• Henry's resignation came after regional leaders met in Jamaica on Monday to discuss a political transition in Haiti.
• Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has downplayed the chances of a truce in Gaza after Hamas gave what it called a "comprehensive vision" to mediators.
Image: FILE
Haiti's prime minister Ariel Henry resigns
Haiti's Prime Minister Ariel Henry resigned on Monday, the chair of the Caribbean group of countries said, following weeks of mounting pressure and increasing violence in the country.
His resignation came after regional leaders met in Jamaica on Monday to discuss a political transition in Haiti.
Mr Henry is currently stranded in Puerto Rico after being prevented by armed gangs from returning home.
He had led the country since the former president's assassination in July 2021.
Senegal opposition leaders freed ahead of election
Senegal's opposition leader Ousmane Sonko and the presidential candidate he is backing in this month's delayed election, Bachirou Diomaye Faye, have been released from prison.
Their release followed an amnesty announced by President Macky Sall.
The elections are due to be held on 24 March after a failed bid to push them to December.
Despite the amnesty, the list of candidates remains unchanged, meaning Sonko will not be contesting in the elections.
Israel downplays truce prospects after Hamas response
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has downplayed the chances of a truce in Gaza after Hamas gave what it called a "comprehensive vision" to mediators.
Mr Netanyahu's office said Hamas was still "holding to unrealistic demands".
Hamas wants a permanent end to the war and full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
On Thursday night Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry said 20 people had been killed as they waited for aid. Israel denies involvement and accuses armed Palestinians of firing at the crowds.
Major internet outages reported across Africa
A major internet disruption was reported in various countries across Africa.
Outages were reported in countries including South Africa, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Ghana and Burkina Faso.
The cause of the cable failures was not immediately clear.
Internet connectivity in the Ivory Coast was down to around just 4% on Thursday morning, according to Netblocks, which tracks cybersecurity and internet connectivity.
Liberia at one point dropped to 17% while Benin was at 14% and Ghana 25%, Netblocks said.
Japan same-sex marriage ban ruled unconstitutional again by courts
This week, courts in Tokyo and Sapporo ruled the nation's current ban was "unconstitutional", in line with previous landmark verdicts.
The rulings in separate cases found that the ban breached citizens' rights.
Even as they welcomed the verdicts, activists warned that the historic step of legalising same-sex unions would still need to come from lawmakers.
Currently, Japan remains the only G7 country not to fully recognise same-sex couples or offer them clear legal protection. But it is not an outlier in Asia, where Taiwan is the only place to allow same-sex unions.
Chad introduces free water and electricity for households
Chad's government has announced that it would provide free water and electricity for households until the end of the year.
The monthly household consumption payable by the government is capped at 15 cubic metres (15,000 litres) of water and 300 kWh of electricity.
The government on Monday said it would also clear water and electricity bills for residents with outstanding arrears.
It also announced a cut in transport taxes that could lower transport costs, which hiked last month with a rise in fuel prices.
US House passes bill that could ban TikTok nationwide
The US House of Representatives has passed a landmark bill that could see TikTok banned in America.
It would give the social media giant's Chinese parent company, ByteDance, six months to sell its controlling stake or the app would be blocked in the US.
While the bill passed overwhelmingly in a bipartisan vote, it still needs to clear the Senate and be signed by the president to become law.
Lawmakers have long held concerns about China's influence over TikTok.
Rwandan opposition leader barred from election
A court in Rwanda has blocked efforts by prominent opposition figure Victoire Ingabire to lift a ban on her running in July's presidential election.
She was freed in 2018 after spending eight years in prison for threatening state security and "belittling" the 1994 genocide.
In Rwanda, people who have been jailed for more than six months are barred from running in elections.
Ms Ingabire said the court's ruling was politicised.
Medic among 20 killed in Odesa missile strikes
A double Russian missile attack on the southern Ukrainian city of Odesa has killed at least 20 people and left more than 70 wounded, local authorities said.
Among those killed and wounded were emergency medical teams.
Ukrainian officials said the first Russian missile hit homes and civilian infrastructure, and when emergency teams rushed to the scene another missile struck the same spot.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attack as "vile" and said Russia would "feel our fair response".