Politics or banditry: Speculation rife as Kenya’s military chief dies in suspect helicopter crash
Gen Ogolla, 61, was on a tour of the country’s troubled western region that has seen frequent attacks by local bandits. He was appointed Kenya’s Chief of Defence Forces in April last year after Gen Robert Kibochi retired.
Explainer: How UN food security agency uses deaths and malnutrition to declare famine
In the 21st century, climate-related famines have largely been averted thanks to an innovative tool to track acute hunger, developed during the crisis in Somalia in 2004 by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and now used by humanitarian agencies worldwide. This initiative is called the Integrated Security Phase Classification or IPC.
Iran-Israel hostility spirals rapidly from sub-threshold level to overt war that sucks in Middle East
Israel’s targeting of the Iranian consulate in Damascus on April 1 has been widely regarded as a step up in its openness to hit at Iran directly, though Tehran is accused of targeting an Israeli embassy in the past. The recent behaviour is a departure from the past when either party often tried to shroud their actions in the cloak of plausible (or sometimes implausible) deniability.
Israeli drone strikes on Tehran stoke fears of a surge in Middle East crisis as Iran says it won’t hit back
Israel said nothing about the incident. It had said for days it was planning to retaliate against Iran for Saturday’s strikes, the first ever direct attack on Israel by Iran in decades of shadow war waged by proxies which has escalated throughout the Middle East through six months of battle in Gaza.
Israel retaliatory strikes on Iran rattle stocks but US Treasuries report recovery after attacks
Oil prices jumped $3 a barrel on concern that Middle East oil supply could be disrupted, but later pared some of the gains after Iran said it has no plans for an immediate retaliation, denying that any attack had taken place.
Why Ethiopia looks to France for naval development as diplomatic tensions with Somalia peak
A letter of intent has also been signed for the establishment of an Ethiopian naval component with French support. So far, France has supported the reconstruction of an Ethiopian navy, with a French cooperation officer seconded to work with the naval chief of staff
India’s sitting PM Modi’s quest for a third term put to test as world’s largest democracy votes
Most polls predict a win for Modi and his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, who are up against a broad opposition alliance led by the Indian National Congress and powerful regional parties. It’s not clear who will lead India if the opposition alliance, called INDIA, wins the election. Its more than 20 parties have not put forward a candidate yet.
Death-row inmates, terminally and elderly among 4,000 prisoners freed on Zimbabwe Independence Day
All death row prisoners who have been in jail for at least 10 years had their sentences commuted to life in prison under the amnesty. Zimbabwe has more than 60 inmates on death row. It wasn’t immediately clear how many of those had their sentences commuted to life under the amnesty.
UN approves simplified, cheaper version of cholera vaccine expected to reduce surge in cases
WHO’s approval means donor agencies like the vaccines alliance Gavi and UNICEF can now buy it for poorer countries. Leila Pakkala, director of UNICEF’s supply division, said in a statement that the agency will be able to boost supplies by more than 25 per cent.
Leaked New York Times memo on Gaza bans use of terms such as genocide, ethnic cleansing and occupied territory
The leak gave rise to a highly unusual internal probe. The company faced harsh criticism for allegedly targeting Times workers of Middle East and North African descent, which Times brass denied. On Monday, executive editor Joe Kahn told staff that the leak investigation had been concluded unsuccessfully.
Kenyan military helicopter crashes, 10 soldiers killed but fate of military chief unknown
However, three other soldiers on the helicopter were injured and taken to hospital, the police source said, asking not to be named.
