Eritrea

Biniam Girmay said he hopes to encourage more diversity in elite cycling after the Eritrean won the third stage of this year's Tour de France

Twenty-six students graduated from the Asmar music school after completing a two-year training programme

The Swiss government intends to send a liaison officer for talks with Eritrea but the country's readiness to readmit its citizens is a prerequisite for further negotiations; so far Eritrea has refused to repatriate Eritrean citizens from any country

The 11th annual Asmara College of Education festival concluded with a series of programmes highlighting the progress of quality education and the development of the teaching profession

International human rights organisations, including Christian Solidarity Worldwide, organised a protest vigil in front of the Eritrean embassy in London, on the 20th anniversary of the detention of senior church leaders in Eritrea

Russian Embassy staff in Eritrea visited the birthplace of Pushkin's great-grandfather, showing the Russians the site of the Ibrahim family home, where an ancient sycamore tree, over 350 years old, lives

Six months of vocational training have been offered by the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare to 219 foster families; they include textile design, catering, sewing and weaving

A very ancient petrified tree was recently discovered at Adi-Kinzinab, located in the Adi-Quala sub-zone; this discovery could provide evidence of the migration of large mammals 27 million years ago, before the formation of the Red Sea

A workshop was held in Asmara focusing on the implementation of the national measles and rubella vaccination program, which also includes the distribution of vitamin A supplements

The Russian frigate Marshal Shaposhnikov called at the port of Massawa, becoming the first Russian warship to dock in an Eritrean port

The Central Region Teachers Association held its 8th congress in Asmara; the head of the region's education office urged the association to establish sustainable training programs aimed at improving teachers' skills

A Chinese project developer has been selected to build the first photovoltaic solar energy storage facility in Eritrea - photovoltaic solar power plant and energy storage system - financed by the African Development Bank