Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi, Lockerbie Bomber, Dies at 60

Sun, 20 May 2012 22:34:35 GMT

Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi was the only person convicted in the attack on Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, which killed 270 people.

Mugabe Seeks Zimbabwe Edge by Pressing for Black Ownership

Sun, 20 May 2012 13:03:02 GMT

President Robert G. Mugabe has begun pressuring companies operating in the country to comply with a law requiring that black Zimbabweans own more than half their shares.

In Egypt’s Election, Dark-Horse Candidates Add to Suspense

Sun, 20 May 2012 16:23:15 GMT

Ahmed Shafik, a prime minister under former President Hosni Mubarak, and Hamdeed Sabahi, a socialist, appear to be gaining support before the election.

In Algeria, Belittling Elections, but No Arab Spring

Sat, 19 May 2012 05:04:10 GMT

The military-backed government’s victories in recent elections brought scorn on the streets of Algiers, but no Arab Spring-like marches, rallies or demonstrations.

Burlington Journal: Vermont’s Refugees Rebuild After Irene Floods

Sat, 19 May 2012 10:04:07 GMT

Refugees from Africa and South Asia are rebuilding their livelihoods after last summer’s devastating flood that ruined 10,000 acres of land.

World Briefing | Africa: Malawi President Wants to Repeal Nation’s Antigay Laws

Sat, 19 May 2012 05:09:06 GMT

President Joyce Banda declared Friday that she wanted to repeal Malawi’s laws against homosexual acts, going against a trend in Africa in which gays are increasingly singled out for prosecution.

World Briefing | Africa: Congo: General Indicted in ’03 for Using Child Soldiers Is at It Again, Report Says

Thu, 17 May 2012 17:59:29 GMT

A Congolese general already sought on an international arrest warrant on charges of using child soldiers has forcibly recruited another 149 boys and teenagers since April, according to a Human Rights Watch investigation.

European Forces Strike Somali Pirate Base for First Time

Wed, 16 May 2012 15:30:06 GMT

The European Union’s antipiracy force attacked a Somali pirate land base for the first time, using a combat helicopter to strafe several skiffs that the pirates use to hijack ships.

World Briefing | Africa: Morocco: Jailed Islamists Stage Hunger Strike, Advocates Say

Wed, 16 May 2012 17:50:05 GMT

A group of Islamists who say they are being unfairly detained are trying to put more pressure on the new government to release them, advocates say.

World Briefing | Africa: Congo: Peacekeepers Wounded

Tue, 15 May 2012 18:27:17 GMT

Seven United Nations peacekeepers were wounded when gunmen opened fire during a protest in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Monday, drawing condemnation from the Security Council.

World Briefing | Africa: Nigeria: Gunmen Attack Villages

Tue, 15 May 2012 18:20:11 GMT

Gunmen surrounded villages in northeast Nigeria and set them on fire, killing at least 12 people and wounding 48, the Nigerian Red Cross said Monday.

Hands-On Medical Education in Rwanda

Tue, 15 May 2012 09:09:20 GMT

The success of Rwanda in providing health care to its poor has drawn the attention of the international community and has inspired a new program at Harvard University.

Ugandan Forces Capture Rebel Army Commander

Mon, 14 May 2012 19:14:37 GMT

A senior commander in Joseph Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army was captured in what an analyst called an “intelligence coup” for forces hunting for Mr. Kony.

Libyans Consider Recovery of Property Confiscated by Qaddafi

Mon, 14 May 2012 19:14:46 GMT

The vast policy of land distribution begun by Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi in the 1970s is threatening to ignite a patchwork of bitter property disputes.

Exploring the Role of Mobile Technology as a Health Care Helper

Mon, 14 May 2012 07:20:07 GMT

Mobile technology is changing the landscape of health care delivery across the developing world by giving people the ability to connect with doctors, nurses and other providers.

Observers Call Algerian Vote a Positive Step

Sat, 12 May 2012 17:24:10 GMT

Observers from the European Union said Algeria’s parliamentary elections, dominated by the governing party, had some technical shortcomings, but “as many positive points.”

In Egypt, Amr Moussa Makes an Insider’s Run for President

Fri, 18 May 2012 13:40:16 GMT

Amr Moussa, a former Egyptian foreign minister who served under President Hosni Mubarak, is trying to make a strength from the liability of his long government career.

Algerians Skeptical of Election Results Favoring Party in Power

Thu, 17 May 2012 19:20:12 GMT

The announcement on Friday was at odds both with analysts’ predictions and the experience of Algeria’s neighbors in the wake of last year’s Arab Spring.

World Briefing | Africa: Somalia: Al Qaeda’s Leader Encourages Militants

Sat, 12 May 2012 07:10:06 GMT

Al Qaeda’s leader, Ayman al-Zawahri, has released a new video in which he encourages Somali militants to fight on despite the challenges.

World Briefing | Africa: South Sudan: Police Withdraw From Disputed Region

Sat, 12 May 2012 07:10:06 GMT

South Sudan has withdrawn its police forces from the disputed Abyei region on its border with Sudan, the United Nations said Friday.

Somalis Embrace Hope and Reconstruction in Mogadishu

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 19:23:21 GMT

After 21 years of civil war, Mogadishu is making a remarkable comeback.

Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi, Libyan Convicted in Lockerbie Bombing

Sun, 20 May 2012 15:26:16 GMT

Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi was the only person convicted in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland.

In Zimbabwe’s Bounty, a Political Chip

Sun, 20 May 2012 12:23:39 GMT

The party of the aging president, Robert G. Mugabe, is seeking to enforce a law that requires that black Zimbabweans own more than half the shares of companies working in the country.

Taylor’s Rule in Liberia

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 18:14:15 GMT

Charles G. Taylor, the former president of Liberia and once a powerful warlord, was convicted of abetting rebels who committed war crimes in Sierra Leone in the 1990s.

Sudanese Warplanes Said to Attack South

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 18:59:57 GMT

An aerial bombardment and ground assault on South Sudan in recent days indicated that fighting with Sudan may not be over.

The Lede Blog: Mali Junta Urges Calm as Fighting Flares

Tue, 01 May 2012 16:30:50 GMT

The leaders of a military coup in Mali went on state television to assure residents of the capital, Bamako, that an outbreak of fighting there had been contained.

The Lede Blog: Swedish Culture Minister Refuses to Resign Over Bizarre Photo Op With 'Racist Cake'

Wed, 02 May 2012 20:35:36 GMT

Sweden's culture minister clarified that she has no intention of resigning over her participation in a performance art piece on female genital cutting, which featured a cake shaped like a stereotypical African tribeswoman.

The Lede Blog: Rift Appears Between Islamists and Main Rebel Group in Mali

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 16:58:54 GMT

There were further indications on Friday of a gulf between the Islamists in Timbuktu and the main Tuareg rebel group in the rebellious northern region of Mali.

Opinionator | Fixes: The Benefits of Bamboo

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 12:25:20 GMT

In the fight to reverse deforestation and environmental ruin in Africa, some are using a fast-growing, renewable weapon.