CHINA: The country has installed a total of 30,000 toilets in the past year and a half according to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

It is part of a three-year government “toilet revolution” to boost domestic tourism with a target of 64,000 loos to be installed or upgraded by 2020.

Work started in 2015 with the ministry reporting vast improvements in the quantity and quality of facilities.

GERMANY: Far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) candidate Sebastian Wippel lost a key mayoral election on Sunday in a poll seen as a litmus test for the anti-immigration party.

The Gorlitz mayoralty was won by Octavian Ursu of the governing Christian Democrats (CDU) with more than 55 per cent of the vote.

Mr Wippel was left disappointed after winning the first round of voting and entering Sunday’s vote as the favourite.

ETHIOPIA: Internet access in parts of Ethiopia was blocked for the seventh consecutive day yesterday amid rumours of an attempt to stop students cheating in exams.

Authorities have not confirmed this although the country’s text messaging service has also been down since Thursday which coincides with national exams.

Internet services resumed in the capital Addis Ababa on Friday although large parts of the country remain in blackout.