1. Africa is now one of the world’s fastest-growing regions 2. Now more hopeful in Africa 3. Africa’s urban revolution in the 20th century 4. Romania declares witchcraft a legally-recognized (and taxable) profession 5. What happens to your digital footprints when you die? 6. “The fault lines that have divided us as a people extend… Read More »
1. We learn that Nigerians are the happiest people in the world. Again. 2. Is Estonia boarding a sinking Titanic? 3. HSBC releases a report titled The World in 2050 4. Obama in Africa: To go or not to go? 5. “The scooter traffic [in Vietnam] more or less lives up to reputation.” 6. “In… Read More »
1. The First Law of Development Stats: Whatever our Bizarre Methodology, We make Africa look Worse 2. On the need for more critical debates on the ‘open aid data’ discourse 3. SSD on Nigeria’s decision to try Dick Cheney 4. Norway examines reports that Muhammad Yunus diverted millions of dollars of aid money from a… Read More »
1. Missionaries save languages 2. Nigerians, self-congratulatory much? 3. At least 40 East African (CEOs) take public HIV tests 4. The most beautiful images in Google street view 5. Google street view presents: A Hole-Filled Version of Germany 6. Africa: Hitchhiker’s Quick Guide to the Mothership 7. ‘For the record, big butts do not, in fact,… Read More »
Remember the Google and China issue? I recently came across part of the text of a keynote address delivered by Tricia Wang, ethnographer and PhD candidate in sociology at UC San Diego, at the New Direction in the Humanities Conference, UCLA. Her take on the China and Google saga is encapsulated in this excerpt: And… Read More »
1. FT has a special report on Nigeria at 50. It is worth your time. 2. The BBC also has a special reports page on Nigeria at 50 3. Still with the BBC, some Nigerians are interviewed on how they will be celebrating the 50th independence anniversary 4. Have you seen the official Nigeria at 50 website?… Read More »
1. On the Islamic origins of the World Trade Centre architecture 2. What percentage of salary increase would satisfy Indian lawmakers? (This is not a tip for Nigerian lawmakers.) 3. On the importance of field research for development economics (Almost there, economists, almost there.) 4. What about the foreskin? (On male circumcision.) 5. A Beninese… Read More »
The Economist discusses conditional cash transfer schemes here.
On the hunt for an Imam on a Malaysian TV talent hunt show. Aljazeera.
1. Could aid squeeze help Africa? – Reuters Africa news blog 2. Tyler Cowen’s Berlin Notes – Marginal Revolution 3. Nuggets of Ethiopian industrial development – Chris Blattman 4. Nigerian king who beats up his wife gets deposed – NEXT 5. Open letter to Bono and Bob Geldof – Marieme Jamme