Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | From ancient Rome to modern times, mankind has suffered devastating periods of hunger caused by drought, war or misguided politics. Last week South Sudan was declared the site of the world’s first famine in six years, affecting about 100,000 people. Here is an exploration of …
Read More »Hiding in swamps, South Sudanese eat little more than lilies
Leer, South Sudan | AFP | Thousands of people at the epicentre of a man-made famine in South Sudan emerged from the safety of the swamps this past weekend hoping to receive emergency deliveries of food. For months now Bol Mol, a 45-year-old former oil field security officer, has struggled …
Read More »Good times over for expats in Saudi Arabia
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | AFP | Seventeen years after first setting foot in Saudi Arabia, Dominic Steck shipped his two cats and returned to Germany with his wife and school-age children, who hardly know their homeland. As Saudi Arabia steps up efforts to employ more of its own people, and …
Read More »Ugandan refugee serves up coffee and life lessons in California
Berkeley, United States | AFP | A coffee shop that recently opened in California is serving customers more than just steamy cups of latte or espresso, offering an additional true life lesson about an issue roiling the country — refugees. Founded by Rachel Taber and Doug Hewitt, 1951 Coffee …
Read More »The rise of Denis Masinde Onyango
The Independent reflects on his journey to being Africa’s best footballer Denis Masinde Onyango was on Jan.5 crowned the Confederation of African Football (CAF) African Player of the Year – Based in Africa. Uganda’s talismanic shot-stopper made history as the first goalkeeper ever to win CAF’s topmost honour; a prestigious …
Read More »US blacks experience far more deaths in the family
Miami, United States | AFP | African-Americans are twice as likely as whites to lose two or more family members by age 30 — often their mother, father or a sibling — a factor that may contribute to poorer health over a lifetime, researchers said Monday. The study in the …
Read More »Rwanda court blocked as UN judge caught in Turkey coup probe
Istanbul, Turkey | AFP | Aydin Sefa Akay is one of over 41,000 people arrested and awaiting trial in Turkey in the wake of the unsuccessful July 15 coup plot to unseat President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. But Akay is no ordinary prisoner. A former Turkish ambassador, he is a top …
Read More »When goldsmith turns to paper beads
Anyone who knows the exploits of Ugandan artist Sanaa Gateja can state without fear of criticism for journalistic exaggeration that he is the only remnant of the early post-colonial crop still actively turning and influencing the wheels of contemporary art. For over half a century, the artist has been committed …
Read More »Notable deaths in 2016
Paris, France | AFP | From legendary British singer David Bowie to Cuban leader Fidel Castro and American boxer Muhammad Ali, here are some of the notable figures who died in 2016. – January – – 10: DAVID BOWIE, 69, legendary British singer and musician who died of cancer two …
Read More »WORLD: Snapshots of 2016
Paris, France | AFP | From Donald Trump’s victory to the Brexit vote and the fall of Syria’s Aleppo, here is a snapshot of 10 stories that dominated the news in 2016: – Trump wins US vote – On November 8, Republican billionaire Trump, a 70-year-old populist with no political …
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