The rising water levels in the lakes inhabiting the Great Rift Valley in Kenya have not only caused large-scale displacements but have also increased incidents of human-animal conflict.

Kenya is home to 64 lakes and eight of these are in Rift Valley, which is an intra-continental ridge system that runs through Kenya from north to south.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Thomas Chepchieng, director of Medical Services in Baringo county, said the crocodile attacks on people are on the rise, and most of the affected people are aged between 15-19 years.
Douglas Keitany, 42, and a 13-year-old girl became the latest victims of crocodiles in Lake Baringo.
- The young girl was bathing in the lake when a crocodile emerged and dragged her deep into the lake, she is yet to be found, as for the other man, only his leg was retrieved from the lake - said Janet Chebet, a villager from Kambi ya Samaki in Baringo county.
Those living on the shores of the lake showed scars mostly on the bodies of their children and the elderly inflicted by crocodiles, as a media team arrived in the region. Many people had lost their limbs and were left paralyzed forever.
At the serene Lake Naivasha, waters have submerged an entire residential estate. Industries and other places that offered employment to the locals are submerged and now hosting crocodiles and hippos.
- That place is where my house used to be, it was made of stone andiron roofing … I lived next to that two-story building over there - said resident Ann Njeri, while pointing towards the area from a boat.
The roof of a church is visible from a distance, as the rest of the building has gone deep into the water.

Besides inundating farmlands, residential areas, rising waters are bringing crocodiles and hippos close to habitations

Kenya is home to 64 lakes and eight of these are in Rift Valley

Flooding lakes in Kenya’s Rift Valley lead to large-scale displacement

In talks with the Taliban, Turkey on Thursday reiterated the importance of government inclusiveness for Afghanistan's unity, said a top Turkish official.

Turkey repeated its advice to the visiting Taliban delegation on girls' education and women's employment in business life, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said at a news conference following a meeting with Afghanistan's acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in Ankara.
Muttaqi led a Taliban delegation for an official visit to Turkey to discuss bilateral issues as well as cooperation on the future of Afghanistan.​​​​​​​
The Taliban officials have pledged to provide the utmost support to Afghan refugees who want to return to the country from Turkey, added Cavusoglu.
He also underlined that the Taliban delegation conveyed requests to Turkey during the meeting, especially on humanitarian aid and continued investment in Afghanistan.
Last month, Cavusoglu said Turkey has contributed to stabilization and development efforts in Afghanistan, including on the education of girls and empowerment of women since the 1920s, adding that Ankara continues providing humanitarian aid through the Turkish Red Crescent.

Turkish foreign minister repeats advice on girls' education, women's employment in Afghanistan at meeting with Taliban delegation in Ankara

The Taliban officials have pledged to provide the utmost support to Afghan refugees who want to return to the country from Turkey

In talks with Taliban, Turkey underlines need for inclusive Afghan government

US Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday reaffirmed the "strength and the endurance" of the bilateral relationship between Washington and Tel Aviv during a meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid. 

Speaking ahead of their meeting, Harris said the US-Israel relationship is "unwavering, a relationship that is based on shared values, shared history, and a shared concern for the mutual safety and security of the people of our two countries."
- We will also discuss, of course, what we must do to strengthen those relationships and…in particular, security concerns that Israel always has had and continues to have, and our commitment to ensure the security of the people of Israel - she said.
In addition, Harris said she and the top diplomat discussed the "issue of peace, security, and prosperity for Palestinians as well as Israelis, and, of course, the regional challenges that we face," as well as normalization agreements struck by former US President Donald Trump between Israel and several Muslim-majority nations, which Harris said she and President Joe Biden "strongly support."
Lapid, for his part, said that even when there are differences between Washington and Tel Aviv, the two nations mutually "know that our goal is common, which is to see Israel strong, secure, and thriving."
- It's true that the center of my visit is the Iranian nuclear program, but it deals with one more thing: strengthening our bipartisan relationship with the next generation of young Americans - he said.
Biden has attempted to bring the US and Iran back to mutual compliance with the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which placed an unprecedented international inspection regime on Iran's nuclear program in exchange for billions of dollars in relief from economic sanctions. The effort to return to compliance has been vocally opposed by Israel.
Trump unilaterally withdrew from the pact in 2018 and went on to pursue what his administration called a "maximum pressure" campaign against Tehran geared at bringing Iran back to the negotiating table by reimposing sanctions and adding new ones to a laundry list of penalties, which was ultimately futile. Iran, in retaliation, stepped back from its commitments under the agreement.
In addition to meeting with Harris, Lapid also sat down with Biden's national security adviser Jake Sullivan, who "reaffirmed President Biden’s commitment to ensuring that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon," National Security Council spokeswoman Emily Horne said in a statement.
- The officials agreed that the United States and Israel will continue to consult closely on Iran and other critical matters impacting the security and stability of the region - she added.

