Topic: Africa

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Kenya's Supreme Court upholds election results

On Saturday, Kenya's Supreme Court upheld the election of Uhuru Kenyatta, who was declared the winner of Kenya's presidential elections earlier this month with 50.07 percent of the vote. Kenyatta is accused of human rights violations by the International Criminal Court.
10 influential authors who came to the US as immigrants

These 10 immigrant authors have all made significant contributions to US literature and culture.
'Fairy circles' mysery solved? Tiny creators discovered.

'Fairy circles' dot deserts in southern Africa, but the mystery behind their origin may have been solved.
Chapter & Verse Chinua Achebe is remembered as the 'father of modern African literature'

'Things Fall Apart' author Chinua Achebe wrote his first book in 1958 and won awards for his work that included the Man Booker International Prize.
Global News Blog Good Reads: Amazon mysteries, Africans step up, state of the states, knowing voters

This week's round-up of Good Reads includes a look at elusive and isolated Amazon tribes, signs of progress across Africa, the well-being of Americans, and the savvy of US voters.
Pope Francis signals core mission – returning Catholics to the church (+video)

In his first blessing from the Vatican balcony, Pope Francis spoke of the 'evangelization' of Rome, a clear sign he would carry on the 'New Evangelization' legacy of John Paul II and Benedict XVI.
Argentine pope: A reflection of Catholicism 'south of the equator'

Residents of Buenos Aires met the papal announcement with surprise, checking smartphones in the street and asking each other if the news was true.
African Catholics see hope in choice of non-European pope

Catholics praised the selection of Pope Francis, saying that his roots in the Southern Hemisphere could mean more attention to issues of poverty and underdevelopment.
Pope Francis: representative of God - and Latin America?

Pope Francis is the first Latin American pope, a prospect that fills many in the region with hopes for better representation of their concerns at the Vatican.
As Catholics worldwide welcome Pope Francis

A Christian Science perspective.
600-year-old coin found in Kenya

600-year-old coin found: A museum in Chicago today showcased a rare copper-and-silver coin which dates back to the time of the China's Emperor Yongle in 1400s.
Top 3 threats to the United States: the good and bad news

The annual Worldwide Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community is out this week, a widely-anticipated report compiled by the nation’s intelligence agencies. Here is the good and bad news about the top three threats facing the United States, according to an unclassified version of the report.
28 elephants killed by poachers in Cameroon

28 elephants killed as poachers decimate Africa's elephant population. The latest 28 killed only add to the 62 percent decline in Africa's forest elephants over the last decade.
Neanderthals were more visual, less social, say scientists

An analysis of Neanderthal skulls suggests that Neanderthal brains had bigger visual-processing regions than their Homo sapiens counterparts, but that left them with less space for social cognition.
Africa Monitor Why an African pope might not signal change of course for the church

There have been popes from Africa before and Catholicism on the continent is currently characterized by deep social conservatism.
An American pope? What could help, or hinder, two cardinals' chances.

The US cardinals' experience dealing with the sex abuse crisis is seen alternately as a strength and a weakness. But other factors make any American a dark horse candidate to be the next pope.
Opinion Key signs that Al Qaeda's Islamic extremism is moving into southern Africa

A surge of sectarian strife and Al Qaeda-linked terrorism in Tanzania signals that Africa's jihadist wave is expanding south. The failure of the international community to assist Tanzania in tackling the roots of Islamic extremism will likely allow it to grow.
Africa Monitor Are rape statistics in the Congo being inflated to increase aid?

A new article in Foreign Policy claims one Congolese village over-reported rape in order to secure more foreign aid. Its author says international focus on sexual violence has diverted attention from the country's underlying problems.
Malvinas curriculum helps Argentina revive Falklands claim

Residents of the Falklands vote today and tomorrow in a referendum that's expected to reaffirm the population's desire to remain an Overseas British Territory.
Energy Voices Crowd-funding emerges as source of capital for cleantech

Crowd-funding may provide cleantech entrepreneurs early-stage capital at a time when early-stage funding is drying up for cleantech.
In Kenya, dancing, doubt, and sighs of relief as Kenyatta wins presidency

Uhuru Kenyatta got 50.07 percent in an election that stood in sharp contrast to the 2007 vote, which saw deadly outbreaks of violence. His opponent has said he'll challenge the results.
Global News Blog China pushes for Arctic foothold, from a thousand miles away

As global warming pushes back the Arctic Sea ice, uncovering new natural-resource deposits, China is looking to establish its presence in the north.
100,000 'killer' bees attack Florida park rangers

100,000 'killer' bees attack: A pair of park rangers in Tampa, Fla., were hospitalized after disturbing a hive of what are likely Africanized 'killer' bees, a hybrid species introduced in the Americas in the 1950s.
Global News Blog In crisis, Bulgarians aware they are on the 'periphery' of world attention

While reporting on Bulgaria's political upheaval, Monitor correspondent Tom Peter found that, while concerned, Bulgarians understood how their internal crises are viewed outside their borders.
Africa Monitor Eastern Congo's new peace process: What you need to know

In late February, 11 African nations signed a new 'vision document' for peace in the eastern Congo. Regional expert Meredith Hutchison breaks down what it could mean for the region's future.