Armed groups from northern Mali on Tuesday claimed they captured the key town of Bourem, between Gao and Timbuktu, before pulling out, fuelling fears of the collapse of a peace deal between the ex-rebels and government forces.In late August, the junta had called on the armed groups to relaunch dialogue and the ailing peace deal, amid fears of fresh hostilities after the UN peacekeepers withdraw.
In a significant ecclesiastical announcement, Pope Francis has named Bishop Rui Manuel Sousa Valerio as the new patriarch of Lisbon. This appointment follows closely on the heels of the .