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According to the Henley Passport Index, South African passport holders can travel to 101 destinations without a prior visa. The ranking places the country 50th or 96th globally, depending on the report, with regional highlights across Africa, Asia, the Americas, and the Caribbean.
Aicha Settimia Canté, 27, daughter of a Guinea-Bissau imam, made her first profession as a Catholic sister on August 15, drawing both celebration and hate speech on social media. The ceremony, presided by Bishop Emeritus José Câmnate Na Bissign, prompted a defense of religious freedom from the National Confederation of Islamic Youth.
Guinea-Bissau is facing its first-ever mpox outbreak, with children making up half of the 46 suspected cases. UNICEF is scaling up support to the Ministry of Public Health, warning of critical surveillance gaps and the risk of undetected transmission.
As the summer transfer window nears its close, Julian Alvarez's potential move to Arsenal has gained traction despite his preference for Barcelona. Elsewhere, Liverpool's pursuit of PSG's Bradley Barcola faces complications, while Manchester City and Chelsea are active in the market. This roundup covers the latest rumours and confirmed moves.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo will receive 70,000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine from the global stockpile after requesting them to combat a major Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak. Fifty thousand doses are earmarked for frontline health workers and 20,000 for a Phase 3 trial, even though the vaccine is licensed only for the Zaire strain. Early laboratory and animal data offer limited hope of cross-protection while the outbreak ranks among the largest on record.
Guinea-Bissau's military junta has freed opposition leader Domingos Simões Pereira after a court ordered he be allowed to travel to Portugal for medical treatment. Pereira faces charges related to an alleged coup attempt and financial crimes, which he denies. His release follows pressure from regional bloc ECOWAS to free all detained political figures.
UN data shows a 37% increase in civilian casualties in Ukraine in the first half of 2026, with 1,396 killed and 7,978 wounded. Russia also saw a 121% rise in civilian deaths. Long-range missile and drone strikes are blamed for the worsening toll.
Four Indian nationals were killed and one injured when a cargo ship, the Golden Leo, was struck by Russian missiles as it left the Ukrainian port of Odesa, according to India's Ministry of External Affairs. Ukraine reported six deaths overall, while the Kremlin said Russia would continue targeting vessels supplying the Ukrainian military. India has summoned the Ukrainian ambassador in a separate incident involving the death of an Indian seafarer on another vessel.
Russia has launched one of its largest ballistic missile attacks on Kyiv, killing at least 10 people and wounding dozens. The attacks come amid a critical shortage of air defenses in Ukraine and escalating tit-for-tat strikes. Ukrainian officials urge allies for more interceptor missiles.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with Guinea-Bissau's Foreign Minister Fatumata Jau in Moscow, where he reaffirmed Russia's support for normalizing relations between ECOWAS and several West African nations, including Guinea-Bissau. Lavrov also highlighted the historical bonds between the two countries and expressed readiness to boost cooperation in a multipolar world.
Russian attacks on the Ukrainian port city of Odesa have killed at least three people, according to local officials, as Ukraine's drone forces strike Russian vessels in the Black Sea. The escalation comes amid a broader conflict over shipping routes crucial for grain exports, with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visiting Kyiv to discuss defense integration.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will chair a business council meeting on June 30 focused on economic cooperation with Africa and preparations for the third Russia–Africa summit scheduled for October 28–29 in Moscow. The summit agenda is expected to cover artificial intelligence, independent payment systems, food security, and other priority areas.
A UN-backed court in the Central African Republic has opened the trial in absentia of former president François Bozizé, accused of crimes against humanity committed between 2009 and 2013. His defence team has denounced procedural irregularities, while three of his former senior military officers face trial alongside him.
US President Donald Trump announced that ships are starting to move through the Strait of Hormuz following a preliminary US-Iran deal, but ship-tracking data shows only a handful of vessels have transited, with hundreds still waiting. The reopening faces security concerns such as mines and tolls, while shipping operators and seafarers' advocates remain cautious.
Three Indian sailors were killed when the US military struck the tanker MT Settebello in the Gulf of Oman. The incident has prompted India to summon a senior US diplomat to protest. The US says the ship violated its blockade by attempting to transport oil from Iran.
As Africa faces a politically charged 2026 election year, military coups across West Africa and beyond have raised questions about the health of democracy. Burkina Faso's junta leader openly dismissed democratic ideals, while a UNDP report links poverty and governance failures to coup risk.
The draw for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers was held in Cairo, placing defending champions Ivory Coast in Group C and hosts Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania in groups with automatic qualification. The tournament, set for June-July 2027, will be the first in East Africa in 51 years, with 48 teams competing for 24 spots.
As governments meet in New York for the second International Migration Review Forum, African countries are demonstrating progress in implementing the Global Compact for Migration. However, data from the IOM shows that despite falling arrival numbers on some routes, risks remain high, with deaths and displacement crises worsening in several regions.
A senior Senegalese rebel leader has publicly refuted prosecution claims that journalist René Capain Bassène was an MFDC militant who incited killings, adding to mounting concerns about the journalist's life sentence. The Committee to Protect Journalists released a podcast presenting testimony alleging coerced confessions and due process violations, intensifying calls for Bassène's release.
Zambia is resisting a US proposal that ties critical HIV treatment funding to access to its minerals, with 23 African countries having signed such deals. Zimbabwe has walked away from negotiations, and China is stepping up health aid in the region.