Africa

Pistorius Case Puts South African Courts In Spotlight

11:55am February 23, 2013

Weekend Edition guest host Don Gonyea speaks to David Smith, Africa correspondent for The Guardian, about the latest in the murder case against Olympian Oscar Pistorius. Smith has been live-tweeting updates all week as Pistorius stands accused of shooting his girlfriend in the early hours of Valentine's Day.

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Algerian police stop cars at a checkpoint in In Amenas, deep in the Sahara near the Libyan border, on Jan. 18. Islamists took hostages at a nearby gas field in a major international incident.

World News

Sahara Attack Revives A Fear Of Renewed Terrorism In Algeria

10:30am February 22, 2013

by Eleanor Beardsley

Algerians received a double blow when an oil and gas plant was taken over in the desert last month. Algerians thought those kinds of attacks were a thing of the past, and many were angry when Western countries criticized the way Algeria's security forces responded.

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HIV drugs not only can keep patients healthy but also can stop the sexual transmission of the virus. Here an HIV-positive mother picks up medications at a hospital outside Johannesburg, South Africa.

Treating HIV Patients Protects Whole Community

9:51am February 22, 2013

by Jason Beaubien

Treating people for HIV isn't just beneficial for those infected but also helps the entire community. Two studies show that where HIV drugs are widely available, the risk for new HIV infections drops dramatically and overall life expectancy increases by more than a decade.

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In Bail Hearing, Pistorius Says Girlfriend's Death Was Accidental

9:41am February 20, 2013

Renee Montagne gets an update from New York Times correspondent Lydia Polgreen on the bail hearing for South African Olympian Oscar Pistorius. He is charged with murdering his model girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.

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World News

Islamists Failed To Quiet Mali's Music

12:33pm February 19, 2013

The African nation of Mali has long claimed it gave birth to the blues. Renee Montagne reports that the country's musical tradition was threatened this past year when Islamist militants took over the deserts of northern Mali and banned music.

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The Dark Side To French-African Ties

4:18pm February 15, 2013

by Eleanor Beardsley

President Francois Hollande's visit to Mali, after French troops routed Islamist extremists, brings to mind France's long relationship with its former colonies in Africa. African troops helped France and the allies defeat Hitler's forces, and Hollande expressed gratitude for that while he was in Mali. But there's also a dark side to the French-African connection.

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World News

Olympic Athlete Charged With Girlfriend's Murder

3:05am February 15, 2013

Oscar Pistorius has been charged with murder after his girlfriend was shot dead Thursday at his home in South Africa. Pistorius is the sprinter and double-amputee known as "Blade Runner."

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Pistorius In Custody After Girlfriend's Death

3:05am February 15, 2013

A woman was shot and killed Thursday at the home of South African Olympic and Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius. Police tell South African news outlets that Pistorius is the only suspect.

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A typical Nigerian film market in Lagos. Though physical distribution of Nollywood films is booming, the digital market has also grown, thanks to a plugged-in African diaspora.

Hooray For Nollywood: Nigerian Distributor Casts Wide Net Online

5:56pm February 14, 2013

by Wills Glasspiegel

Although access to the Web is still limited in many parts of Africa, "Nollywood" films — movies produced in Nigeria — are booming on the Internet. Startup iROKOtv is a part of that boom, and their audience is a global one.

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Tunisian soldiers stand guard as a woman holds up a poster featuring opposition leader Chokri Belaid during his funeral procession in a suburb of Tunis on Feb. 8. Belaid's assassination has laid bare the political rifts in post-revolutionary Tunisia.

World News

A Murder Deepens Tunisia's Political Crisis

6:24am February 13, 2013

by Eleanor Beardsley

The killing of Chokri Belaid, a prominent politician and human rights activist, is pitting Tunisians against each other. Just two years after overthrowing a dictator, Tunisians are increasingly divided over their government and the country's future.

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