The Insider

Addis Ababa (Reuters + Diplomat.so) - Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said on Tuesday the federal government had formed a committee to negotiate with forces from the rebellious northern region of Tigray, in the first public confirmation of a key step towards peace negotations.

The Hague (Agencies + Diplomat.so) - Europe's medicines watchdog on Monday approved a Covid jab by US-based Novavax, which uses a more conventional technology that the biotech firm hopes will reduce vaccine hesitancy.

MOSCOW (Reuters + Diplomat.so) - Russia said on Monday it may be forced to deploy intermediate-range nuclear missiles in Europe in response to what it sees as NATO's plans to do the same.

LONDON (Reuters + Diplomat.so) - Future pandemics could be even more lethal than COVID-19 so the lessons learned from the outbreak must not be squandered and the world should ensure it is prepared for the next viral onslaught, one of the creators of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine said.

NEW DELHI, India (AP) — Facebook in India has been selective in curbing hate speech, misinformation and inflammatory posts, particularly anti-Muslim content, according to leaked documents obtained by The Associated Press, even as its own employees cast doubt over the company's motivations and…

Addis Ababa (Reuters + Diplomat.so) - Rebellious forces from the Tigray region killed 120 civilians over two days in a village in Ethiopia's Amhara region, local officials told Reuters on Wednesday.

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP + Diplomat.so) — A new study suggests that a Sinopharm vaccine offers poor protection from COVID-19 among the elderly, raising questions for dozens of countries that have given the Chinese company's shots to their most vulnerable populations.

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP + DIPLOMAT.SO) — The southern African nation of Zimbabwe is sending a Black swimmer to the Olympics, the first from her country to go the Games.

Johannesburg (AP + Diplomat.so) - In one of the largest deployments of soldiers since the end of white minority rule, 25,000 South African troops began taking up positions Thursday to help quell weeklong riots sparked by the imprisonment of former President Jacob Zuma. At least 117 people have been…

Mogadishu (Diplomat.so) - The Independent Anti-Corruption Commission of Somalia held its fourth meeting today to expedite its duties following the Commission's 4 May election. The meeting discussed the Commission's Regulations, Code of Conduct, and the six-month Strategic Action Plan as well…

Mogadishu (Hiiraan Online + Diplomat.so) - The body of Bashir Gabobe, a Somali-American engineer and entrepreneur, was found nearly 200km from Nairobi in a morgue on May 22, almost eleven days after being reported missing by his family and friends.

New Delhi (AP + Diplomat.so) - India on Wednesday reported more coronavirus deaths in a single day than any other country at any time during the pandemic, while infections continued to spread through vast rural areas with weak health systems.

Juba (Diplomat.so) - The President of the Republic of South Sudan, Salva Kiir Mayardit, issued today a republican decree appointing members of the Transitional National Legislative Council, in implementation of the clause to re-form the parliament in accordance with the peace agreement.

Mogadishu (Diplomat.so) – The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General (SRSG) for Somalia, and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM), James Swan, condemned yesterday's attacks against the Somali National Army bases in Barire and Awdhegle towns in Lower Shabelle…

Mogadishu (Diplomat.so) - The Somali National Army repulsed, on Saturday morning, a surprise attack by Al-Shabaab, affiliated with Al-Qaeda, on two military bases in the towns of Barire and Awdhegle in Lower Shabelle region, southwestern Somalia.

Niamey (Reuters + Diplomat.so) - Mohamed Bazoum said he would make education and security a priority as he took over as president of Niger on Friday, inheriting a state racked by political tension and an Islamist insurgency that has killed more than 300 people this year.

Khartoum (Reuters + Diplomat.so) - Sudan on Tuesday launched a coronavirus vaccination roll-out, giving priority to medical workers, state news agency SUNA said.

Mogadishu (Diplomat.so) - The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) welcomes the news that like many other countries in Africa, Somalia will soon become a recipient of the COVID-19 vaccines and the first COVID-19 vaccination rollout is expected to begin immediately.

New York (Reuters + Diplomat.so) - The United Nations said on Thursday it is "now abundantly clear to all" that Eritrean troops are operating throughout Ethiopia's northern Tigray region and "well-corroborated" reports suggest they are responsible for atrocities.

Mogadishu (Diplomat.so) - Eyewitnesses reported that many Somalis suffer from new symptoms of the emerging coronavirus, which affects most members of the same family, forcing them to receive treatment in the hospital.