Iran at center of discussions between US vice president and Israel's top diplomat

US affirms "strength", "endurance" of bilateral ties with Israel

A serial killer who confessed to killing 10 children has escaped from police custody days after leading homicide detectives to four crime scenes where some of the murders occurred.

Police confirmed to the media on Wednesday that the 20-year-old Masten Wanjala Milimu escaped either late Tuesday or early Wednesday from the Jogoo Road Police Station in the Kenyan capital Nairobi. He was waiting to face over 10 counts of murder.
It is still unclear how the serial killer escaped but police, led by Nairobi police boss James Mugera, say that they have cast their dragnet in major cities in search of the killer.
Policemen who were taking the routine morning roll call raised the alarm Wednesday morning after they found that one of the prisoners was missing.
Masten Milimu was to be presented in court for a hearing on Wednesday, police told reporters, adding they had linked the killer to 14 murder incidents that took place in western Kenya in July.
Milimu had told police that almost all his victims were boys, who he drugged before killing and often drank their blood.

20-year-old Milimu told police he drank victims' blood after killing them

Detectives in Kenya had arrested 20-year-old Masten Milimu Wanjala after in a shocking revelation admitted to have kidnapped over 10 children and executed them in cold blood

Man who confessed to killing 10 children in Kenya escapes from police cell

A French soldier participating in Operation Barkhane died in a maintenance accident in Mali, the French military said on Wednesday.

In a statement, Gen. Thierry Burkhard, chief of staff of French military, said Adrien Quelin, 29, died after the truck cabin fell while he was working on the vehicle’s engine.
The accident occurred in Mali’s Timbuktu area on Tuesday, according to the military.
- He was seriously injured. Despite the immediate care by the emergency services on the spot, he could not be saved. He died as a result of his injuries - the statement read.
It added that an investigation was launched into the incident.
Burkhard offered his condolences to the family of the fallen serviceman and the military.
Quelin worked as a mechanic for the military.
French Defense Minister Florence Parly also paid her tribute.
- I salute his commitment and bow to his memory. My thoughts are with his family, loved ones and brothers in arms - she tweeted.
Last month, a French soldier was killed in a clash with an armed militant group in Mali.
France maintains about 5,100 soldiers in West Africa as part of its Operation Barkhane anti-terrorism force, with its headquarters in Chad’s capital N’Djamena.
French President Emmanuel Macron announced in July a drawdown in France’s military operation there.
More than 50 French soldiers have died in the Sahel region since Paris deployed troops in Mali in 2013 after unrest broke out in the north of the country, according to official data.

Adrien Quelin, 29, died after truck cabin fell while he was working on vehicle’s engine, says French military

The accident occurred in Mali’s Timbuktu area on Tuesday, according to the military

French soldier dies in maintenance accident in Mali

Trapped in an unending cycle of violence and now in the grip of a pandemic, many people in Indian-administered Kashmir continue to remain on edge, particularly the poor.

More than 100 lives have been lost in the disputed Himalayan region this year due to violence by both government forces and militants, according to police data. Nearly 28 civilians have also been killed in suspected militant attacks.
However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 4,426 people, with most of them having suffered underlying ailments, died, putting the already fragile community in more adverse conditions.
On March 18 last year, when the regional administration of Jammu and Kashmir imposed a strict lockdown to stem coronavirus infections, Aijaz Ahmad Wani was baffled by the situation.
The young man’s only concern was how to care for his elder diabetic and paralyzed sister at their home in the Shadipora village in the restive region’s Budgam district.
Diagnosed with periodic paralysis – a rare genetic disorder that causes sudden attacks of short-term muscle weakness, stiffness or paralysis – at an early age, Gulshana Wani has remained bedridden for almost 20 years of her life.
Struggling with abject poverty, Gulshana lost her parents years ago. But when the pandemic hit the region, it unnerved Aijaz and Tabassum Jan, the younger siblings and caretakers of Gulshana.
- For two months at a stretch, there was no source of income for us. We were almost starving - Aijaz said, adding it was very tough to manage medicines for his ailing sister during that time.
Dropping out of school at the age of 13 and now working as a laborer, Aijaz has been unable to work and support his impoverished family since Aug. 5, 2019, when the Indian government stripped the region of its limited autonomy.
The move threw the region’s population of over 12 million into a complete blackout after communication lines were severed.

