Tens of thousands of famine-stricken Somali refugees were cold and drenched after torrential rains pounded their makeshift structures overnight and today in the capital, leading to appeals for aid.

GREAT cities have a genius for throwing up characters and institutions, people and places that somehow manage to represent the quirks and foibles of the city.

POPE John Paul yesterday condemned human cloning as an arrogant attempt to improve on God’s creation.

POPE John Paul II, looking healthier than during his weekend pilgrimage to Lourdes and speaking with a clear voice, thanked God yesterday for giving him the strength to visit the French shrine.