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Chloe Johnson death: Family of five-year-old British girl who died in a pool at in Egypt's Sharm el-Sheikh resort 'angry' that more wasn't done to save her

Sat, 18 May 2013 16:29:44 +0100

The family of a five-year-old British girl who died in a swimming pool in Egypt say they are "angry" that more was not done to save her.

Nigerian troops begin biggest ever assault on Islamist sect

Fri, 17 May 2013 18:46:55 +0100

Nigerian troops have bombarded camps in the country’s north-east, killing an unknown number of people, in what has been heralded as the biggest military offensive against the Islamist militant group, Boko Haram, since it began its uprising.

Video: Drunken safari guide sacked after charging an elephant in game reserve

Thu, 16 May 2013 11:36:48 +0100

A South African safari firm has sacked one of its guides after a video of him charging an elephant went viral.

Nigerian troops sent to border areas to fight militants

Wed, 15 May 2013 19:27:28 +0100

Nigeria has launched a military campaign to flush Islamist militants out of their bases in remote border areas, after President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in the north-east.

Graffitied pigs and buckets of blood on the streets of Nairobi as protests over MPs' pay continue

Tue, 14 May 2013 18:30:55 +0100

Pigs were unleashed and blood poured on the streets of Kenya's capital, Nairobi, in a gorey protest against excessive pay for the country's MPs. Kenyan protesters let loose the pigs outside parliament as part of a mounting public backlash against efforts by new MPs to grant themselves an increase to their record-breaking salaries. Demonstrators poured buckets of blood onto a street in the city centre and let a pig and a litter of piglets feed on it. The animals were daubed with graffiti criticising lawmakers who want £6,540 per month or 131 times Kenya's minimum wage.

More than £70,000 stolen from Justin Bieber gig by armed gang who tunnelled into 'safe room' via ladies loo

Tue, 14 May 2013 12:00:50 +0100

Thieves are reported to have stolen more than one million South African rand (£70,000) in takings after a Justin Bieber concert at Johannesburg’s Soccer City stadium.

Libya: Car bomb near Benghazi hospital kills 10

Mon, 13 May 2013 19:40:52 +0100

At least 10 people have died after a car bomb exploded near a hospital in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi in one of the biggest attacks since the end of the civil war that ousted former dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

Dozens of patients flee from Kenyan psychiatric hospital in Nairobi in mass breakout

Mon, 13 May 2013 19:11:42 +0100

Police in Kenya were on Monday night hunting for more than 30 patients after a mass breakout from a psychiatric hospital in the capital, Nairobi.

Rescued boy soldier is stoned to death

Sun, 12 May 2013 19:20:44 +0100

A child soldier rescued from a rebel militia group in the Central African Republic by Unicef before being forcibly re-recruited has been stoned to death by a mob, it has emerged.

Revealed: The remarkable teacher behind the Soweto strings

Sun, 12 May 2013 11:41:39 +0100

The Soweto suburbs are an unlikely location for a globally-renowned classical music school. But that is where the British viola player Rosemary Nalden has spent the last 20 years, sharing her passion for stringed instruments with hundreds of township children and transforming their lives.

Extremism in Nigeria: Africa's great unreported bloodletting

Sun, 12 May 2013 09:07:00 +0100

At first, the Islamic extremists in Nigeria's dusty north-east rode on the backs of motorcycles, firing on government officials and other perceived enemies with worn Kalashnikovs hidden beneath their flowing robes. Now, they come prepared for war.

Prominent youth pro-democracy activist Ahmed Maher detained in Egypt

Sat, 11 May 2013 10:25:30 +0100

Egypt's prosecutor general ordered the detention of a prominent youth leader for four days on Friday pending an investigation into accusations he incited anti-government violence.

Desmond Tutu’s editorial denounces the ANC

Fri, 10 May 2013 18:26:11 +0100

Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, lifelong friend of former South African president Nelson Mandela and the man regarded by many as the nation’s voice of conscience, has said he will no longer vote for the ruling African National Congress (ANC).

