Africa

A court award of half a million dollars to a kidnapped aid worker — and an increase in kidnappings — has spurred humanitarian groups to create better security plans.

AIDS is the biggest killer of young women in southern Africa, where many are sexually abused. The CEO of a nonprofit is trying to tip the balance to women with an unlikely tool: a vaginal ring.

Dr. Marlen Baroso works at the health center in Beira, a port city in Mozambique. She treats patients with ailments, accident victims, women in labor — and thousands of people with HIV.

"This rot needs to be uprooted, and right now," say the veterans, who have been among Robert Mugabe's staunchest allies. They've played a pivotal, often violent role keeping him in power since 1980.

El Nino ruined this spring's harvest. Can food aid — and maize seeds — be delivered in time?

A study finds that the Anopheles arabiensis species of mosquitoes, a major carrier of malaria in sub-Saharan Africa, is repelled by the smell of chicken.

The country is still recovering from an Islamist insurgency in 2012, NPR's Ofeibea Quist-Arcton reports. An attack in a central town killed 17 soldiers Tuesday.

A terrible drought hit Ghana in the 1400s, far worse than today's conditions. Yet people had enough to eat, while today they go hungry. What changed? In a word, colonialism, a new study suggests.

Economists say it'll be good for Africa, making it easier for businesspeople, workers and tourists to cross borders.