Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania| AFRICAN ARGUMENTS | Ever since his election in 2015, Tanzania’s President John Magufuli has been a subject of public fascination. At first, his war on graft promised to cleanse the state of corruption, while his patriotic thrift inspired the hashtag #WhatWouldMagufuliDo? But as this campaign of tumbua majipu (“lance the boils”) was …
Read More »ANALYSIS: Downstream costs of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam
Pretoria, South Africa | Zachary Donnenfeld | ISS TODAY | The government of Ethiopia is currently constructing the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). Once complete, the GERD will be the largest hydropower facility in Africa (about 6 000 MW) – nearly triple the country’s current electricity generation capacity – and represent a potential …
Read More »The force is female: India’s women cops take a stand
The force is female: India’s women cops take a stand Jaipur, India | AFP | All-female police units are shaking up the male-dominated force in conservative northwest India, hitting the streets to combat sex crimes and a pervasive culture of silence around rape. One such squad in Jaipur has …
Read More »ANALYSIS: Chilly July weather explained
How combination of sun, pressure, and wind affects weather around you Kampala, Uganda | RONALD MUSOKE | June and July have been chilly with days having an unbearable mix of very cold weather, dry winds and a hazy mist in parts of southern Uganda, including Kampala. Meanwhile, northern Uganda, especially …
Read More »The secrets behind the Sudhir saga
How BoU is overseeing the biggest asset grab ever Kampala, Uganda | HAGGAI MATSIKO | On July 3, Crane Bank which is under receivership by Bank of Uganda (BoU) sued its former owner, Sudhir Ruparelia, and a company called Meera Investments Ltd also owned by Sudhir in what might turn …
Read More »S.Africa circumcision ritual: a dangerous route to manhood
S.Africa circumcision ritual: a dangerous route to manhood Coffee Bay, South Africa | AFP | Naked, covered in white clay mud, and with his penis wrapped in leaves, Abongile Maqegu, 20, sits in a hut in South Africa recovering from his circumcision — a traditional ritual that can prove …
Read More »Five memorable moments from Sean Spicer
Washington, United States | AFP | White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer abruptly resigned on Friday after a tumultuous six months in the spotlight. Here are five memorable moments from Spicer’s tenure — one of the shortest ever for a White House spokesman: – ‘Largest audience’ ever – Spicer’s stint …
Read More »London hunts for ways to stop deadly youth stabbings
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Nearly one young person a week has been stabbed to death in London so far this year, leaving British authorities hunting for ways to stop the increasing violence. Twenty-seven people under the age of 25 have been stabbed to death in London since the …
Read More »Sanders brings sardonic wit, southern drawl to White House podium
Washington, United States | AFP | Sarah Huckabee Sanders — a pugnacious Arkansas native from a political family — took to the podium as the new White House press secretary Friday, stepping into perhaps the most difficult job in the world: speaking for Donald Trump. Born in a town called Hope — also …
Read More »Sean Spicer: Republican veteran, but never a Trump insider
White House press secretary Sean Spicer resigns Washington, United States | AFP | Sean Spicer, who resigned Friday after a stormy six months as White House press secretary, was tapped to be Donald Trump’s spokesman even though he was not a member of the president’s inner circle. Spicer, 45, became …
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