Nearly 20,000 men have fled Ukraine since the beginning of the war to avoid being drafted, the BBC has discovered. Some have swum dangerous rivers to leave the country. Others have simply walked out under cover of darkness. Another 21,113 men attempted to flee but were caught by the Ukrainian authorities, Kyiv confirmed. After Russia’s
On 9 November, two men stood before Kenyans to deliver long-awaited speeches, separated by just a few hours and a few kilometres. They were both live on television. Both men are sworn pan-Africanists and both were after the hearts of a nation weighed down by heavy economic burdens. But that’s where the similarities ended. One
One of Australia’s major port operators is back online after a cyber-attack crippled its facilities. Operations at DP World Australia container terminals in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth were disrupted from Friday to Monday morning. The firm manages around 40% of goods entering and leaving the country. The outage has not affected the supply of
With a wave of coups in former French colonies in Africa, France is finding it can no longer take its military role on the continent for granted. There have been growing protests against France’s presence in Africa, where it has previously flexed its military might. French troops have recently been expelled from Niger and Mali
The military-installed president of Myanmar has warned that the country is in danger of breaking apart if the government cannot control the fighting which has broken out in Shan State. Former General Myint Swe, who was appointed after a coup in 2021, was speaking at an emergency meeting held by the ruling military council to
A Ugandan military court has found two officers guilty of cowardice as Islamist fighters stormed an African Union base in Somalia in May. Majors Zadock Abor and John Oluka ran away after they came under attack by al-Shabab in Bulo Marer, south of the capital Mogadishu. At least 50 Ugandan soldiers were killed, officials say.
Around 300,000 people turned out for a large pro-Palestinian rally in London on Saturday as police arrested scores of counter-protesters for attempting to confront the marchers. There was a heavy police presence in central London’s Hyde Park Corner as protesters chanted “Free, Free Palestine” and “ceasefire now.” They were also heard chanting the more controversial
India has filed an appeal with Qatar over death sentences handed to eight former Indian naval officers on unspecified charges. Reports say the men, who worked with a private company in Qatar, were arrested last year on suspicion of spying. Neither Qatar nor India have revealed the specific charges against them. India’s external affairs ministry spokesperson Arindam
An iconic leather jacket worn by Michael Jackson in the 1980s has been bought for £250,000 ($306,000). The black-and-white garment, worn by the late singer in a Pepsi advert, had been expected to sell for between £200,000 and £400,000 at the auction. The item was among more than 200 pieces of music memorabilia sold in
At least 14 people have died because of flooding triggered by heavy rains in Somalia and thousands remain trapped. The flooding began last month as water levels in the Juba and Shabelle rivers began to rise, causing them to overflow. More than 47,000 people have fled their homes, the United Nations Humanitarian Affairs Agency (Ocha)
