Africa

From tomorrow 18 August Windhoek will phase out cash and outdated cards used for its bus service; passengers have been able to verify and transfer balances from their old smartcards to the new cashless system until yesterday

Old Cinema Miramar in Luanda is reportedly been sold to the Chinese without details of the deal that began in December 2013; it could be transformed into a residential space in support of the Chinese embassy

Daouda Taban, journalist and reporter for Radiodiffusion Télévision Guinéenne RTG, passed away shortly after having been transferred to Tunisia for medical reasons; Guinean media and public are mourning his death as he leaves a 'great void'

Officials report that Russia has called on the CAR to replace the private Wagner mercenary group with Moscow’s state-run Africa Corps, requesting payment for security services; government sees Wagner as more effective and prefers to pay with minerals

Interior Cabinet Secretary accused the BBC of basing parts of its Mai Mahiu child sex trafficking documentary on inaccurate accounts; women featured falsified their ages to fit the narrative and access sponsorship program allegedly dangled by the BBC crew

Road maintenance works have begin countrywide following government program aimed at improving road safety and reducing vehicle breakdowns to ultimately enhance rural connectivity

Dozens of soldiers have been arrested over suspects of plotting to overthrow the junta, which in its turn came to power in Mali in a coup; a Malian security force reports of 'arrests linked to an attempt to destabilise the institutions' in recent days

The cable car line connecting Anosy to Ambatobe will be open to the public from 16 August; the initial adaptation phase aims to familiarize users with this new mode of urban transport, offering lifts 7-9 am e 4-6 pm

Eleven potential candidates for the upcoming presidential elections set for September 2025 have made the security deposit required prior to nomination day 19 August

Four journalists were released from forced enlistment into the army and reunited with their families; the International Federation of Journalists, working on their release since abduction, welcomed the initiative reminding the public value of a free press