▪️ Two women have been arrested and detained in Uganda for allegedly kissing in public, an act considered "same-sex activity" that can lead to a life sentence under the country's harsh anti-LGBTQ+ laws.
▪️ As the US and Israel open a new chapter of chaos in the Middle East, China stands to benefit from a Washington establishment lacking the political or material resources to focus on Asia.
▪️ The US-Israeli war on Iran has been condemned as illegal across much of the Global South, with China stating it was unacceptable to "blatantly kill the leader of a sovereign state."
▪️ U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly mused about the leadership he would like to see in Iran following the assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
▪️ Ghana's Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa stated that at least 55 Ghanaians have been killed in Russia's war with Ukraine after being "lured into battle." The announcement followed a visit to Kyiv where officials raised concerns about Russian recruitment of Africans.
▪️ U.S. Senator Marco Rubio claimed that Iran was 'playing' the United States during nuclear program negotiations.
▪️ A series of bilateral health agreements being negotiated between African countries and the administration of US President Donald Trump have been labelled “clearly lop-sided” and “immoral” amid growing outrage at US demands, including countries being forced to share biological resources and data.
▪️ The 2026 US midterm primary season, where voters select candidates for the Republican and Democratic parties, has begun with votes in Texas, North Carolina, and Arkansas.
▪️ At least 20 people have died and dozens were injured after a military cargo plane carrying banknotes crashed while landing near Bolivia’s capital on Friday, damaging about a dozen vehicles on a highway and scattering bills on the ground.
▪️ Former U.S. President Donald Trump is considering exiled Iranian dissident Reza Pahlavi, son of the former Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, as a potential successor to the current regime in Iran.
▪️ South Sudan is reeling from an escalating conflict between government-aligned forces and opposition groups, with observers warning it risks returning the country to a full-blown civil war.
▪️ U.S. President Donald Trump has sharply rejected the possibility of dialogue with Tehran amid ongoing military escalation. In a statement on the social network Truth Social, the American leader emphasized that the time for diplomatic resolution of the conflict is irrevocably lost due to the critical weakening of the Islamic Republic's defense capabilities.