Somaliland has signed a deal with Ethiopia to grant it access to 20 kilometres of Red Sea coast in exchange for official recognition of its status as an independent country.

Please read the incredible story of how a small Indian ed tech firm turned into one of the world’s prolific cyber mercenary organizations:

reuters.com/investigates/s…

reuters.com/investigates/s…

Now is probably the time to announce that I've been writing a book about OpenAI, the AI industry & its impacts. Here is a slice of my book reporting, combined with reporting from the inimitable Charlie Warzel. Inside the year of chaos that led to this weekend. theatlantic.com/technology/arc…

The UN warns of heightened risk of genocide in Ethiopia’s regions of Tigray, Amhara, Afar and Oromia following reports of continued fighting between govt troops and local militias. Eritrean troops and Amhara militia members continue to commit grave violations in Tigray, it says.

BREAKING: Uganda opposition leader Bobi Wine arrested on return to country: party -- AFP News Agency

The billionaire chairman of property developer China Evergrande Group has been placed under police control, Bloomberg reports. Hui Ka Yan was taken away by Chinese police earlier this month and is being monitored at a designated location. buff.ly/3rlsr2h

Chinese authorities are investigating Defence Minister Li Shangfu over the procurement of military equipment, Reuters reports. Eight senior officials from the military's procurement unit, which Li led from 2017 to 2022, are also under investigation. buff.ly/45S0qOQ

China’s Defense Minister Li Shangfu was taken away last week by authorities for questioning and US officials say he’s being removed from his post, The Wall Street Journal reports. The rising number of vanished officials has prompted questions about Xi Jinping’s governance. buff.ly/3riGJ3G

The African Union joined the Group of 20 leading economies at its summit on Saturday, giving the continent more of a voice on the global stage, with host Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying it turned the often divided bloc into the 'people's G20'. buff.ly/3Z7ie5X

With no cell service or phone calls, people in Sudan's war-ravaged western region of Darfur are resorting to a bygone means of communication: handwritten letters, carried by taxi drivers. buff.ly/3LbXAvQ

Kenya’s President William Ruto calls for a global debt relief deal to help indebted countries fight the effects of climate change, insisting the issues are indelibly linked. “If you don’t solve the debt issue, you can’t solve the climate issue,' he said. buff.ly/3qZ0zR8

Eritrean troops allied with Ethiopia's government 'committed war crimes and possible crimes against humanity' in Tigray, raping, enslaving and executing civilians for months after the signing of last year's peace deal, Amnesty International says. buff.ly/3R4oidh

Gabon's army says General Brice Oligui Nguema will be sworn in on Monday as the country's transitional president, while the opposition calls for its candidate to be recognised as the winner of last week's elections. buff.ly/3sFNUD3

To mark the coup in Gabon, here is a story I've never forgotten, about an incredible collision of American popular culture and Central African politics.

It concerns the Bongo family, which ruled Gabon until today – and the Godfather of Soul, James Brown.

NEW: The Adani Group is one of India’s top conglomerates and is widely linked to Prime Minister Modi. It’s also been rocked by accusations of stock manipulation.

Now reporters have found new evidence that sheds light where the authorities couldn’t. 👇occrp.org/en/investigati…

US Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has acknowledged that he took three trips last year aboard a private plane owned by Republican megadonor Harlan Crow. It’s the first time in years that Thomas has reported receiving hospitality from Crow. buff.ly/3PlF32g

Army officers have appeared on national television in Gabon to say they have taken power. They said they were annulling the results of Saturday's election, in which President Ali Bongo was declared the winner. buff.ly/47QC1ui

BREAKING: Gabonese soldiers appeared on television to announce they were cancelling the results of the country's recent election and dissolving 'all the institutions of the republic', as AFP News Agency journalists heard gunfire in the capital Libreville.

BREAKING: Ali Bongo re-elected as president of Gabon with 64.27 percent of the vote: official results -- AFP News Agency

Russian President Vladimir Putin is preparing to visit China in October in his first foreign trip since a warrant for his arrest on alleged war crimes was issued by the International Criminal Court, Bloomberg reports. buff.ly/45LomCU