US updates $15,000 visa bond list — Should Indian travellers worry?

The US has updated the list of nations whose citizens would be required to post a visa bond before entering America. The visa bond list has been revised by removing Mali from the up to $15,000 visa bond list, bringing the total to six. After Mali...

Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary 2025 Co-Chaired by The Gambia First Lady and Merck Foundation CEO and Inaugurated by the Gambia Vice President and Merck foundation Chairman

Mumbai, Maharashtra, India & Banjul, The Gambia – Business Wire India • First Ladies of Burundi, Central Africa, Liberia, São Tomé & Príncipe and Senegal attend 12th Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary, Co-chaired by The Gambia First Lady and...

Botswana Offers Citizenship Starting at $75,000

In a bold move to attract investors, Botswana is introducing one of the world’s most affordable citizenship-by-investment programmes, positioning its passport as a key resource for economic empowerment. It marks an ambitious strategy to help...

United States: Nationals of more countries must pay visa bond

On 8 August 2025, the US Department of State added Mali, Mauritania, Sao Tome and Principe and Tanzania to the list of countries whose nationals must pay a visa bond. The rule is applicable to these nationals from 23 October 2025. On 5 August...

How Christopher Columbus’s Brutal Enslavement of Indigenous Caribbeans Set the Tone For the “New” World

The decades of exploration in the Caribbean and Spanish encounters with indigenous peoples, and the use of enslaved labor in mining, would lead to the cultivation of critical crops—namely, sugar—that would soon come to be developed using enslaved...

BuCor proposes hike in prisoner medical allowance

EJ Macababbad - The Philippine Star October 24, 2025 | 12:00am MANILA, Philippines — Saying it is high time for an increase, the Bureau of Corrections is urging lawmakers to increase the medical allowance for prisoners to at least P30, with BuCor...

How to avoid hidden overseas ATM charges eating into your travel budget

Tristan Dakin, Wise’s Australia and New Zealand country manager, told the Herald that fees varied widely with local market forces in play. “In some regions, particularly where cash is still king, banks and independent ATM operators are able to set...

Goals, Glory, and Grit: Africa’s 2026 World Cup Qualifiers Reach Final Stretch

As Africa’s road to the 2026 FIFA World Cup nears its final two matchdays, the continent’s qualifying campaign has delivered drama, dazzling goals, and defensive masterclasses in equal measure. From stunning scorelines to remarkable unbeaten runs,...

Macao pledges to strengthen judicial ties with Portuguese-speaking nations

Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai hosted a meeting on Tuesday with judicial leaders from Portuguese-speaking countries and territories, aiming to bolster judicial cooperation. The gathering, held at Government Headquarters, celebrated the successful...

KCHAQUA Consortium Meets With PCN Registrar to Discuss CWC Project

A delegation from KCHAqua Consortium, a leading indigenous construction, infrastructure, and property development firm, paid a courtesy visit to the Registrar of the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN), Mr. Ibrahim Babashehu Ahmed, at the council’s...

UN liquidity crisis: analysis of contributions paid by UN Member States by date of payment (2019-2025)

This analysis is regularly updated and serves as complementary information to ISHR’s report ‘Budget Battles at the UN: How States try to Defund Human Rights’ launched on 21 October 2025. Funding the UN’s regular budget The UN’s regular budget...

Tunisia, most urbanized country in North Africa in 2025

According to the African Exponent website, Tunisia ranks as the most urbanized country in North Africa in 2025, with an urbanization rate of 70.88%. Urbanization refers to the phenomenon where a growing share of the population lives in cities...

Mali Retaliates Against Steep Visa Fees by US

The government of Mali has hit back at the US by imposing a reciprocal bond on visa issuance, requiring US nationals to deposit up to USD 10,000 for business and tourist visas to the Sahelian country. Earlier on October 10, the US embassy in Mali...

Galp to Choose Mopane Partner This Year

Portugal's Galp is in advanced talks with several oil majors to sell a 40% stake in its promising offshore Mopane field in Namibia and expects to choose a partner by the end of the year, Executive Board Member Nuno Bastos said on Tuesday. The...

Jimoh Ibrahim: The Bricklayer’s Son Who Built His Way to the Senate

Born in Okitipupa, Ondo State, Senator Jimoh Folorunso Ibrahim has built his life from modest roots to commanding roles as a lawyer, billionaire businessman, and, since 2023, the senator representing Ondo South.Who Is Jimoh Ibrahim?Senator Jimoh...

Mali Imposes $5,000 Visa Bond on U.S. Tourists in Response to New U.S. Policy

Mali will impose a reciprocal visa bond on U.S. nationals seeking business or tourist visas, its Foreign Ministry announced, following Washington’s decision to introduce similar requirements for Malian citizens. The new measure mirrors the United...

Conflict-affected states to get more support on deal-making, disputes

By Simon Jessop LONDON (Reuters) -A group of 20 developing countries affected by conflict has approved a plan to provide emergency support to members facing international disputes or high-stakes talks with companies on natural resources and...

Fumed Mali reacts to Trump's visa bond scheme, US travellers now have to deposit bond of...

Mali has declared that it will request US citizens submit bonds of up to $10,000 for both commercial and tourist visas, in response to the Trump administration's declaration that the West African nation will be added to its visa bond scheme,...

WACC presents Jimmy Story

Ambassador Jimmy Story is the World Affairs Council Charleston's next speaker on Oct. 18, from 6 to 7 p.m., at Charleston Library Society on 164 King St. This timely talk will explore whether promoting democracy should remain a cornerstone of US...

US travellers to deposit up to $10,000 visa bond to enter THIS nation

Following the Trump administration’s announcement that the West African country would be included in its visa bond program, Mali has announced that it will ask U.S. nationals to deposit bonds of up to $10,000 for business and tourist visas,...