Foreign Office withdraws some staff from British Embassy in Libya amid concerns over 'ongoing political uncertainty'

Fri, 10 May 2013 13:22:46 +0100

The Foreign Office has temporarily withdrawn some staff from the British Embassy in Libya in response to the "ongoing political uncertainty" in the country.

55 dead after suspected raid in Nigeria by Islamist sect Boko Haram

Wed, 08 May 2013 00:05:46 +0100

The Nigerian Islamist sect Boko Haram is thought to have been behind a deadly siege on the northeastern town of Bama on Tuesday that left 55 people dead.

Fantasy coffins: Meet the man who puts the 'fun' into funereal

Tue, 07 May 2013 13:04:58 +0100

His creations are highly intricate and take months of intensive work to produce, yet when they are finished they are buried six feet in the ground, never to be seen again.

World Focus: Fragile gains for Somalia as world gathers in London to discuss the country's future

Mon, 06 May 2013 18:58:37 +0100

In many ways Hassan's toils are evidence of Somalia's recent advances. The 11-year-old boy hauls backbreaking loads of car parts back and forth at a garage in the decrepit but busy capital, Mogadishu. He rolls hulking wheels through the oil-stained dirt and staggers under the weight of a car window. There are no breaks, no days off and no pay. There are also few other choices. His mother died from dysentery three years ago and his father's new wife chased him out of the house: “I just work for food to live, my job doesn’t offer a brighter future.”

Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta's UK visit causes inevitable controversy

Mon, 06 May 2013 18:39:47 +0100

The inevitable controversy surrounding the London visit by Kenya's indicted president Uhuru Kenyatta has sparked something of a backlash in East Africa. Mr Kenyatta, who faces trial at The International Criminal Court (ICC) over his alleged role in orchestrating violence after an election in 2007, was unexpectedly invited to the UK to attend a conference on Somalia.

Libya bans Gaddafi’s old guard from office

Sun, 05 May 2013 18:41:47 +0100

Libya’s parliament has passed a law banning anyone who held a senior position during Muammar Gaddafi’s 42-year rule from working for the new administration, a move that could force the Prime Minister to step down.

Car bomber kills 5 in Somali capital

Sun, 05 May 2013 11:25:01 +0100

Five people were killed Sunday morning when a suicide bomber attempted to ram a car laden with explosives into a military convoy escorting a four-member Qatari delegation, an official said.

Huge decline in hijackings by Somali pirates

Fri, 03 May 2013 13:02:30 +0100

Next Sunday will mark the one-year anniversary of the last successful hijacking by Somali pirates, the chair of the global group trying to combat the pirates has said.

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi in court accused of harming state security and trying to escape custody

Thu, 02 May 2013 23:42:29 +0100

Saif al-Islam, General Gaddafi's son and likely successor until the family was toppled from power during Libya's Arab Spring, appeared in court accused of harming state security and trying to escape custody.

Split up or leave, South African school tells lesbian parents

Thu, 02 May 2013 19:45:41 +0100

When a five-year-old boy in his first few months at a private South African school proudly announced to his teacher that he has “two mothers”, his parents were given an ultimatum: get a divorce or have their son kicked out.

Somalia: UN’s late declaration of famine in 2011 cost lives

Thu, 02 May 2013 19:34:38 +0100

The United Nations has admitted that a delay in declaring a famine in Somalia in 2011 cost additional lives, after a new report revealed that more than a quarter of a million people died, half of them young children.

Nigeria joins journalist danger list on World Press Freedom day

Thu, 02 May 2013 18:29:50 +0100

Nigeria today joined the list of countries where journalists are routinely murdered and assaulted without any convictions for their attackers.

Alabaman jihadist wanted by US – and Islamic militants al-Shabaab

Wed, 01 May 2013 18:56:58 +0100

Omar Hammami, an American-born jihadist who lives in Somalia, has live-tweeted what may have been his final, fatal encounter with his former associates in al-Shabaab, the militant Islamic group based in the conflict-ravaged East African nation.

