Notre-Dame the day after

After 16 years, the post-Merkel era is finally upon us. Social Democratic leader Olaf Scholz is taking the mantle to form Germany's first three-party coalition since the 1950s. How will it work? How compatible are the Greens to his left and the liberal FDP to his right? Berlin's loosening or tightening of the purse strings in these uncertain times is sure to dictate the tone at home and in Brussels.

African voices are at the heart of conversations at the COP26 climate summit. Despite contributing the least to greenhouse gas emissions, the continent is on the frontline of changes that threaten the environment and livelihoods. In Mauritius, there are fears all the country's beaches could be gone in just 50 years. Meanwhile, the Rwandan capital Kigali is being transformed into a green city with a pedestrian-only centre and self-service bikes.

The NGO says authorities desperately need to do more to address the crisis of gender-based violence, particularly amid the pandemic. But hard data on the number of victims is still worryingly difficult to come by.

Riyad Al-Maliki, the Palestinian Authority's foreign minister, granted an interview to FRANCE 24. The top Palestinian diplomat regretted that the idea of a Palestinian state is "shrinking". Al-Maliki, who believes an Israeli annexation of the West Bank is "not off the table", called for the urgent resumption of negotiations with Israel.

At least one person has been killed in an explosion in Kabul. The largely Shiite neighborhood has previously been targeted by attacks by the Islamic State-Khorasan group.

African countries have been following the global script as they try to achieve industrialization and economic growth, but it has not been effective. It's time they found their own way, says Harrison Mwilima.