BBC News Africa
South Africa and Ghana progress to an inter-confederation qualifier for the 2027 Women's World Cup, but Nigeria will miss the tournament for the first time.
Africanews
Vote counting is underway after Zambians cast ballots Thursday in a presidential election testing incumbent Hakainde Hichilema’s economic record against widespread frustration over the cost of living. About 8 million voters were registered, with results expected Monday.
Hundreds gathered for a memorial service in northern Zimbabwe on Thursday to honour victims of the Lake Kariba ferry disaster, which killed at least 44 people. Survivors recalled a desperate struggle for life as the vessel capsized in rough waters.
Mali says 82 soldiers held captive since deadly attacks in April have been freed by armed groups, in a rare breakthrough as the country battles jihadist and rebel insurgencies. The junta also pardoned a French embassy official accused of spying and ordered his expulsion.
The war, which began in April 2023, has killed at least 59,000 people, displaced around 13 million, and pushed large parts of Sudan into famine.
France is yet to comment on Yann Vezilier's pardon and previously called the accusations "unfounded".
The Netherlands is investigating an explosion at the port of Rotterdam that killed one person and injured several others on Thursday, 13 August. The blast happened at about 11:30 a.m. at an oil facility in the Europoort industrial section of Europe’s largest port.
Jérémy Doku has signed a new five-year contract with Manchester City, keeping the Belgium winger at the Etihad until 2031. The 24-year-old has become a key part of the squad since joining from Rennes in 2023.
Brussels has transformed its historic Grand Place into a giant floral version of Japan’s Great Wave off Kanagawa, using around 500,000 dahlias laid out over 1,300 square metres of cobblestones.
Ecuadorian police have seized hundreds of kilograms of cocainee in an area known as Guagua Negro near the Colombian border. Anti-narcotics officers spotted a suspicious truck during an operation and moved in.
Zambians began voting Thursday in a presidential election testing President Hakainde Hichilema’s economic record amid widespread frustration over the cost of living. Millions are also choosing lawmakers and local councillors in a one-day vote expected to produce results on Monday.
The case comes at a sensitive time for French diplomacy. Paris has been working to restore ties with the Central African Republic after relations deteriorated in recent years as Russia expanded its influence in the country through the Wagner paramilitary group
Rights groups have long raised concerns about alleged human rights violations in Ngorongoro.
The Strait of Hormuz remains blocked and Iran says it will stay that way until its conditions are accepted.
South African law enforcement officials said last week they would intensify operations targeting illegal migration and related offenses.
Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, say they have taken full control of Geissan, in the Blue Nile region, near the Ethiopian border.
Russia's President Vladimir Putin observed naval exercises off Sakhalin Island on Thursday before travelling to the disputed Kuril Islands, prompting a strong protest from Japan.
Hakainde Hichilema wants five more years but continued cost of living pressures have dented his appeal.
A Russian Shahed drone struck a passenger train in Ukraine’s Odesa region on 13 August 2026, killing the driver and his assistant and forcing the evacuation of 340 passengers, including 67 children, in the Berezivka district.
Soaring gold prices are reshaping the investment landscape across West Africa. In the first quarter of 2026, global demand reached 1,231 tonnes, representing a record $193 billion market up 74% year-on-year.
Fifty-seven residents of Woro, rescued earlier this month, are being treated at a hospital in Ilorin, with most of the suffering notably from malnutrition.