Nigerian civilians targeted in military raid

Wed, 01 May 2013 18:40:40 +0100

Witnesses in a northeast Nigeria village where officials say at least 187 people were killed in an assault by the military and Islamic extremists said soldiers purposefully set fire to civilian homes, directly contradicting the government’s claims.

ANC defends video footage of frail Nelson Mandela

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 18:48:40 +0100

The African National Congress has responded to a barrage of criticism over broadcasting footage of a visibly frail Nelson Mandela by saying it wanted to share the anti-apartheid icon with South Africans and the world.

Postcard from Beijing

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 00:00:56 +0100

It’s a common sight on the streets of Beijing and other cities – a hefty Porsche Cayenne Turbo S, pictured, worth around £270,000, with distinctive white number plates signifying the vehicle belongs to the army. In the back seat, stuffed with department store bags, sits a decidedly un-military looking shopping posse. Or a Bentley overtaking a line of traffic near the Great Wall, which has long ceased to have any military significance.

Frail Nelson Mandela filmed in hospital

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 19:33:35 +0100

South African President Jacob Zuma said he found Nelson Mandela “in good shape and in good spirits” on Monday but a SABC video of the meeting shows Mr Mandela in an armchair, his head propped up by a pillow, his legs on a footrest and covered by a blanket.

Soldier kidnapped and sexually abused for four days by gang of women before being stoned and dumped in remote mountain range

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 12:34:46 +0100

A 25-year-old Zimbabwean solider was kidnapped and sexually abused for four days, allegedly by a gang of female rapists who he says later stoned him and abandoned him in a remote mountain range.

Postcard from Cairo: An animal tale that was turtle hokum

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 00:00:29 +0100

By its own lofty standards, it had been a relatively slow news week in Cairo.

Three wounded after car bomb targets French embassy in Libya

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 11:40:56 +0100

A car bomb targeted the French embassy in the Libyan capital early today, wounding two French guards and a Libyan teenager in an attack that President Francois Hollande denounced as an assault not only against France but all countries engaged in the fight against terrorism.

Bodies burnt beyond recognition and civilians used as human shields, as 185 die in fighting between Boko Haram Islamic extremists and the Nigerian military

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 13:55:55 +0100

At least 185 people having been killed in fighting between Boko Haram Islamic extremists and the Nigerian military.

Boko Haram releases hostage family unharmed

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 18:10:31 +0100

A French family, – including four young children – taken hostage on the Cameroon-Nigeria border two months ago, has been released unharmed.

Tunisia: Yacht of ex-dictator’s nephew returned

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 18:39:50 +0100

The government has recovered a yacht that once belonged to the nephew of the deposed dictator.

Libya extremist involved in US ambassador attack shot in Darna

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 07:25:51 +0100

The leader of an Islamic extremist militia in Libya suspected of involvement in an attack in Benghazi that killed the US ambassador has been shot.

Anger as retrial of Egypt's former President Hosni Mubarak aborted

Sat, 13 Apr 2013 11:00:27 +0100

The retrial of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak collapsed today when the presiding judge withdrew from the case and referred it to another court, causing an indefinite adjournment that sparked anger in the courtroom.

Dr Congo: Army officers held for rape of 126 women

Sat, 13 Apr 2013 00:31:43 +0100

The Kinshasa government has suspended a dozen senior military officers and is interrogating suspects in connection with a mass rape incident in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

Malawi President Joyce Banda: When Madonna met her match

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 21:33:05 +0100

In a 48-hour equivalent of the “night of the long knives”, following the sudden death from a heart attack of Malawi's former strongman president Bingu wa Mutharika on 5 April last year, Joyce Banda emerged as the face of a new Africa.

