All Africa
Expat kidnapping in Nigeria fuels questions about rising militant presenceThe group that claimed responsibility for the attack may have links to Boko Haram, a militant group known for its terror campaigns in the region.
Short trip to Timbuktu reveals long road ahead for MaliReturning to his hometown, Issaka Nazoum invoked DeGaulle on the liberation of Paris: 'Timbuktu shattered, Timbuktu martyred, but Timbuktu liberated!' He knows, though, that Mali faces daunting hurdles.
In South Africa, a brutal rape sparks unusual proposalA controversial recommendation that arose in Limpopo Province would force men accused of rape to have an HIV test and charge them with attempted murder if they test positive.
Young Ugandan chess-prodigy: lessons in the slum take her to the world stagePhiona Mutesi, whose life and chess prowess are to be a Disney film, remembers at first, 'I was very dirty鈥hey didn鈥檛 accept me even to touch the pieces.'- Ethiopia airs jihadi film amid sensitive Muslim protest trialThe strategic Horn of Africa country is one-third Muslim and two-thirds 海角大神; why is its state-TV ginning up religious tension?
Kenyan candidates trade barbs in first ever presidential debateEight presidential candidates crowded onto the stage for a 3-1/2 hour debate on issues ranging from education to one candidate's war crimes trial. Blogger Tom Murphy followed along.
Were health care workers in Nigeria murdered for doling out polio vaccines?The Islamist militant group Boko Haram is thought to be behind the recent gruesome attacks. But suspicion about vaccination campaigns has deeper historical roots in northern Nigeria, writes John Campbell.
Chad's former dictator to be tried in Senegal for atrocitiesHiss猫ne Habr茅 will become the first world leader to be prosecuted for crimes against humanity by another country's government. Could his trial set a precedent for future cases?
Jail for journalist working on rape story in SomaliaBoth Abdiaziz Abdinur, a contributor to The Monitor, and the woman who told him she was raped by men wearing government uniforms have received year-long sentences, prompting world concern.
Elections, ethnic tensions, and aid: Mali faces its future after the headlinesThe world watched French troops summarily turn back rebel fighters in northern Mali, but the future remains grim for millions of Malians affected by the fighting, writes Alex Thurston.- Campaign against female genital mutilation gaining ground support, resultsNearly 140 million girls and women worldwide have undergone female genital mutilation. But experts say there is reason to believe the practice is waning in many of the 29 countries where it is most widespread.
- Black billionaire in South Africa pledges to give away half his fortuneThe ruling party praised the mining magnate, Patrice Motsepe, and said he was part of a 'patriotic bourgeoisie' of rich black South Africans with a social conscience.
After a devastating market fire, Burundi's economy hobbles forwardA week ago, the capital's Central Market burned to the ground. Now the tiny East African nation is struggling with rapid inflation and price hikes as rumors circle about the cause of the fire.聽
Top Kenyan presidential contender faces trial at HagueLeading Kenyan presidential candidate Uhuru Kenyatta faces trial on charges of crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
Can Timbuktu stay pacified after Islamist rebels are run out?With gun caches still to round up and ethnic rivalries to negotiate as thousands of residents return, can Timbuktu avoid spasms of 'vengeance'?- In Salafis wake, charred Malian heritage in TimbuktuShortly before being driven from Mali's ancient city of Timbuktu, the salafi jihadis who'd occupied the city lit a bonfire with some of its ancient manuscripts.
French will 'quickly' exit Mali after mop up, leaving vacuumAfter launching a full scale military intervention on Jan. 11, French forces in Mali faced little hard fighting and set to turn security over to African and local authorities.- In Timbuktu, a giant task of reconnecting a remote city to the worldBefore they left, Islamists in northern Mali cut Internet and phone connections. Restoring them is just the first step toward piecing Mali back together.
Mugabe talks up reconciliation, but is it just 'lipstick on a frog'?The Zimbabwean hardliner utters fine words and a new constitution is near at hand. But on the ground, repression is ongoing.
In liberated Timbuktu, new rains begin to wash away harsh rule of rebelsAfter months of blasphemy laws, destruction of precious monuments, and brutal punishments, locals dance at arrival of French and nature's cloudbursts.