Africa

To tackle the escalating drug epidemic, Liberia has declared a nationwide moratorium on the sale and distribution of Tramadol and Shisha, effective from 22 August 2025 and has introduced a ban on the use of Shisha and unlicensed Tramadol

The skull of King Toera, and of two other members of his court killed and decapitated by French troops in 1897 during colonial violence, have been formally returned to Madagascar; DNA proof or test weren't conclusive, but Sakalava spirit medium confirmed

RwandAir is expecting to receive an Airbus A330-200 before the end of this year, and it is reinforcing its fleet with two of Boeing 737-800s jets, serving from Kigali; the carrier is promoting its expansion with an international campaign

Experts from the International Maritime Organization IMO has visited the port of Mutsamudu to assess progress made and get to the final phase toward certification of this strategic infrastructure; this 5-day workshop was dedicated to port security

The private sector is better equipped to manage and operate airports across Egypt, PM Madbouly said, stressing that the government is not selling its airport assets but focusing on improving their operation and management

Pharmaceutical and Medical Supplies Corporation of Eritrea reported that the corporation is working to meet the medicine and medical equipment needs of health facilities; til June 2025, medicines and equipment for $8m were imported, 2,8 locally produced

Portuguese media outlets have been expelled from the country, confirming a wider strategy to restrict press pluralism in the run-up to November's elections; Bissau-Guinean journalists' union and international press organizations have criticized the act

Schools across Rwanda that benefit from the national school feeding program are invited to incorporate high-iron beans into their menus as the new academic year begins, to strengthen nutrition for at least 3,9 million kids from early childhood to primary

Connected Banking Summit was held in Addis Abeba, confirming Ethiopia’s will to advance towards digital finance; the annual event has seen 112 countries represented so far and 10.000 partnerships signed

There is suspect that 700 fake candidates jeopardized the sending of 1.400 selected young Central Africans to Uganda for military training; the program, supposed to be an opportunity looks bound to be a failure due to military maneuvers

A court convicted a son of the President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo for illegally selling off a plane belonging to Equatorial Guinea's national airline, a court official said, ordering six years in jail unless he compensates the state for the aircraft

Moratorium on the use of plastic bags has ended: a public awareness campaign announced that starting in September the use of plastic bags will be officially banned in São Tomé and Príncipe; inspections and sanctions will begin in the last quarter of 2025

The Nigeria Immigration Service has doubled the cost of acquiring the Nigerian international passport from N50.000 to N100.000, slightly under €56, for a 32-page passport with 5-year validity; new tariffs will be effective starting 1 September 2025