At least 36 people have died and more than 8,000 houses have been destroyed by flooding in heavy rain that has drenched Niger since June, the U.N. said Thursday.

Cases of cholera have risen in some zones, it said. In September alone, 641 cases were recorded, with 38 deaths.

France said Friday its forces had "destroyed" an al-Qaida convoy in Niger carrying a large amount of weapons from Libya to Mali.

The convoy, belonging to al-Qaida's north African branch, was "intercepted and destroyed (Thursday) night in northern Niger... carrying weapons from Libya to Mali," said a statement from the French presidency.

Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan threatened legal action Thursday against a website that listed him as Africa's sixth richest head of state with a net worth of about $100 million (78 million euros).

The article on richestlifestyle.com provided little evidence to substantiate its list of Africa's eight richest presidents.

From roadside bombs and rocket attacks to murderous ambushes launched on motorbikes, Mali's ousted jihadists have announced their return in a bloodbath of foreign troops in the desert north.

The United Nations' chief peacekeeper vowed Tuesday to hunt down the killers of nine soldiers in the deadliest ever attack on its mission in Mali.

The soldiers, all from Niger, were on a supply run in the north-eastern desert on Friday when they were targeted by armed men on motorbikes.

The Algerian army has killed five foreign "criminals" near the border with Niger, the defense ministry said on Friday.

"In an ambush by elements of the People's National Army in the Tirrine area, near the Algeria-Niger border, five criminals were shot dead and four others wounded, including one of Libyan nationality," it said in a statement.

Authorities in Niger have issued an arrest warrant for the west African country's speaker of parliament in connection with a baby trafficking scandal, his lawyers said Monday.

A judge issued the arrest warrant on Friday, said Me Souley Oumarou, an attorney for the speaker, Hama Amadou, who had fled to France.

Niger's parliamentary leader, who fled to France after being accused of involvement in baby trafficking, said Sunday he was the victim of an assassination plot.

Hama Amadou, who is seen as the leading challenger to President Mahamadou Issoufou ahead of elections in 2016, also claimed the country's incumbent leader was behind the move to finish him off.

The top court in Niger has given the green light for the arrest of the country's parliamentary leader, who is accused of involvement in an international baby-trafficking network, it was announced on Friday.

Hama Amadou, who is seen as the leading challenger to President Mahamadou Issoufou ahead of elections in 2016, "discreetly" left the country last week and is currently in Belgium.

At least 28 people have been killed and more than 51,000 affected by flooding in Niger after heavy rains in June inundated swathes of the impoverished nation, the United Nations said Thursday.