Author: Solomon Alaka

The U.S. State Department confirmed on October 23, 2025, that Mali was no longer subject to the Visa Bond Pilot Program, which requires certain nationals applying for short-term B-1/B-2 visitor visas to post refundable financial guarantees of up to $15,000. The program, introduced under the Immigration and Nationality Act, targets countries with high visa overstay […]

Although progress has been made through peace initiatives, such as the Washington Agreement signed on 27 June between the DRC and Rwanda, and the Doha Declaration of Principles signed on 19 July between the Congo River/M23 Alliance and the Congolese Government under Qatari mediation, further efforts are still needed to achieve lasting and sustainable peace. […]

In the heart of Sudan’s White Nile State, to the south of the country’s capital, Khartoum, Kosti Maternity Hospital handles thousands of deliveries a year, but the ongoing war, the destruction of regional infrastructure and the displacement millions of people, many of them women, has put huge strain on its services. A changing landscape of […]

The United Kingdom and Türkiye have signed a landmark £8 billion defence agreement for the sale of 20 Eurofighter Typhoon jets, marking the largest British combat aircraft export deal in nearly two decades. The contract was finalized on October 27, 2025, during Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s first official visit to Ankara, where he met with […]

A new UN Women report, At Risk and Underfunded, based on a global survey of 428 women’s rights and civil society groups, finds that one in three have suspended or shut down programmes aimed at ending gender-based violence. More than 40 per cent have scaled back or closed essential services such as shelters, legal aid, […]

Indigenous chef and activist Tainá Marajoara will serve dishes rooted in ancestral Amazonian traditions, showcasing the biodiversity and spirituality of Brazil’s Indigenous Peoples. Between rounds of negotiations, delegates will be treated to flavours such as maniçoba, açaí and pirarucu – all prepared with more than 10 tonnes of agroecological ingredients sourced through fair and sustainable […]

Tom Fletcher, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, said he was “deeply alarmed” by reports of civilian casualties and forced displacement as fierce fighting engulfs the city. “With fighters pushing further into the city and escape routes cut off, hundreds of thousands of civilians are trapped and terrified – shelled, starving, and without access to food, healthcare […]