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The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has spread to an eighth province in the country’s north, authorities said on Sunday. The Health Ministry has recorded two cases, including one death, in Nord-Ubangi province, which borders the Central African Republic. Both patients are men in their 20s living in the Wapinda health zone, which borders Bas-Uele province, where Ebola cases have previously been reported, the ministry said. Authorities have recorded at least 9,400 cases, including more than 4,500 deaths, since the outbreak was declared in mid-May, making it the deadliest in Congo’s history. The virus has spread to other countries, including neighbouring Uganda, which has since declared itself free of the disease, and Kenya, which recorded its seventh case on Saturday. The Central African Republic has not reported any confirmed cases. Ituri province in eastern Congo remains the epicentre of the outbreak, accounting for nearly three-quarters of confirmed cases, according to the government’s latest data. The outbreak has affected 66 health zones since it began. “We see pockets of Ebola generally going down, but unfortunately geographically it’s spreading out,” World Health Organization Regional Director for Africa Mohamed Yakub Janabi told The Associated Press in an interview in Beni, eastern Congo, on Friday. Janabi said one of the biggest challenges has been persuading infected people to seek medical care, adding that some deaths occur in communities outside health facilities. Nord-Ubangi lies between Sud-Ubangi and Bas-Uele, the two provinces the disease had most recently reached along the border with the Central African Republic. Recurring armed violence in the area has forced thousands of people to flee and seek refuge in Congolese border communities. Access to the region is difficult due to poor roads and limited communication networks. The outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, for which no approved vaccine or treatment is available. Its spread has been driven by large population movements, rebel violence, mistrust and poor working conditions for frontline workers.

Conflict and drought are worsening food insecurity in parts of Sudan's Darfur and Kordofan regions, a global food crisis monitor warned on Monday. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) said the humanitarian situation was deteriorating across greater Darfur and Kordofan, including areas already identified as being at risk of famine. Severe drought linked to El Niño is affecting more than half of Sudan, causing localised crop failures and depriving households of food and income, it said. An IPC assessment in May found that nearly 19.5 million people, or more than 40% of Sudan's population, were facing high levels of acute food insecurity. Of them, 135,000 were in Phase 5, the most severe classification, marked by extreme food shortages, starvation, very high levels of malnutrition and deaths from disease or acute malnutrition. Sudan's war erupted in April 2023 after tensions between the military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) escalated into open fighting in the capital, Khartoum, before spreading across the country. The conflict has killed at least 150,000 people, according to conflict monitor ACLED, although aid groups say the actual death toll is likely higher. The war has also displaced about 13 million people and pushed parts of the country into famine. Farmers have increasingly come to depend on markets and humanitarian assistance for their livelihoods, the IPC said, warning that without a rapid and substantial increase in aid, "food insecurity, acute malnutrition, and excess mortality will likely intensify." Poor vegetation growth is affecting 64% of croplands in North Darfur and about half of the croplands in South Darfur, West Kordofan and South Kordofan. Severe water shortages and limited prospects for agricultural recovery are threatening livelihoods in these areas. The IPC also reported worsening acute malnutrition in additional areas, including Nyala, where the proportion of children accessing nutrition services who were admitted for severe acute malnutrition more than doubled from approximately 5% in January to 11% in August. Two displacement camps in South Darfur also recorded global acute malnutrition levels above famine thresholds. In North Darfur, delayed rainfall that affected crop cultivation and critically low food stocks have further worsened food insecurity. Western Kordofan, meanwhile, is experiencing one of its worst droughts since 2004, based on rainfall levels, the IPC said. Humanitarian organisations have repeatedly stressed that ending the conflict and ensuring safe, sustained access for aid are essential to improving conditions across Sudan. However, repeated efforts to secure peace have yet to end the war. In the latest violence, an airstrike killed at least 72 civilian miners in a border area between Sudan and Egypt, where artisanal and small-scale gold mining is widespread, local rights group Emergency Lawyers said on Sunday. The group, which monitors violence across Sudan, alleged without providing evidence that Egyptian warplanes targeted the miners in Sudan's North Wadi area. The Associated Press could not independently verify the claim. In June, Egyptian security forces detained hundreds of people, including foreigners, along the Sudan border, accusing them of illegal gold mining and smuggling.

