In The News

After Gaddafi, Let's Hope for the Best in Libya

Brian Whitaker August 23, 2011
After six months of fighting, Libyan rebels rallied for an enthusiastic entry into Tripoli. The images were reminiscent of early victories in Tunisia, Egypt and also Iraq, as rebels and other Libyans gathered in Green Square, destroying symbols of the previous regime. A few holdouts from the Gaddafi regime resist, and the task of rebuilding is daunting, but the Guardian’s Brian Whitaker suggests...

Globalizing Insurgency in Somalia

Christopher Anzalone August 23, 2011
The Somali Al Qaeda–linked insurgent movement al-Shabab has ruled most of southern and central Somalia, including the capital city of Mogadishu, since mid-2008. Originating as the most radical wing of the military arm of the Islamic Courts Union coalition, the movement delivered relative law and order and peace to Somalia in 2006. Since then, al-Shabab has moved ideologically closer to the...

A Stalled Arab Spring

Dilip Hiro August 4, 2011
Revolutions are rarely smooth affairs. So the Arab Spring extends into the scorching heat of summer. Securing lasting change takes longer than many analysts in the West and young protesters on the streets of Egypt, Yemen, Syria, Libya and Tunisia might have anticipated, explains author Dilip Hiro. Quick exits by presidents of Tunisia and Egypt spread hope throughout the Middle East and North...

SA Innovation Bears Fruit in the US

July 27, 2011
The US Food and Drug Administration has approved use of ultraviolet light technology for purifying fruit juice, an alternative to pasteurization for eliminating harmful pathogens, reports the Mail & Guardian. SurePure, a South African company that developed the technology says it offers” greater microbiological efficacy than conventional UV systems and is effective for both clear and turbid...

East Africa Famine Threatens Regional Stability, USAID Chief Says

Joshua Hersh July 20, 2011
Unrelenting drought in East Africa has put the region at risk for major famine. “Aid workers in East Africa have spent months gearing up for the looming crisis, thanks in part to an early-warning system operated by USAID [US Agency for International Development] that first predicted a round of devastating crop failures and food shortages late last year,” reports Joshua Hersh for the Huffington...

African Jitters Over Blogs and Social Media

Karen Allen June 17, 2011
The Arab spring uprisings let loose a cry over social media and on the streets for better governance. African governments have since turned to any means necessary to censor criticism in blogs or social media, reports the Committee for the Protection of Journalists, working with Google’s South Africa office. Of the Africans with internet access, 80 percent rely on mobile phone, reports BBC’s...

Hillary Clinton Warns Africa of “New Colonialism”

Matthew Lee June 13, 2011
After a brief decline in foreign direct investment in 2009, due in part to global recession, Asian firms and governments increasingly target Africa with investment and infrastructure support, aiming to exploit the continent’s oil, minerals and other rich natural resources. In recent years, Chinese firms have led in foreign direct investment in several African nations. Expressing concern about new...