Tunisia receives first retrieval of cash looted by ousted President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 18:39:47 +0100

Tunisia has received $28.8m (£18.7m) in the first retrieval of what it calls looted assets held abroad by ousted President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and his family.

Shrien Dewani could face extradition to South Africa for trial over wife's murder this summer as health improves

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 15:41:53 +0100

Shrien Dewani could face extradition, to stand trial for killing his bride, this summer after psychiatrists reported that his mental condition had improved significantly.

Madonna vs Malawi: A very uncharitable relationship

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 10:52:45 +0100

Madonna’s trip to Malawi this month should have been a straightforward affair: visit her charitable project, catch up on its progress and head home, basking in fond memories and good publicity.

Mali presents François Hollande with a new camel after the first one was eaten by the family caring for it

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 19:10:18 +0100

There was, finally, some good news for President François Hollande today.

West African leader linked to $400m cocaine smuggling ring

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 00:00:15 +0100

The caretaker President of Guinea-Bissau has been linked to a massive cocaine and arms-trafficking scheme allegedly run by a former senior military officer from the small and unstable West African state.

France begins troop withdrawal ahead of UN peacekeeping mission in Mali

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 18:22:42 +0100

France has started withdrawing its troops from Mali after an operation to help local forces push back an offensive by Islamist rebels, an army spokesman said.

Coptic Pope rebukes Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi over clashes at cathedral

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 18:19:40 +0100

The leader of Egypt’s Coptic Orthodox Church has criticised the Islamist President over his handling of recent deadly sectarian violence, including an attack on the main cathedral in Cairo.

Coptic Christians under siege as mob attacks Cairo cathedral

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 00:00:25 +0100

Hundreds of Christians were under siege inside Cairo’s Coptic cathedral last night as security forces and local residents, some armed with handguns, launched a prolonged and unprecedented attack on the seat of Egypt’s ancient Church.

Twelve police officers 'missing' in Nigeria

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 09:03:43 +0100

Militants in Nigeria's oil-rich southern delta ambushed a group of police officers as they sat stranded in a boat in the region's winding creeks, leaving at least 12 “missing” in the most serious attack in months in a region vital to the country's finances,.

World's most remote parish seeks vicar

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0100

With staggering sea views and a bird-filled garden, the vicarage should be a sought-after address. But when the birds are penguins and the views go on for thousands of miles, you begin to see why the island of Tristan da Cunha is failing to attract a new vicar.

Nelson Mandela discharged from hospital

Sat, 06 Apr 2013 14:13:06 +0100

Nelson Mandela, 94, has been discharged from hospital.

Britons living in Somalia urged to leave country amid fears of 'imminent terrorist attacks'

Sat, 06 Apr 2013 10:43:41 +0100

Britons living in Somalia have been urged by the Government to leave the African country amid fears of “imminent terrorist attacks”.

Hunt for Joseph Kony is suspended

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 00:13:50 +0100

Joseph Kony, a notorious fugitive warlord, has been thrown a lifeline after a military force hunting him down in Central African Republic (CAR) had to suspend operations due to the recent coup in the country.

Gaddafi daughter thrown out of Algeria after 'starting fires'

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0100

The daughter of Muammar Gaddafi has been granted asylum in Oman after she was thrown out of her safe house in Algeria for repeatedly setting fires and attacking guards in fits of rage over her situation, it emerged last night.

Mass food poisoning afflicts Cairo students

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 19:03:44 +0100

Nearly 500 students from a university in Cairo have been admitted to hospital with food poisoning.

Madonna takes her adopted children to see their Malawi birthplace

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 16:31:23 +0100

Madonna is visiting Malawi with the two children she adopted from the impoverished African country.

Happy Sindane murder: Man who claimed he was kept as white child slave in black township in South Africa is found 'stoned to death'

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 12:56:14 +0100

In the early hours of Monday morning, in the Tweefontein township, passers-by discovered the body of a young man, apparently stoned to death, in a field.

