Rebels from the Islamist Al-Shabaab group were attacking a hotel in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu on Friday, the government and witnesses said.Attackers targeted a hotel at a beach often visited by officials, according to a government statement. “The security forces rescued many people from the building and the operation is still ongoing,” it said.Al-Shabaab, which has been …

Islamist attack underway at Mogadishu hotel: Somali govtFri, 09 Jun 2023 21:21:46 GMT Read More »

Sudan’s warring generals have agreed to a 24-hour ceasefire from Saturday, US and Saudi mediators said, acknowledging that previous attempts to pause a conflict now nearing its third month had proved abortive.Multiple truces have been agreed and broken since fighting erupted on April 15, and Washington had slapped sanctions on both rival generals after the …

Mediators announce 24-hour Sudan truce with warning to rival generalsFri, 09 Jun 2023 17:48:24 GMT Read More »

The World Food Programme (WFP) will halt some food aid to Ethiopia, the UN agency said Friday, following a decision by USAID to suspend food assistance after discovering that supplies were being diverted from those in need.”While we will temporarily halt food aid assistance in Ethiopia, nutrition assistance to children, pregnant and breastfeeding women, school meals …

WFP to halt some food aid to Ethiopia over diverted suppliesFri, 09 Jun 2023 17:40:00 GMT Read More »

Sudan’s warring generals have agreed to a 24-hour ceasefire from Saturday, US and Saudi mediators said, acknowledging that previous attempts to pause a conflict now nearing its third month had proved abortive.”Representatives of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) agreed to a 24-hour countrywide ceasefire beginning on June 10 at …

Mediators announce new Sudan truce with warning to warring sidesFri, 09 Jun 2023 12:42:44 GMT Read More »

When fighting erupted in Sudan, Rosa Yusif Elias escaped on foot with her seven children over the border to her homeland, South Sudan, where she thought they would be safe.Instead they have been stranded for weeks in an isolated camp that has been overwhelmed by the sudden arrival of tens of thousands of people fleeing …

Grim homecoming for South Sudanese fleeing Sudan violenceFri, 09 Jun 2023 12:11:36 GMT Read More »

The head of the worldwide Anglican Communion Justin Welby on Friday said he had expressed his “grief and dismay” to the Ugandan Church over its support for the country’s anti-gay law.Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni last month signed into law the controversial anti-gay bill, introducing draconian measures against homosexuality that have been described as among the …

Anglican leader dismayed over Uganda church’s backing for anti-gay lawFri, 09 Jun 2023 11:18:23 GMT Read More »

Sudanese authorities loyal to the regular army have declared UN envoy Volker Perthes “persona non grata”, accusing him of taking sides in nearly two months of devastating fighting with rival paramilitaries.Fighting has raged in the north African country since mid-April, when army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands …

Sudan authorities declare UN envoy ‘persona non grata’Fri, 09 Jun 2023 09:22:59 GMT Read More »

One month into a much-touted programme to heal the country’s deep political rifts, Egyptian authorities have arrested dozens of dissidents, opposition supporters and football fans in a wave of repression.Cairo inaugurated its long-delayed “national dialogue” on May 3, promising to give a platform to opposition voices that have been largely silenced since President Abdel Fattah …

Egypt ‘national dialogue’ kicks off with wave of arrestsFri, 09 Jun 2023 08:33:27 GMT Read More »

At the edge of an oasis almost engulfed by the dunes, where the rare caravan still passes, is a desert landscape punctured by holes.The salt pans of Kalala, near Bilma in northeastern Niger, were once an essential stop for traders with their swaying lines of camels.Salt digging, carried on from generation to generation, was a …

Sahara salt diggers struggle to maintain centuries-old tradeFri, 09 Jun 2023 07:37:15 GMT Read More »

Deep in South Africa’s semi-desert Karoo region, a glittery drag show in an old hilltop hotel brings a burst of weekly excitement to a sleepy conservative town.Every Saturday night, Mark Hinds and Jacques Rabie, the owners of the Karoo Theatrical Hotel, amaze their guests with a night-long cabaret and drag show in the small town …

Queens of the desert: drag show is oasis of glamour in rural S. AfricaFri, 09 Jun 2023 07:17:28 GMT Read More »