Abuja SME operators groan over erratic power supply

Most of Lebanon is set to lose access to state-generated electricity, forcing residents to buy electricity from private providers or be plunged in darkness.

Suspected bandits in the early hours of Tuesday attacked the staff quarters of the University of Abuja, abducting four staff of the institution along with their children.

Here in northern Europe we've had some very odd weather events in the last few months, including torrential rainfall and deadly floods – which scientists say are a direct consequence of climate change. It's something to focus the mind as leaders and negotiators meet in Glasgow at the United Nations climate summit known as COP26.

Top Communist Party officials meeting in Beijing are likely to issue a resolution putting the Chinese president on an equal footing with Mao Zedong. The way seems clear for Xi Jinping to claim a third term.

In Somalia's Middle Shabelle region, farmers are using solar power units to operate their water pumps or illuminate their properties. And in some cases, they are giving away goats to finance the system.

The US calls for a meaningful ceasefire in Ethiopia as it imposes sanctions on neighbouring Eritrea for its role in the conflict in Tigray. Also, Libya's prime minister says he will hand over power if elections take place freely next month. And we take a spin around Kigali, as the Rwandan capital flaunts its green credentials with a new bicycle-sharing scheme.

Guinea's transitional president, Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, gave an interview to FRANCE 24 from the capital, Conakry. Doumbouya seized power following a coup d'état on September 5, which ousted Alpha Condé, who had been president for 11 years.

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

When Gambia's president Adama Barrow came to power in 2016, he promised to step down after three years. His decision to extend his term from three to five years - and seek another - has unsurprisingly divided the country. Edith Kimani meets young Gambians in the heat of the election campaign to hear from both sides.

East Africa has been ramping up efforts to expose its citizens to Chinese culture - particularly through language. In Kenya Mandarin is offered as a selective language in the national curriculum, while in Uganda it’s now a compulsory subject in some schools. But is this simply an exchange of cultures, or is there more to it?

The Belgian government has said all of the country's existing nuclear energy plants will close by 2025. However, Belgium will invest in future nuclear technology.

Kashmir's subzero temperatures in winter and a dearth of electricity are a painful mixture for locals. With a vast capacity to produce hydropower, why is so little electricity available?