Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema has secured a second five-year term after winning the country’s presidential election with about 60 per cent of the vote, according to results released by the Electoral Commission of Zambia on Tuesday.   Hichilema, 64, defeated his main challenger, former government minister Brian Mundubile of the NRPUP, who received about 38 per cent of the vote. The election, held on Thursday, was largely peaceful but was overshadowed by opposition allegations of intimidation, restrictions on campaigning and irregularities in the electoral process. Mundubile’s party alleged that its campaign was disrupted by the arrest of several opposition figures. It also claimed that results documents had been tampered with, although it did not provide evidence to support the allegation. International observers raised concerns about an uneven playing field, including what they described as favourable coverage of the ruling United Party for National Development (UPND) by state-owned media. The observers also criticised the suspension of vote counting for about six hours on Friday following reports of violence against polling staff and alleged theft of ballot papers. Despite the controversy, Hichilema’s supporters took to the streets of Lusaka following the announcement, singing and dancing in celebration. In a statement, Hichilema thanked Zambians for their support and pledged to work for citizens who voted for opposition parties. “We are truly humbled by the trust you have placed in our hands,” he said. Hichilema entered the election as the favourite after his first term was marked by efforts to restructure Zambia’s debt, strengthen relations with international lenders and attract investment, particularly into the country’s copper industry. However, more than 70 per cent of Zambia’s population still lives on less than $3 a day, according to World Bank data, despite easing inflation and improvements in some economic indicators. The official results are expected to be published by August 24. Hichilema is due to be sworn in seven days after the publication of the official results, provided they are not successfully challenged. The result means Hichilema will continue to lead Zambia, Africa’s second-largest copper producer, where political power has changed hands through elections since the return to multiparty democracy in 1991.

Nollywood actor Taiwo Hassan, popularly known as Ogogo, has been diagnosed with stage four cancer, according to his family.   The family disclosed the development in a social media video shared by Kira, one of the actor’s daughters. She said the condition was discovered about three weeks ago and has affected his abdomen. Kira said some medical institutions have told the family that they can no longer administer chemotherapy to the actor. She appealed for recommendations for other possible treatment options, stressing that the family was seeking medical help rather than financial donations. “He has cancer, and it is stage 4. The hospital is saying that they cannot treat him again. They cannot give him chemo anymore,” Kira said. She also acknowledged the support of Senator Solomon Adeola, who represents Ogun West and, according to the family, has been helping to settle the actor’s medical bills. Another daughter, Lima, said Adeola had promised to continue supporting the family financially. Lima appealed to anyone with knowledge of doctors or treatment options that could help her father to come forward. “I cannot watch my daddy die,” she said. The family also disclosed that Ogogo is currently not fit to be flown abroad for treatment, in response to a suggestion by socialite Yhemo Lee. The actor, whose real name is Taiwo Hassan, is a veteran Nollywood performer known for his roles in Yoruba-language films.

The death toll from twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24 has risen to 6,438, according to the latest official figures released on Monday.   The 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes struck near Venezuela’s coast, destroying at least 190 buildings and leaving thousands of people displaced. According to Channels Television, Parliament Speaker Jorge Rodriguez announced the latest toll, up from the 6,301 deaths reported the previous week. Relatives and rescue teams are still searching for missing people nearly two months after the disaster. Authorities said about 60,000 homes were affected, including 24,000 that were rendered uninhabitable. Thousands of residents remain in temporary camps amid difficult conditions. Heavy rain in Caracas over the weekend also damaged some tents housing earthquake victims. Interim President Delcy Rodriguez’s government has pledged to provide permanent housing for those affected. So far, 335 homes have been made available out of the 4,000 the government promised by the end of the year. The disaster has left communities along the affected areas facing a prolonged recovery as rescue and relief operations continue.

Only four in 10 healthcare facilities worldwide met basic sanitation standards in 2025, according to a new report by the World Health Organisation and UNICEF.   The report, which provides the first global estimates of sanitation services in healthcare settings, found that 11 per cent of facilities had no sanitation services at all, affecting an estimated 936 million people. Basic sanitation was defined as having usable toilets that meet the needs of patients and staff, including at least one toilet for staff, a sex-separated toilet with menstrual hygiene facilities and an accessible toilet for people with limited mobility. The findings showed significant regional disparities. Only 23 per cent of healthcare facilities in sub-Saharan Africa provided basic sanitation services, compared with 55 per cent in central and southern Asia. The report also assessed other essential services needed to maintain safe healthcare environments. An estimated 85 per cent of facilities had basic water services, while 72 per cent had basic hygiene services and 71 per cent met basic healthcare waste management standards. Environmental cleaning remained another major gap. Only 59 per cent of healthcare facilities met basic environmental cleaning standards, which require cleaning protocols and trained cleaning staff as part of infection prevention and control measures. The report found that 18 per cent of facilities, serving approximately 1.5 billion people, met neither of the environmental cleaning requirements. Data for this category came from 54 countries. Conditions were particularly poor in the world’s least-developed countries, where only 24 per cent of healthcare facilities met the environmental cleaning standard. The findings highlight persistent gaps in water, sanitation, hygiene, cleaning and waste management across healthcare facilities, particularly in poorer regions.