French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu held an emergency Cabinet meeting on Monday to assess a weekend of violence and looting during protests against the rising cost of living.

Meanwhile, in the DRC, the outbreak has spread to an eighth province, North Ubangi, where two cases, including one death, have been confirmed.

Zimbabwe’s ruling ZANU-PF party has endorsed President Emmerson Mnangagwa to remain its leader beyond 2028, as the 84-year-old seeks to extend his time in power

The undead stalked the streets of Mexico City on Sunday for the 19th annual Zombie Walk. The gathering has become a tradition in the Mexican capital. It combines horror-inspired costumes and makeup with a family-friendly celebration.

The cause of the shortages and when supplies will fully return to normal remain unclear, leaving motorists uncertain about when they will be able to fill their tanks without long waits.

Mackenzie also faces separate charges of manslaughter and terrorism, which he denies. The verdict is being closely watched by victims’ families seeking justice three years after the discovery.

Mali’s army and its Russian paramilitary allies have killed civilians in violation of international law, according to a new report from Human Rights Watch.  The army’s rebel opponents have done the same, the report claims.

Mackenzie also faces separate charges of manslaughter and terrorism, which he denies. The verdict is being closely watched by victims’ families seeking justice three years after the discovery.

The World Health Organization has warned that it could surpass the deadliest Ebola outbreak in history, which erupted more than a decade ago and killed more than 11,000 people in West Africa.

Streets littered with broken glass, burnt bicycles and debris greeted residents in France on Sunday 18 October, following demonstrations that left extensive damage across Paris, Lyon and Marseille.

Pope Leo XIV thanked the thousands of faithful in the Vatican’s Saint Peter’s Square on Sunday for their prayers while he was hospitalised earlier this week.

Huge plumes of black smoke billowed over St Petersburg, Russia’s second-largest city, on Sunday, 18 October, as a large-scale Ukrainian drone attack sparked fires at industrial and logistics facilities. Russian officials said 126 drones had been intercepted in the surrounding region.

An AI boom is lifting technology-exporting economies. But rising energy costs and climate disasters are pushing many developing nations into debt distress. Greater digital connectivity would allow them to benefit from tech advances.

Cameroon’s main opposition MRC elected a new party president on Saturday, Tiriane Balbine Noah. She replaces Maurice Kamto and becomes the first woman to lead the party.

France woke up Sunday to devastated streets after clashes between police and protesters, mass looting and fires erupted nationwide as marches against rising costs of living degenerated into “extreme” violence.

The Nigerian Army Chief of Staff is visiting troops stationed in the northeast of the country, a few days after jihadists killed fifteen soldiers in the region.

Sudanese miners injured in a deadly airstrike along the border with Egypt last week have been describing how the incident unfolded.

Officials in DR Congo are accusing former president Joseph Kabila of planning a general attack on the country. Kabila on Monday joined forces with the rebel M23 to head a new outfit , taking a more direct role in the insurgency ravaging eastern DRC.

Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi says he’ll leave office when his term expires in 2030. Making the announcement on Saturday, Sisi described the matter as “completely settled.”

Senegal’s former President Macky Sall is pulling out of the race to lead the United Nations. Saturday’s announcement comes one day after an informal straw poll by UN Security Council members saw all seven candidates receive at least one veto.

Frontline workers in DR Congo received the Ervebo vaccine on Friday as the country’s worst ever Ebola outbreak continues to spread. Ervebo is effective against the Zaire strain of Ebola. Authorities hope it will offer some protection against the Bundibugyo strain driving the current outbreak.

All seven candidates to lead the United Nations received a vote of “discourage,” effectively a veto, from a permanent UN Security Council member in the latest informal poll, a diplomat said Friday.

Iran has denied any involvement in an escalation of attacks by Houthi rebels on Saudi targets. The international airport in Yemen’s interim capital Aden was struck by two missiles late on Friday, the second such incident in less than two weeks.

Hundreds of former fighters in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region have been signing up for a government programme to help them return to civilian life.

Morocco’s King Mohammed VI formally appoints the members of his country’s new government, led for the first time in its history by a woman prime minister, Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri.

Kenya has confirmed its third Ebola case, raising concerns over the spread of the deadly virus across East Africa. The Health Ministry says the latest patient is a 65-year-old woman and a close relative of the country’s first two cases. She had been in quarantine since October 6.

The Democratic Republic of Congo’s government has banned the activities of 13 political parties, including the PPRD of former president Joseph Kabila. Presented as a national security measure, the decision has divided the political class and reignited debate over democratic pluralism in the country.

Human Rights Watch says the military has killed an estimated 31 people since late August, with at least 50 other people at risk.

Ethiopia’s military advances in northern Tigray do not spell an end to the conflict but have the potential to increase the risk of war with neighboring Eritrea, an analyst with knowledge of the region has warned

Africa now has more Catholics than Europe. The Vatican’s latest statistics put Africa’s Catholic population at 288 million, slightly ahead of Europe’s 287 million.

Doctors says the 71-year-old pontiff is showing steady improvement since having part of his right lung removed on Tuesday.

Police in South Africa have arrested a pastor and his wife after a raid on a church-run rehabilitation centre in Mpumalanga province revealed shocking living conditions.

Foxes, owls and deer made from pumpkins have taken over Groot-Bijgaarden Castle near Brussels. The Pumpkimania festival features a 772kg giant, pumpkin boat rides and Halloween activities until 1 November.

A father-and-son team at the Cape Honeybee Conservancy have moved over 250 wild bee colonies from urban locations since 2018.

Kenya is on high alert as it races to contain Ebola! Linked to a deadly outbreak in the DRC, the virus has reportedly claimed one life in Kenya, with two cases recorded. At the Ugandan border, screenings are intensifying, with travelers undergoing temperature checks and handwashing measures.

A Chinese Medical ship with a crew of 376 arrived at the port of Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, on Thursday and began offering free medical consultations and medicines to local residents

Russian strikes ignited massive fires at businesses in Odesa and Zaporizhzhia as President Zelensky met European leaders for talks.

Pix of the Day, 16 October, 2026 – Across the world

Flight delays and cancellations disrupted Rome’s Fiumicino Airport on Friday 16 October after a fault in the data-transmission network supporting Italy’s nationwide air traffic control system.

At least 10 students have died from Ebola in Ituri Province, in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, authorities said Thursday