A pastor who is leading protests against embattled Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe says he does not want to be another martyr and he is committed to rebuilding the country. Mugabe, 92, is facing increasing demonstrations against his dictatorship but has been crushing protests by ordering police to use violence. Hundreds of people have been injured as officers use batons, tear gas and fists to stop protests. Pastor Evan Mawarire started the movement with his 'This Flag' campaign which calls on Mugabe to resign. In July he was arrested but, after mass protests outside court, he was released. Sources suggest he was told he must leave the country or he would be killed. He is in hiding in South Africa and believed to be trying to enter the US. He said he will not give up his campaign to oust Mugabe and his Zanu PF party. Despite calls for him to be the next president, he insists he has no political ambitions.

Torrential rains eased on Monday in flood-ravaged Louisiana, but forecasters warned that the threat was far from over. Louisiana has been deluged by rainfall since last week, with at least seven people dead and thousands of homes damaged by floods. Gov John Edwards said that officials ‘won't know the death toll for sure for several more days.’ More than 20,000 people have been rescued from floodwaters and more than 12,000 are in shelters. The water is expected to rise in many areas. ‘This is going to be tough to recover from,’ said a meteorologist for The Weather Channel. Pray for the homeless, the vulnerable elderly, and the infirm as they struggle to cope with loss and damage. Pray for the neighbourhoods under waist-high mud. Pray for those living downstream who are in fear as the water upstream has yet to reach them. Pray for those who have fled to higher ground and for the Louisiana Army National Guard and helicopter rescue teams.

Even before she left the shores of Nigeria for Brazil, Mariam Usman knew that winning a medal at the Rio 2016 Olympics would be a tough call. She would not pretend to be a magician or claim perfection where there is none. Usman believes one can only reap where one sows. She was the only weightlifter representing Nigeria in Rio. She competed in the +75 category and amassed 265 kg, finishing 8th in her group. ‘It is painful to come to the Olympics and see people who are your contemporaries perform better than you; not because you lack the ability but because you were not prepared like them,’ she said, She added that training for the Rio Olympics was non-existent in Nigeria, while her counterparts from other countries have been training for three to four years. ‘Other competitors had everything they needed: training grants, competitions and access to the most modern equipment. I had nothing.’