South Africa: Ramaphosa’s state of the nation speech delayed by protests

Hundreds of school children stormed the Democratic Republic of Congo's parliament on Thursday (October 21) amid a strike by school teachers over unresolved issues related to the roll-out of government's free primary education program. Teachers went on strike at the start of the school year on Oct. 4 over several issues including salaries, bonus pay and retirement age, according to the Congo Teachers Union.

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.

Here are a few reasons to pick up a copy of The Guardian on Saturday. Find these stories and much more when you grab a copy of The Guardian on Saturday.⁣ ⁣

Despite a 2020 peace deal and the promise of elections, violence has increased and anti-government demonstrations are gathering pace. But experts say the situation is complex and a hard military coup remains unlikely.

Sudanese citizens take to the streets and block the roads with burning tyres in protest against the military and the arrest of Sudan's prime minister. Armed forces detained Omar al-Bashir on October 25th over his refusal to support their "coup" after weeks of tensions between the military and civilian figures sharing power since the ouster of the autocrat.

After testing on more than 800,000 children in Malawi, Ghana and Kenya, the WHO has recommended the use of a vaccine against malaria, a disease that kills nearly 400,000 people every year, mostly children under five. The jab is effective against one of the parasites that transmits the disease and reduces the risk of severe cases by 30 percent, which is enough to save tens of thousands of lives. Associated with other methods, it could drastically reduce the number of sick people each year. Could it even contain the epidemic? Our correspondents report.

Here are a few reasons to pick up a copy of The Guardian on Tuesday. Find these stories and much more when you grab a copy of The Guardian on Tuesday.⁣⁣⁣

"The civilian-led transitional government should be immediately restored," State Department spokesman Ned Price tells reporters after a military takeover in Sudan.

The government had said it imposed the measure to fight terrorism, while critics said it granted President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi sweeping powers to crush dissent.

In the aftermath of the Sudanese military seizing control in Khartoum, amateur footage has been emerging, some of it claiming to show violent scenes and shots fired at protesters. We have been able to verify some images showing protests in Khartoum. Also, with internet access severely curtailed as the coup happened, how is it that footage can still emerge from Sudan via social media?

It has been two and half years since Sudanese protesters peacefully overthrew their dictator Omar al-Bashir in a jubilant moment for Sudan. But the path to democracy has not run smoothly. Infighting has plagued the country's joint military-civilian coalition and steep price rises have shaken people's faith in their leaders. For weeks, rumours had swirled of a coup d'état. This Monday morning, it happened: Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok was arrested and military chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan appeared on television, declaring a state of emergency and dissolving the country's ruling body. Is this the death knell for Sudan's revolution? Or will the military's actions breathe new life into the protest movement?

As Addis Ababa steps up its air offensive against the TPLF, and Tigray forces advance on the ground, the situation of the civilian population grows more desperate by the hour.