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  1. Over 100 health workers died in Libya floods - WHO

    A man looks over Libya's eastern city of Soussa on September 21, 2023, days following deadly flash floods.
    Image caption: Thousands of people died from the floods in eastern Libya last month

    More than 100 health workers died in Libya in the aftermath of the floods last month, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said.

    They are among the 4,000 people who have so far been confirmed dead, it said, adding that more than 8,500 are still missing.

    “These 101 doctors, nurses and paramedics who lost their lives are not only missed by their families and loved ones; the whole community is affected by their departure and certainly the health sector in eastern Libya and beyond will be hit hard, said WHO Representative in Libya Dr Ahmed Zouiten in a tribute to the health workers.

    The disaster happened after two dams that were poorly maintained amid years of conflict in the country burst under the pressure of torrential rains from Storm Daniel.

    Entire neighbourhoods disappeared into the sea as the water hit eastern Libya, including the worst-hit city of Derna.

    Read more:

  2. Kenya hit by record 860m cyber-attacks in a year

    Computer hacker silhouette. Green binary code background
    Image caption: Kenya is now the third most-targeted country by cyber criminals in Africa, after Nigeria and South Africa

    Kenya’s communications regulator has said that the country experienced a record 860 million cyber-attacks in the last 12 months.

    The regulator said that “the frequency, sophistication and scale of cyber-threats” targeted at Kenya’s critical information infrastructure had increased dramatically.

    In 2017, Kenya experienced 7.7 million cyber attacks.

    In July, a high-profile cyber attack attributed to the pro-Russian hacking group Anonymous Sudan cut off access to more than 5,000 online government services in the country, including visa, passport and driving licence applications and renewals.

    The attack also disabled online train booking systems and mobile money transactions.

    The Communications Authority of Kenya on Monday said that 79% of the attacks recorded in the last 12 months were caused by cyber criminals infiltrating the computer systems of organisations.

    The regulator also said that 14% of the attacks involved malicious software, 6.5% involved cybercriminals flooding servers with traffic to overload their infrastructure and the remaining attacks targeted web applications.

    According to the regulator, Kenya is now the third most-targeted country by cyber criminals in Africa, after Nigeria and South Africa.

  3. Hunger strike concerns for detained Ethiopians

    Kalkidan Yibeltal

    BBC News

    Journalist Habtamu Ayalew Teshome speaks to the crowd as members of the Washington DC Ethiopian community demonstrate outside of the U.S. State Department to protest attacks by the Ethiopian government on ethnic Amharas and the Amhara region in Ethiopia on August 10, 2023, i
    Image caption: There have protests against the deadly conflict in Amhara between government forces and local militias

    Families of three Ethiopian politicians jailed in connection with violence in the north-western Amhara region say they are concerned for the detainees’ well-being.

    It comes after handwritten letters on social media appeared to indicate the politicians - Christian Tadele, Yohannes Buayalew and Kassa Teshager - were on hunger strike.

    Mr Christian is a member of Ethiopia’s lower house of parliament while Mr Yohannes and Mr Kassa are members of Amhara regional and Addis Ababa city councils respectively.

    They were arrested - despite having parliamentary immunity - after the authorities declared a state of emergency in order to contain a deadly conflict in Amhara between government forces and local militias.

    The politicians had been critical of the government’s approach to growing resistance in Amhara before their arrest.

    They are being held in a military camp more than 200km (124 miles) east of the capital.

    Family members told the BBC’s Amharic service that they were not allowed to visit the detainees and that they did not know the conditions in which they were being held.

    Fighting broke out in August after months of tension and continues to date.

    But with internet shutdown in the region and phone lines cut off in areas witnessing intense clashes, it’s been difficult to get a clear picture of the extent of the violence.

    More on this topic:

  4. DR Congo colonel sentenced to death

    The Newsroom

    BBC World Service

    Colonel Mike Mikombe (C), one of the accused Republican Guard officers, argues with a lawyer after the hearing at the military court of Goma, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, on September 6, 2023.
    Image caption: Troops serving under Mike Mikombe opened fire on protesters

    An army colonel has been sentenced to death in the Democratic Republic of Congo for his role in the killing of more than 50 demonstrators in August.

    Troops serving under Mike Mikombe opened fire in the eastern city of Goma on members of a religious sect taking part in a banned protest against the UN peacekeeping force.

    He was charged with crimes against humanity.

    Three fellow officers have also been convicted by a military tribunal and sentenced to 10 years in prison.

    Col Mikombe's lawyers have said they'll appeal.

