Lucy Hockings announced the death of her colleague and fellow presenter George Alagiah on the BBC’s midday news bulletin on Wednesday. As well noting he won many awards in his hugely successful career, she said those who worked with him would remember him as “thoroughly decent”, “unfailingly kind-hearted and always so, so generous”. Alagiah was…

Reuters By Emily McGarvey BBC News At least 15 people have been killed and thousands evacuated after wildfires broke out across Algeria, the country’s interior ministry says. Outbreaks of 97 wildfires were recorded across 16 provinces affecting forest, crops and farmland on Monday. Around 7,500 firefighters were working to bring the blazes under control, authorities…

AFP By Natasha Booty BBC News Thirty-three people are now known to have died in Cameroon’s biggest city, Douala, after a four-storey building collapsed and fell onto another residential block. It happened early on Sunday morning in the city’s Ange Raphaël neighbourhood and the cause is still not clear. At least 21 people have been…

With her eye in the sky, Hampton’s native Joanna Steidle has seen an increase in sharks close to shore in the last five years. She hopes the beautiful images she captures with her drone will help educate others about the importance of underwater ecosystems. Especially the feared and misunderstood sharks.

George Alagiah, who has died aged 67, was one of the BBC’s longest-serving and most respected journalists. Being a friend and colleague of the award-winning foreign correspondent was a privilege – writes Allan Little. George and I were thrown together when we shared an office in Johannesburg in the Mandela years. So when I think…