South Africa Declares Israel’s Senior Diplomat Persona Non Grata

South Africa’s government says it has logged formal violations by Israel after what it described as a series of public affronts against President Cyril Ramaphosa and failures in diplomatic protocol. In a government statement released Tuesday, officials said the violations include the repeated use of official Israeli social media platforms to launch “insulting attacks” against Ramaphosa and a “deliberate failure” to inform the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) of purported visits by senior Israeli…

South African Government Designates Senior Israeli Diplomat Persona Non Grata

JOHANNESBURG — South Africa’s government accused Israel on Tuesday of multiple diplomatic violations, alleging that official Israeli channels launched “insulting attacks” against President Cyril Ramaphosa and that Israeli officials failed to inform the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) about visits by senior Israeli representatives. The allegations were set out in a government statement that cited two specific breaches: the repeated use of official Israeli social media platforms to attack…

Landslide at Unauthorized Mine in Mozambique Leaves Five Dead

At least five illegal miners were killed when an artisanal mine collapsed during heavy rains in Guruè district, Zambézia province, Mozambican authorities said Tuesday, underscoring growing safety and security concerns around unregulated mining across the country. District administrator Felisberto Ponta Vida said the landslide occurred amid torrential rainfall that swept through the area. Local officials have not released the identities of the deceased or provided details on whether more people were missing. The collapse in…

Senegal and Morocco Fined After Tumultuous AFCON Final

CAF on Thursday announced a string of suspensions and fines against players, coaches and federations after an investigation into the chaotic scenes that marred the AFCON 2025 final in Morocco, and dismissed a Moroccan challenge to the result. The Confederation of African Football’s Disciplinary Board said it had penalized both Senegal and Morocco following a stoppage-time penalty award that provoked protests and a walk-off by the Senegalese team. Head coach Pape Thiaw was hit with a five-match suspension from all CAF…

South Africa Pulls Melania Trump Film, Citing Growing Political Tensions

Major cinema chains in South Africa have pulled a documentary about Melania Trump just before its scheduled release, citing concerns over "the current climate," the exhibitors said Friday. The film, which follows Melania Trump in the weeks leading up to her husband Donald Trump's second inauguration, was withdrawn from listings by multiple theatres only days before it was to premiere, according to distribution notices and exhibitor statements. Organisers did not provide further detail on specific security or diplomatic…

Cameroon Stunned by Alleged Assault from Separatist Groups

Brutal Separatist Attack Rocks Northwest Cameroon, Escalating Ongoing Conflict Cameroonians have been left in shock following a brutal separatist attack on a remote village in the country's Northwest region, resulting in more than a dozen people dead or injured. Residents describe harrowing scenes of entire families being slain and homes reduced to ashes—an escalation that highlights the relentless violence plaguing the Anglophone regions. According to estimates from the International Crisis Group, the toll of the…

Severe Flooding in Mozambique Delays Start of 2026 School Year

Government delays school year by one month after devastating floods in southern provinces The government announced Wednesday that the start of the school year will be delayed by one month after severe flooding across the southern provinces destroyed classrooms, cut access to schools and displaced thousands of families. Classrooms destroyed: 281 Schools inaccessible: 218 Schools used as shelters: 80 Students affected: more than 427,000 Teachers affected: 9,204 People affected since October: more than 812,000…

Namibia’s Classroom Shortages Leave Hundreds of Students Out of School

Hundreds of pupils across Namibia remain unenrolled three weeks into the new academic year because of a nationwide shortage of classrooms, the Ministry of Education confirmed, as frustrated parents in densely populated regions press for swift action. The situation is most acute in the Khomas region, the country’s economic hub, where officials say there is a critical lack of space for Grade 8 students. Parents and community leaders report children staying at home while schools struggle to accommodate incoming classes,…

Rwanda Files Lawsuit Against the UK Over Abandoned Migrant Agreement

Rwanda Files Legal Action Against the UK Over Abandoned Asylum Deal The ongoing saga of the now-defunct migrant deal between Rwanda and the United Kingdom has escalated, as the Rwandan government has launched a legal case at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague. The action stems from claims that the UK has failed to fulfill financial commitments under the controversial agreement, which was originally designed to relocate asylum seekers to Rwanda. Under the terms of the deal signed by the former Conservative…

Eritrean National Gets 20-Year Prison Term for Smuggling Migrants in Netherlands

The Netherlands has sentenced an Eritrean national, Amanuel Walid, to 20 years in prison after finding him guilty of leading a transnational migrant-smuggling network that operated through Libya, Dutch prosecutors said Friday. Walid was convicted on a string of charges that included human smuggling, extortion, violence and money laundering. Prosecutors said members of the network detained migrants in Libya, subjected many to severe abuse in detention camps, and forced relatives in the Netherlands to pay ransoms — a pattern…