In the news

Saudi Arabia announced on Friday, July 30, that it would reopen its borders to vaccinated foreign tourists, after a 17-month closure due to the coronavirus pandemic, the national news agency said. Riyadh, however, has not announced the lifting of restrictions on the Omra pilgrimage, which attracts millions of Muslims from …

A group of Nigerian athletes who were ruled ineligible to compete at the Olympics in Tokyo have held a protest in the Japanese city. On Wednesday, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) ruled that a total of 20 competitors, including 10 from Nigeria, would be unable to take part in the …

Joe Biden, the US President called on states as well as local governments to offer, out of the funds they have received, $ 100 to all people who get vaccinated in order to encourage the vaccination program. The president also issued a strict new vaccine requirement for US federal workers, …

French people will be in the streets in France, this Saturday, to demonstrate against the health pass project approved by parliament. Nearly 140,000 people are expected for the event. The anti-health passes are booming, and give even more voice since the government took its measures to contain the spread of …

The Security Council of the United Nations has extended by one year an arms embargo against the Central African Republic. The vote took place on Thursday in New York among the 15 council members, with 14 votes in favour and an abstention by China. Nicolas de Riviere, the French ambassador …

Ivorian ex-first lady Simone Ehivet Gbagbo has been acquitted by the International criminal court. The arrest warrant issued against her has been lifted. She was facing accusations of crimes against humanity committed during the country’s 2010-2011 post-election crisis, after her husband’s refusal to hand over power to Alassane Ouattara, who …

Ghanaian information minister says politicians have “no intention” of changing its laws on sexuality, after an anti-gay bill was submitted to parliament. Kojo Oppong Nkrumah said that the country’s current laws on “matters of sexuality” were “adequate”. Ghana’s criminal code outlaws what it describes as “unnatural carnal knowledge” but does …

During their recent operations in Mozambique, Rwandan forces killed 14 islamist militants but one Rwandan soldier was injured in the mission. “He is recovering well”, said an army spokesperson. The operations were launched in different areas of the north between 24 and 28 June. The coastal town of Mocimboa da …

They are at least eighteen people to have been killed by gunmen in Niger in an area near the border with Mali. The area has been the scene of frequent attacks by Islamist militants. According to a local authority, armed men on motorbikes attacked the village of Dèye Koukou on …

Authorities in Equatorial Guinea have detained six French soldiers who were travelling in a helicopter that had stopped to refuel in the port city of Bata, the AFP news agency reports. The detention came on the same day that the top appeals court in France upheld the conviction of Equatorial …