MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA — FERRYING passengers around in a Melbourne taxi, Abdalla Ahmed might seem to be one more refugee dreaming of bringing out those he left behind.

But Mr Ahmed harbours a grander vision, one that has embraced an entire town in Ethiopia and inspired support from around the world. More on One man’s quest to build a hospital

By Frank Nyakairu

KAMPALA (Reuters) – The Nigerian military has sent a reconnaissance team to Somalia and is expected to deploy troops there soon as part of an African peacekeeping force, a spokesman for the force said on Tuesday.

The African Union had planned to send 8,000 soldiers to the capital Mogadishu to support the U.N.-backed interim government, which faces an insurgency by Islamist rebels. More on AU says Nigeria will send peacekeepers to Somalia

Drought in the Horn of Africa is deepening after the failure of annual rains, and the UN estimates that more than 14.5 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance.

The BBC’s Adam Mynott reports from Somalia, one of the worst affected countries.