Analysts say the decision will deepen the hardship of ordinary Iranians already under strain.

The DRC’s cobalt and copper export ban targets billions in refining margins—but a 2,000-megawatt power shortfall could threaten its industrial ambitions, while Zambia’s copper boom is attracting billions in green-energy investment, but citizens are asking: who really benefits?

The AFC/M23 rebel alliance in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo is tightening restrictions on movement after two travellers from a government-held area tested positive for Ebola in rebel territory, adding another challenge to efforts to contain the country’s rapidly expanding outbreak.

Hundreds of Tibetan exiles gathered in New Delhi on Thursday, 20 August, to protest against China’s new Ethnic Unity and Progress Law.

A former Zambian cabinet minister was shot dead during a security operation at the home of opposition leader Brian Mundubile, police said Wednesday, days after President Hakainde Hichilema won a second term amid opposition claims of irregularities and intimidation.

Brian Mundubile alleges his campaign documented ‘serious irregularities’ and inconsistences in the conduct, counting, transmission, and declaration of results.

South Korea held a nationwide civil defence drill on Thursday, 20 August, as part of the annual Ulchi Exercise, with authorities rehearsing responses to a national emergency such as an air raid.

Liberia has charged former Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor with drug trafficking, money laundering and related offences in an investigation into an alleged transnational narcotics network.

Russia’s overnight missile barrage killed at least 12 people in Kyiv on Thursday, 20 August, as residents were rescued from damaged buildings and firefighters battled fires across the capital.

The Caribbean country is due to hold its first polls in a decade amid ongoing violence by gangs who control most of the capital, Port-au-Prince.

The death toll from a gold mine collapse in western Central African Republic has risen above 100, with several others still missing or trapped underground. The disaster struck an artisanal mine near the Cameroon border, highlighting the dangers facing thousands of informal miners.

Senegal’s opposition is urging President Bassirou Diomaye Faye to set a date for local elections, turning the vote into a potential early showdown with former ally Ousmane Sonko.

Marking World Humanitarian Day on Wednesday, the United Nations flag was lowered to half-mast at the UN headquarters in Nairobi. The gesture recognises the humanitarian workers who lost their lives while serving others.

Tanzania has suspended a weekly newspaper for six months over alleged breaches of media law, the information ministry said Wednesday, after the outlet published a story alleging government divisions.

Sudan’s army says 318 Rapid Support Forces fighters, including four commanders, have defected and joined its ranks in the latest apparent surrender by paramilitary personnel. The move comes as defections increase and fighting continues to devastate the country more than three years into the war.

Campaigning for Nigeria’s general election got underway on Wednesday and voters are already making one thing clear: they want straight answers from the candidates about how they’ll improve the lives of citizens.

Victor Wembanyama has been named captain of France for four games in August, marking a new leadership role for the NBA star as he returns to the national team. The 22-year-old will lead a squad featuring veterans Rudy Gobert and Evan Fournier in World Cup qualifying.

Statistics SA attributes the slowdown to softer food inflation, slower municipal tariff increases, and lower fuel prices.

Seven people, including six tourists and the pilot, have died after a helicopter came down near Mount Ololokwe in central Kenya, according to air accident officials.

Responders are warning the deadly haemorrhagic virus is spreading at an unprecedented rate, outpacing efforts to slow it in the remote eastern part of the country.

South Africa says it’s putting infrastructure development at the centre of its agenda as chair of the Southern African Development Community.

Russia and Ukraine have exchanged 103 prisoners each in their latest wartime swap, with the United Arab Emirates acting as mediator. The release offers another rare point of cooperation between the two sides as diplomatic efforts to end the conflict remain largely stalled.

The United Nations rights chief has called on Zambia to stop arbitrary arrests and uphold the rights of all those detained. The statement from UN High Commissioner Volker Türk follows reports of arrests and detention of opposition figures in Zambia before and after Thursday’s election.

A landslide at an illegal gold mine in the western Central African Republic has killed several dozen people, with local sources estimating the toll at up to 100. Rescue teams are searching for survivors as authorities struggle to establish the final death toll.

Fear of Ebola is keeping pregnant women away from healthcare facilities in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, raising the risk of stillbirths, premature births and maternal deaths as the country’s deadliest Ebola outbreak continues to disrupt routine medical care.

It’s a new school day in Khartoum, where children are slowly returning to classrooms as security improves. But recovery will be long, with damaged schools, overcrowded classes and too few teachers and supplies.

The plan aims to expand the use of nuclear and geothermal energy, but this may not make prices more affordable for consumers.

Bayern Munich midfielder Jamal Musiala says he is dealing with a neurological condition after collapsing during a preseason game for the second time in four days. The Germany international says he has been diagnosed with temporary absence seizures and is receiving medical care.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said it was moving faster than any previous one and had a high risk of spreading to other countries in the region.

Libya’s worsening power crisis is putting pressure on critical infrastructure and fueling public frustration over deteriorating living conditions.

Campaigning kicks off in Nigeria Wednesday, five months ahead of elections set to be dominated by crushing inflation and President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms.

Armed forces repelled rebel fighters in the key city after hours of intense fighting that left nearly 100 wounded.

Nigerian authorities have arrested a social media personality they say was a senior figure in an international cocaine trafficking operation following the seizure of 184.5kg of the drug in Lagos.

Liberia has agreed to accept hundreds of people deported from the United States, in one of the largest such arrangements under the Trump administration’s migration policy. The deportees will arrive over a year, with the first group of 20 expected Thursday.

Five-time Grammy winner Angelique Kidjo on Tuesday became the first Black African to be honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Hostility from local communities at the heart of the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is leading to regular attacks on WHO ambulances, one of the lead doctors involved in the epidemic response says at a briefing.

The death toll from a ferry disaster in Zimbabwe last week rose to 94 on Tuesday, police said, with the recovery of two more bodies

Israel has carried out eight airstrikes on a Syrian military airbase in the northwest, damaging its runway and storage facilities, according to Syrian state media. The attack drew condemnation from Damascus and Ankara and criticism from a US envoy who called it an “unnecessary escalation.”

At the Mariama Ba School of Excellence, students are encouraged to challenge what has traditionally been expected of girls across the predominantly Muslim West African nation

Senegal have appointed former Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira as their new head coach, turning to the Dakar-born France legend to rebuild the national team after a disappointing World Cup campaign and the dismissal of Pape Thiaw.