South Africa's parliamentary speaker says politicians will vote on a motion of no confidence in President Jacob Zuma on August 8. The vote on Zuma, who has faced calls for his resignation because of scandals and corruption concerns, previously had been scheduled for August 3.

The former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, has joined `The Elders,’ a group of independent global leaders founded by the late Nelson Mandela. Kofi Annan, Ban’s predecessor at the UN and chairman of the group, welcomed the former South Korean diplomat to the group on Friday in New York. The group brings together global leaders who no longer hold public office.

South Africa has confirmed the outbreaks of avian flu, which is often transmitted by wild birds, on at least two farms. Agriculture Minister Senzeni Zokwana, told a news briefing on Thursday that 260,000 birds have been culled so far to contain the outbreak.

The Health Minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo declared an end to the country’s Ebola outbreak. The two-month Ebola outbreak officially over on Saturday after 42 days without recording a new case of the disease. Four out of the eight infected died from the disease.

U.S. Ambassador Stuart Symington has called on the leaders and other stakeholders in Nigeria to preserve the nation’s unity and ensure peace.

Nigeria’s Yuonov Frederick Agah has been reappointed as Deputy Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) for another four-year term.