Jacob Zuma’s hospitalisation has raised questions about his participation in upcoming uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party campaign events ahead of South Africa’s local government elections.

They say Madhubalu, who lives in a Safari Park in Karachi, has improved somewhat but time will tell if all will be well.

In Zimbabwe, a discreet caravan at a Harare-area hospital is giving teenage girls private access to contraception, away from judgment and stigma. Experts say access is vital to preventing unintended pregnancies and reducing dangerous childbirth risks.

South African judge and human rights lawyer on called on people to stand together in the defence of the rule of law.

Ethiopia and Eritrea are trading accusations of aggression, as fighting in northern Ethiopia raises fears of a new regional war.

The carrier temporarily suspended its services to Mekelle on 23 September, citing the ‘current situation’ in the Tigray region.

A young orangutan has been rescued from wildfires in Borneo. Named Novita, the three- to four-year-old female was found clinging to a tree in Central Kalimantan on 26 September, with burns to her hands and feet after crossing the flames.

Guinea-Bissau’s December elections are now in doubt and Senegal is urging the country’s military rulers to lift restrictions on political and civil activities.

Australia’s scientists have trained seals and sea lions to take hearing tests at Sydney’s Taronga Zoo, hoping to better understand how human-made noise affects marine mammals.

Pix of the Day, 9 October, 2026 – Across the world

Tens of thousands marched in Madrid to mourn pensioner Maricarmen Abascal, whose eviction made her a housing crisis symbol and sparked fresh protests.

Thousands of Ethiopian migrants are facing a humanitarian crisis in Djibouti, with food and water running dangerously low along the treacherous route to Yemen.

There had been fears the patient could be Kenya’s second case after a citizen died of ⁠the virus in Nairobi on Tuesday.

Nigeria’s finance minister unveiled a raft of measures Thursday aimed at cushioning against energy shocks as the country prepares to go to the polls, including a petrol discount for public transport operators

The International Monetary Fund said Thursday it had reached a preliminary agreement with Niger that should see the west African nation receive around $203 million over three years to support its economic reforms

Former U.N. human rights chief Navanethem “Navi” Pillay, a judge on the International Court of Justice, won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday in Oslo, Norway.

At the funeral in Harare, Wicknell Chivayo was eulogised as an industrious businessman

The November 2022 Pretoria agreement ended the previous war between Ethiopia’s federal government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). However, the renewed fighting has exposed how fragile that settlement remains.

South Africa saw violent anti-immigration protests in Soweto and Durban on Thursday, 8 October, after a Constitutional Court ruling eased restrictions on asylum applications.

Protests in Soweto and Durban opposed the Constitutional Court’s decision to remove procedural barriers to seeking asylum. They followed months of anti-immigrant tensions

In its ruling on Wednesday, the Gauteng High Court avoided taking a position on whether the code was constitutional or on its goals for racial transformation

Homes surrounded by water, flooded roads and farmland submerged beneath swollen rivers. Albania and Montenegro were still battling severe flooding on Thursday, 8 January, after days of torrential rain and heavy snow.

Hundreds of French farmers drive tractors into Paris to protest the EU‑Mercosur deal, warning of unfair competition and demanding stronger protections.

One of pop history’s most iconic pieces is going under the hammer. Michael Jackson’s legendary white rhinestone glove worn during his 1983 “Billie Jean” performance, where he unveiled the moonwalk is up for auction.

The World Food Programme is seeking more than $30 million to maintain food assistance for Congolese refugees in Burundi, warning that supplies could run out as early as October 2026 without additional funding.

French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu announced Wednesday that France will release 10 million barrels of diesel from its strategic reserves to help ease pressure on the fuel market.

The government also said that the deal was not coupled to an agreement on US access to the country’s mineral resources.

Thirty people were killed and at least 18 were injured by Russian strikes in eastern Ukraine that included an attack on a public bus, authorities said Thursday, as an intensive pre-winter wave of attacks continued and power outages worsened in the capital Kyiv.

More than 20,000 Palestinian students and education workers have been killed since the war began, according to the Palestinian Education Ministry.

The announcement has left the planned December legislative and presidential elections, meant to restore civilian rule, in limbo.

Tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea are escalating with fears of a new regional war growing. Ethiopian drones have reportedly struck Eritrean forces near Adigrat, a city in northern Tigray, according to conflict monitors and witnesses.

WADA urged it to strive for a zero tolerance of drugs in sports as it prepares to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships.

Senegal and Morocco played a chaotic Africa Cup of Nations final in January and they contested the title again Thursday, this time at the Court of Arbitration for Sport which expects a verdict within days.

Pix of the Day, 8 October, 2026 – Across the world

Egyptian prosecutors accused six journalists from an independent fact-checking platform on Wednesday of terrorism-related offences, alleging they worked for the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood and received foreign funding to spread “false news”.

Nigeria’s Power Crisis Creates New Opportunity for Solar as Togo Deepens Russia Ties

Saudi Arabia said three civilians were killed and 36 people injured in two separate attacks in the capital, Riyadh.

Twenty graduates abducted while travelling to begin Nigeria’s national youth service have been found alive after a week-long search, authorities say.

The Yemeni city of Taiz faces mounting pressure as fighting intensifies in its outskirts in recent days

Its Living Planet Report 2026 shows a 73% declined in monitored populations but says the recovery of some species show its possible to reverse the trend.