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 South Africa summons US ambassador for third time over 'undiplomatic conduct' South Africa's foreign affairs ministry called in US Ambassador Leo Brent Bozell III for a third time over what it described as "undiplomatic conduct," a senior government official told Reuters, but did not elaborate on what the conduct was. "We can confirm that we demarched Ambassador Bozell. The third demarche since he started his duties nine months ago," a senior official at South Africa's Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) told Reuters late on Tuesday. A demarche is a formal diplomatic protest from one government to another. Relations between the two countries have been strained by US President Donald Trump's repeated false claims that white South Africans face systemic persecution. White South Africans are, on average, wealthier and more likely to be employed than Black South Africans. The government policies criticised by Trump are inte...

 Burundi agrees to accept third-country U.S deportees Burundi has become the latest African nation to agree to accept people deported by the United States to countries that are not their own. The announcement came hours after the US Supreme Court said it would allow “third-country” deportation to continue pending a formal ruling on the policy. A Burundi presidential spokesperson told government officials attending an event that they would have heard the announcement made by the president in an interview with French TV chain, France 24. “But he made it clear that Burundi would accept only people who are not facing criminal prosecution and have no links to terrorism,” said Nancy Ninette Mutoni. She said preparations were underway to provide accommodation and help the deportees live in local communities, adding that this required serious planning.

 U.S ceasefire plan for Sudan could lead to Libya-style partition, adviser says A US ceasefire proposal to pause Sudan's civil war ​could push the country towards a Libya-style partition in its current form, a top adviser to Sudan's ‌army-led authorities told Reuters, in some of the strongest criticism by a Sudanese official of the plan so far. The remarks come a week after Reuters reported that army leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan's visa to attend the UN General Assembly in New York had been withheld because he had ​not yet accepted the proposal. The proposal, put forward by US Senior Advisor for Arab and African Affairs Massad Boulos, would impose a 90-day ​ceasefire, followed by negotiations to end the war and resume the move to civilian rule. Amjad Farid, an adviser to Burhan on political ​and international affairs, told Reuters that the army-led government had presented its proposed changes to the deal, chief among them an internationally monitored withdrawal of ...

 PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE  HAILS NIGERIANS' RESILIENCE, PREACHES UNITY AT INDEPENDENCE ANNIVERSARY President of the Senate Godswill Akpabio has congratulated Nigerians on the nation's 66th Independence Anniversary. In a goodwill message  by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Eseme Eyiboh, Senator Akpabio described Nigeria as "our destiny, our duty, our future," as he honoured the founding fathers whose sacrifice birthed the nation. The statement maintains that despite triumphs and trials, Nigerians have remained resilient, striving and believing in the country. Akpabio said Nigeria lives in the farmer, the teacher, the entrepreneur and the youth, and urged Nigerians to renew  love for one another, in unity across faith and culture. The Senate President saluted the Armed Forces for their sacrifice  assuring that the National Assembly will continue to support President Tinubu's efforts to strengthen the nation.

 NIGERIA, U.S. DEEPEN MILITARY COOPERATION TO COMBAT TERRORISM Nigeria and the United States are strengthening military cooperation, particularly in counter-terrorism and intelligence sharing. A statement by the Special Assistant to Minister on Media, Leah Katung Babatunde says the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, stated this in Abuja while receiving the Commander of the U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa, Major General Matthew Brown. The statement reviews ongoing joint security initiatives and explored a more result-oriented framework for future defence collaboration. General Musa identified specialised training for Special Forces, intelligence sharing, border surveillance, counter-IED support and defence infrastructure modernisation as key areas for enhanced cooperation. The Minister also acknowledged U.S. support to counter-terrorism operations in the North-East, particularly around the Lake Chad Basin, while Major General Matthew Brown commended...

 Veteran Nollywood actor Pete Edochie has fulfilled his promise by visiting his Ghanaian colleague and longtime friend Emmanuel Armah, and the reunion turned into an emotional one as he saw the actor’s condition after more than a decade of illness. Pete had earlier expressed his desire to visit Emmanuel during his stay in Ghana, and he followed through on that promise. During the visit, Emmanuel’s wife, Stella Amina Armah, narrated how the veteran Ghanaian actor’s health problems began, leaving Pete visibly emotional. Stella told Pete that November 2026 will mark 11 years since Emmanuel began battling the condition. According to her, the illness started while Emmanuel was in the United States for work. She said he had high blood pressure without knowing it, while his cholesterol levels also became elevated. “He was working in the US when it happened. He had pressure he did not know and the cholesterol also went high. That was how the whole thing started. I wasn't there by then, I w...

 Nigeria has passed through its own Red Sea, Prosperity is Next--President Tinubu TEXT OF INDEPENDENCE DAY ADDRESS BY PRESIDENT BOLA AHMED TINUBU, WITH THE THEME, FROM REFORMS TO PROSPERITY   My fellow Nigerians,   Sixty-six years ago today, our flag was raised, for the first time, over a free and sovereign nation. Since then, we have journeyed together as one nation, bound by our collective trust in the great promise of Nigeria: that a country of our size, our bountiful resources, our cultural diversity and, above all, our extraordinary people can build a giant in Africa;  that in this blessed and fertile land we can build a united, strong and prosperous nation; a land of regional authority and global consequence.   Our journey has not always been easy. In truth, it has generally been too hard for too many. We have known moments of great hope and periods of profound disappointment. We have endured war, military rule, economic crises, insecurity and political up...