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A half a world away from the spectacle of Washington, Melania Trump still managed to create one of her own during a Kenyan safari on Friday, riding out into the grassland wearing a crisp white pith helmet — a common symbol of European colonial rule.

Melania Trump briefly lost her footing when a baby elephant startled her with a sudden move, but she was anything but out of step when children living in an orphanage in Kenya welcomed her to their home with song and dance. Melania Trump briefly lost her footing when a baby elephant startled her with a sudden move, but the first lady was anything but out of step when children at an orphanage welcomed her to their home with African song and dance. It didn't take long for the typically reserved U.S. first lady to dive fully into the moment. Mrs....

This week, First Lady Melania Trump is on her first solo international trip, visiting the African nations of Ghana, Malawi, Kenya, and Egypt. Wrapping up her first stops in Accra and Cape Coast, Ghana, the First Lady took her “Be Best” message to the children of Malawi today.

An estimated 20 million slaves passed through the dozens of trading forts in Ghana. Cape Coast Castle shipped a majority of slaves held there to America. Trump spent several minutes in one of the castle’s dungeons, where slaves were held in terrible conditions until they were sent abroad. She walked through the “door of no return,” where slaves were brought inside the fort, and laid a wreath near a dungeon door. “It’s very emotional,” Trump said. “I will never forget the incredible experience and the stories that I heard. … The dungeons that I saw ... what happened so many...

Melania Trump got a different view of educating children as she visited an African primary school on Thursday that has benefited from US assistance but struggles with an enrollment of more than 8 500 students. Some children learn lessons outdoors, seated shoulder-to-shoulder on loose, red dirt. Mrs Trump toured several outdoor classrooms at Chipala Primary School in Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi, the second stop on her four-nation tour of the continent. The school is among those in the landlocked country that receive education assistance from the US Agency for International Development, including textbooks. Mrs Trump was on hand as...

Melania Trump is keen to make a difference in the lives of children around the world and noted as much during a speech at the 73rd U.N. General Assembly. In her remarks, she made direct mention of the good work being led by fellow first ladies Rebecca Akufo-Addo, Margaret Kenyatta and Gertrude Mutharika. First ladies, community activists and changemakers of all ages are moving the needle on important issues at local, national and regional levels. This work cannot be overlooked as Melania Trump travels to Ghana, Kenya, Malawi and Egypt. Trump cited a desire to replicate U.S. programs "that are...

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A relaxed-looking Trump smiled and waved as she stepped off an overnight flight from Washington to be met on the red carpet by her Ghanaian counterpart Rebecca Akufo-Addo. She beamed as she was welcomed by a troupe of traditional drummers and dancers. "Thank you very much," she said with a smile. The former model, whose choice of clothing is keenly watched, changed from a safari-inspired departure outfit of suede trench coat and leopard print heels to a red and white striped dress with white pumps by the time she arrived in West Africa. She is scheduled to visit a hospital...

This week, first lady Melania Trump is embarking on a trip to Africa, with stops in Ghana, Kenya, Egypt and Malawi. Details of her itinerary were not initially available, so we turned to two of our contributors, a public health worker who is originally from Ghana and a scientist from Kenya, for their suggestions in the form of a letter to the first lady. Make Time For Rural Life Welcome, to beautiful Kenya — the country I call home. Welcome to Africa, my mother continent. Most likely, you will be taken on a safari — because that is what every...

Named Ledumahadi mafube, the new dinosaur species weighed 12 tons, stood about 13 feet high at the hips, and is one of the closest relatives of sauropod dinosaurs. Sauropods, weighing up to 60 tons, include well-known species like Brontosaurus. They ate plants and stood on four legs, with a posture like modern elephants.Ledumahadi mafube evolved its giant size independently from sauropods.“It shows us that even as far back as 200 million years ago, these animals had already become the largest vertebrates to ever walk the Earth,” said Professor Jonah Choiniere, a researcher in the Evolutionary Studies Institute at the University...

)If humans had lived 200 million years ago, they would have marveled at the largest dinosaur of its time. It's name means "a giant thunderclap at dawn." The recently discovered fossil of a new dinosaur species in South Africa revealed a relative of the brontosaurus that weighed 26,000 pounds, about double the size of a large African elephant. The researchers have named it Ledumahadi mafube, which is Sesotho for "a giant thunderclap at dawn." Sesotho is an official South African language indigenous to the part of the country where the dinosaur was found. "The name reflects the great size of...