As Aijaz was eagerly looking for financial help, it was the Help Poor Voluntary Trust (HPVT) based in the main city of Srinagar which managed the medical bills and provided medical assistance to Gulshana.

After getting to know Gulshana’s condition, the aid group provided all the medicines free of cost.
HPVT chairman Farooq Ahmad Bhat told Anadolu Agency that they are trying to help poor patients in whatever way they can, but there are many out there where help is yet to reach them.
The aid group has been at the forefront of providing free medicines and medical assistance to the poor since the pandemic hit the region. For the past two years, it has helped over 3,000 patients with free medicines and is continuing to offer its services.

With foreign aid to the region blocked, small voluntary groups are still struggling along despite few donations coming in.

- I have never seen such a crisis in my whole life where working class people are seeking help for food and medical assistance - Manzoor Ahmad, a volunteer working with the Athrout Organization, told Anadolu Agency. The group primarily works in the areas of medical assistance, food and education.
Data shared by the group show that for the last two years, more than 300 patients were given oxygen cylinders for free over a specific time period, some 150 people were given free dialysis treatment and around 200 families were given free food kits.
In 2014, when the Kashmir region witnessed a crisis due to floods and the administration was largely “off the scene,” it was only Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) – the region’s largest socio-political organization – that rushed to the aid of people organizing aid and relief campaigns.
From rescue to relief operations, the group managed well. But amid the current crisis, they are nowhere to be found, as the Indian government imposed a five-year ban on the group, claiming it is involved in “subversive activities” and “in touch with the militant groups.”
Zahoor Ahmad Tak, chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Yateem Trust, an orphanage organization, told Anadolu Agency that definitely a group like JeI, which has done invaluable humanitarian work, especially in the 2014 floods in the region, is being badly missed in the present crisis.
- The group is very much aware of the problems faced by people in the region as they work at a very basic level. But unfortunately, during the present crisis, they don’t have access to reach people as they are banned - Tak said.

Despite blockade of foreign aid, volunteer groups in Kashmir rise to challenge crisis

More than 100 lives have been lost in the disputed Himalayan region this year due to violence by both government forces and militants

Small volunteer groups in Kashmir act as beacons of hope

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov spoke by phone with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry said Tuesday. 

The ministers agreed that the current rhetoric between the two countries, which does not correspond with the level of friendship Azerbaijan and Iran have, is harmful and disagreements should be resolved through dialogue, the ministry said in a statement.
The statement noted that Bayramov and Amir-Abdollahian highlighted the importance of mutual respect for their countries’ territorial integrity and sovereignty.
According to the statement, the ministers also decided that transit transportation via Azerbaijan will be discussed by the two countries’ concerned institutions.
Tensions between Azerbaijan and Iran have escalated after Tehran recently moved troops close to the Azerbaijani border and conducted nonstop military maneuvers in reaction to a joint military drill by Azerbaijan, Turkey and Pakistan.

Ministers highlight importance of mutual respect for territorial integrity, sovereignty

The ministers agreed that the current rhetoric between the two countries, which does not correspond with the level of friendship Azerbaijan and Iran have, is harmful

Azerbaijani foreign minister speaks with his Iranian counterpart by phone

US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland on Wednesday appreciated “the frank, productive review” of bilateral relations conducted with Kremlin officials in Moscow.

- Under Secretary Nuland: Very much appreciated the frank, productive review of U.S.-Russia relations with Deputy Head of Presidential Administration Ushakov at the Kremlin this morning - Jason Rebholz, spokesperson for the US Embassy in Moscow, said on Twitter.
- We remain committed to a stable, predictable relationship - he added.
Nuland arrived in Moscow on Monday and has met a number of senior Russian officials during the visit, including Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov and the Russian president’s international affairs aide Yury Ushakov, and Dmitry Kozak, deputy chief of staff of the Presidential Executive Office.

Nuland arrived in Moscow on Monday and has met a number of senior Russian officials during the visit

US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Victoria Nuland leaves after her meeting at the Russian Foreign Ministry in Moscow, Russia on October 12, 2021.

US diplomat hails "frank, productive" review of bilateral ties in Russia visit

Russia-US relations can worsen further, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said Tuesday after meeting US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland in Moscow.

