You Just Can't Make This Stuff Up!
The Guardian has their Red knickers in a twist (yet again) over New from McDonald's: the McAfrika burger (don't tell the 12m starving):

McDonald's has been accused of extreme insensitivity after releasing a new sandwich called the "McAfrika" in Norway, one of the world's richest countries, at a time when 12 million people are facing starvation in southern Africa.

The launch of the new hamburger has infuriated the Norwegian equivalent of Christian Aid and the Norwegian Red Cross and generated a storm of bad publicity for the American fast-food giant.

ZZZZZZZZ

The concoction of beef, cheese, tomatoes and salad in a pitta-style sandwich is said to be based upon an authentic African recipe and is being sold to Norwegian consumers for about £2.80.

Sounds rather pricey. And an "authentic African recipe" would seem to lack obvious appeal.

But aid agencies trying to raise funds to stave off a famine in southern Africa say that the timing of the McAfrika marketing campaign is insensitive, crass and ill-considered and have demanded remedial action from McDonald's.

"It's inappropriate and distasteful to launch a hamburger called McAfrika when large portions of southern Africa are on the verge of starvation," Linn Aas-Hansen of Norwegian Church Aid told the newspaper Aftenposten.

Protesting members of the aid group have been doling out "catastrophe crackers" - the protein-rich biscuits given to starving people in Africa - to fast-food lovers outside the firm's restaurants in Oslo.

Would you like caviar or pate on your catastrophe cracker, Mr. Mugabe?

But disappointing comedy fans, McDonald's has apparently bought off the whiners.

But it has offered to allow aid agencies to leave collection boxes and fundraising posters in its Norwegian restaurants - but only in those selling McAfrika burgers and only for as long as the "special promotional burger" remains on sale.

In a statement issued to the Guardian from its UK head office in East Finchley yesterday, McDonald's said: "All of the involved parties are happy with this solution. We hope this will put a wider focus on the important job that these organisations are doing, and McDonald's in Norway is pleased to be able to support this."

Ah, everybody's happy now because they are all getting paid.

But I have to wonder - what genius thought a "McAfrika" would be a big draw? Africa is not really high on the list of culinary hotspots. Oh I forgot - this is Norway, the home of lutefisk!