Sudan
Competing street demonstrations took place across Sudan today as tensions over the country’s transitional government deepened. The country’s longtime autocratic leader Omar al-Bashir was toppled by the army after mass protests in 2019, and an interim government made up of civilian and military leaders is supposed to pave the way for elections in 2023. However, the Forces for Freedom and Change group, which spearheaded the 2019 protests, has now split - one faction supports transitional Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, while the other wants the military to overthrow him.
More from Al Jazeera here.
India
A major landmark in India today as it celebrated administering its billionth COVID-19 vaccine dose. The news was particularly hopeful given the carnage the pandemic caused there earlier in the year. About half of India’s almost 1.4 billion people have had at least one dose while around 20 percent are fully vaccinated, according to Our World in Data. Many of those shots have come in just the last two months, the Associated Press reported. The billionth shot was celebrated with fanfare across the country, including on billboards featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
More from AP here.
Eswatini
Mobile operators in the southern African kingdom of Eswatini have been ordered to block Facebook and its messenger service, according to reports. Eswatini, an absolute monarchy formerly known as Swaziland, has been gripped by anti-government protests for months now. Crowds of mostly young people have taken to the streets demanding political reform. They are also angry at the opulent lifestyles enjoyed by royal family members even as many of the country’s 1.1 million people live in poverty.
More from Reuters here.