Africa

Zimbabweans Hope For Fair And Peaceful Presidential Election

8:43pm July 30, 2013

by Ofeibea Quist-Arcton

Zimbabweans vote for a new president Wednesday, after a violent and disputed election in 2008 and five anxious and turbulent years since. The vote ends a power-sharing deal between veteran leader Robert Mugabe and his main political rival, who is the top challenger in the presidential race.

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Mali Holds First Vote Following Unrest

7:07am July 29, 2013

Linda Wertheimer talks with Rukmini Callimachi, West Africa bureau chief for The Associated Press, about Sunday's elections in Mali, the first democratic vote there since French troops pushed Islamist militants out of the north of that country.

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Haleuya Habagaro says she always knew her coffee was exquisite. "When I roast the coffee, people come to ask where that strong fruity smell is coming from."

World News

How An Ethiopian Bean Became The Cinderella Of Coffee

1:17pm July 24, 2013

by Gregory Warner

Some of the worst-paid farmers in Ethiopia were able to get their bean to the specialty coffee ball and sell to top U.S. roasters like Stumptown. But it only happened after the growers got organized and attracted the attention of coffee prospectors from the U.S.

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A Yemeni child receives a polio vaccine in the capital city of Sanaa. The Yemen government launched an immunization campaign last month in response to the polio outbreak in neighboring Somalia.

Polio Eradication Suffers A Setback As Somali Outbreak Worsens

9:02pm July 22, 2013

by Jason Beaubien

Somalia now has the dubious distinction of having the worst polio outbreak in the world. The country had been polio-free since 2007. If this outbreak gains a foothold, health workers fear it could spread into the Middle East.

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World News

With President Morsi Out, Gulf States Open Their Checkbooks

4:52pm July 18, 2013

by Leila Fadel

In Egypt, many are hopeful that with the Islamist president out of power, stability will return — and so will foreign investment. Already, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are pumping billions into Egypt now that the Muslim Brotherhood is no longer in power. And miraculously, the fuel shortages and power cuts that were plaguing the nation seem to be gone.

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Supporters of Nelson Mandela rally outside the Mediclinic Heart Hospital in Pretoria, South Africa, where he has been treated for more than a month. The anti-apartheid icon turned 95 on Thursday.

World News

As Nelson Mandela Turns 95, South Africa Celebrates

10:39am July 18, 2013

by Jason Beaubien

Mandela remains hospitalized, but South Africans take the opportunity to honor the man who symbolized the anti-apartheid movement.

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World News

Al-Jazeera Under Fire For Its Coverage Of Egypt

7:45am July 18, 2013

by Kelly McEvers

The accuracy of Al-Jazeera's reporting has come under criticism in the past, and now the network is taking a hit amid claims it slanted its coverage in favor of the Muslim Brotherhood during Egypt's recent political crisis. At stake, too, is the credibility of Al-Jazeera's main backer, Qatar.

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A woman waits to get AIDS drugs on April 8 at a clinic in Ga-Rankuwa, South Africa, about 55 miles north of Johannesburg. New WHO guidelines say patients should start HIV treatment much earlier, before they become extremely sick.

South Africa Weighs Starting HIV Drug Treatment Sooner

6:22am July 16, 2013

by Jason Beaubien

The recommended change would mean that patients would begin treatment before they get extremely sick. In Africa, where millions of people are infected with HIV, a move to earlier treatment would be challenging for the public health system.

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World News

With Turmoil In Egypt, Obama Urges All To 'Avoid Violence'

12:38pm July 09, 2013

Robert Siegel talks to NPR's Scott Horsley about the White House's reactions to Wednesday events in Egypt, where President Mohammed Morsi was ousted from power. In a statement, President Obama said he was "deeply concerned" by the Egyptian military's actions and that "ultimately the future of Egypt can only be determined by the Egyptian people."

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World News

Zimbabwe Braces For Upcoming Elections

12:38pm July 09, 2013

by Ofeibea Quist-Arcton

After years of food shortages and drought, in a country that was once the breadbasket of southern Africa, Zimbabwe's crippled economy is recovering — after adopting the U.S. dollar as its currency. But memories of the violent elections in 2008 are fueling fears about security. The disputed vote ended in a power-sharing deal between President Robert Mugabe and his main opposition rival. The Zimbabwean leader has now proclaimed July 31 as election day. New York-based Human Rights Watch warns there's potential for more violence — unless key security and other reforms are brought in before the vote.

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