A military court in Ouagadougou on Monday commenced the long-awaited trial of 14 men, including the former president, who was accused of the assassination of Burkina Faso's left-wing leader Thomas Sankara 34 years ago. The slaying of Sankara, an icon of pan-Africanism, has for years cast a dark shadow over the Sahel state. A hit squad in October 1987 riddled Sankara and 12 others with bullets during a putsch that brought his friend and comrade-in-arms Blaise Compaore to power. The 14 men going on trial are accused of complicity in the murder of Sankara who was known as "Africa's Che Guevara".

At least 50 people are believed dead or missing following the capsizing of a makeshift vessel on the Congo River, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) said. Nestor Magbado, spokesman for the governor of the Northwestern province of Mongala disclosed that Fifty-one bodies have been recovered from the boat and about 70 are believed to be missing, while 39 people survived.

Warrap state officials have revealed that dozens of people have been killed in clashes between four communities in South Sudan. Thousand have fled the region and at least 36 others were injured, infighting between the Luacjang, Thiik and Lou Paher people in Warrap state. Warrap Governor Aleu Ayieny Aleu referred to the latest wave of fighting in Tonj East and Tonj North counties “devastating.” He told VOA’s South Sudan in Focus radio program that the clashes were linked to cattle raids and revenge attacks.

Up to 32 worshippers were on Friday killed following an explosion that went off inside mosque in southern city during Juma'at prayers. 45 others have been wounded after the explosion went off inside a Shia mosque in Afghanistan's southern city of Kandahar, according to public health officials in the province. The explosion on Friday afternoon took place in the Bibi Fatima mosque, the largest mosque for Shia worshippers in Kandahar city. A local reporter in Kandahar told Reuters that eyewitnesses had described three suicide attackers, one of whom blew himself up at the entrance to the mosque with the two others detonating their devices inside the building. While referring to a local hospital where dead and injured had been taken he said, "The situation is very bad. Mirwais hospital is messaging and calling on young people to give blood."

The Chinese government on Friday announced that all cryptocurrency-related transactions are illegal and promised to end the mining of digital currency and, also warned that it “seriously endangers the safety of people’s assets.”In the wake of this announcement, the price of Bitcoin slumped by more than $2,000.

The Taliban have announced the formation of a hardline interim government for Afghanistan led by Mohammed Hassan Akhund, with key roles being shared among veterans of the militant group and their allies in the US-sanctioned Haqqani Network. Chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, speaking at a press conference in Kabul on Tuesday, said Abdul Ghani Baradar will be the deputy leader and Sirajuddin Haqqani, son of the founder of the Haddani network, has been named as interior minister. “We know the people of our country have been waiting for a new government,” Mujahid said, adding that the group had answered the people’s needs. “Our government won’t be based on ethnicity. We will not allow this type of politics.” “The Islamic Emirate decided to appoint and announce a care-taker cabinet to carry out the necessary government works,” Mujahid added. Mujahid named 33 members of “the new Islamic government” and said the remaining posts will be announced after careful deliberation.

General Colin L. Powell, former National Security Adviser, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the first Black Secretary of State of the United States has died on Monday following COVID-19 complications.
Powell died at age 84 at the Walter Reed Hospital in Washington D.C, despite being fully vaccinated. Powell's death was announced by his family on Facebook, saying "General Colin L. Powell, former U.S. Secretary of State and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, passed away this morning due to complications from Covid 19.

The United States intends to ease travel restrictions on all fully vaccinated foreign visitors beginning from November. According to the White House on Monday, the country could relax a patchwork of bans that had begun to cause anger in Europe and replacing them with more uniform requirements for inbound international air passengers. White House Covid-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients announced the "new international air travel system". "This is based on individuals rather than a country-based approach, so it's a stronger system," he said.

The United States Government has announced a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination as part of its requirements for all applicants seeking lawful permanent residence in the US. This follows the recently released guidelines by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in August. According to the new CDC guidelines, permanent residence applicants will be required to provide an official vaccination record from October 1, 2021, noting that the guideline does not apply to non-immigrant visa applicants.

A gunman has killed six people and injured 28 others at Perm State University in the Russian city of Perm, officials have said. The assailant, a student at the university walked onto the campus on Monday morning and opened fire on innocent unsuspecting students and teachers. Those inside the campus building at the time of the incident built barricades out of chairs to prevent the shooter from entering their classrooms. Others were however seen screaming and jumping down from windows. According to Russia's interior ministry, the attacker was shot during an exchange of gunfire with a police officer Konstanin Kalinin, who was one of the first to arrive at the scene. Mr. Kalinin then disarmed the assailant, who had a gun and a knife, before administering first aid. State media broadcast revealed amateur video footage reportedly taken during the attack showing a man clad in black tactical clothing, including a helmet, carrying a weapon, and walking through the campus. The video from outside the university showed distressed students jumping out of windows, fleeing the campus, and making phone calls to friends and family behind a cordon of police wearing helmets and body armour.

Torrential downpours in parts of Western and Central Germany has killed at least 42 people while many are missing following severe floods, which caused immense damage to property and transport disruption. It follows record rainfall that has caused major rivers to burst their banks. The worst of the flooding has been in the states of Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia, where buildings and cars have been washed away. At least six others have died in neighbouring Belgium, and the city of Liège has urged all residents to leave. The Netherlands has also been badly hit, with flooding rivers destroying many houses in the southern province of Limburg. A number of care homes have also been evacuated. Authorities used inflatable boats and helicopters, and the German army deployed 200 soldiers to assist in the rescue operation.

Pope Francis who recently had half of his colon removed for a severe narrowing of his large intestine has left the hospital in Rome after 10 days on Wednesday. The 84 years old, was released at 10:30 a.m. local time (4:30 a.m. ET) from Gemelli Polytechnic hospital. On his way home to Casa Santa Maria in Vatican City, he stopped to pray at the Basilica of Saint Mary Major.