Stephen Fry in Kenya

Stephen Fry is in east Africa filming a follow-up to Last Chance to See, the excellent 1980s book (and radio series I think?) that was presented by Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy author, the late, great Douglas Adams, about endangered species. His blog is worth following and he recently posted this camcorder clip about ivory and rhino horn.

Obama-Muslim-conspiracy theorist kicked out of Kenya

Kenya's record on freedom of speech is improving, so some might see the expulsion from Kenya of American anti-Democrat Jerome Corsi for trying to promote his conspiracy-theory book about Barack Obama's imagined links with Islam, terrorism, Raila Odinga and all things ungodly as a step in the wrong direction. But it looks like Obama's presence on the world stage (assuming he wins) might actually be a force for good, bringing the US some long-overdue respect and credibility and even putting a soft-focus spotlight on Kenya for the duration of his time in office. I haven't read Corsi's book, but I'm instinctively glad he's not being given the chance to talk rubbish in a fragile democracy like Kenya. It's bad enough when the likes of Sarah Palin do it in the US. Yes, I know: what about freedom of speech? Well sometimes (and this time, clearly) saying whatever you like, voicing an opinion, or making things up, serve to act against freedom from mobs, hunger, disease and death. I think the Kenyan authorities made the right call.