Ethiopia has told the UN Security Council that it is taking measures in self-defense against Eritrea, accusing its neighbour of sending troops across the border and occupying parts of northern Ethiopia. In a letter dated Friday, Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos invoked Article 51 of the UN Charter, which recognizes the right to self-defense, but did not specify the measures being taken. The Associated Press could not independently verify Ethiopia’s allegations. Eritrea rejected Ethiopia’s justification, accusing it of seeking sovereign access to the Red Sea by force. In its response to the Security Council, Eritrean Foreign Minister Osman Saleh urged the council to condemn what he called Ethiopia’s declaration of war and take deterrent measures. Tensions have escalated following the expulsion of 10 Eritrean diplomats by Ethiopia and the closure of Ethiopia’s embassy in Asmara. Eritrea announced last week that it was severing diplomatic ties. Meanwhile, government-allied forces reported advances in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, including the recapture of Adigrat, near the Eritrean border. Residents described severe hunger, closed banks and a lack of medical care. The renewed fighting has raised fears of a wider conflict in a region devastated by the 2020–2022 war, which researchers estimated killed about 500,000 civilians through violence, famine and the collapse of health services. The latest escalation has also undermined a 2022 peace agreement, as clashes intensified following an alliance between the Tigray People’s Liberation Front and six other opposition groups seeking to oust Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

Kosovo lawmakers elected economist and academic Justina Shiroka Pula as the country's new president in a marathon late-night session, just moments before a constitutional deadline that could have triggered a snap election. The election late Tuesday marked a significant development in a political crisis in the small Balkan country that has caused legislative deadlock for more than 19 months and led to two early parliamentary elections. Shortly before electing Shiroka Pula, lawmakers also approved a law restricting the powers of a special court in The Hague, Netherlands, established to investigate and prosecute war crimes allegedly committed by members of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) during the country's 1998-99 war for independence from Serbia. During the extraordinary parliamentary session, Shiroka Pula received 81 votes in the 120-seat legislature. Outside Parliament, thousands of protesters had gathered to demand that lawmakers pass the legislation limiting the powers of the war crimes court, known as the Specialist Chambers. Shiroka Pula recently served as president of the Academy of Sciences and Arts of Kosovo. She will become the country's third female president since Kosovo declared independence after the war. She was a last-minute consensus candidate backed by the ruling Self-Determination movement and the largest opposition party, the Democratic Party of Kosovo. The presidency in Kosovo is largely ceremonial, although the president plays an important role in foreign policy and serves as commander-in-chief of the armed forces. Shiroka Pula will have to endorse the law limiting the Hague court's powers before it can take effect. In her speech after taking the oath late Tuesday, Shiroka Pula said: "Today, I accept with great honor and full responsibility the duty of President of the Republic of Kosovo." "This mandate does not belong to one person alone, it belongs to our citizens, our institutions, and the state for which many generations have sacrificed," she said. Shiroka Pula's election came after more than two weeks of protests following a verdict by the Hague-based court that convicted four former Kosovo wartime rebel leaders of war crimes, including former President Hashim Thaci. They were sentenced to between 13 and 25 years in prison. Kosovo has criticized the verdicts as unjust, arguing that the KLA, which Thaci led before entering politics, fought against Serbian oppression. Residents and politicians alike feared that the court's ruling would tarnish Kosovo's struggle for independence. More than 13,000 people, mostly ethnic Albanians, were killed during the conflict in Kosovo, while about 1 million ethnic Albanian Kosovars were forced from their homes during the fighting.

