World Cup qualifier cancelled as team fail to board flight amid ‘unforeseen travel complications’

MALAWI’S World Cup qualifier with Equatorial Guinea was postponed after the visitors allegedly refused to travel amid a dispute with their national federation. The two sides had been due to meet tonight at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe. Sign...

US adds four countries to the $15,000 visa bond list — Should Indian tourists 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 with the addition of four more nations, bringing the total to seven. Visa bond pilot program...

Maldives ranked no. 1 island in Africa and Indian Ocean by Condé Nast Traveller

Maldives has once again affirmed its position as a leading global island destination, being ranked No. 1 in Africa and the Indian Ocean at the Condé Nast Traveller 2025 Readers’ Choice Awards, announced on 7 October 2025. The annual Readers’...

Vietnam tops the list for high ATM fees faced by Kiwi travellers

New data from Wise has highlighted significant risks for New Zealand travellers facing high ATM fees in popular overseas destinations, particularly in Vietnam, Argentina, Colombia and Indonesia. The analysis by Wise, based on 9.7 million ATM...

These countries require a 6-month passport validity for travellers

The rules are in place so that foreign travellers do not stay beyond the period specified on their visas, unintentionally due to sudden passport expiration. Sudden expiration results in unnecessary complications if they get stranded in a foreign...

Major downside when travelling to Aussie fave holiday hotspot

A destination that has exploded in popularity with Aussie travellers, due in part to the cheap experience on the ground, is the most expensive place to withdraw cash. Data compiled by travel money company Wise looked at 9.7 million ATM withdrawals...

Mapping the continent by foot, lens, willpower: How three Nigerian women are rewriting Africa’s travel story

BY MABEL ECHEWUNE From Omotoke Fatoki backpacking across Africa by road, to Amarachi Ekekwe blending travel with her 9-to-5 job, and to Pelumi Nubi’s solo drive across West Africa, this is the story of three Nigerian women remapping what it means...

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...

The bear and the bot farm: Countering Russian hybrid warfare in Africa

Summary Russia has made significant inroads in Africa—particularly in Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic and Mali—deploying military operations that, while limited in scope, are often devastating for local civilian populations. At the same...

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...

These Countries Let You Become a Citizen by Donating Money—No Property Purchase Needed

Citizenship by donation lets you get a second passport through a one-time payment to a government-approved fund. It’s popular among Caribbean nations like St. Lucia, Grenada, and more. Countries offer this route to quickly fund public projects and...

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...

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...

Rock In Rio Lisbon 2026: Katy Perry announced as ‘Pop Day’ headliner

Katy Perry has been announced as the headliner of ‘Pop Day’ at the 2026 edition of Rock In Rio Lisbon Festival. The singer will top the bill on the Palco Mundo Stage in Parque Tejo in the Portuguese capital on June 20 next year, with the festival...

Mali retaliates against US visa bond policy with reciprocal measures

In a striking act of diplomatic reciprocity, Mali has announced new visa bond requirements for American travelers, mirroring the same measures recently imposed by Washington on Malian citizens. The move marks the latest escalation in growing...

Which is the longest line of latitude on the globe?

Longest Line of Latitude: Lines of latitude are imaginary horizontal lines that circle the Earth, helping measure how far north or south a location is from the Equator. These lines play a crucial role in navigation, geography, and climate studies....

Israel Vows to Strike ‘Everywhere’ Against Iranian Regime

Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at deadly strikes between Israel and Iran, day one of meetings at the G-7 summit, and a U.S. immigration crackdown. Sign up to receive World Brief in your inbox every weekday. Attacks on Tehran...

Mali retaliates against US visa fees

US nationals visiting Mali will be required to post a $10,000 bond for tourist and business visas in a tit-for-tat response to the Trump administration’s imposition on the West African country. Mali has become the latest African nation to be hit...

DRC-M23 Ceasefire Mechanism; Cameroonian Elections: Africa File, October 16, 2025

To receive the weekly Africa File or triweekly Congo War Security Review via email, please subscribe here. Follow CTP on X, LinkedIn, and BlueSky. Key Takeaways: Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Congolese government and M23 rebels signed a...

Mali to require reciprocal visa bond from US nationals

ISTANBUL The West African country of Mali will require a reciprocal visa bond on US nationals seeking business or tourist visas, its Foreign Ministry said. The news comes in the runup to Oct. 23, when Washington is set to start implementing a...