After more than 20 months in detention, Sherifa Riahi has been reunited with her family following her release from prison in Tunisia. The former director of the French NGO Terre d’Asile, along with two colleagues, was freed on Tuesday.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed deep concern over recent US military action in Venezuela, calling for the immediate release of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife.

The Somali Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation on Monday condemned, “in the strongest terms,” the unauthorized incursion of the Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs into Hargeisa, describing the visit as a “serious violation” of Somalia’s territorial sovereignty.

The Israeli foreign minister said Tuesday that Israel would soon open an embassy in Somaliland as he made the first visit there since his government’s contentious move to formally recognize the breakaway Somali territory as a sovereign state.

Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly issues an official decree declaring Wednesday, January 7, 2026, a paid public holiday in observance of Christmas.

In the Czech Republic, more than 40 swimmers took part in Prague’s Three Kings Swim, diving into the icy Vltava River near the Charles Bridge.

Greeks celebrate Epiphany with the traditional blessing of the waters. In Piraeus, men dove into the cold sea to retrieve a wooden cross for good fortune.

Morocco’s tourism sector is hitting record highs. In 2025, the country welcomed 19.8 million tourists, a 14% increase from the previous year, according to the tourism ministry.

Filmmakers in the north of Nigeria are pushing the boundaries of censorship in search of international recognition.

Lebanon faced new Israeli air strikes, with damage in the south and east. President Joseph Aoun condemned the attacks, citing efforts to calm tensions.

A Russian strike on a private medical clinic in Kyiv killed one person and injured three others overnight on January 4–5, Ukrainian civil defence authorities said.

Central African Republic’s President Faustin-Archange Touadéra celebrated on Monday after provisional results confirmed that he’d won a third term in office.

With Maduro’s arrest, Cuba has lost its closest ally. United States President Donald Trump has criticised the island as a nation “ready to fall” without the support of Venezuela.

The trial of 45 people charged in connection with a 2020 attack on a military checkpoint resumed in Cote d’Ivoire’s Anti-Terrorism Court on Monday.

Ugandan has denied plans to shut down internet access during next week’s elections, dismissing reports of a possible blackout as unfounded.

The support committee for Sherifa Riahi, former director of the NGO Terre d’Asile in Tunisia, posted a video on Facebook showing her leaving prison and stated that the other humanitarian workers had also been released.

Congolese supporter Michel Nkuka Mboladinga has become a social media star by posing like a statue of the country’s assassinated independence hero, Patrice Lumumba, during matches at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

The decision to move the Africa Cup of Nations to a four-year cycle instead of every two years has not been well-received by coaches at the tournament.

Mohamed Salah scored with the last kick in extra time to seal’s Egypt’s 3-1 win over Benin in the Africa Cup of Nations last 16, and Nigeria enjoyed a 4-0 rout of Mozambique on Monday

Spain celebrates its most magical night for children on 5. January with Three Kings tradition and its festive processions, where 2,100 participants, including 250 royal servants, handed out 1,200 kilos of sweets.

A goal from Mohamed Salah in extra time sealed the match for the Pharaohs.

A strong 6.2 quake hit Shimane Prefecture, Japan, shaking nearby areas but causing no injuries or damage. Authorities confirmed no tsunami risk or nuclear plant issues.

Provisional reults have credited Faustin-Archange Touadéra with 76.15% of votes, after an election boycotted by the main opposition coalition.

he Trump administration has added seven countries, including five in Africa, to the list of nations whose passport holders are required to post bonds of up to $15,000 to apply to enter the United States.

One by one, troupes of thousands of minstrels filled the streets of Cape Town on Monday, marching, dancing, and dazzling crowds with bright satin costumes during the city’s annual Minstrels’ Parade.

Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela’s longtime leader, has arrived at a New York courthouse, shackled, surrounded by heavily armed US law enforcement, just days after a stunning US military operation seized him in Caracas.

In the run up to his team’s match against the Democratic Republic of Congo in the Africa Cup of Nations, Algeria captain Riyad Mahrez says he is taking a disciplined approach and focusing on the task at hand.

UNICEF is warning that sexual violence against children has reached alarming levels at the Rhoo displacement camp in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, as prolonged conflict and insecurity continue to devastate civilian life.

Tunisia have sacked their head coach Sami Trabelsi after the nation failed to advance beyond the Round of 16 stage at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Senegal baskets are hot, but women weavers ask where’s the money?

Skiers gathered to form a heart on the slopes, honoring bar fire victims and responders. A national mourning day is set for January 9.

As the civil war rages on in Sudan, tens of thousands of people have been displaced by the latest front in the conflict between the Sudanese Army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

Amnesty International is accusing Ugandan security forces of torture and arbitrary arrests as the country heads toward elections on January 15.

The CES 2026 in Las Vegas highlights AI in daily gadgets like learning robots and smart kitchen tools, with 4,000 exhibitors and 130,000 visitors.

Equatorial Guinea has relocated its capital from Malabo to Ciudad de la Paz via a presidential decree. The project has been almost two decades in the making, and was partly motivated by the swift urban growth of Malabo.

Fans of the Hershey Bears threw 81,796 stuffed toys onto the ice for charity, halting play briefly. Hershey won 5-2, with the event donating to over 60 local charities.

Zimbabwe has some of the deadliest roads in the world, with an average of five people killed in accidents every day. Now authorities are trying to take the problem in hand.

In a statement, the West African bloc called for all states to “respect the independence and territorial integrity of Venezuela.”

Venezuela is reeling from US strikes on Catia La Mar, with fires, power outages, and severe damage reported. At least one civilian death and several injuries confirmed.

At least 26 people drowned and 14 others are missing after a boat carrying farmers and fishermen capsized in northeastern Nigeria, the emergency services said Sunday.