MOGADISHU, July 22 (Reuters) - Somalia's hardline Islamist Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys said on Tuesday he had taken charge of the exiled opposition in Eritrea from its moderate chairman who attended U.N.-brokered peace talks last month.

NAIROBI (Reuters) - International donors have funded only about a third of a $637 million aid appeal for Somalia, where drought, violence and record food prices threaten a disaster, a senior U.N. official warned on Tuesday.

This diary is updated weekly and new or updated items are marked with an asterisk.

LONDON, July 22 (Reuters) - When Haile Gebrselassie was taking distance running to new levels a decade ago few could have imagined that even before he had retired he would be eclipsed by another Ethiopian, Kenenisa Bekele.

ADDIS ABABA, July 22 (Reuters) - Land-locked Ethiopia has given Djiboutian President Omar Ismail Guelleh large tracts of land for wheat farming and a lakeside holiday home, officials said on Tuesday.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The International Monetary Fund on Monday urged "forceful" policy tightening in Ethiopia to reduce inflation, as high oil and food prices also strain balance of payments.

LONDON (Reuters) - When Haile Gebrselassie was taking distance running to new levels a decade ago few could have imagined that even before he had retired he would be eclipsed by another Ethiopian, Kenenisa Bekele.

HARARE, July 21 (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's political parties signed a deal on Monday laying down the framework for formal talks on forming a power sharing government to end a deep political crisis.

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - The African Union urged the U.N. Security Council on Monday to put on hold the International Criminal Court's move to indict Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir over war crimes in Darfur.

LONDON (Reuters) - The U.N. food agency urgently needs $222 million to avert a major food crisis in Ethiopia, where millions are struggling to cope with drought and high prices, it said on Monday.

LONDON, July 21 (Reuters) - The U.N. food agency urgently needs $222 million to avert a major food crisis in Ethiopia, where millions are struggling to cope with drought and high prices, it said on Monday.

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - African ministers urged the U.N. Security Council on Monday to seek the suspension of the International Criminal Court indictment of Sudan's President Omar Hassan al-Bashir over Darfur war crimes.

ADDIS ABABA, July 21 (Reuters) - African ministers meeting in Ethiopia on Monday urged the U.N. Security Council to seek the suspension of the International Criminal Court indictment of Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir over war crimes in Darfur.

* Sudan seeks African condemnation of ICC move

HARARE, July 21 (Reuters) - South African President Thabo Mbeki arrived in Harare on Monday to oversee the signing of a deal that will pave the way for formal talks between Zimbabwe's ruling party and two factions of its opposition party.

*MDC wants Mbeki to address draft concerns

KAZAN, Russia, July 18 (Reuters) - Liliya Shobukhova made her Olympic ambitions clear on Saturday when she broke the women's European 5,000 metres record at the Russian national championships.

ASMARA, July 18 (Reuters) - God surveys the world one day, seeing the mountains, valleys, seas and all there is.

ASMARA, July 17 (Reuters) - You can hear the ping of metal striking metal and the gentle buzz of wood being cut before you even enter Medebr market in the Eritrean capital.

MONTREUX, Switzerland, July 15 (Reuters) - Quincy Jones, the trailblazing Grammy Award-winning producer and composer, was feted for his music and humanity at a 75th birthday party which brought Herbie Hancock, Patti Austin, Mick Hucknall and more to Montreux's fabled stage.