Kenya has confirmed its first case of Ebola and the country's first death from the disease after a Kenyan man who had been living in Congo returned to Nairobi over the weekend, authorities said Tuesday, prompting an urgent contact-tracing effort to contain the virus. The man had lived in Congo for the past seven years and became ill about a month ago. He received treatment at several hospitals before traveling by road to Kampala, Uganda, where he boarded a flight to the Kenyan capital and arrived Saturday afternoon, Health Minister Aden Duale said. Kenyan health authorities have put border entry points on high alert and are monitoring for possible additional cases. Duale said the man was isolated and treated at Nairobi Hospital after arriving in the capital. He tested positive for Ebola and died late Monday. Ebola is highly contagious and can spread through contact with bodily fluids such as blood, vomit and semen, as well as contaminated surfaces and materials including bedding and clothing. The current outbreak was declared in mid-May, months after the virus had been spreading in a remote area of eastern Congo. At least 8,400 cases, including more than 4,000 deaths, have been recorded, according to government data, making it the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak in history. Kenya has never previously experienced an Ebola outbreak, according to the Kenya Medical Research Institute. The country also hosts a US-funded isolation facility for American citizens exposed to Ebola, where they can be quarantined for 21 days before returning to the United States. The facility has faced legal challenges and deadly protests from local residents who feared it could expose them to the virus. Dozens of contacts identified or being traced Kenya is the fourth country to report an Ebola case during the current outbreak, which was declared in eastern Congo in mid-May. Uganda has reported 20 cases and France one. Before Kenya's case, there had been no active Ebola cases outside Congo since Uganda declared its outbreak over in late August. Duale said health authorities had identified 28 contacts of the man, including family members and health workers who treated him after his return Saturday. Authorities were also tracing 23 passengers and four crew members who traveled on the same flight from Uganda to Kenya. The contacts will remain in isolation for 21 days and will be released after testing negative for the virus, said the ministry's director-general, Dr Patrick Amoth. After arriving in Nairobi, the man was taken by relatives in a private vehicle to Nairobi Hospital, where he was immediately isolated. He was buried Tuesday afternoon in line with recommended public health and safety protocols. Duale said Kenya had tested 267 samples at five laboratories across the country since May before detecting its first confirmed case. The World Health Organization said Tuesday that it was working with Kenya to help prevent further transmission of the virus. "WHO has also delivered about 1,000 Ebola tests and 1,000 personal protective equipment kits to high-risk counties in Kenya," the organization said in a statement. The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention commended Kenya's "rapid identification, isolation and testing of the patient" and said it had sent a high-level team to the country to provide support. Ebola outbreak in Congo spreads amid difficult conditions In Congo, where the outbreak has now reached seven provinces, responders are facing difficult conditions. Health teams have come under attack, misinformation about the virus has spread, some residents have failed to report symptoms and rebel violence has restricted access to treatment centers. Although cases have declined in Ituri province, the epicenter of the outbreak, the disease is spreading in emerging hotspots in North Kivu and South Kivu provinces. "It is like fighting a megafire. Multiple outbreaks are developing at the same time, with varying intensity and in different locations," Stéphanie Hoffmann of Doctors Without Borders, known by its French acronym MSF, said in a statement. The World Health Organization has warned that the outbreak could surpass the deadliest Ebola outbreak in history, which occurred more than a decade ago in West Africa and killed more than 11,000 people.

At least 20 people were killed in a multi-vehicle road crash in Nigeria’s north-central Plateau state, the country’s road safety agency said Saturday. The accident involved four vehicles and occurred on Friday along the Hawan Kibo-Jos route, a major road linking Plateau state with Abuja, the capital. Preliminary findings suggest that brake failure may have caused the crash, according to the Federal Road Safety Commission. Road accidents are common in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, partly due to poor road conditions and weak enforcement of traffic regulations.

At least 27 people were killed in two separate mass shootings in townships near Johannesburg and Cape Town, South African police said Sunday. In the first incident, 17 people were killed when eight armed men opened fire at a bar in Wedela township, southwest of Johannesburg, on Saturday night, according to the South African Police Service. The attackers were armed with AK-47 rifles and pistols, police said. At least 15 other people were wounded in the shooting. In a separate incident, 10 people were killed and 11 others injured when gunmen opened fire at a store in Lwandle, near Cape Town, around 1am Sunday. Police said they were looking for several suspects in connection with the Lwandle shooting but did not provide an exact number. No arrests had been made in either case, police said. The latest attacks came only days after another mass shooting near Durban, where three gunmen opened fire at a house party, killing 11 people, including a pregnant woman. South Africa has long faced high levels of violent crime, but the spate of mass shootings in recent days has caused particular alarm in a country accustomed to some of the world's highest rates of violent crime.

