President Obama arrives in South Africa today at an extraordinary moment in this remarkable nation’s history. The country’s first black president, Nelson Mandela, is in critical condition in hospital and South Africans are …
Africa
Ethiopia’s Plan to Dam the Nile Has Egypt Fuming
The heat is stifling but the construction workers and red-hatted engineers don’t let up. Mechanized excavators batter into the mighty, arid peaks on either side of the site of Ethiopia’s Grand Renaissance dam, set to be the …
As Mandela’s Condition Improves, South Africa’s Anxiety Remains
As Nelson Mandela, 94, spent his fifth day in Pretoria’s Mediclinic Heart Hospital, South Africans’ alarm at his sudden decline has given way to a concern to preserve the dignity of a man who, to so many, represents the best …
Oscar Pistorius Returns to Court Amid Arguments Over Leaked Pictures
For the first time in nearly four months, Oscar Pistorius, the South African Paralympian accused of murdering his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, has appeared in court.
During the 15-minute hearing, according to reports, …
Mali’s Legendary Musicians Struggle to Be Heard in the Shadow of War
Music was once Mali’s best-known cultural export. Why are its musicians still not performing months after the defeat of the Islamists who had banned music?
As Mali Wars With Islamists, a Mormon Runs for President
When Niankoro Yeah Samake lands in Mali on Friday, following a successful California fundraising campaign, to register as a candidate in the country’s upcoming presidential elections, he will be carrying a lot of baggage. There …
France’s Latest Terrorist Suspect: A French Convert Near Retirement Age
French soldiers in Mali arrest a 58-year-old Frenchman who is suspected of being a member of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb—and who may prove to be a key source of intelligence on the group
Abdelaziz Bouteflika: Is Algeria’s Strongman on His Way Out?
Two days after Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika was airlifted to a military hospital in Paris to be treated for a supposed “mini-stroke,” his doctors raced to reassure the country that the autocratic ruler was not …
What’s Behind the Bombing at the French Embassy in Tripoli?
A car exploded outside the French embassy in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, on Tuesday morning in what was likely a planned attack. No group has claimed responsibility for the explosion, which wounded two French security guards and …
Ali Dilem’s Controversial Political Cartoons
Ali Dilem is Algeria’s best-known cartoonist. He has been prosecuted at least 50 times for his subversive work, but now Algeria’s authoritarian rulers may have recognized the folly of trying to muffle him.
Algeria’s Lesson for Egypt’s Mohamed Morsi: Let the Satirist Be
If Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi needs pointers in how to deal with the wildly popular TV satirist Bassem Youssef — who was charged last week with insulting the President and mocking Islam — he might find them in a nearby …
Muammar Gaddafi’s Daughter Thrown Out of Algeria After Starting Fires in Safe House
Aisha Gaddafi was thrown out of Algeria for repeatedly setting fire to her safe house there, it has emerged
Jihadi Strike in Timbuktu Reflects Altered Terrorism Threat in Mali
As France prepares its military departure from Mali, a March 31 strike by militants in Timbuktu indicates how jihadi forces aren’t giving up — just reverting to previous practice