Boyles

DunbarFarris

Labour MP Nick Raynsford said that, when Mr Coulson was at Downing Street, the cabinet secretary was alerted to evidence of illegal phone hacking, covert surveillance and hostile media briefing against a senior government official - the cabinet secretary later denied it. An estimated 10 million people have been affected in East Africa by the worst drought in more than half a century. More than 166,000 desperate Somalis are estimated to have fled their country to neighbouring Kenya or Ethiopia. She said the US had already provided $431m this year in emergency aid to the Horn of Africa, but that was "not enough". But US aid officials say assurances must be given that the insurgents will not interfere with its distribution. The US considers al-Shabab a terrorist group and last year stopped aid to the large area of Somalia it controls. "The overall requirement is $1.6bn (�990m) for Somalia, roughly $300m is needed in the next two months to provide an adequate response to famine-affected areas. Children and adults are dying at an appalling rate," Mr Ban said. Save the Children's Sonia Zambakides told the BBC the situation in Somalia was shocking.