Africa
Somali pirates released a Thai fishing vessel, they had held for more than four months, after a ransom of $3 million (97.9 million baht) was paid.
Millions of dollars of aid, from Western governments and charities, including Live Aid and Band Aid, intended to buy food for starving Ethiopians during the country's 1984 famine were misused by rebels to buy weapons, a BBC investigation has found...
Somalia's Militant Group Al Shabaab to Ally With Al Qaeda
NAIROBI, Kenya—The militant group al Shabaab said it would ally with al Qaeda in a drive to establish an Islamic state in Somalia and fight for Muslims across East Africa, offering a fresh test for U.S.-backed African peacekeepers struggling to de...
Polygamous president outrages South Africa
South African President Jacob Zuma has been accused of contradicting the government's fight against HIV/Aids by fathering his 20th child out of wedlock.
Somali Pirate-Held British Couple Reunited, But Not Released
After more than 90 days of being separated, the retired British couple who are being held in Somalia by pirates have been reunited temporarily, according to Sky News.
Religious clashes kill 200 in Nigerian city
Clashes between Muslim and Christian gangs subsided Wednesday in the Nigerian city of Jos and nearby communities, where rights activists said the death toll has topped 200.
7 killed in Kenyan pro-radical cleric protest
NAIROBI, Kenya -- At least seven people were killed when police fired on about 100 Muslim youth in the Kenyan capital who on Friday protested the arrest of a radical Jamaican-born Muslim cleric whose teachings influenced one of the 2005 London tra...
Guinea's Military Leader Agrees to Transitional Government
Guinea's military leader has agreed to a transitional government leading to elections within six months.
Guinea’s Camara Arrives in Burkina Faso as Elections Delayed
Guinea’s President Moussa Dadis Camara flew to Burkina Faso from Morocco where he was recovering from wounds suffered in an assassination attempt as the government said elections, slated for Jan. 31, will be delayed.
Nigerian Group to Protest President’s Absence, Power Vacuum
Nigerian opposition figures and rights activists plan a protest march in the capital, Abuja, tomorrow over the power vacuum they say has been created by President Umaru Yar’Adua’s absence from the country since November.
Angola 'arrests' after Togo football team attack
Angolan authorities have arrested two people over a deadly attack on Togo's football team at the Africa Cup of Nations tournament, state media says.
Muslims, Christians set homes ablaze in Egypt
CAIRO (Reuters) - Muslims and Christians set fire to each others' homes and shops near the southern Egyptian town of Nagaa Hamady on Saturday, three days after a gunman killed six Coptic Christians in a drive-by shooting, security sources said.
Uganda minister says gay death penalty 'unnecessary'
A Ugandan government minister has said that a proposed law which includes the death penalty for some homosexual acts is "not necessary".
Egyptian police hold three suspects after killing of six Coptic Christians
Police today arrested three men suspected of carrying out a drive-by shooting in southern Egypt that killed six Christians, a security official said.
Nigeria President Yar'Adua budget signature 'forged'
Allies of Nigeria's ailing president forged his signature on the country's supplementary budget last month, opposition politicians have alleged.
Southern Sudan needs help to avoid war, aid agencies say
Major conflict could return to southern parts of Sudan unless international action bolsters a faltering peace accord, ten aid agencies said in a report released Thursday.
U.N. agency halts food aid in southern Somalia
A million people in southern Somalia risk starvation after the World Food Program on Tuesday suspended humanitarian aid because of attacks and threats by Al Qaeda-linked Islamic rebels.
South African President Jacob Zuma marries wife No. 5
South Africa gained its third first lady on Monday when President Jacob Zuma married Tobeka Madiba, his fifth marriage and third concurrent spouse. With another fiancee in the wings and rumors about a possible future engagement, the country may ha...
COPENHAGEN — A man charged with attempting to kill a Danish cartoonist over his Muslim prophet Mohammed caricatures was also involved in an alleged plot against US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, a Danish newspaper reported Sunday.
Nigeria's new chief justice 'illegally' sworn-in
ABUJA — Nigeria's new chief justice was sworn-in Wednesday by his predecessor instead of by President Umaru Yar'Adua, who is in hospital in Saudi Arabia, sparking claims the appointment is illegal.