Emmaculate Anyango Achol, who set 2nd-fastest 10-kilometer time in history earlier this year, faces provisional ban after testing positive for testosterone and EPO, says Athletics Integrity Unit

As Tunisia approaches its presidential election on October 6th, the youth express mixed feelings about politics and voting. Some young people, frustrated by a lack of opportunities, dream of leaving the country. Seddik Malki, a fruit vendor, states, “I want to tell the youth: leave through the sea; there is nothing that keeps us here… I have no future here.” Conversely, others remain hopeful that the election will spark change. Lotfi Hamdi, a 32-year-old street vendor, says, “I hope the next president will address the high cost of living and focus on the youth.” Current president Kais Saied is running for re-election. With major opponents imprisoned or barred from competing, he faces criticism for consolidating power and eliminating political rivals. Only two candidates have been approved to run against Saied, who has suspended parliament since taking office in 2019.Tunis

 Leader of an opposition group in Eswatini has been discharged from the hospital after what the group claims was an attempted assassination through poisoning. Mlungisi Makhanya, president of the Peoples Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) made his first public appearance since the alleged poisoning during a Friday press briefing which also featured PUDEMO’s deputy president, Wandile Dludlu. “Warm and revolutionary greetings to the Swazi nation and the progressive forces. We take this opportunity to officially update the nation and the world that our president Mlungisi Makhanya has been officially discharged from the hospital. We thank God, the medical team, and all those involved in his care,” Dludlu said. “The president will now be carefully monitored by medical professionals in a secured place.” Makhanya was reportedly poisoned by someone close to him, a political ally, according to PUDEMO. The organization believes the poisoning is part of a broader conspiracy by the Eswatini regime to silence “pro-democracy advocates.” South African Communist Party General Secretary Solly Mapaila called for the immediate arrest of the suspect. “Our sincere solidarity with the people of Swaziland under the autocracy of King Mswati III. Swaziland sends mercenaries here to abduct and kill pro-democracy activists, as they did with Thulani Maseko,” said Mapaila. The African National Congress, South Africa’s governing party, also condemned the attack. Spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri said in a statement Thursday: “The African National Congress strongly condemns the attempted assassination of PUDEMO’s president, Cde Mlungisi Makhanya. This cowardly act is an attack on peace, democracy, and the values for which PUDEMO has long fought.” The ANC further called on international bodies like the Southern African Development Community to intervene, saying, “The recent attempt on Makhanya’s life is a blatant infringement on the right to political expression and jeopardizes the rightful quest for democracy in Eswatini.” However, Eswatini’s government spokesperson, Alpheous Nxumalo, refuted the claims, suggesting the poisoning may have originated from within PUDEMO itself. “PUDEMO members know what happened to Makhanya. The government doesn’t poison suspects,” Nxumalo said, dismissing the accusations as “tabloid journalism.” The incident has deepened tensions in the region, where pro-democracy movements have been clashing with the monarchy-led government of King Mswati III, especially following the recent killing of prominent activist Thulani Maseko.

The British government’s decision to transfer sovereignty of the long-disputed Chagos Islands to Mauritius addresses a “historic wrong,” according to Mauritian Foreign Minister Maneesh Gobin. Speaking on Sky News, he hailed the agreement as a significant step for both nations involved. Under the deal, the U.K. will retain sovereignty over Diego Garcia, which hosts a key U.S.-U.K. military base, for an initial 99 years, alongside an undisclosed rental payment to Mauritius. A fund will also be established to assist displaced Chagossians in returning to the islands, excluding Diego Garcia. Jonathan Powell, the U.K. Special Envoy for the Chagossian Islands, confirmed that Mauritius will control this fund. The Chagos Islands have been administered as part of the British Indian Ocean Territory since 1965, when they were separated from Mauritius, which became independent three years later. The U.S. developed the naval base at Diego Garcia in the 1970s, viewing it as essential for security operations across the Middle East, South Asia, and East Africa. Approximately 1,500 islanders were displaced to facilitate the base’s construction, an act that Human Rights Watch described as “crimes against humanity.” In response to the agreement, the White House noted that President Joe Biden praised the “historic” decision regarding the Chagos Islands.

Turkiye on Friday extended condolences to victims of this week’s boat accident in Nigeria. “We are deeply saddened by the loss of many lives following the sinking of a boat carrying nearly 300 passengers in Nigeria,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The ministry extended its condolences to the “brotherly and friendly” people of Nigeria. At least 42 people were killed after a boat carrying nearly 300 people returning from a religious festival in Nigeria’s northern Niger state capsized on Tuesday. Many bodies were recovered on Friday and rescue operations are still continuing.

Global mpox testing capacity gets a significant boost with the WHO approval of the Alinity m MPXV assay.

The ongoing conflict and severe drought in Tigray, Ethiopia, have led to a significant drop in school enrollment, with 60% of students forced to quit their education.

The violence has seen heavy clashes between various factions, leading to significant loss of life and destruction of property

The court has also ordered that products from Western Sahara must be labeled as such.

Despite Wagner telling a family their captured relative died, Tuareg rebels insist that both Russian prisoners remain alive.

They also discussed the need to focus on shared economic and security objectives and support Somalia’s efforts to generate capable security forces.

The UN is calling for urgent humanitarian assistance to address the crisis.