Sudan’s President announces release of political prisoners

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 17:56:15 +0100

Sudan’s President, Omar al-Bashir, has said that all political prisoners are to be released in the latest sign of an easing of political tensions within the country and with South Sudan.

A joke too far - top satirist Bassem Youssef arrested over insults to President Morsi

Sun, 31 Mar 2013 21:14:37 +0100

He is one of Egypt’s most famous television stars – a wildly popular satirist whose Friday night shows are eagerly awaited by tens of millions of viewers.

Nelson Mandela breathing without difficulty

Sun, 31 Mar 2013 12:39:56 +0100

Nelson Mandela has is breathing without difficulty, according to the South African president's office.

Five people killed in South African military helicopter crash

Sun, 31 Mar 2013 08:59:49 +0100

The South African military says five air force members have died in the crash of a helicopter that was patrolling as part of an anti-rhino poaching operation.

Exodus: Fall of the Jews in Egypt

Sun, 31 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0000

From its peak in the aftermath of the Second World War, when the Jews in Egypt numbered around 80,000, the community collapsed. Today there are no more than a few dozen remaining. All are over 50 years old. Most are women who married Muslims or Christians, meaning their children have been raised as non-Jews and that the community will probably die out within a generation.

Uhuru Kenyatta confirmed as Kenya's next president

Sat, 30 Mar 2013 22:40:59 +0000

Uhuru Kenyatta was confirmed as Kenya’s next president following a ruling by Kenya’s Supreme Court. The highly anticipated announcement comes after weeks of uncertainty surrounding the elections on 4 March. Initial tallies had placed Mr Kenyatta with 50.07 per cent of the vote, breaking the necessary 50 per cent mark to avoid a run-off by a hair-thin margin of just 8,000 votes. Raila Odinga, the current Prime Minister and Mr Kenyatta’s main opponent, brought the result to court over allegations of fraud and misconduct.

British aid worker sisters 'raped and kidnapped' crossing Libya

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 14:07:25 +0000

Investigations have begun into how British aid workers were kidnapped and assaulted as they travelled through Benghazi in eastern Libya.

Nelson Mandela latest: Former South African President 'responding to treatment' after returning to hospital with lung infection

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 21:00:15 +0000

Former South African President Nelson Mandela was tonight said to be responding positively to treatment after being hospitalised with a lung infection for the third time in two years. The former South African president, who is 94 years old, was taken in soon after midnight on Wednesday.

South African counter-attack against Central African Republic rebels would be ‘complete madness’

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 19:46:07 +0000

South Africa has been warned against a fresh intervention in the chaotic Central African Republic after sending troops to neighbouring Uganda. Two hundred soldiers were reported to be preparing to “hit back” at rebels in CAR who overran the capital on Sunday, forcing the president to flee and killing at least 13 South African soldiers.

Oscar Pistorius free to compete in Moscow after bail conditions are changed to allow foreign travel

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 16:15:51 +0000

Oscar Pistorius could compete in August's World Athletics Championships, despite facing trial for the murder of his girlfriend, after a High Court judge eased his bail restrictions to allow him to travel abroad, compete and drink alcohol.

Appeal over Oscar Pistorius bail conditions may lead to athlete competing abroad ahead of trial

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 09:15:21 +0000

Lawyers for Oscar Pistorius are appealing against some of the Olympic athlete's bail restrictions in a court in the South African capital today.

Oscar Pistorius' brother Carl pleads not guilty in female motorcyclist road death trial

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 18:45:36 +0000

Carl Pistorius, the sharp suited brother of Paralympian double-amputee Oscar Pistorius, pleaded not guilty to a charge of culpable homicide for the death of a female motorcyclist in a 2008 road collision.

Congolese warlord Bosco 'The Terminator' Ntaganda denies war crimes

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 17:57:48 +0000

Bosco Ntaganda, a Congolese warlord known as “the Terminator” who evaded arrest on war crimes charges for seven years, denied his guilt in his first appearance at the International Criminal Court.

