All Africa
First LookAfrican reality show trains youths in farmingThe TV show aims to challenge prejudices surrounding farming-related careers to prove that agriculture can be fun and profitable by giving young people in聽Kenya and Tanzania plots of land to cultivate with a cash prize for the most productive.
Presidential limbo in South Africa: Why Zuma's appeal persistsThe African National Congress has been in power since the end of apartheid. Party leaders are keen to replace scandal-laden President Zuma ahead of their toughest election yet. But if frustrations with Mr. Zuma are telling, so is his lingering support.
First LookSouth Sudan hopeful at release of child soldiersMore than 300 child soldiers have been released and accepted back into their homes by their families. Although a sign of hope and peace, aid workers worry that renewed violence may cause children to be recruited again by armed groups.
Can foreign policy be feminist? Sweden says yes.Gender equality isn't just a domestic issue, according to Stockholm. It's an ideal that countries can help implement around the world 鈥� but not without wrinkles. Part 5 of Reaching for Equity: a global series on gender and power.
First LookZimbabwe issues 99-year leases to white farmersZimbabwe has implemented a new government policy that will grant 99-year leases to white farmers. Intended to聽mend relationships with white farmers after they were evicted by the previous administration, the policy aims to revive the country's agricultural聽sector.聽
Gambia's diaspora helped oust a dictator. Now they're asking: What's next?Tens of thousands of Gambians left the country during former President Jammeh's regime, and many helped garner support for his rival. One year into the new administration, they're carving out new roles, keen to rebuild the country.
First Look'Day Zero' looms over water-scarce Cape TownSouth Africans are slashing their water usage in the country's second biggest city as local reservoirs continue to shrink following months of drought. Cape Town has struggled to accommodate its 4 million residents and risks being the first global city to run dry.聽
In Cameroon's Anglophone crisis, a stitched-together nation pushes at the seamsEnglish-speaking regions of Cameroon have long claimed they are marginalized by its French-speaking majority. The escalating conflict echoes a dilemma testing Africa as a whole: how to integrate minority groups pushed to the periphery in countries mashed together by colonial powers.聽
First LookLiberia makes step toward zero tolerance of female genital mutilationActivists in Liberia are working to have female genital mutilation permanently banned. Considered a taboo topic, a newly enacted one-year ban by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is seen as an important step in changing perceptions about the fiercely protected rite of passage.
First LookUN returns to rebel-held South Sudan with new 'nimble' strategyThe United Nations is sending troops back to a base in Akobo, South Sudan. Instead of building a permanent presence in the rebel-controlled region, the UN is opting to fly in peacekeepers for a few days a week as part of its new approach.
First LookZimbabwe plans first election without MugabePresident Mnangagwa unveiled plans on Thursday to hold open elections in Zimbabwe in four to five months 鈥� the first elections since the ouster of former President Robert Mugabe.聽
For Senegal island's residents, famed slavery heritage site incurs a costVisitors have flocked to Gor茅e Island, with its memorial to the transatlantic slave trade, since UNESCO designated it a place of 'outstanding universal value.' But locals say the benefits haven't trickled down, echoing a common claim at World Heritage Sites.
First LookAfrica responds to Trump's vulgar commentAfrican governments, the African Union, the United Nations, political activists, and others all criticized President Trump's statement about immigrants, with many characterizing it as racist.聽
In Namibia's abortion debate, echoes of a repressive historyOpponents argue the restrictions represent a troubled legacy of apartheid rule, echoing debates around Africa about what to do with laws left over from colonial days. Others say they reflect contemporary views in a deeply religious country.
In Senegal, family planning finds a key ally: imamsReligion announces itself loudly in Senegal, which is more than 90 percent Muslim.聽So when public health officials and NGOs tried to expand birth control access, they began at the mosque. As religious leaders come on board, family planning is enjoying far wider acceptance, advocates say.
First LookFormer soccer star George Weah claims win in Liberia presidential electionPrecinct-level tallies suggest a clear victory over Joseph Boakai's ruling party in the country's first democratic transfer of power in more than seven decades, Weah's camp said.
After soccer star risked all for Europe, Gambia still wrestles with why she leftFor Fatim Jawara, who died crossing the Mediterranean last year, soccer opened the door to a wider world, just beyond her reach. The feeling that a better life in Europe is near-yet-far is common in Gambia, which has the highest migration rate in Africa.
First LookA triumphant return: first white Zimbabwe farmer gets land backThe family who was evicted by the ruling party returned to a hero鈥檚 welcome, in a sign that the new president is charting a path away from predecessor Robert Mugabe on the land ownership issue that had hastened the country鈥檚 international isolation.聽
Drought-tolerant corn offers Uganda's farmers a lifelineFarmers who have watched entire fields of corn wither in recent droughts are starting to experiment with new strains designed to endure the stress of prolonged dry seasons.
First LookSouth Africa's new leader to focus on corruption and 'radical economic transformation'After a tight race for leadership of the African National Congress party, Cyril Ramaphosa was declared the winner. Because of his party's electoral dominance, he聽is likely to become the country's next president after elections in 2019.聽