Governments have set their eyes on the world's largest tech companies. But why has Big Tech come under so much fire? And how did it get so "Big" in the first place?

Violence between fishing and herder communities has left at least 25 people dead in Cameroon's Far North region. Thousands of residents have fled to neighbouring Chad.

Over 500 people were aboard the passenger ferry, which had a capacity of 310, when it caught fire in the south of Bangladesh. The blaze was put out after more than three hours, and rescue operations are still underway.

Bangladeshi police have arrested one of the four owners of a ferry involved in a massive fire in which at least 39 people died. Seven other people, including owners and captains of the vessel, are on the run.

A fire erupted at the South African parliament in Cape Town on Sunday, with media coverage showing flames coming from the roof of the building and a plume of smoke that could be seen from some miles away. It wasn't immediately clear if anyone was in the building. The fire was on the third storey of the building and initial reports indicated that it started in the office space and spread towards a gym, said Jean-Pierre Smith, a Cape Town mayoral committee member responsible for safety and security.

Droves of armoured vehicles are patrolling the streets of Limbe in Cameroon's conflict-torn South West Region ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) soccer finals starting on Jan. 9 that separatist militants have vowed to disrupt. Cameroon is hosting the tournament in six cities, but security is potentially most at threat in Limbe, a city on the tropical Atlantic coast whose surrounding region has been rocked by armed attacks since war broke out in 2017.

Fire reignites at South African Parliament a day and a half after flames first broke out. A man is due in court this week in connection to the devastating blaze. The Sudanese army's power has grown following the resignation of civilian transitional PM Hamdok over the weekend. Generals now have sole governing authority as fatal tensions continue to deepen. And Kenyan conservationist Richard Leakey dies aged 77, after spending a life defending his country's endangered wildlife.

This is the 49-year-old man accused of setting South Africa's parliament building on fire, which completely destroyed its lower house National Assembly chamber. The chamber was destroyed after flare-up on the second day.

Mercedes-Benz has informed owners of its luxury cars of a technical defect that could spark a fire, the company said on Tuesday, adding a recall was not possible because parts needed to fix the problem are not available.

Find these stories and much more when you grab a copy of The Guardian on Thursday.⁣

Tonight, multiple attacks in northwestern Nigeria have left dozens dead this week, we have the latest with our correspondent Sam Olukoya. In Ethiopia it's orthodox Christmas. Finally with AFCON just 2 days away, our team in Cameroon soaks up the atmosphere.

A couple of African players, particularly in the Nigeria Super Eagles squad will not be part of the AFCON 2021 due to unresolved issues with their clubs and COVID-19 infections. But GuardianTV takes a look at the best players who have been cleared to take part in this year's AFCON in no particular order.