EU suspends Zimbabwe sanctions after peaceful poll on new constitution

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 18:43:51 +0000

The European Union has suspended targeted sanctions against a number of Zimbabweans after endorsing a “peaceful and credible” referendum on a new constitution.

Picture gallery: stunning images from the top of Egypt's Great Pyramid

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 18:40:08 +0000

A group of Russian tourists have captured pictures from atop Egypt's ancient pyramids.

Rebels seize capital of Central African Republic

Sun, 24 Mar 2013 21:04:39 +0000

France will send more troops to the Central African Republic to protect its citizens there after armed rebels seized the capital Bangui.

Bosco Ntaganda begins a new life in The Hague

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 19:31:09 +0000

Bosco Ntaganda, one of central Africa's most notorious warlords, begins his new life in the Netherlands tomorrow after surrendering to the International Criminal Court at The Hague.

Enraged giraffe chases safari jeep for two miles

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 18:30:16 +0000

Footage has emerged online of the dramatic moment an angry giraffe went on the rampage, terrifying a group of tourists.

Rapper Weld el 15 gets two years in jail for calling police dogs in song

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 14:46:18 +0000

A Tunisian court has sentenced a rap singer to two years in jail in absentia for insulting the police in a case likely to fuel debate over free speech under the Islamist-led government.

The Chinese Girl sells for nearly £1 million

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 15:54:14 +0000

The original painting of the Chinese Girl, thought to be the most reproduced print in the world, was sold for nearly £1 million today.

Al-Qa'ida beheads French hostage in Mali

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0000

A Frenchman taken hostage in northern Mali was beheaded by al-Qa'ida in retaliation for France's military intervention in the African country, it was reported.

Congolese war criminal Bosco 'The Terminator' Ntaganda unexpectedly turns himself in at US embassy in Rwanda

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 19:14:08 +0000

One of Africa's most wanted war criminals walked into the United States embassy in Rwanda today and asked to be transferred to the International Criminal Court at The Hague. The US said it was “considering his request” after Bosco Ntaganda, nicknamed the “Terminator” appeared on their doorstep in Rwanda's capital, Kigali.

South African cardinal who said paedophilia is 'not a criminal condition' apologises for offence

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 14:33:50 +0000

The South African cardinal who said paedophilia is "not a criminal condition" has apologised for any offence caused and attempted to clarify his position.

Winnie Mandela 'shocked' at murder claims

Sun, 17 Mar 2013 18:20:07 +0000

Nelson Mandela’s ex-wife Winnie expressed “surprise and shock” that prosecutors are considering charges against her following the exhumation of bodies believed to belong to two young activists last seen at her home 24 years ago.

Egypt resists UN women rights text

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 19:30:14 +0000

Egypt’s ruling Muslim Brotherhood has objected to a UN declaration on violence against women on the grounds that it would lead to the “disintegration of society” – a move that threatens to derail efforts by the international community to reach an agreement.

'I saw him. He was being beaten – too much. You could see it in his face' - the family of Siboniso Shabalala speak out

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 18:57:00 +0000

"The law must take its course. You can’t kill someone’s child and have it leave you like that. No one is above the law," Curtis Melusi Shabalala said today.

Vote No on Mugabe's 'fraud' constitution, urge Zimbabwe civil rights groups

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 17:09:17 +0000

Civil rights groups have called on Zimbabwean voters to reject a new constitution, accusing the political elite, including President Robert Mugabe and former opposition leaders, of imposing a fraud on the people.

The vaccinators on the front line of the battle against polio in Nigeria

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 14:46:28 +0000

Balanced precariously in a narrow canoe, two Nigerian nurses traverse a mile-wide Atlantic estuary to run the daily gauntlet of militant gangs, kidnappers, and unforgiving waters, on a mission to immunise children.

