Coached by an off-duty air-traffic controller who requested pretournament tips from, he said, his close friend Jose Mourinho, Cape Verde's team, also known as the Blue Sharks, has lighted up the Africa Cup of Nations.

WSJ: Cape Verde's Surprise Run in Africa Cup

Another leader, Abu Taha al-Sudani, known also as Tariq Abdullah, was al Qaeda's leader in East Africa and is believed to be the main financier of its African operations.

WSJ: Somali Extremists Have al Qaeda Ties

Relatively new diseases like AIDS get most of the attention, but ancient killers once thought to be under control are on the rise in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and South America: malaria, tuberculosis, leishmaniasis (also known as dum-dum fever).

FORBES: A Cure for Neglect