AU - Africanews

1. Samba, resistance, and magic open São Paulo's carnival celebrations

   São Paulo's official Carnival celebrations burst into life on Friday night as the city's top-tier samba schools paraded at the Anhembi Sambadrome, blending cultural pride, feminist themes, and mystical storytelling in a dazzling display of color and rhythm.

2. Drama at Nigeria's Argungu festival as athletes collapse before finale

   Several athletes collapsed and were rushed to hospital on Friday during pre-finale events at the annual Argungu Fishing Festival in northwestern Nigeria, as the centuries-old cultural celebration made a triumphant return after years of security-forced suspension.

3. Beyond the hustle: Nigerian rock artist brings love to Lagos streets

   In the relentless hustle of Lagos, a city of over 20 million where love often gets lost in the daily grind, musician Bianca 'Clayrocksu' Okorocha is on a mission—taking romance off the stage and onto the streets with surprise serenades and single-stem roses.

4. SA: Cape Town gears for army deployment as police raid gang strongholds

   Western Cape police are preparing to receive South African National Defence Force members deployed to combat gang violence, following President Cyril Ramaphosa's announcement of military intervention in crime hotspots.

5. Meloni pledges deeper ties, tackling migration at 2nd Africa- Italy summit

   Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni arrived in Addis Ababa on Friday for the second Italy-Africa Summit, the first held on African soil, reaffirming Rome's strategic pivot toward investment-led cooperation with the continent under its Mattei Plan.