Sierra Leone, is home to one of the most diverse butterfly populations in the world

In a significant move, South Africa’s Constitutional Court will hear a case next month regarding the revival of impeachment proceedings against President Ramaphosa.

A devastating boat disaster occurred in DR Congo, resulting in the deaths of 78 people

A boat carrying over 300 passengers capsized in Nigeria, resulting in the deaths of over 100 people, mostly women and children.

The African Union’s disease control center has warned that the epidemic is not under control.

Floods displace 198,000, destroy vital infrastructure, officials say

Nollywood, Nigeria’s film industry, is now the second-largest in the world by volume!

‘We are looking forward to be able to come up with some therapeutics and vaccines that we can use,’ says WHO official

The conflict in Amhara region intensifies as clashes between the Ethiopian army and Fano militia erupt, resulting in the tragic loss of civilian lives.

The US imposed sanctions on four members of Uganda police force for their alleged role in rights violations, the State Department said Wednesday. “The Department of State is taking action today to promote accountability for human rights violations committed in Uganda by designating four members of the Uganda Police Force (UPF) due to their involvement in gross violations of human rights, namely torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment,” spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement. Those are Bob Kagarura, the then-Wamala regional police commander of the UPF; Alex Mwine, then-district police commander for the Mitanya district of the UPF; Elly Womanya, then-senior commissioner within the UPF and deputy director of the UPF’s Criminal Investigations Division in charge of the Special Investigations Unit (SIU); and Hamdani Twesigye, then-deputy inspector of police assigned to SIU.
 With designations, Kagarura, Mwine, Womanya, Twesigye and their immediate family members are ineligible for entry into the US. “The reports that Kagarura, Mwine, Twesigye, and Womanya were involved in gross violations of human rights, as documented by Ugandan civil court documents, civil society organizations, and independent journalists, are serious and credible,” the statement said. “By publicly designating these individuals, the United States reaffirms its commitment to advancing the human rights of all Ugandans and promoting accountability for those responsible for human rights violations,” it added.

The launch of a mpox vaccination campaign was postponed Wednesday in the Congo because of logistics issues, officials said Wednesday. “There is necessary equipment for the transportation of the vaccine in different parts and the authorities are working hard to make sure that the vaccine arrives on time and the date will be announced,” said Chris Kasita, director of the Department of Infection Prevention (PEV) in the Congo. The Congo has experienced an influx of mpox cases as the number has reached 26,267 with 833 associated deaths since the beginning of 2024, according to statistics by the World Health Organization and Congo Health Ministry. Despite the rising fear of additional infections, a new date for the start of the vaccination campaign has not been announced. The campaign was to begin Wednesday in Kinshasa and the most-affected regions in eastern Congo, including North Kivu, the south and central areas. The Congo has become the epicenter of the disease which is found in 14 countries in Africa including Burundi, Congo-Brazzaville and the Central African Republic, according to the head office of the African Union Centers for Disease Control (Africa CDC). A total of 265,000 vaccines were received by the Congo last month fom the EU and the US, manufactured by the Danish Bavarian Nordic laboratory.

The case of two Black women allegedly shot and fed to pigs by a white farmer and two of his workers has sparked outrage in South Africa. Maria Makgato, 45, and Lucia Ndlovu, 34, were reportedly searching for food on a farm near Polokwane in Limpopo province in August when they were shot. Their bodies were then allegedly disposed of in an attempt to destroy evidence. A court has started hearings on whether to grant bail to the farm owner, Zachariah Johannes Olivier, 60, and his employees, Adrian de Wet, 19, and William Musora, 50, ahead of their upcoming murder trial. The suspects have yet to enter a plea, which will occur at a later date. Protesters gathered outside the court in Polokwane, holding signs demanding that bail be denied. Inside, the courtroom was filled with family members of both the victims and the accused. Magistrate Ntilane Felleng approved a media request to film the proceedings, citing public interest. After several hours, she postponed the bail hearing until November 6 to allow for further investigations, keeping the suspects in custody. Walter Mathole, Makgato’s brother, told the BBC that the incident has heightened racial tensions between Black and white communities in South Africa, particularly in rural areas, despite the end of apartheid 30 years ago. In addition to murder charges, the three men face attempted murder charges for shooting at Ndlovu’s husband, Mabutho Ncube, who survived the incident on August 17 by crawling to safety and calling for help. Ncube later reported the incident to the police, who discovered the decomposing bodies of his wife and Makgato in the pigsty days later. The group had gone to the farm searching for edible food from expired produce, which was sometimes fed to the pigs. Makgato’s family is devastated by her death, especially her four sons, aged 22 to five. Ranti Makgato, her oldest son, expressed his grief and hoped the alleged killers would be denied bail. The opposition party Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has called for the farm’s closure, stating it poses a danger to consumers. The South African Human Rights Commission condemned the killings and urged for anti-racism dialogues within affected communities.Recent incidents have further inflamed racial tensions in South Africa. In Mpumalanga, a farmer and his security guard were arrested for the alleged murder of two men accused of sheep theft. In another case, a 70-year-old farmer is accused of driving over a six-year-old boy for allegedly stealing an orange. The bail hearing for the farmer, Christoffel Stoman, is ongoing, with the state opposing his bail application.Political parties are calling for the expropriation of Stoman’s farm following the incident.