At least 17 pupils have died after a school in central Kenya caught fire on Thursday night, police say.

The cause of the fire at Hillside Endarasha Primary in Nyeri county is not yet known, and an investigation has been launched.

There are fears the death toll could rise as more than a dozen others have been taken to hospital with severe burns.

We’re still gathering information on the details of the fire and our teams in London and Nairobi will bring you live updates as we get them, so stay with us.

Souce: www.bbc.com

CAIRO, Aug. 24, (Xinhua) — Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, and U.S. President Joe Biden, discussed the Gaza ceasefire negotiations on Friday during a phone call, focusing on the mediation efforts led by their countries.

The Egyptian Presidency stated that the two leaders reviewed the “intensive” efforts to secure a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and facilitate a hostage exchange.

Sisi and Biden underscored the need for all parties involved to overcome obstacles, and demonstrate flexibility to reach an agreement.

Sisi highlighted the urgent need for an immediate ceasefire, to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and to prevent further regional military escalation.

On Thursday, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office confirmed the arrival of the heads of the Israeli Security Agency, and the Mossad intelligence service in Cairo to participate in the negotiations for a hostage release deal.

Last Friday, the United States, Egypt, and Qatar, the mediators of the Gaza ceasefire talks, announced the conclusion of two days of discussions in Doha. They plan to reconvene in Cairo within a week, to finalize a deal aimed at ending the conflict.

The mediators characterized the talks as constructive and conducted in a positive environment. However, Hamas, which did not participate directly in the Doha negotiations, accused Israel of adding new conditions to a previously supported proposal, and expressed skepticism about the negotiations’ outcome. -GNA

The President of the United States of America (USA), Joe Biden has dropped out of the race for the 2024 Presidency.

America will go to the polls in November, and as a result, all the political parties have put in place the necessary measures for victory.

In a statement, he indicated that over the past three and a half years, they have made great progress as a Nation.

He said “Today, America has the strongest economy in the world. We’ve made historic investments in rebuilding our Nation, in lowering prescription drug costs for seniors, and in expanding affordable health care to a record number of Americans”

“We’ve provided critically needed care to a million veterans exposed to toxic substances. Passed the first gun safety law in 30 years. Appointed the first African American woman to the Supreme Court. And passed the most significant climate legislation in the history of the world. America has never been better positioned to lead than we are today,” he added.

According to him, “I know none of this could have been done without you, the American people. Together, we overcame a once-in-a-century pandemic and the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. We’ve protected and preserved our Democracy. And we’ve revitalized and strengthened our alliances around the world”

President Biden added that it has been the greatest honour of his life to serve as your President and while it has been his intention to seek reelection, he believes it is in the best interest of his party and the country for him to step down and to focus solely on filfilling his duties as President for the remainder of his term.

He further added that “I will speak to the Nation later this week in more detail about my decision. For now, let me express my deepest gratitude to all those who have worked so hard to see me reelected.”

“I want to thank Vice President Kamala Harris for being an extraordinary partner in all this work. And let me express my heartfelt appreciation to the American people for the faith and trust you have placed in me. I believe today what I always have: that there is nothing America can’t do when we do it together. We just have to remember we are the United States of America,” his statement concluded.

Historically, a party’s presidential nominee has never stepped out of the race so close to the election. The 36th president of the United States, Lyndon Johnson, besieged by the Vietnam War, announced in March 1968 that he would not seek another term after just a single state’s primary.

Biden’s July decision comes after more than 14 million Democrats cast votes supporting him through the primary process.