The talks did not lead to any progress, on the contrary, there is a potential for possible further escalation if significant efforts to normalize ties are not made, Ryabkov told reporters in Moscow.
The diplomat said the problems of granting visas to officials along with difficulties in the work of the diplomatic missions of the two countries were topical at the meeting.
He warned that Moscow would like to avoid this scenario but does not rule out freezing the work of the diplomatic missions.
- We would like to avoid this. But we cannot rule out such a scenario, such an option in the worst-case scenario. But, I emphasize, we would like to avoid this - he said.
Ryabkov added he agreed with Nuland to hold additional consultations regarding the problems in the work of diplomatic missions and granting visas to officials.
The talk was "ultimately straight and useful," Ryabkov also added.
Nuland arrived in Moscow on Monday. Her visit will last until Oct. 13 and will cover a series of meetings with Russian government officials.
In addition to meeting with Ryabkov, Nuland will hold talks with Yury Ushakov, the presidential assistant for international affairs, and Dmitry Kozak, the deputy head of the presidential administration.

Deputy Foreign Minister Ryabkov, US Undersecretary of State Nuland discuss problems in bilateral ties at meeting in Moscow

The diplomat said the problems of granting visas to officials along with difficulties in the work of the diplomatic missions of the two countries were topical at the meeting

Russia-US ties may worsen, Russian high-ranking diplomat warns

Kuwait on Tuesday allowed women to serve in the army for the first time in the Gulf state’s history, according to the state news agency KUNA.

Defense Minister Sheikh Hamad Jaber Al-Ali Al-Sabah said the door is now open for Kuwaiti women to register for the military service as specialty officers and non-commissioned officers.
According to KUNA, women’s registration in the military service will be limited to the field of medical and supportive military services.
The defense minister said the decision to allow women’s registration in the military service comes out of the army’s responsibility in protecting the country and preserving its security and stability.
Kuwait is the latest Gulf state to allow women to serve in the army. Saudi Arabia allowed women’s conscription earlier this year, while Qatar allowed women to join the military service in 2018.

Women’s registration will be limited to field of medical and supportive military services

According to KUNA, women’s registration in the military service will be limited to the field of medical and supportive military services

For 1st time, Kuwait allows women to serve in army

At least nine people have been killed in a bus crash in South Africa’s eastern KwaZulu-Natal province on Tuesday, according to local emergency services.

- Sadly there have been 9 fatalities. 60 patients have been treated by paramedics. All patients have been transported to hospital - the KZN Emergency Medical Services said on Twitter.
Private ambulance emergency group Netcare 911 also confirmed that multiple passengers had sustained injuries ranging from moderate to severe and have been transported to hospital.
Netcare 911 Spokesman Shaun Herbst told local broadcaster eNCA that initial reports from the scene of the accident indicate that the bus was travelling to the northbound direction when the driver passed the barrier and then lost control of the vehicle and went into the southbound lane.
According to reports, the bus was heading to Johannesburg.

Accident takes place in eastern KwaZulu-Natal province, says health authorities

60 patients have been treated by paramedics

Bus crash kills 9 in South Africa

The EU on Monday imposed sanctions on eight officials accused of targeting opponents of Russia's seizure of Crimea, ahead of a visit to Kiev by the bloc's top officials. 

- The persons added to the EU sanctions list include law enforcement officials - judges, prosecutors and security officers - responsible for enforcing Russian law in the illegally-annexed Crimea and Sevastopol - the EU said in a statement. 
- Those individuals have taken biased decisions in politically-motivated cases, and prosecuted or oppressed opponents of the illegal annexation.-The officials included the head of the FSB intelligence agency in Crimea as well as judges and investigators on the peninsula, and a military prosecutor in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don. 
The latest additions mean the 27-nation bloc has imposed visa bans and asset freezes on 185 individuals and 48 entities over the Russian takeover of Crimea and Moscow-backed insurgency in east Ukraine since 2014.
Rights groups have accused the authorities of a sweeping crackdown on those opposed to Russian rule in Crimea -- including the Crimean Tatar community. 
The announcement of the sanctions comes a day ahead of a meeting in Kiev involving European Council head Charles Michel and European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. 
Brussels is keen to show it remains a key backer in the face of the festering conflict in the east of the country and worries in Kiev that the EU is losing interest in Ukraine.

The officials included the head of the FSB intelligence agency in Crimea as well as judges and investigators on the peninsula, and a military prosecutor in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don

The announcement of the sanctions comes a day ahead of a meeting in Kiev involving European Council head Charles Michel and European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky

EU adds 8 officials to Ukraine blacklist over Crimea

Former Maldives president Mohamed Nasheed returned to his atoll nation unannounced Monday, five months after surviving a bomb attack and undergoing treatment in Germany.

