Two time Olympic medallist Kirsty Coventry has been elected as the International Olympic Committee's first female President by an overwhelming majority.
The 41-year-old former swimmer and Zimbabwean sports minister will succeed outgoing President Thomas Bach who has been in office since 2013.
She beat off stiff competition from six other men to clinch the number one position in the World's wealthiest sport body.
As the new IOC president, Coventry will now be tasked with steering the Olympic Movement into a new era, overseeing future Games and addressing key challenges such as rising costs, geopolitical tensions, and the evolving landscape of global sports governance.
In addition to being the only African to have ever held the role, Coventry also makes history as the youngest person to ever occupy the position of IOC President.
She believes that funding young athletes early in their careers would help level the playing field, especially for nations with fewer resources.
In her acceptance speech, Coventry said "The young girl who first started swimming in Zimbabwe all those years ago could never have dreamed of this moment,".
"I am particularly proud to be the first female IOC president, and also the first from Africa."
"I hope that this vote will be an inspiration to many people. Glass ceilings have been shattered today, and I am fully aware of my responsibilities as a role model."
Coventry becomes the tenth person to hold the IOC President position and will remain in office for at least.
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In a parliamentary vote on Wednesday (22 April), Turkish lawmakers approved legislation designed to protect minors from harmful online content. Passed after lengthy deliberations, the measure includes an outright ban on social media use by children under 15.
The Middle East conflict is pushing up energy prices and feeding into UK food costs, with businesses warning the impact is reaching consumers through everyday grocery bills.
Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, said it's installing software on its employees computers to capture keystrokes and mouse movements to use to train its artificial intelligence (AI) agent models.
Armenia’s Security Council Secretary Armen Grigoryan says progress in talks with Azerbaijan is helping the country manage economic and security pressures as regional conflicts and alliances shift.
The U.S. military has intercepted at least three Iranian-flagged tankers in Asian waters and is redirecting them away from their positions near India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, shipping and security sources said on Wednesday, exclusively to Reuters.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards targeted three vessels, seizing two of them for alleged maritime violations and transferring them to Iranian shores, as U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington is extending its ceasefire with Iran until Tehran submits a proposal.
Two local trains collided head-on north of Copenhagen on Thursday (23 April), injuring 17 people, five of them critically, according to emergency services.
The U.S. military is redirecting at least three Iranian-flagged tankers after intercepting them in Asian waters near India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, shipping and security sources said on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Tehran said U.S. breaches, blockades and threats are undermining “genuine negotiations.”
The European Union is preparing its 20th round of sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine. The measures are close to being approved, after earlier delays linked to energy concerns in Slovakia and Hungary eased following repairs to the Druzhba oil pipeline.
Russian emergency services have contained a major fire at the Tuapse oil refinery on the Black Sea coast, local officials said on Thursday, ending a four-day effort after a Ukrainian drone strike.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 24th of April, covering the latest developments you need to know.
A United States Army soldier has been charged with making more than $400,000 by betting on the removal of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, according to the Department of Justice.
The European Union adopted its 20th package of sanctions against Russia on Thursday (23 April), introducing sweeping new restrictions aimed at weakening Moscow’s war economy and limiting its capacity to sustain the war in Ukraine.
European Union leaders were set to discuss the bloc’s mutual assistance clause at a summit in southern Cyprus on Thursday, as U.S. President Donald Trump’s criticism of traditional allies raises concerns over his commitment to NATO.
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