeki Will Resign in S. Africa 
Sep 20, 2008 9:03 AM CDT

Mbeki Will Resign in S. Africa

President agrees to resign in wake of struggle with Jacob Zuma

(Newser) - South African President Thabo Mbeki has agreed to resign following orders from the ruling party. A statement from the presidency says that Mbeki, who succeeded Nelson Mandela in 1999, will "step down after all constitutional requirements have been met." Parliament is due to meet in the coming days...

In World First, Women Form Majority in Rwanda Assembly

Boosted by quota system, females take 44 of 80 of parliamentary seats

(Newser) - The second parliamentary election in Rwanda since the 1994 genocide has ushered in the only majority female parliament in the world, the BBC reports. Of 80 seats, 44 went to women—and that 55% could go higher after additional voting. Under the constitution drafted after the genocide, 30% of MPs...

Swazi King's Birthday Bash Infuriates Suffering Public

Ruler spends fortune to celebrate turning 40

(Newser) - Swaziland's king is throwing a lavish 40th birthday party for himself and the kingdom this weekend—and Swazis are seething over the extravagance, the New York Times reports. The day marking the double birthday has been dubbed the "40-40 Celebration." But critics of the monarchy point out there's...

Biofuel Firms' African Land Grab Has Colonial Echoes

Western companies shower nations with promises met with some suspicion

(Newser) - Africa is being seeded for a coming boom in biofuels, as Western companies buy thousands of acres to cultivate vegetable-oil-rich plants like the Jatropha curcas, Der Spiegel reports. In countries like Tanzania, Ghana and Ethiopia, firms are often securing century-long farming rights for nothing but a promise to invest in...

HIV Adoptions From Abroad on Rise

Ethiopia leads nations on finding US homes

(Newser) - More US families are adopting HIV-infected children from overseas, primarily in Ethiopia, the AP reports. Stats from one international agency show 38 adoptions of infected Ethiopian children this year, up from 13 in 2007 and four in 2006. HIV adoptions have also increased in China, Ghana, Haiti, and Russia, say...

Suicide Bomber Kills Dozens in Algeria

Attack occurs at police training academy near capital of Algiers

(Newser) - A suicide car bomber struck a police academy in Algeria today, killing at least 43 people and injuring 38, says the country’s Interior Ministry.  The toll was a "preliminary estimate" for the attack in Boumerdes, some 35 miles east of Algiers. The attack occurred as young applicants...

Foreign Adoption Getting Harder
Foreign Adoption
Getting Harder
Aug 14, 2008 3:44 PM CDT

Foreign Adoption Getting Harder

Could be boon for thousands in US foster care

(Newser) - Heightened awareness of child trafficking and improving economies abroad are making it harder for Americans to adopt foreign kids. US officials are taking a closer look at visa applications and discouraging adoptions from countries that don’t comply with a new international adoption agreement, USA Today reports. At the same...

Army Seizes Power in Mauritania
Army Seizes Power in Mauritania
Aug 6, 2008 9:38 AM CDT

Army Seizes Power in Mauritania

African nation's first democratically elected president captive

(Newser) - Soldiers in the West African nation of Mauritania mounted a coup d'etat today, arresting the president and prime minister and shutting down state radio and television, the Guardian reports. Troops entered the capital and apprehended Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi, the country’s first democratically elected president, after he began taking...

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