December 28, 2021

*) Somalia PM accuses president of 'coup' attempt as elections spat deepens A political crisis in Somalia has escalated as the president suspended the prime minister, who blasted the move as an "attempted coup" and asked armed forces to follow his orders. The exchange came a day after President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed sparred with Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble over sluggish preparations for elections. Relations between the pair have long been frosty, but the latest move stokes fears over the country’s stability as it struggles to stage elections and fight an insurgency. *) India blocks foreign funds for Mother Teresa's charity on Christmas India has terminated a permit that allowed a Christian organisation, the Missionaries of Charity, to receive foreign funds. That's after hardline Hindu organisations affiliated with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party accused the group of leading religious conversion programmes. The charity, which was founded by the late Mother Teresa, has more than 3,000 nuns worldwide and runs a stream of social programmes across India. *) Syria reports 2nd Israeli attack on vital port in a month Israeli missiles fired from the Mediterranean struck the Syrian port of Latakia, igniting a fire in the container terminal, state media reported. The suspected air strike caused a blaze at a container storage area, and damaged a hospital, residential buildings and shops. The strike marks the second such attack this month on the facility that handles most imports for war-torn Syria. ​​​*) Thousands of cranes die in Israel's 'deadliest wildlife disaster' A bird flu outbreak in northern Israel has killed at least 5,200 migratory cranes and forced farmers to slaughter hundreds of thousands of chickens. Authorities are trying to contain what they say is the deadliest wildlife disaster in the nation's history. Uri Naveh, a senior scientist at the Israel Parks and Nature Authority, said the situation is not yet under control. And finally … *) Chinese web users blast Musk ove