Kenyan President William Ruto was a special guest at the Atlanta Dream’s victory over the New York Liberty on Wednesday night, attending the game to watch Kenyan player Madina Okot. Ruto, who is in New York this week for the United Nations General Assembly, sat courtside to watch Okot play. “That was a very good honor, I appreciate him showing up,” Okot told The Associated Press after Atlanta’s 83-65 victory on Wednesday night. “I’m the only Kenyan over here and it just shows how much he supports sports at home. I hope that this opens up opportunities for other girls. I’m so much blessed to get support from him.” Ruto watched the game with his wife, Rachel, NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum and members of NBA Africa. The Kenyan president also took a selfie with the first lady and Okot as they spoke on the court. “I got to talk some Swahili today,” a smiling Okot said. “So happy I spoke Swahili to my president and the first lady.” Ruto celebrated Okot being selected No. 13 overall by the Atlanta Dream in April. Okot scored two points and grabbed two rebounds in Atlanta’s win over New York.

Moroccans are voting for a new parliament Wednesday in an election marked by growing frustration among young people over unemployment, public services and the rising cost of living despite the country's economic growth. Polling stations across Morocco are open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., with nearly 16 million registered voters eligible to elect members of the 395-seat House of Representatives. The election is the first since deadly youth-led protests nearly a year ago and a mass attempt by migrants to cross the country's northern border into Spain's Ceuta, where dozens of people died. The vote will determine the next prime minister and the composition of the government, which will operate alongside the powerful monarchy that retains broad authority over strategic affairs. Election results are expected Thursday. The new government will oversee billions of dollars in investment as Morocco prepares to co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup. It will also face pressure to address concerns over jobs, wages, housing, healthcare and education. Many young Moroccans remain skeptical that political participation can improve their lives, with some choosing street protests, considering emigration or staying away from the polls. A total of 7,288 candidates from 27 political parties are contesting the election. Under the constitution, the king appoints the head of government from the party winning the most seats. As no party is expected to secure an outright majority, coalition talks are likely. Some groups, including the far-left Democratic Path, have called for a boycott, saying the election lacks basic democratic conditions. The banned but tolerated Islamist association Al-Adl Wal Ihsane has also made similar claims. Moroccans living abroad have the constitutional right to vote but cannot cast ballots by mail or at Moroccan consulates. They must travel to Morocco or authorize a registered family member or acquaintance to vote on their behalf. The number of registered voters has fallen 9.7% since the 2021 election despite population growth, with analysts expecting low turnout. In Casablanca and Rabat, voters formed small but steady lines at polling stations despite Wednesday being a working day. Jamal Aamar, a 63-year-old retired banker voting for the Federation of the Democratic Left, said taking part in the election gives citizens a chance to make their voices heard. “If you boycott, you will leave others an empty seat,” he said.

A gold mine shaft collapsed in northeastern Sudan, killing at least 11 miners and injuring 30, a state official said Sunday, while a search continued for the missing under the debris. It was the second collapse of an informal gold mine in Sudan in a week. The mines are among thousands of small-scale and informal mines scattered across Sudan, which has been engulfed in a war that has at times pushed parts of the country into famine. Last Sunday, at least 82 people were killed when a series of mine shafts in another gold mine collapsed in the country's west, in an area controlled by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces that have been fighting the Sudanese military for over three years. Abdalhay Kharif Abakar, who worked in the area, said the collapse in Oni, a remote area in the northeastern Red Sea state, began Saturday night. An official from the state-owned Sudanese Mineral Resources Co. said 11 bodies had been recovered by Sunday and 30 were rescued. The search for the missing continued, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media. In a statement, the company expressed condolences for lives lost in the mine collapse, but didn't give details about the casualties. Deadly mine collapses in Sudan, a gold producing country, aren’t uncommon where safety standards aren’t widely applied. Sudan plunged into an all-out war in April 2023 as fighting erupted between the RSF and the Sudanese military in the country. The conflict has killed at least 59,000 people, according to Armed Conflict Location & Event Data, a monitoring group. Aid organizations say that the figure is an undercount, and the true number could be many times higher. Large quantities of gold have been smuggled out of the country to finance the RSF, which controls gold-producing areas in the Darfur and Kordofan regions, according to experts commissioned by the United Nations.