- 60 killed in Colombia guerilla violence
- 'Invincible' Gauff revels in Melbourne heat to reach quarters
- Indonesia's Mount Ibu erupts more than 1,000 times this month
- Sumo to stage event in Paris as part of global push
- Deadly strikes on Gaza after Israel says ceasefire delayed
- Badosa 'loves Coco' but is gunning for 'revenge' in Melbourne quarters
- Sabalenka, Gauff on Melbourne collision course as Alcaraz moves on
- Alcaraz into Australian Open quarters after Draper retires
- Sabalenka uses fighting spirit to banish Australian Open blues
- Sabalenka, Gauff on Melbourne collision course after reaching quarters
- Swiss rider Ruegg wins opening UCI World Tour event in Australia
- Mitchell scores 36 as Cavs bounce back, Celtics downed
- Sabalenka a happy snapper at Australian Open
- Gauff turns up heat on Bencic to reach Australian Open quarters
- Commanders stun Lions in NFL thriller, Chiefs advance
- Protesters storm S. Korea court after president's detention extended
- TikTok notifies US users of shutdown as Trump seeks last-ditch solution
- Ceasefire in Israel-Hamas war to begin at 0630 GMT
- Wuhan keen to shake off pandemic label five years on
- Sabalenka imperious as Djokovic, Alcaraz on Melbourne collision course
- 'Generational problem': Youth still struggling in pandemic's shadow
- Vaccine misinformation: a lasting side effect from Covid
- Sabalenka blows away Andreeva to reach Melbourne quarter-finals
- Hope, fear at Paris rally for Gaza hostages
- Separated by LA wildfires, a happy reunion for some pets, owners
- France's Moutet 'collapsed in shower' before Australian Open match
- In US, teleworkers don't want to turn back
- Covid's origins reviewed: Lab leak or natural spillover?
- Trump arrives in Washington ahead of Monday's inauguration
- Steady Straka takes four-shot lead in PGA Tour's American Express
- Kelce, Mahomes double-act leads Chiefs past Texans in NFL playoffs
- Barcelona's Balde complains of racist abuse in Getafe draw
- Frustrated Barca fail to capitalise on Atletico La Liga slip
- More Kenyan police land in Haiti to bolster security mission
- McGlynn leads youthful USA to friendly win over Venezuela
- Barcelona stumble to frustrating Getafe draw in title setback
- Lukaku fires Napoli six points clear at Atalanta, Juve sink Milan
- Milder winds help LA firefighters as Trump vows to visit
- S. Korean court extends impeached president's detention, angering supporters
- Wirtz has Leverkusen on Bayern's heels to keep repeat title 'dream' alive
- Arsenal must take blame for Villa fightback: Arteta
- Nunez late show extends Liverpool's lead, Arsenal held by Aston Villa
- Russian attacks kill six across Ukraine, Kyiv says
- Northampton, Leinster claim Champions Cup pool top spots
- Arsenal's title bid rocked by Villa fightback
- Superb Wirtz keeps Leverkusen on pace with leaders Bayern
- Detention extended for S. Korea's impeached president
- Thousands attend funeral of Liberian ex-warlord Prince Johnson
- Barcola strikes as PSG fight back to beat Lens
- Juventus into Serie A Champions League spots with victory over AC Milan
13 million face hunger as Horn of Africa drought worsens: UN
An estimated 13 million people in Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia are facing severe hunger as the Horn of Africa experiences its worst drought in decades, the World Food Programme (WFP) said Tuesday.
Three consecutive rainy seasons have failed as the region has recorded its driest conditions since 1981, the UN agency said.
The drought has destroyed crops and inflicted "abnormally" high livestock deaths, forcing rural families who rely on herding and farming to abandon their homes.
Water and grazing land is in short supply and forecasts of below-average rainfall in coming months only threaten more misery, said Michael Dunford, WFP's regional director in East Africa.
"Harvests are ruined, livestock are dying, and hunger is growing as recurrent droughts affect the Horn of Africa," he said in a statement.
"The situation requires immediate humanitarian action" to avoid a repeat of a crisis like that of Somalia in 2011, when 250,000 died of hunger during a prolonged drought.
Food aid is being distributed across an arid swathe of Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia where malnutrition rates are high and some 13 million people are at risk of severe hunger in the first quarter of this year.
Some 5.7 million needed food assistance in southern and south-eastern Ethiopia, including half a million malnourished children and mothers.
In Somalia, the number of people classified as seriously hungry is expected to rise from 3.5 million to 4.6 million by May unless urgent interventions are taken.
Another 2.8 million people need assistance in south-eastern and northern Kenya, where a drought emergency was declared in September.
WFP said $327 million was required to respond to immediate needs over the next six months and support pastoral communities to become more resilient against recurring climate shocks.
In 2011, failed rains led to the driest year since 1951 in arid regions of Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Uganda.
Experts say extreme weather events are happening with increased frequency and intensity due to climate change -- with Africa, which contributes the least to global warming, bearing the brunt.
N.Walker--AT