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Drones emerge from shadows to become key cog in U.S. war machine

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Josh Smith, KANDAHAR, Afghanistan/CREECH AIR FORCE BASE, Nevada | Tue Jun 7, 2016 | Reuters When U.S. drones obliterated a car carrying Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour last month, it was the kind of targeted killing that unmanned aircraft are best known for. But 15 years after a drone first fired missiles in combat, the U.S. military's drone program has expanded far … [Read more...] about Drones emerge from shadows to become key cog in U.S. war machine

After Making a Racist Commercial, Chinese Company Wonders Why Viewers Think It’s Racist

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Siobhan O'Grady | May 27, 2016 | Foreign Policy A Chinese woman stands in an immaculate kitchen, preparing a load of laundry, when she’s interrupted by a black man covered in paint. He winks and whistles at her, and she beckons him toward her and leans in for a kiss. Then she shoves a packet of detergent into his mouth and forces him into her washing machine. When he … [Read more...] about After Making a Racist Commercial, Chinese Company Wonders Why Viewers Think It’s Racist

In landmark trial, former Chad dictator found guilty of crimes against humanity

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Paul Schemm | May 30, 2016 | The New York Times ADDIS ABABA, Ethi­o­pia — Cheers erupted Monday in a Senegalese courtroom as the Extraordinary African Chambers convicted former Chadian dictator Hissene Habre of crimes against humanity and sentenced him to life in prison. It was a conviction 16 years in the making, pushed by human rights activists and the victims … [Read more...] about In landmark trial, former Chad dictator found guilty of crimes against humanity

Mediterranean death toll has reached at least 1,000 this week, says IOM

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Tuesday 31 May 2016 | The Guardian At least 1,000 have died in past week alone, and 204,000 migrants and refugees have successfully crossed since January At least 1,000 people have died or are missing and presumed dead after a string of deadly incidents in the Mediterranean Sea over the past week, according to the International Organisation for … [Read more...] about Mediterranean death toll has reached at least 1,000 this week, says IOM

Habre’s rise from war specialist to dictator

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Agency Staff  | May 31 2016 | Business Day A DESERT warfare specialist, Chad’s Hissene Habre seized power in 1982 and quickly embraced the role of remorseless dictator, with brutal repression the hallmark of his eight-year reign of terror. Often dressed in combat fatigues that complemented his "desert fighter" nickname, Habre fled to Senegal after he was ousted by Chad’s … [Read more...] about Habre’s rise from war specialist to dictator

Ethiopia’s Vanguard Capitalists

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Toni Weis | May 26, 2016 | Foreign Affairs How the EPRDF Mobilizes for Economic Development This week, Ethiopia is commemorating its national day with an exhibition celebrating the country’s economic progress. More than 140 companies—some state-owned, some private—have set up displays in Millennium Hall, a conference center in Addis Ababa’s upscale Bole … [Read more...] about Ethiopia’s Vanguard Capitalists

Refugee crisis: ‘More than 700’ feared dead in Mediterranean shipwrecks

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Adam Withnall | 29 May 2016 | The Independent UN refugee agency says three wrecks over three days have made this the deadliest week in the crisis for more than a year More than 700 refugees are believed to have died in three shipwrecks in the Mediterranean, in what would be the deadliest week in the refugee crisis for more than a year. The UN's refugee agency said … [Read more...] about Refugee crisis: ‘More than 700’ feared dead in Mediterranean shipwrecks

A quarter of a century after independence Eritreans still yearn for freedom

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Valerie Frank | May 23, 2016  | The Conversation Eritrea marks 25 years of independence from Ethiopia this month. It is now one of the most underdeveloped countries in the world and is run by a repressive government. The Conversation Africa’s politics and society editor, Thabo Leshilo, asked Valerie Frank* to shed light on the secretive country as it marks this … [Read more...] about A quarter of a century after independence Eritreans still yearn for freedom