This is our new Friday Digest! Every Friday, this weekly news round-up gives us the occasion to share with you news from various topics: politics to arts, entertainment, media, science, sports, fun and less fun news…

This digest is a list of news published this week on the Internet (Friday to Friday), selected by the Sama Team, and it is by no means exhaustive. If you want to suggest a news to be added in the next Friday Digest, contact us.

Africa Groundwater Maps Could Help Improve Access To Water
Access to clean water remains a problem for millions in Africa, but new research suggests that there may be hope. Researchers from the British Geological Survey and University College London have mapped the quantity and potential yield of groundwater across the entire continent, explained PhysOrg. They estimate that Africa’s groundwater totals about 0.66 million cubic kilometers, which means…

Hollande claims victory, setting up runoff with Sarkozy for French presidency
Socialist candidate Francois Hollande declared victory Sunday in the first round of France’s presidential election, setting up a showdown with incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy in May. The proclamation, made to a crowd of supporters, is consistent with exit polls detailed on French television. Results from France’s interior ministry show the same placement, albeit in a very tight contest. With about 75%…

Barack Obama Announces Anti-Genocide Board
Last week, the international community commemorated Yom HaShoah, or Holocaust Remembrance Day. For Jews, the day is a somber interplay between resilience and mourning, honoring the memory of Jewish victims and survivors of the Holocaust. For anti-genocide activists, Yom HaShoah is a firm reminder of humanity’s greatest failure, and of the persistent need to mobilize around, condemn, and take action to address…

Sudanese warplanes strike at South Sudan border towns
Sudanese warplanes crossed a disputed border region to strike Monday in South Sudan, escalating fighting that threatens to return the neighboring African countries to full-scale war, a witness said. A Sudanese military commander, Kamal Marouf, was quoted by Radio Sudan’s website as saying that more than 1,200 South Sudanese had been killed. A Sudanese military spokesman denied that Sudan had used…

Seeking justice for Haiti’s rape victims
Three days after a massive earthquake threw Haiti into chaos, Alvana was homeless, along with her two children. But her nightmare was just beginning. “I was gang-raped while I was sleeping in the middle of the street,” she said. “And I got pregnant.” Alvana did not know her attackers. Depressed and unsure of what to do next, she was directed by a friend to a clinic run by KOFAVIV, a Creole acronym…