The 54-year-old pro-democracy pioneer was welcomed by President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih at the Male international airport before being driven away under heavy armed escort.
- People were taken by surprise to see him arrive today - a Maldivian official close to Nasheed told AFP. - The return was not announced in advance due to security considerations.-Nasheed, currently the speaker of parliament, was critically wounded in a May 7 assassination attempt outside his home in the capital Male.
He underwent 16 hours of surgery before travelling to Germany in May for further treatment and rehabilitation.
There has been no claim of responsibility but Nasheed's party has blamed religious extremists in the tiny Islamic republic, which practices a liberal form of the religion and is known for its upmarket tourism.
Maldivian authorities have arrested six people, all locals, in connection with the attack that rocked the largely peaceful nation of 340,000 Sunni Muslims.
The government has cracked down on extremism and foreign preachers are banned.
Violent attacks are rare, though a dozen foreign tourists were wounded by a bomb blast in Male in 2007.
The Islamic State claimed a boat arson attack last year, but there is little evidence the group has a presence in the archipelago of 1,192 tiny coral islands.
Nasheed caught international attention for holding a 2009 cabinet meeting underwater to highlight the threat of global warming, signing documents as officials wore scuba gear with coral reefs in the background.
He was toppled in a military-backed coup in 2012, convicted on a terrorism charge and jailed for 13 years.
He left the country on medical leave and sought refuge in Britain, returning to the Maldives after his nominee won the presidency in 2018.

Nasheed, currently the speaker of parliament, was critically wounded in a May 7 assassination attempt outside his home in the capital Male

Maldives former President Mohamed Nasheed

Former Maldives leader returns after surviving bomb blast

Militants shot dead five soldiers in a gunfight in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir on Monday.

Four soldiers and a junior commissioned officer were “critically injured during an anti-terror operation” in the district of Poonch, according to Indian army spokesman Lt. Col. Devender Anand.
-They were rushed to the nearest medical facility where they succumbed to their injuries - he said.
The shoot-out took place during a search operation in villages near the area of Surankote in Poonch.
- The operation is ongoing and reinforcements have been called in - the spokesman said.
According to police, two militants were also killed in Indian-administered Kashmir on Monday – one in the southern Anantnag district and the other in Bandipora district in the north.
Official records show 113 militants have been killed in the disputed Himalayan region this year, with the highest fatalities recorded in the month of July.
Unrest has peaked in Kashmir over recent days, particularly with a spike in attacks on religious minorities, including Sikhs and Hindus.
At least seven civilians have been killed in targeted attacks over the past two weeks, including two teachers and a popular pharmacist from the Sikh and Hindu communities.
The killings have been claimed by a group that calls itself The Resistance Front, which Indian police officials believe is an offshoot of Lashkar-e-Taiba.
The group has accused those it targeted of working for “occupier mercenary forces and occupier stooges.”
According to police statement issued last week, 28 civilians have been killed in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir this year, out of which 21 were Muslims, five were from the local Hindu and Sikh communities, and two were “non-local Hindu laborers.”
Varying reports suggest Indian police and military have picked up somewhere between 500 to 900 people in recent days as part of efforts to track down the perpetrators behind the spate of killings.
Police officials have refused to divulge the exact number, but maintain that “only people with possible links to militants or those involved in subversive activities” are being detained.

Deadly shoot-out between militants, Indian forces comes amid spate of violence in disputed Himalayan region

The shoot-out took place during a search operation in villages near the area of Surankote in Poonch

5 Indian soldiers killed in Kashmir gunfight

Tunisia’s new Cabinet was sworn in on Monday, two weeks after Najla Bouden was appointed the country’s first female prime minister.

