AU - Africanews

1. King Felipe and Queen Letizia attend Mass for Spain train crash victims

   King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia joined over 300 relatives in Huelva to mourn the 45 victims of the Adamuz train crash.

2. Northern Morocco on maximum flood alert as Loukkos River swells

   Heavy rains in northern Morocco have prompted authorities in Ksar El Kebir to raise the flood alert to the highest level, with the swollen Loukkos River threatening multiple neighbourhoods.

3. Niamey residents describe horrific gunfire erupting near airport

   Residents of Niger’s capital, Niamey, reported hours of heavy overnight gunfire near the city’s international airport, fuelling fears of a possible jihadist attack.

4. U.S. and AU agree to create taskforce to bolster relations

   On Wednesday the U.S. and African Union Commission green lighted a deal to create a task force between the two sides in order to bolster infrastructure and investment.

5. Ivory Coast: Government launches cocoa buyback scheme

   Cocoa stocks have been piling up in co operatives in Ivory Coast, but now the country’s coffee and cocoa council has launched its initiative to buy beans so producers can get paid. Several factors led to a crisis in the sector.