    The death sentence is often handed down in DR Congo but it's been more than 20 years since an execution took place.

  5. Egypt's President Sisi confirms third term bid

    Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi makes a speech as he announces that he will run for a third term in office, in Cairo, Egypt on October 02, 2023.
    Image caption: The retired field marshal led the military's overthrow of Mohammed Morsi in 2013

    Egypt's President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi has confirmed he will stand for a third term in elections scheduled for December.

    The former army chief has been in power since he helped oust Mohammed Morsi, the leader of the Muslim Brotherhood and the country's first democratically elected president, in 2013 amid mass protests against his rule.

    Activists say his term in office has been marked by the brutal suppression of all opposition and the collapse of the Egyptian economy.

    The constitution was changed four years ago to prolong his time in office and attempts by opponents to organise a credible bid for the presidency are reported to have been hampered by Egyptian bureaucracy.

  6. Seychelles opposition politician charged in witchcraft case

    The President of the United Seychelles Party, Dr Patrick Herminie after a meeting with India's high commissioner to Seychelles on 5 April
    Image caption: The trial of Patrick Herminie and the seven other defendants will begin in November

    A court in Seychelles has charged the leader of the main opposition party and seven other individuals on allegations of witchcraft.

    Patrick Herminie plans to run in the 2025 presidential election under the banner of the United Seychelles Party (USP), the country's main opposition party.

    He has denied the charges.

    He told local media that his arrest and prosecution were a political effort to taint his image and that of his party.

    Police say the case is related to the discovery of two bodies that had been exhumed from a cemetery on the island of Mahe.

    According to local media reports, Mr Herminie and his co-accused face several charges, including possession of items intended for use in witchcraft and conspiracy to perform witchcraft.

    Police say that they found Mr Herminie in possession of documents suspected to have been stolen from vandalised places, including Catholic churches.

    They also allege that Mr Herminie’s name appeared in a WhatsApp communication between a Seychellois and a Tanzanian who was arrested in September in possession of items related to witchcraft.

    The court released Mr Herminie and the other Seychellois defendants on bail of 30,000 Seychelles rupees ($2,100; £1,745), but the Tanzanian suspect will stay in custody until the hearing in November.

  7. Nigeria's unions suspend nationwide wage strike

    Nkechi Ogbonna

    West Africa business journalist, BBC News

    Workers from the two main workers unions - the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) hold placards as they march in Abuja on 2 August 2023 during a nationwide protest
    Image caption: Unions say the government has pledged to address their demands

    Nigeria’s two largest labour unions have suspended an indefinite strike that was due to start on Tuesday to demand higher wages to help offset the cost of living crisis.

    It followed hours of deliberations between the unions and the federal government on Monday night in Abuja, the capital.

    The unions say a deal was signed with the government that it would meet the demands of workers within 30 days.

    The unions have demanded a monthly minimum wage of about $260 (£215), saying that recent government policies, including the removal of fuel subsidies, have worsened the cost of living crisis.

    On Sunday, President Bola Tinubu announced a temporary wage increase of about $32 a month for the next six months for lower-paid workers, bringing a monthly minimum salary to $70.

    He also pledged to lower transport costs.

    He scrapped fuel subsidies on his first day in office in May, causing shock among Nigerians as they saw sharp prices rise.

  8. Kenya readies to 'rebuild' Haiti after UN green light

    Former police officer Jimmy "Barbecue" Cherizier, leader of the 'G9' coalition, leads a march surrounded by his security against Haiti's Prime Minister Ariel Henry, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti September 19, 2023.
    Image caption: Gangs have caused chaos and disrupted public services in Haiti

    Kenya says a multinational security force will be deployed in Haiti "within a short time" after the UN voted to back the East African nation's offer to lead the mission.

    "This mandate is not only about peace and security, but also about the rebuilding of Haiti," Kenya's Foreign Affairs Minister Alfred Mutua said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

    He called on international partners to help Kenya put together an effective multinational support mission "that within a short time, will be in Haiti changing lives".

    Late on Monday, the UN Security Council overwhelmingly approved the deployment of the Kenyan-led international force to help combat widespread gang violence in Haiti.

    The resolution was approved with 13 votes in favour and two abstentions from China and Russia.

    Haitian Foreign Minister Jean Victor Généus applauded Monday’s vote, terming it "an expression of solidarity with a population in distress".

    It is still not clear how big the force will be but Kenya has proposed sending 1,000 police officers to the Caribbean nation. The Bahamas, Jamaica and Antigua and Barbuda have said they will take part in the mission.

