North Korea Qualifies for 2010 World Cup

Staff / Truthdig Jun 19, 2009 After an uninspiring scoreless draw with fellow autocratic state Saudi Arabia, it seems that North Korea's football (soccer) team has managed to qualify for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. The qualification raises the possibility of a cup confrontation with South Korea -- or even the U.S. -- next summer. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

ANC Celebrates Early in South Africa

Staff / Truthdig Apr 24, 2009 With official results expected Saturday, South Africa's presidency and a two-thirds majority in parliament will go to Jacob Zuma and the African National Congress, making Zuma the third president in the country's short democratic history. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Africa’s Good Friend

Gbemisola Olujobi / Truthdig Feb 28, 2009 Linda, a 24-year-old sex worker in Kigali, Rwanda, didn’t want to be tested for HIV because she feared she would find she would soon die. Her fear was not unfounded. Being aware of one’s HIV-positive status was a first step toward dying of AIDS in Rwanda, as in most parts of Africa. Anti-retroviral drugs were expensive and hard to come by. But that was before President Bush's PEPFAR. Dig deeper ( 11 Min. Read )

What Will ‘Brother Barack’ Do for Africa?

Gbemisola Olujobi / Truthdig Dec 27, 2008 As the dust settles from the feverish dances that greeted Barack Obama’s victory in the American elections, Africans wonder what “our son and brother” will be able to do for Africa in the face of daunting challenges in the United States and other parts of the world. Dig deeper ( 9 Min. Read )

Zimbabwe Blames Cholera Outbreak on Brits

Staff / Truthdig Dec 13, 2008 As his country teeters on the brink of collapse, Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and his information minister, Sikhanyiso Ndlovu, are pointing fingers at the U.K. as the source of the recent cholera outbreak that has killed hundreds in the African nation. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

AIDS Theory Runs Amok

Staff / Truthdig Nov 26, 2008 In a glaring example of the importance of theory in practice, U.S. researchers have accused former South African President Thabo Mbeki of being responsible for more than 300,000 AIDS-related "avoidable deaths," pointing to Mbeki's siding with a theoretical camp that argues AIDS is caused by a collapsed immune system, not a viral infection. As a result, offers of free drugs and grant money for AIDS treatment were rejected. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Mugabe Meets With Opposition Leader for Crisis Talks

Staff / Truthdig Aug 12, 2008 Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, pictured, was still ensconced in a Harare hotel with opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai on Monday in an attempt to work out some kind of power-sharing arrangement with his rival for the presidency in this year's protracted and controversial election process. But after a weekend of intense talks, nobody had signed on any dotted lines. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

2 Million South Africans on Strike

Staff / Truthdig Aug 6, 2008 A national strike left South Africa's streets largely deserted Wednesday as 2 million people refused to work in protest of soaring food and fuel prices. The action, led by a coalition of trade unions, was symbolic and precautionary, suggesting additional strikes if the government and business remained inept at managing the national economy. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Mandela at 90

Staff / Truthdig Jul 18, 2008 During his 27 years in prison, Nelson Mandela might not have imagined that he would make it to his 90th birthday. The U.S. government gave him an early gift just recently by removing the former South African president and freedom fighter from its terrorist watch list. For his part, Mandela plans to mark the occasion quietly with family at home. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

South Africa Prepares for World Cup, Prostitution

Staff / Truthdig Jul 16, 2008 A plan to legalize sex work in time for South Africa's 2010 World Cup has many in the country upset. While supporters believe criminalization puts women in harm's way, religious groups and others argue that "family values" trump the interests of both the national economy and individual workers. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Mugabe Prevails in Sham Election

Staff / Truthdig Jun 29, 2008 Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has fought tooth and nail to maintain his position of power during the three months since his authority was threatened by opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, widely recognized (but not by Mugabe) as the winner of last March's election, and now it looks like all that hard work and abject brutality has paid off. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Nelson Mandela Turns 90

Staff / Truthdig Jun 29, 2008 He was surrounded by stars from the movie and music industries, but Nelson Mandela was the big draw at the iconic South African leader's 90th birthday party in London's Hyde Park, where Mandela took his moment in the spotlight to urge well-wishers to continue the fight against AIDS. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )