rod mclaughlin

So that's why journalists are called "hacks" (18 jan 13)

"From the north bank of the Niger River, the plains of the Malian Sahel stretch as flat as a billiard table to a distant horizon. This parched landscape..."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/algeria/9812152/Algeria-hostage-crisis-Al-Qaedas-new-front-line-lies-in-the-desert-sands.html

That's very informative, David Blair. I didn't know the Sahara desert was 'parched'. I'd always pictured it as lush and verdant. And when the land is flat, I didn't know the horizon is distant. Thanks for the geography lesson.

Update. Correction. It turns out that the Sahara is lush and verdant:

"French warplanes forced Islamist fighters to flee into the jungle."

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/french-and-malian-forces-take-diabaly-but-there-are-fears-islamists-will-return-8459143.html 

Portland

London