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. During Wednesday's House of Commons debate on the phone-hacking scandal, MPs called on News International to publish…

Drought, conflict and poverty have now combined to produce the necessary conditions for famine. Earlier, the Met was accused by MPs of a "catalogue of failures" in the News of the World phone-hacking inquiry. An estimated 10 million people have been affected in East Africa by the worst drought in more than half a century.…

Meanwhile, News of the World owner News International said it had authorised law firm Harbottle & Lewis to answer any questions from Scotland Yard and the Commons home affairs committee about its work for the company. that they can operate unfettered," Mr Steinberg told the BBC. Labour MP Nick Raynsford said that, when Mr Coulson…

The UN has declared a famine in two areas of southern Somalia as the region experiences the worst drought in more than half a century. Nearly half the Somali population - 3.7 million people - were in crisis, he said, with most of them in the south. The protester accused of throwing shaving foam at…

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. The US considers al-Shabab a terrorist group and last year stopped aid to…

The law firm had said it was being prevented from responding to "inaccurate" comments made by News International chairman James Murdoch because the company would not allow it breach its duty of client confidentiality. During Wednesday's House of Commons debate on the phone-hacking scandal, MPs called on News International to publish the full exchanges about…

He said the goal was to save lives, "not to play a game of 'gotcha' with a UN agency or any other group that is brave enough to go in and provide that assistance". Nearly half the Somali population - 3.7 million people - were in crisis, he said, with most of them in the…

He said discussions with al-Shabab about the safe distribution of food aid were taking place at a local level, and that responses were expected to differ depending on the locality. that they can operate unfettered," Mr Steinberg told the BBC. Downing Street confirms that the prime minister received and responded to a letter from Labour…

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said new funds to help the country were desperately needed. Al-Shabab, an al-Qaeda-affiliated group which controls large swathes of south and central Somalia, had imposed a ban on foreign aid agencies in its territories in 2009, but has recently allowed limited access. Prime Minister David Cameron told MPs that "with…

Save the Children's Sonia Zambakides told the BBC the situation in Somalia was shocking. She said the US had already provided $431m this year in emergency aid to the Horn of Africa, but that was "not enough". Families have built their own homes at the camp with tree branches, wood and plastic sheets, he says.…