The swearing-in ceremony took place at the Presidential Palace of Carthage.
On Sep. 29, President Kais Saied appointed Bouden as the country’s new prime minister, two months after assuming executive authority.
In an earlier Facebook posting, the presidency said that Saied had approved the new government selected by Bouden.
Eight out of the new government's 23 ministerial portfolios were given to women, according to the same source.
The lineup saw Tawfiq Sharafeddine, the former coordinator of Saied’s presidential election campaign in Sousse, returning to his post as interior minister after he was dismissed by former Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi on Jan. 5.
Mechichi did not reveal the reasons for dismissing Sharafeddine at the time, but media reports suggested that he was sacked for removing a number of ministry officials from their positions without consulting the premier.
The new Cabinet also saw the creation of a ministerial portfolio of employment and vocational training.
In a televised speech following the government formation, Bouden said her government is committed to “improving services and citizens' living conditions” and restoring the international community's confidence in the North African country.
On July 25, Saied ousted the government, suspended parliament, and assumed executive authority. While he insists that his "exceptional measures" are meant to "save" the country, critics accuse him of orchestrating a coup.
Tunisia has been seen as the only country that succeeded in carrying out a democratic transition among Arab countries which witnessed popular revolutions toppling ruling regimes, including Egypt, Libya, and Yemen.

Najla Bouden named country’s first female prime minister in late September

The swearing-in ceremony took place at the Presidential Palace of Carthage

New Tunisian government sworn in

Pope Francis met Sunday with a Colombian nun who was freed the previous day by militants in Mali after more than four years in captivity, the Vatican said.

Gloria Cecilia Narvaez was kidnapped on Feb. 7, 2017 in southern Mali near the border with Burkina Faso while doing missionary work by the Macina Liberation Front, an al-Qaeda-linked group.
After travelling to Rome, Narvaez met the Pope, said the Vatican, a day after she met with Mali’s interim President Assimi Goita.
Her meeting with Pope Francis took place before the celebration of a holy mass for the beginning of the synodal process at St. Peter's Basilica, the Vatican said.
The 59-year-old Franciscan nun said she was grateful to Malian authorities for all the efforts towards liberating her.
- I am very happy. I stayed healthy for five years, thank God - she said.
In a statement Saturday, Mali’s presidency saluted the courage and bravery of the nun, saying her liberation was a culmination of four years and eight months of combined efforts by several intelligence services.
It was not immediately clear whether Narvaez was freed following a ransom payment.
The Archbishop of Bamako, Jean Zerbo, also thanked Malian authorities and other “good people who made her release possible.”
- We have prayed long and hard for this day - he said.
Regular reports on the nun’s safety provided reassurance as two Europeans who escaped from captivity earlier this year reported that Sister Gloria was still alive. In March, her brother reportedly received a letter written and signed by her through the Red Cross.
Mali has been battling an insurgency linked to the al-Qaeda and Daesh/ISIS terrorist groups since 2012, when unrest erupted in the north of the West African country.
The violence, which has killed thousands of civilians and troops, has spread to neighboring Niger and Burkina Faso.
On Saturday, Goita reassured the Malian people and the international community that “efforts are still underway to secure the release of all persons, Malians and foreigners, held captive on Malian territory.”

Flooding lakes in Kenya’s Rift Valley lead to large-scale displacement

In talks with Taliban, Turkey underlines need for inclusive Afghan government

US affirms "strength", "endurance" of bilateral ties with Israel

Man who confessed to killing 10 children in Kenya escapes from police cell

French soldier dies in maintenance accident in Mali

Small volunteer groups in Kashmir act as beacons of hope

Azerbaijani foreign minister speaks with his Iranian counterpart by phone

US diplomat hails "frank, productive" review of bilateral ties in Russia visit

Russia-US ties may worsen, Russian high-ranking diplomat warns

For 1st time, Kuwait allows women to serve in army

Bus crash kills 9 in South Africa

EU adds 8 officials to Ukraine blacklist over Crimea

Former Maldives leader returns after surviving bomb blast

5 Indian soldiers killed in Kashmir gunfight

New Tunisian government sworn in

Pope Francis meets with Colombian nun freed in Mali

World

Flooding lakes in Kenya’s Rift Valley lead to large-scale displacement

In talks with Taliban, Turkey underlines need for inclusive Afghan government

US affirms "strength", "endurance" of bilateral ties with Israel

Man who confessed to killing 10 children in Kenya escapes from police cell

French soldier dies in maintenance accident in Mali

Small volunteer groups in Kashmir act as beacons of hope

Azerbaijani foreign minister speaks with his Iranian counterpart by phone

US diplomat hails "frank, productive" review of bilateral ties in Russia visit

Russia-US ties may worsen, Russian high-ranking diplomat warns

For 1st time, Kuwait allows women to serve in army

Bus crash kills 9 in South Africa

EU adds 8 officials to Ukraine blacklist over Crimea

Former Maldives leader returns after surviving bomb blast

5 Indian soldiers killed in Kashmir gunfight

New Tunisian government sworn in

Pope Francis meets with Colombian nun freed in Mali