DR Congo
More than 50 people were killed when a makeshift passenger vessel capsized on the Congo River and about 70 are still missing, local authorities said today. Search and rescue efforts are continuing but officials say hopes of finding survivors are fading.
More from AFP via France 24 here.
Lebanon
Lebanon’s entire power grid went down today after its two biggest power stations ran out of fuel, leaving much of the country in darkness. Amid Lebanon’s unprecedented economic collapse, many Lebanese are now reliant on diesel-powered generators. They are, however, incredibly expensive to run given the lack of fuel and many people are unable to afford them. Al Jazeera reported that protests had erupted in the city of Tripoli and the town of Halba as the state electricity company said power was unlikely to return for days. The extent of the country’s economic crisis is staggering and the World Bank has said it is perhaps the worst in the world this century.
More from Al Jazeera here.
Afghanistan
The Taliban and the US are holding their first face-to-face talks since Washington withdrew its troops. The talks, taking place in Qatar’s capital Doha, are expected to cover humanitarian aid, the evacuation of remaining foreigners and efforts to contain the Islamic State in Khorasan group (ISIS-K). ISIS-K yesterday claimed responsibility for a suicide attack on a Shia mosque, which killed at least 50 people.
More from BBC here.