Nigeria’s Air Force has reacted to threatening statements by neighbouring Mali after a Nigerian military aircraft headed to Portugal had to make an emergency landing in western Mali on Monday.

Human rights organisations call on the authorities to respect the right to freedom of peaceful assembly.

The emergency landing of a Nigerian military plane in western Burkina Faso has reignited tensions between Abuja and the Alliance of Sahel States, or AES.

Australia is set to implement a world-first social media ban for children under the age of 16, coming into effect this week. The policy will target major platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, Reddit, X (Twitter), Twitch, Kick, and Threads.

The short-lived coup in Benin left “casualties on both sides” of the government forces and the mutinous soldiers, authorities said Monday, as security forces intensified the search for the coup leader who was on the run.

Authorities in Tanzania are warning people to stay at home on Tuesday, saying that protests planned to mark the country’s Independence Day are unlawful and constitute an attempted coup.

In an address to parliament on Monday, Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi accused Rwanda of breaking a ceasefire deal just one day after it was signed.

One hundred schoolchildren freed after being abducted in northern Nigeria last month were welcomed home on Monday at a ceremony in Minna, the capital of Niger state.

Authorities in Tanzania are warning people to stay at home on Tuesday, saying that protests planned to mark the country’s Independence Day are unlawful and constitute an attempted coup.

Somalia is often called a nation of poets, but decades of conflict have left its cultural heritage in jeopardy. Now, a fading generation of masters is offering a message of peace and trying to keep oral poetry alive.

Traffic in the Benin capital of Cotonou resumed on Monday following an attempted coup that shook the country a day earlier.

Ivory Coast’s incumbent President Alassane Ouattara was sworn in on Monday for a fourth term after taking over 89% of the vote in an October election marked by low turnout and unrest.

Mohamed Salah trained with his Liverpool team-mates ahead of their trip to Milan to face Inter in the Champions League on Tuesday.

The major change, if adopted, could see the return of migrant hubs and EU countries striking bilateral agreements with non-member states to facilitate deportation of rejected asylum seekers.

A truckers’ strike in Cameroon has brought major disruptions to one of the country’s primary commercial routes, National Highway 1.

The head of the World Health Organization has denounced a series of airstrikes in Sudan’s South Kordofan State that killed 114 people, including 63 children.

The paramilitary group claimed on Monday that it had taken control of the strategically important oil field at the border with South Sudan. Heglig is also a key source of revenue for Juba, as it houses its main oil processing facility.

Pix of the Day: December 8, 2025

The past two weeks have seen a sudden increase in violent attacks from insurgent groups in Mozambique. This has led more than 100,000 people to flee, most of them being children.

French president Emmanuel Macron announced on Sunday that his country would strengthen ties with Nigeria at the request of his Nigerian counterpart Bola Tinubu. This comes amid a growing security crisis in Nigeria’s north.

The humanitarian system is overstretched, underfunded and under attack, the United Nations Humanitarian chief warned on Monday, as he launched an appeal for $23 billion for 2026.

Italy’s Damiano Lestingi proposed during the Olympic Flame event in Civitavecchia, turning his Milano Cortina 2026 duties into a personal milestone.

Ukraine reports new Russian drone strikes in Sumy region as firefighters tackle fires and rescuers evacuate residents from a damaged building in Okhtyrka.

The prominent opposition candidate and former pop star Bobi Wine said in posts on social network X late on Saturday that he was attacked while campaigning in the north of the country.

It was a clean sweep for Kenya at the 45th Valencia Marathon on Sunday – as runners John Korir and Joyciline Jepkosgei dominated the competition.

Civilians evacuate as Thailand and Cambodia clash again at the border. The renewed fighting follows a fragile truce mediated by US President Donald Trump.

At least 17 migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea in an inflatable boat died when it capsized south of the island of Crete, Greek authorities say.

South African authorities have withdrawn a 90-day visa exemption for Palestinians, saying the recent arrival of a charter flight with 153 people onboard was part of a campaign of “forced migration.”

Benin’s President Patrice Talon has thanked army leaders for helping to defeat an attempted military coup in the West African nation. He also vowed that the mutineers would be punished.

A military coup declared in Benin on Sunday has failed, the country’s interior minister said, just hours after soldiers took over state television to announce the dissolution of government.

Once the team’s star forward, Mohamed Salah cast doubt on his future at Liverpool on Saturday, saying he feels like he’s been “thrown under the bus” by the Premier League club.

M23 rebels, supported by the Rwandan army are continuing their advice in the South Kivu region of the DR Congo, local sources say. On Saturday, the rebels took control of the strategic town of Luvungi, near the border with Burundi, and several surrounding villages.

Tunisia’s main union, the UGTT, has announced a nationwide strike for January 21 to demand wage-increase negotiations and protest an escalating government crackdown on critics.

A group of soldiers has appeared on Benin ‘s state television announcing the dissolution of the government in an apparent coup, the latest of many in West Africa.

Just over a week after seizing power, Guinea Bissau’s military says it has established a National Transitional Council.

The death toll in Saturday’s shooting at an unlicensed bar near South Africa’s capital Pretoria has risen to 12 after one person died in hospital.

The eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo is once again descending into chaos. Thousands of people are on the move, fleeing the intense fighting.

The United States and Rwanda have signed a $228 million agreement aimed at strengthening Rwanda’s health sector while promoting long-term financial self-reliance.

At least 11 people have been killed in a shooting at a hostel in South Africa. Three minors including a 3-year-old boy are among the dead, police say.

Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé is closing in on the club record for the most goals scored in a calendar year.