Maduro pleads not guilty to new torture charges in US court
Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela’s former president and his wife, Cilia Flores, have pleaded not guilty to new US charges alleging conspiracy to commit torture. The couple appeared in a New York court on Thursday, where prosecutors accused them of maintaining a system of repression against political opponents.
The latest indictment alleges that Maduro and Flores helped create a system in which thousands of Venezuelans were killed, harassed or tortured. The alleged methods included electric shocks, asphyxiation, rape, forced nudity, prolonged isolation, starvation and psychological abuse. Prosecutors also allege that US citizens were tortured under the system.
Maduro rejected the allegations, describing them as false accusations and testimony. Judge Alvin Hellerstein entered a not guilty plea on his behalf after interrupting his statement, while Flores also declared her innocence through a translator.
The couple were captured during a US military raid in January and remain in detention in Brooklyn. They have challenged the case on grounds of sovereign immunity, while prosecutors have also accused them and their alleged accomplices of involvement in cocaine trafficking and links to criminal groups. Their trial is scheduled for June 2027.
School roof collapse kills 34 in Pakistan’s Peshawar
At least 33 pupils and a teacher have died after a school roof collapsed in Peshawar, north-western Pakistan, according to hospital officials. More than a dozen others were injured, some critically, after the collapse at the private Al-Khair school on Thursday morning.
Rescue teams were called to the school in Dir Colony at 08:48 local time after lessons had begun. Officials said the roof of an upper-floor classroom gave way, causing ceilings below to collapse and trapping children beneath the debris. Residents helped rescue workers pull more than 20 pupils from the rubble.
Police arrested the school’s owner as authorities began investigating possible violations of building regulations. Peshawar police chief Mian Saeed said the building was overloaded and had substandard roof slabs that could not withstand the weight.
The school was reportedly built as a temporary structure, while its narrow access road complicated rescue operations and the movement of injured pupils to hospitals. Authorities are investigating the circumstances of the collapse and whether safety standards were breached.
Russia accuses Ukraine of striking oil refinery as Zelensky vows to resume attacks
Russia has accused Ukraine of attacking an oil refinery after President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv would resume strikes on Russian energy infrastructure. Zelensky said he had paused such attacks for three days at Washington’s request, even as Russia continued targeting Ukrainian energy facilities.
Russian President Vladimir Putin also accused Ukraine of attempting to strike refineries on Wednesday, a claim Kyiv denied. Putin said the alleged attack had caused no significant damage, while Moscow later reported another refinery strike on Thursday.
The dispute comes amid tensions over US intelligence sharing and restrictions affecting Ukraine’s use of SpaceX’s satellite communications services. Ukrainian defence sources said some Starlink functionality had been restored, including connectivity for military operations while moving, although the status of speed restrictions on drones remained unclear.
Separately, seven people were reported missing after a drone attack set a chemical tanker ablaze off Romania, according to naval officials. Russia said it had struck two cargo ships carrying military supplies bound for Ukraine’s Odesa port but did not identify the vessels.
Houthi missile attack on Yemen presidential palace kills two
At least two security personnel have been killed in a Houthi missile attack on the presidential palace in Aden, southern Yemen, according to Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani. Five ballistic missiles struck al-Maashiq Palace, the seat of Yemen’s internationally recognised government, on Thursday.
Al-Eryani said the prime minister and other ministers were unharmed, although several people were injured. The Houthis’ military spokesperson, Yahya Sarea, said the group had targeted what he described as the Saudi enemy’s military operations headquarters in Aden.
Prime Minister Shaya Zindani condemned the attack as cowardly and vowed that it would not weaken the government’s determination to continue military operations against the Houthis. Saudi Arabia leads a coalition providing air support to Yemeni government forces fighting the Iran-backed group.
The attack followed renewed hostilities between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia. The coalition said it had intercepted a cruise missile in the Medina region, although the Houthis denied attacking Saudi Arabia that day. The group has previously targeted Saudi airports, oil facilities and military bases in retaliation for strikes on territory it controls in Yemen.
German airport officials find more than 90 snakes and lizards in passenger’s suitcase
German customs officers have stopped a 45-year-old Mexican firefighter at Cologne Bonn Airport after discovering more than 90 live reptiles hidden in his suitcase. The animals included venomous snakes, iguanas and other lizards concealed inside shampoo and cream bottles, plastic containers and balls of socks.
Officials said the man appeared conspicuously nervous while attempting to leave through the airport’s green channel for passengers with nothing to declare. A drug test returned positive for cocaine, but customs officers found no drugs in his luggage.
The suitcase contained 37 live venomous snakes and 55 lizards, according to customs spokesperson Jens Ahland. Some animals were kept in what he described as inhumane conditions, while others had died during the journey from Mexico City through Istanbul.
