AU - Africanews

1. Portugal hit by worst floods in decades as Storm Marta looms

   Boat evacuations in Alcácer do Sal followed the Sado River overflow, leaving one person dead during Portugal’s seventh storm this year. Another system, Storm Marta, is due on Saturday with winds up to 120 km/h and waves reaching 13 metres.

2. Kagame criticises international "threats" against Rwanda as US sanctions loom

   Rwandan President Paul Kagame urged his country to be more self-reliant on Thursday, as calls mount in the United States to impose more sanctions over its involvement in the conflict in DR Congo.

3. Ukraine and Russia swap 157 prisoners each in first exchange in months

   Ukraine and Russia swap 157 prisoners each after talks in Abu Dhabi, the first exchange in five months, with families finally welcoming loved ones home.

4. Plastic, sofas, medical waste: Bosnia’s river nightmare returns

   Thousands of cubic metres of trash hit Bosnia’s Drina River every winter. Locals warn tourism and health are at risk

5. Morocco flood disaster: Ksar El Kebir underwater as 140,000 forced to flee

   Aerial images show the town of Ksar El Kebir in northern Morocco completely under water after days of heavy rainfall and the overflow of the Loukkos wadi. Security forces have been evacuating residents, including elderly people, as entire neighborhoods are inundated.