Africa

A national hero's welcome was given to cyclist Biniam Girmay on the day of his return to Eritrea: he rode through the streets of Asmara to Bahti Meskerem Square where a ceremony in his honour was staged

A countrywide half-day holiday was decreed in honour of Letsile Tebogo, the first Botswanian to win an Olympic gold medal, achieved in the 200 metres flat in Paris; he is also the first African to achieve this

To demand the release of Oumar Sylla and Mamadou Billo Bah, a return to constitutional order, and respect for all the provisions of the Transition Charter, the Forces Vives de Guinée called on citizens to 'observe a dead city day on Monday 12 August'

The UN Security Council adopted a resolution authorising the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo MONUSCO to provide operational and logistical support to the Southern African Development Community peacekeeping mission

Isaac Zavale, 37, originally from Mozambique, is one of Africa's leading emerging artists; with his paintings, he wants to make people think about the multitude of people in Johannesburg, the city where the artist has lived for years

The formation new government has been announced following the reelection of President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani for another term in office, according to state media; Ghazouani received 56,12% of the vote in the June 29 presidential election

940 million dollars of investment in tourism was attracted last year, a 17% increase over 2022, and the sector continues to grow; however, the problem of kidnappings still frightens some potential visitors, the president acknowledged

Smoking is responsible for 8% of the country's deaths, Health Minister Khaled Ait Taleb reported, pointing out that lung cancer is responsible for 75% of deaths

Dmytro Kuleba and Maneesh Gobin, Head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mauritius, signed a visa waiver agreement during the first visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine to Mauritius since the establishment of bilateral relations in 1992

The Swedish ambassador in Bamako was ordered to leave the country within 72 hours after the Swedish minister for development cooperation and international trade stated that the government had decided to phase out aid to Mali

The UK government announced a support package of over $2 million for more than 150.000 Sudanese refugees in Libya to provide 'health, water, sanitation and child protection services' to those seeking refuge in the country

To underline the government's commitment to revitalising the country's coffee industry, the Agriculture Minister visited three EU-funded coffee demonstration sites in Bomi County

South Africa, home to the highest number of rhinos in the world, has seen a decline in poaching affecting this endangered species; during the first half of this year, 229 rhinos were poached, a slight decrease compared to last year