SOUTH AFRICA: South African President Cyril Ramaphosa visited the region today where devastating floods have left at least 78 people dead in the south-east of the country as search-and-rescue operations continued for a fourth day and authorities said they expect the death toll to rise.

President Ramaphosa travelled to the town of Mthatha in Eastern Cape province, where the floods hit hardest in the early hours of Tuesday.

MONGOLIA: The new prime minister of Mongolia has pledged to address the economic demands of protesters after their daily rallies led to the fall of his predecessor. 

Politicians approved former parliament speaker Zandanshatar Gombojav as prime minister late on Thursday night.

His election follows weeks of political uncertainty in the country that is sandwiched between China and Russia. 

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: The owner of a nightclub in the Dominican Republic whose roof collapsed in April and killed 236 people was arrested Thursday along with his sister.

Antonio Espaillat and Maribel Espaillat have not been charged but the Dominican Republic’s Attorney General’s Office said: “Both defendants displayed immense irresponsibility and negligence by failing to physically intervene to prevent the club’s roof from collapsing, as it ultimately did.” 

NIGERIA: The Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has pardoned the late activist Ken Saro-Wiwa, 30 years after his execution, it was announced today.

Along with eight other campaigners, Mr Saro-Wiwa was convicted of murder before being hanged by the then military regime in 1995.

Many believed the activists were punished for leading protests against oil companies such as Shell, in Nigeria’s Ogoniland. Shell denied any involvement in the executions.