The man told officers he had brought the animals to Germany as a favour for a Brazilian acquaintance. He was refused entry and flown back to Istanbul, while surviving reptiles were transferred to a snake farm in Germany.
AFRICA
Kenya raises petrol and diesel prices as Middle East conflict drives up import costs
Kenya has increased petrol and diesel prices after higher fuel import costs linked to the conflict in the Middle East, the country’s energy regulator announced on Wednesday. The adjustment raises petrol prices by 6 percent and diesel prices by 4.5 percent, adding pressure on households and businesses.
In Nairobi, a litre of diesel will cost 227.76 Kenyan shillings, up from 217.86 shillings, while kerosene prices will rise to 219.87 shillings from 191.38 shillings. The new prices will apply from 15 October to 14 November, when the regulator is due to announce another review.
Kenya relies on the Middle East for nearly all its fuel supplies, leaving domestic prices vulnerable to disruptions in global energy markets. Higher fuel costs can feed into transport, agriculture and construction expenses, potentially raising prices across the economy.
The government has extended a reduction in value-added tax on fuel to 8 percent from 16 percent until January 14. The measure is intended to cushion consumers from some of the impact of rising import costs.
Ebola outbreak in DR Congo spreads to province bordering Central African Republic
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has spread to North Ubangi province, which borders the Central African Republic, creating a new challenge for health authorities trying to contain the disease. Two cases have been confirmed in the province, according to two health officials who spoke on Thursday.
North Ubangi is the eighth province affected by the outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain, which was declared in mid-May. The epidemic has recorded more than 9,000 cases and over 4,000 deaths, making it the second-largest Ebola outbreak on record.
Ituri province remains the epicentre, while infections have also increased recently in North Kivu. Other affected provinces include South Kivu, Tshopo, Haut-Uele, Bas-Uele and South Ubangi.
The spread into another province raises concerns about the outbreak’s geographical reach and the resources required to contain it. Congolese authorities had not officially announced the two North Ubangi cases at the time of the report.
Somalia schedules presidential election for May 2027
Somalia will hold its next presidential election on May 15, 2027, the country’s electoral commission announced on Thursday. Parliamentary elections for both chambers are scheduled for April 15, according to commission chairperson Abdikarim Ahmed Hassan.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s term was due to end in May 2026, but lawmakers approved constitutional changes in March that could extend it by a year. The move drew criticism from opposition groups, which questioned the extension and the political process behind it.
The election will take place as the government continues its fight against al-Shabaab, the al-Qaeda-linked militant group that has battled the state for two decades. Somali forces, backed by an African Union mission, have pushed back the militants in some areas, but the group retains control over large parts of the countryside.
Al-Shabaab continues to carry out attacks on major population centres, posing a security challenge ahead of the vote. The announced timetable sets out the next electoral milestones as political divisions over the president’s tenure remain unresolved.
Ethiopia joins African payments system to expand cross-border trade
Ethiopia’s central bank has joined the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), bringing the country closer to integration with Africa’s regional financial infrastructure. The platform announced the development on Thursday, describing it as a step towards improving cross-border payments and trade.
PAPSS allows businesses and other users to make transactions directly in local currencies, reducing reliance on the US dollar and correspondent banks outside the continent. The system is designed to lower payment costs and make trade between African countries easier.
Eyob Tekalign, governor of Ethiopia’s central bank, said joining the network would support efforts to modernise the country’s financial system and strengthen economic connections across Africa. The move could help businesses settle transactions with regional partners more efficiently.
Launched in January 2022 with 10 commercial banks, PAPSS now operates in more than 15 countries and connects over 150 commercial banks. Members include Nigeria, Zambia, Malawi, Kenya and Tunisia, while South Africa remains outside the network.
South Africa ends support for imported vehicle kits to boost local manufacturing
South Africa will phase out policy support for automakers that import near-complete vehicles for local assembly, Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau announced on Thursday. The change targets semi-knocked-down assembly operations, which rely on importing vehicle bodies and most components in kit form.
Speaking at South African Auto Week, Tau said the government would also withhold support from new facilities using the same model. The policy is intended to encourage manufacturers to produce more components locally and develop deeper domestic supply chains.
South Africa’s Automotive Master Plan aims to raise local content in vehicle production to 60 percent from an average of 38 percent. It also seeks to double employment in the sector and increase the country’s share of global vehicle output to 1 percent by 2035.
The changes will not apply to medium and heavy commercial vehicles. Authorities also plan to tighten the definition of complete-knock-down manufacturing, which involves assembling vehicles from components rather than importing nearly finished units.
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Faith Omoboye is a foreign affairs correspondent with background in History and International relations. Her work focuses on African politics, diplomacy, and global governance.