    Mr Mutua told the BBC that he expected the force to be in place by the beginning of next year, “if not before then”.

    Read more here:

  9. Deadliest jihadist attack in Niger since coup

    Tom Bayly

    BBC News

    Nigerien police soldiers stand guard ouside the Niger and French airbases in Niamey as supporters of Niger's National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP) gather on August 27, 2023.
    Image caption: Jihadist attacks on the army have risen since the military seized power

    Niger's defence ministry says 29 soldiers have been killed in an assault by suspected jihadists in the west of the country.

    It is the deadliest such attack since the army seized power in a coup at the end of July.

    In a televised statement officials said the troops had been targeted by more than a 100 militants, using weapons including improvised explosive devices.

    Three days of national mourning has been declared.

    Jihadist attacks on the army have risen since the military seized power and stated that it had staged the coup to be better able to fight militants.

  10. One million children out of school in Burkina Faso

    Safety fears in Burkina Faso mean one in four schools are closed and more than one million children are not in education, says the UN's children's agency Unicef.

    Burkina Faso is one of the world's most-neglected crises, humanitarians say. The military junta has promised but failed to tackle Islamist militants, who still control large swathes of the country. More than two million people have been forced from their homes by the violence.

    Unicef says it is working with the government to support children in areas that are worst affected by Burkina Faso's security crisis - including the Nord, Centre-Nord, Boucle du Mouhoun, Est, Centre-Est and Sahel regions.

    But Unicef says only 13% of the funds it needs have been allocated, and it needs a further $227m (£187m).

  11. Presidential hopeful wounded by tear gas - reports

    Reports say a presidential candidate and the head of an opposition party are among several people injured, after security officers fired tear gas on people at a rally in Madagascar's capital Antananarivo.

    However, neither of them have been named.

    Two bodyguards protecting ex-President Marc Ravalomanana - who's running for re-election - were arrested.

    "We did not succeed today," said Jean Jacques Ratsietison, another candidate, telling the broadcaster RFI that "we will come back tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, until we reach an agreement between all parties".

    Eleven of the 13 presidential candidates are asking their supporters to protest against what they described as an "institutional" coup in favour of the incumbent, President Andry Rajoelina.

    They say they fear next month's election will not be free and fair and have accused the electoral commission of favouring Mr Rajoelina.

    The electoral commission has not commented on the allegation.

  12. Algeria to play middleman in Niger crisis

    Richard Hamilton

    BBC World Service Newsroom

    A map of Algeria and Niger.

    Niger has accepted an offer from Algeria to mediate in its political crisis.

    Algeria's foreign ministry said the mediation would be led by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.

    Algiers has repeatedly warned against any military response to the crisis in neighbouring Niger, where the army seized power in July.

    The West African regional bloc, Ecowas, initially threatened to intervene militarily but has been pursuing diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis.

    In August the military junta in Niger proposed a six-month transition plan to return to civilian government.

  13. Mali diverts troops northwards to fight rebels

    Richard Hamilton

    BBC World Service Newsroom

    A map of Mali showing the cities of Gao and Kidal, and the capital Bamako.

    The Malian army has begun redeploying troops to the northern town of Kidal, amid a resumption of hostilities there.

    Reports say a convoy of more than 100 vehicles left the city of Gao, about 300km (186 miles) from Kidal, early on Monday.

    The north of Mali has seen an increase in attacks by ethnic Tuareg separatists and jihadists against the Malian military since the end of August.

    The escalation in violence coincides with the ongoing withdrawal of the UN force - Minusma - which has been pushed out by the ruling junta.

    Read more: Fierce fighting erupts after Tuareg rebels kill 'more than 80 soldiers'

  14. Nigerian ex-oil minister in UK court on bribery charges

    BBC World Service

    Diezani Alison-Madueke in 2012.
    Image caption: Diezani Alison-Madueke denies any wrongdoing

    A former Nigerian oil minister has appeared in court in London after being charged with receiving bribes in exchange for multi-million-dollar oil and gas contracts.

    Diezani Alison-Madueke was Nigeria's minister for petroleum resources between 2010 and 2015, during the tenure of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

    She was also the first female president of the oil bloc, Opec.

    Britain's National Crime Agency said she had received various forms of rewards - including cash, luxury goods and holidays.

    The NCA said it had frozen assets worth millions of dollars related to the charges.

    Mrs Alison-Madueke has denied the allegations and has been on bail since her arrest eight years ago.

    She is facing similar charges in Nigeria and the United States.

    Read more: Diezani Alison-Madueke charged with bribery in the UK