The turmoil in Tunisia can be traced to an unemployed man who set himself on fire last month in protest, and now more people across North Africa are doing the same. Today, two men set themselves on fire in Egypt.
Having conquered all of America—from Oprah fans to coed buttocks—chicken byproduct purveyor KFC now has plans to double the number of stores it has in Africa over the next three years. Ohhh, in Africa, huh?
The BBC's Editorial Complaints Unit has found that a report from the news service wrongly implied that Bob Geldof's 1985 Band Aid tune "Do They Know It's Christmas" funded armed rebel groups in Etiopia. The BBC has issued an apology.
[Photo via Getty]
Feeling a little burned by the election results? I recommend checking out these gorgeous shots of African animals, most of whom would be better House speakers than John Boehner. Especially the baby elephant! It would also be a cuter speaker.
The Ugandan tabloid Rolling Stone (no relation to Jann Wenner) has outed one hundred gay (or presumed gay) Ugandans, inciting violence against several and sending many more into hiding. The rag's editor said the list was "in the public's interest."
In an incident with shades of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, at least 33 people—including six politicians and an 11 year-old boy—have been killed in a Mogadishu, Somalia hotel, in an attack by anti-government insurgents. [NYT. Pic: AP]
Paul Kagame, the current President of Rwanda, appears headed for re-election in a landslide.
In 2005, a 37-mile-long, 26-foot-wide crack opened up in Afar, Ethiopia, over the course of ten days. Turns out, it's a brand-new ocean. You just have to wait about 10 million years.
Congratulations, Africa: you are "advertising's last frontier." Keep it that way, if possible.
The 2010 World Cup is here! Okay, so Americans couldn't care less about soccer, but the rest of the world is excited: Brits are ditching work, South Africa has cleaned up, and Somalis are watching their necks, literally.
Police in the West African nation The Gambia seized a two ton stash of cocaine, valued at $1 billion, and called in agents from Britain's Serious Organised Crime Agency for help with the investigation. Somewhere, Amy Winehouse is crying. [BBC]
Growing up, Joe Mozingo assumed his last name was Italian, or maybe French Basque. And then he met a distant relative named Sherrie Mazingo. Sherrie is black, and she had news: Their common ancestor was, too. How cool is that?
Prohibition and "sin taxes" push many Africans to drink cheaper, locally produced moonshine. Some of it sounds pretty good, too, with 40% alcohol! But mix in some feces, cockroaches, and jet fuel, and you could wind up blind or dead.
Goodluck Jonathan is Nigeria's new president.
Attention foodiots! Stop snapping iPhone pictures of that grain-fed, humanely slaughtered, free-range veal burger and order up some genetically-modified super corn, because your whole cause is a scam and isn't helping anyone but Whole Foods. According to some, at least.
The reports of a possible death penalty for gays in Uganda are horrific. But since I don't know anything about Ugandan politics, I asked Andrew Rice, a friend who wrote a book about Uganda, if he could add some context.
Old guys: Jon Gosselin's still around, Paul McCartney still has lady problems. Brody Jenner, Joe Francis: small penises. Pattinson, Stewart, and the sacred word. Fire Island, the East Village, Africa: we are the world. Presenting your Sunday Morning Gossip Roundup:
It never fails: you leave a little food on your plate and some liberal whines about all the starving children in Africa. Well, thanks to a new, cheap invitro program, there may soon be more hungry mouths to not feed...
