Africa

The Fatwa council has officially determined that the Friday prayer will begin at 1 pm sharp; the opinion of the Gran Mufti had been asked to make new labour rules compatible with the compulsory Friday prayer

New passport stamps are in use to curb cross-border crime; they carry advanced security features and are traceable to individual immigration officers, making it significantly harder for criminal networks to manipulate entry and exit records

In Harare’s overlooked spaces, globally acclaimed feminist photographer, filmmaker and researcher Chido Nyaruwata finds stories; through her lens, discarded materials are narratives of resilience and socially displaced women architects of sustainability

As Zambia is expected to receive normal to above-normal rainfall in the upcoming season, Zambians living in flood-prone areas are urged to relocate before the onset of the 2025/2026 rainy season

The number of roadside checkpoints across the country have been reduced from 385 to just 40 on 15 main roads in an effort to improve traffic flow and combat harassment; checkpoint outside of this new framework will be considered illegal

The 2025/2026 higher education academic year was inaugurated in in the province of Cuanza-Norte in a ceremony led by the Minister of State for Social Affairs under the motto "Higher Education 50 Years: From Massification, Quality, and Excellence"

17.385 projects have been registered so far with the Algerian Investment Promotion Agency with a goal of reaching 20.000 by 2029, that could create 420.000 direct jobs

Traditional leaders in Kassena-Nankana Municipality, Upper East Region, pledged renewed efforts to eradicate child marriage, a practice that truncates the education of girls and condemns to hardship; campaign on traditional leaders started back in 2023

Tunisians who also hold Algerian, Turkish, or French nationality can now serve military service in their second country of nationality, following agreements signed between Tunisia and these three nations

Soldiers, police and rangers from the Uganda Wildlife Authority moved into Pian Upe Conservation Area to steer thousands of cattle out as herds belonging to Pokot pastoralists had overrun the grasslands, competing with antelopes and giraffes for food

Helicopters and hundreds of soldiers have been sent to curb a fire ravaging a third of Etosha National Park, a key nature reserve and top tourist attraction home to endangered black rhinos; fire broke out at a charcoal production plant outside the park

The Revenue Services Lesotho and the Bankers Association of Lesotho signed an agreement to enhance institutional collaboration, tackle regulatory and operational challenges, and drive innovation in digital banking, cybersecurity, and economic resilience

The ban on single-use plastic bags has come into force in supermarkets in the municipalities of Akanda, Libreville and Owendo, press reports; the measure comes after a four-month awareness campaign launched on June 23