The rock carvings -- known as petroglyphs -- have been discovered in their thousands atop hillocks in the Konkan region of western Maharashtra. Mostly discovered in the Ratnagiri and Rajapur areas, a majority of the images etched on the rocky, flat hilltops remained unnoticed for thousands of years... animals, birds, human figures and geometrical designs are all depicted. The way the petroglyphs have been drawn, and their similarity to those found in other parts of the world, have led experts to believe that they were created in prehistoric times and are possibly among the oldest ever discovered. "Our first deduction...

Their fear faded as they raced back home, the bottle of Johnnie Walker getting lighter with each turn of the road. Soon, Sindiso Magaqa was clapping and bouncing behind the wheel of his beloved V8 Mercedes-Benz, pulling into familiar territory just before dark. Minutes later, men closed in with assault rifles. Mr. Magaqa reached for the gun under his seat — too late. One of his passengers saw flashes of light, dozens of them, from the spray of bullets pockmarking the doors. The ambush was exactly what Mr. Magaqa had feared. A few months before, a friend had been killed...

The virus moved near the Uganda border after a woman who had participated in burials of Ebola victims refused a vaccination in Beni and disappeared, local officials have said. She died on Sept. 20 at a hospital in Tshomia on Lake Albert, which separates the countries. see also Ebola deaths in Congo rise to 26, health ministry says The second confirmed Ebola case in Tshomia was the woman’s partner, WHO said. The U.N. refugee agency on Friday said it was “gravely concerned” for civilians’ safety in North Kivu, which has the highest number of displaced people in Congo with an...

US First Lady Melania Trump is set to head to Africa next week for a four-country tour. Melania outlined her first major solo trip abroad on Wednesday at a reception for United Nations General Assembly leader spouses. The first lady will be visiting Ghana, Malawi, Kenya and Egypt. “October 1 will mark the first day of my solo visit to four beautiful and very different countries in Africa – Ghana, Malawi, Kenya, and Egypt – all of which have worked alongside USAID and our partners to make great progress in overcoming some of their biggest challenges,” said Melania. During the...

he United Methodist Church's African bishops have recently reaffirmed their support for the traditional definition of marriage, as well as opposition over possible schism within the denomination. The UMC Africa College of Bishops released a statement Monday stemming from their official meeting held Sept. 3-7 in Freetown, Sierra Leone. According to their statement, the bishops held extensive discussions regarding the denomination's debate over homosexuality, which many believe may lead to the UMC splitting. "... we reaffirm our position as traditionalists and view marriage as union between Man and Woman as clearly defined in scripture and affirmed in our COB 2016...

President Donald Trump has done “irreparable” damage to the United States and is “impeachable,” regardless of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation, a House Democrat said Thursday. Texas Representative Al Green, who has forced two failed votes to begin impeachment proceedings against Trump, renewed his call in an interview with Hill.TV. "What he has done to this society is harmful and in some cases it may be irreparable,” Green said on the media outlet’s Rising show. He gave the example of Trump telling “police officers that you don’t have to be nice, when you’re arresting someone.” "These are the kinds of...

It was brazen even by Liberian standards. Shipping containers carrying the equivalent of US $104 million in Liberian bank notes, ordered by the Central Bank from printers in Sweden and China, arrived at Liberia’s port and then vanished.

Hundreds of people are feared missing after a ferry capsized on Lake Victoria in north Tanzania. A local official told the BBC five people have died and 102 have been rescued, but another said that the vessel was overloaded with more than 400 people on board. The MV Nyerere ferry overturned near the shore between the islands of Ukora and Bugolora. Locals have joined with emergency teams in rescue efforts. The Tanzanian government has confirmed the ferry capsized but exact figures for those on board are yet to be confirmed. "We pray to God to give us hope in...

If you ever live at the shore, one thing that crops up in 13-year cycles is what they call Red Tide. The traditional explanation I have always heard is that is caused by farming and the runoff of their pesticides that contaminate the water. I use to hear that in New Jersey and the same thing in Florida. It seems to be linked to the same people who promote Global Warming who want us to starve and stop driving to work. I would ask, where is the runoff from farmers when there are none in this area? It would go...