Fake news obstructs Africa’s coronavirus response

Former Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo vowed on Sunday (October 17) to continue in politics "until my death" as he launched a new party following his acquittal by the International Criminal Court and return from a decade abroad. Gbagbo, president from 2000-2011, returned to Ivory Coast in June after being acquitted in 2019 by the Netherlands-based court on war crimes charges for his role in a civil war sparked by his refusal to concede defeat in an election.

Crowds of protesters have taken to the streets of Khartoum to call for the military to take power. The current political tensions in Sudan could jeopardize the country's transition to democracy.

The Saudi government has lifted social distancing measures, allowing full-capacity attendance at the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Mecca for the first time since the start of the pandemic. Follow DW for the latest.

As the world marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we examine the rising rates of breast cancer in Nigeria, Uganda and Malawi. Lifesaving information is often scarce and many patients lack access to adequate treatment.

Amnesty said that many governments had used the pandemic as an opportunity to further restrict freedom of expression. It also cited the role of social media in the spread of misinformation.

Pro-military protesters in Sudan want the civilian government gone and military leaders to take over. But critics of the rallies say they are far from organic and have been orchestrated by security forces and backers of the former regime. Meanwhile in Ethiopia, state media confirms that the military launched air strikes on Tigray's capital Mekele after almost a year of deadly conflict.

In an exclusive interview with FRANCE 24, former Ivorian president Laurent Gbagbo discusses why he set up a new political movement after his old party, the Ivorian Popular Front (FPI), "lost its identity". Despite previously saying that he wanted to step back from politics, Gbagbo told FRANCE 24 that he hasn't ruled out running in the country's 2025 presidential elections and is firmly against a proposal that would disqualify presidential candidates who are more than 75 years old.

Russian President Vladimir Putin orders a nationwide week-long paid holiday starting on October 30 to curb Covid infections amid record coronavirus deaths.

Romania is getting crushed by one of the worst coronavirus waves in Europe. Vaccine skepticism and inaction on the part of the president, the administration and authorities are largely to blame.

Emergency crews in Eswatini help people who were injured during pro-democracy protests, in which at least one person died and 80 others were injured. Eswatini security forces used live ammunition to break up a pro-democracy protest by nurses, shooting at least 30 of them, their union says.

Australia's second-largest city is expected to come out of lockdown despite an increase in infections. Meanwhile, Latvia is diving into a month-long lockdown.

In Perspective, FRANCE 24 looks at the past and present of one pocket of Southern Africa: the country of Angola. Paula Cristina Roque, who spent much of her Covid-19 lockdown penning a new book on Angola called "Governing In The Shadows", joins us from Lisbon to talk about her work.