CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: The Special Criminal Court in the Central African Republic will issue its first verdict on Monday over charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity against three alleged members of the 3R rebel group.

Issa Sallet Adoum, Ousman Yaouba and Tahir Mahamat are accused of carrying out the atrocities in May 2019 in the villages of Koundjili and Lemouna, in the north-west of the country.

LEBANON: Lebanon and Israel have signed an agreement that for the first time sets out the maritime boundary between the two nations.

The US-brokered agreement opens the prospect of both countries conducting offshore energy exploration.

The two countries have formally been at war since the creation of the state of Israel in 1948.

AUSTRALIA: Anger has broken out among the aboriginal community in Australia as 15-year-old Cassius Turvey is thought to be the latest in a line of Indigenous people to have been killed in a racist attack.

Cassius was allegedly assaulted on October 12 with a metal pole and suffered two brain haemorrhages. After being released five days later he began to suffer from seizures and was taken back to hospital where he died last weekend.

TWITTER: Elon Musk, said to be the richest man in the world, completed his purchase of the Twitter social media platform on Thursday for $44 billion (£37bn).

Mr Musk, a supporter of former president Donald Trump, now has sole control of one of the most important global social media platforms.

On completing the purchase Mr Musk sacked the entire executive leadership of the organisation.