April 13, 2017 Egypt beefs up security outside churches ahead of Easter Outside of Cairo's St. Mark's Cathedral, the seat of the Coptic Orthodox Pope, a dozen high-ranking police officers are stationed on all entrances, searching cars and scanning the area, as security measures are visibly beefed up outside churches before Easter prayers on Sunday.
April 12, 2017 UN peacekeepers' child sex ring left victims, but no arrests An Associated Press investigation of U.N.
April 12, 2017 Egypt court sentences lawyer to 10 years for Facebook posts An Egyptian criminal court has sentenced a rights lawyer to 10 years in prison and five years of house arrest and a social media ban for using Facebook to "destabilize the general order" and "harm national unity and social peace." The Alexandria-based lawyer, Mohamed Ramadan, was sentenced using a controversial 2015 counter-terrorism law, days after President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi declared a three-month state of emergency.
April 12, 2017 Somalia's army rescues 8 Indian crew held hostage by pirates An official says Somalia's military has rescued 8 Indian crew members who had been held hostage by pirates.
April 12, 2017 Chicago tourist cuddles with lion in South Africa, lives to tell about it Ted Papastefan deals with some savage customers in his job as a Chicago grocery store manager, but they’re nothing like the wild animal he encountered on a recent vacation.
April 12, 2017 South African opposition marks Zuma's birthday with protest Protesters in South Africa are gathering for a demonstration against President Jacob Zuma, who turns 75 on Wednesday amid calls for his resignation because of scandals and his dismissal of a widely respected finance minister.
April 12, 2017 Egypt names Mubarak-era figures to head media watchdogs Egypt's president has picked three former leaders at state news organizations during the era of deposed autocrat Hosni Mubarak to lead new media watchdog agencies, part of measures to tighten his control over the country following a pair of horrific Islamic State church bombings last weekend.
April 12, 2017 Nigeria thwarts Boko Haram plan to attack US, UK embassies Nigerian security officials say they have thwarted plans by Islamic State group-linked Boko Haram members to attack the embassies of the United States and Britain.
April 12, 2017 South Sudan's war disrupts farming, creates famine "I went only with my fear," said Gatluok Chuol.