Bangladesh, Gambia, Tunisia

Today’s three stories you should know

Bangladesh

Almost 1,000 people have died due to a measles epidemic in Bangladesh, according to new government figures, as the country battles its worst outbreak of the illness on record. Since the outbreak emerged in March, there have been more than 166,000 suspected cases, including 19,835 laboratory-confirmed infections, the Health Ministry data showed. The prolonged epidemic is partly down to disruption to immunization programs in 2024 - 2025 caused by political turmoil unleashed by youth-led protests that ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Bangladesh was once believed to have all but eradicated measles.

More from Reuters here.

Gambia

Gambian President Adama Barrow has pledged to boost energy supplies after protesters, angered by prolonged power cuts, burned tires and built barricades in the capital Banjul, demanding his resignation. Blackouts have plagued Gambia since June and have hit some areas for up to 48 hours in the middle of the country’s hot season. Barrow, who will run for a third term in December, has called the shortage a “national security issue” and promised that the government will install a 24-megawatt generator at a power station by the end of October.

More from Al Jazeera here.

Tunisia

Tunisian journalists have taken to the streets to protest the arrest of a reporter on money-laundering charges that his lawyers and supporters say are bogus. Mohamed Yousfi, editor-in-chief of the Alqatiba website, was detained on Friday when arriving for a radio interview, local reports said. The National Syndicate of Tunisian Journalists said at a press conference that Yousfi’s health has deteriorated and that he underwent surgery for appendicitis after his arrest. Tunisia emerged from the Arab uprisings of 2011 with a new democracy but President Kais Saied consolidated executive power in 2021, launching a sweeping crackdown against opponents and civil society.

More from The New Arab here.