Peter Apps
Peter Apps covered business, politics, disaster, disease, agriculture and occasional crime stories for Reuters in southern Africa before being reposted to Sri Lanka just in time for a new outbreak of civil war. A minibus crash on assignment in September 2006 broke his neck and left him quadriplegic. Nine months to the day after the crash, he was released from hospital in a wheelchair and returned to work for AlertNet in London, scheming his return to field reporting.
Sri Lanka: And then they came for me
Author: Peter Apps
Maybe you have already read it. In the week since he was gunned down by motorcycle-riding assassins in the Sri Lanka capital Colombo, newspaper editor Lasantha Wickrematunge's chilling, haunting final article has been reprinted, redistributed and emailed around the world. A lawyer before he helped in founding the Sunday Leader newspaper, he was always one of the country's most outspoken journalists. He put himself on a collision course with its current government over corruption allegations and the conduct of its war with Tamil Tiger rebels. ...
Author: Peter Apps
Maybe you have already read it. In the week since he was gunned down by motorcycle-riding assassins in the Sri Lanka capital Colombo, newspaper editor Lasantha Wickrematunge's chilling, haunting final article has been reprinted, redistributed and emailed around the world. A lawyer before he helped in founding the Sunday Leader newspaper, he was always one of the country's most outspoken journalists. He put himself on a collision course with its current government over corruption allegations and the conduct of its war with Tamil Tiger rebels. ...
Kenya crisis jeopardises Africa's emergence from poverty
Author: Peter Apps
The sudden outbreak of violence plaguing Kenya since last week's disputed elections may have sparked a humanitarian crisis, but the real damage may go far deeper.
Only a few weeks ago, with fears mounting of a global economic downturn following the US sub prime mortgage crisis, Africa was being viewed by some investors as a relatively safe bet for the first time in recent decades. The end of major wars in western and southern Africa, a string of non-violent elections and decent if not spectacular economic growth figures across a string of countries was sparking new interest and optimism.
...
Author: Peter Apps
The sudden outbreak of violence plaguing Kenya since last week's disputed elections may have sparked a humanitarian crisis, but the real damage may go far deeper.
Only a few weeks ago, with fears mounting of a global economic downturn following the US sub prime mortgage crisis, Africa was being viewed by some investors as a relatively safe bet for the first time in recent decades. The end of major wars in western and southern Africa, a string of non-violent elections and decent if not spectacular economic growth figures across a string of countries was sparking new interest and optimism.
...
What's the best way to improve developing world health?
Author: Peter Apps
It may be the high profile disasters like earthquakes, tsunamis and the Californian fires that steal headlines but death tolls from disease and ill-health in the developing world dwarf the few dozen, hundred or even thousand killed by sudden catastrophes. Reducing that toll was one of the main aims of the Millennium Development Goals, which sets targets for reducing poverty and mortality. Some estimates show that countries need to spend $35-$40 a person to meet those targets. But poor states such as Liberia are having to manage with closer to five dollars. ...
Author: Peter Apps
It may be the high profile disasters like earthquakes, tsunamis and the Californian fires that steal headlines but death tolls from disease and ill-health in the developing world dwarf the few dozen, hundred or even thousand killed by sudden catastrophes. Reducing that toll was one of the main aims of the Millennium Development Goals, which sets targets for reducing poverty and mortality. Some estimates show that countries need to spend $35-$40 a person to meet those targets. But poor states such as Liberia are having to manage with closer to five dollars. ...
California fires suggest U.S. has learned Katrina lessons
Author: Peter Apps
Once again, the United States is having to deal with the kind of mass displacement and disaster more often associated with the developing world. California's fires have forced a million people from their homes - almost half the number who've fled to camps in Darfur or a quarter of Iraq's total displaced.
Inevitably, comparisons are being made to the 2005 Hurricane Katrina disaster in New Orleans - and so far they're mostly favourable.
...
Author: Peter Apps
Once again, the United States is having to deal with the kind of mass displacement and disaster more often associated with the developing world. California's fires have forced a million people from their homes - almost half the number who've fled to camps in Darfur or a quarter of Iraq's total displaced.
Inevitably, comparisons are being made to the 2005 Hurricane Katrina disaster in New Orleans - and so far they're mostly favourable.
...
Mining revival brings hope for some Congolese
Author: Peter Apps
Here at AlertNet, we're not very big on good news. In fact, some might say it's positively discouraged in favour of disasters, failed peace talks, massacred aid staff and the occasional crop failure.
Democratic Republic of Congo hasn't historically been very big on good news either. Its civil war left 3.9 million dead from violence, hunger and disease, making it the bloodiest conflict since the Korean War - even if it barely registered in terms of news coverage in the outside world.
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Next entries
Author: Peter Apps
Here at AlertNet, we're not very big on good news. In fact, some might say it's positively discouraged in favour of disasters, failed peace talks, massacred aid staff and the occasional crop failure.
Democratic Republic of Congo hasn't historically been very big on good news either. Its civil war left 3.9 million dead from violence, hunger and disease, making it the bloodiest conflict since the Korean War - even if it barely registered in terms of news coverage in the outside world.
...