Over 25% of schoolgirls in South Africa are HIV positive because 'sugar daddies are taking advantage of them', says health minister Aaron Motsoaledi

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 15:16:38 +0000

At least 28% of schoolgirls in South Africa are HIV positive because 'sugar daddies' are taking advantage of them, the country's health minister warned today.

Hosni Mubarak's police chief 'gave shoot to kill order'

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Police, including rooftop snipers, were responsible for nearly all of the deaths of the 850 protesters killed during Egypt's January 2011 uprising, a government inquiry has concluded.

'Heartbreaking': Prince Charles meets traumatised children as he tours Jordan refugee camp

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 12:56:06 +0000

The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall came face to face with the huge human cost of the conflict in Syria today when they visited a refugee camp in Jordan.

Bodies exhumed in ANC 'murder' case linked to Winnie Mandela

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 20:48:53 +0000

Prosecutors have exhumed two bodies in a Soweto cemetery and look set to open a murder investigation that will raise uncomfortable questions for Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, the ex-wife of former South African President Nelson Mandela. The bodies almost certainly belong to two former ANC activists who vanished more than 24 years ago and were reportedly last seen with Ms Madikizela-Mandela, who has been accused of playing a role in their deaths.

Tunisian man immolates himself in Arab Spring reprise

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 19:00:34 +0000

A young cigarette vendor has set himself on fire in Tunis, reviving memories of similar events two years ago that sparked an uprising which spread across the Arab world.

British hostage killed in Nigeria Brendan Vaughan was to be a grandfather

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 06:55:38 +0000

The British construction worker apparently killed by terrorists in Nigeria was denied the chance to meet his first grandchild, his family said.

Dead taxi driver who was dragged behind South African police van 'was facing homicide charge'

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 21:06:13 +0000

The Mozambican taxi driver who died after being dragged behind a police van was facing culpable homicide charges himself, a South African court heard today.

Oscar Pistorius 'twice called to interrupt innocent meeting between Reeva Steenkamp and her former long-term boyfriend in the days before her death'

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 17:50:25 +0000

A BBC documentary will tonight claim that Oscar Pistorius’ murdered girlfriend met with her former long-term boyfriend in the days before her death.

ICC drops case against Kenya violence suspect due to stand trial alongside Uhuru Kenyatta

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 17:46:50 +0000

The International Criminal Court has dropped charges against one of the four alleged masterminds of the violence that followed Kenya’s elections in 2007.

Eight-year-old boy marries 61-year-old woman because the ghost of his grandfather told him to do so

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 10:08:42 +0000

An eight-year-old South African boy has married a woman in her 60s after claiming the ghost of his long-dead grandfather told him to do so.

French and Chadian troops 'capture Al-Qa’ida citadel in northern Mali'

Sun, 10 Mar 2013 17:43:36 +0000

French and Chadian troops have captured the main al-Qa’ida “citadel” in northern Mali, according to French officials and journalists.

Nelson Mandela leaves hospital after 'successful' medical tests

Sun, 10 Mar 2013 15:43:31 +0000

Nelson Mandela left hospital today after “successful” medical tests and returned to his home in Johannesburg.

British hostage feared killed in Nigeria

Sun, 10 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0000

The Foreign Office was last night investigating claims that a British citizen is among seven foreign hostages, including three Lebanese citizens, and one each from Greece, Italy and the Philippines, murdered by a terrorist group in Nigeria.

Football riot ruling ignites Cairo

Sun, 10 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Egyptian protesters set fire to buildings in Cairo yesterday and tried unsuccessfully to disrupt international shipping on the Suez Canal, as a court ruling on a deadly football riot stoked rage in a country beset by worsening security.

Uhuru Kenyatta victory in Kenya's election faces challenge

Sun, 10 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Uhuru Kenyatta, the son of Kenya's founding president, won the presidential election by a tiny margin, with 50.03 per cent, a result that his rival says he now intends to challenge in court. Mr Kenyatta faces trial for crimes against humanity after the disputed 2007 presidential vote which unleashed tribal bloodletting.