A new U.S. policy introducing a non-waivable $250 “visa integrity fee” for nonimmigrant visa applicants — particularly from African nations — has drawn sharp criticism for raising barriers to travel, education, and business. Part of the recently enacted One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025, the fee applies to nearly all visa categories, including tourist […]
Exiled Chadian rebel leader Timan Erdimi has returned to his homeland after a decade in exile in Qatar for talks aiming to pave the way for democratic elections, though boycotts by rebel and opposition groups remain major hurdles. The 67-year-old Erdimi, who heads the Union of Resistance Forces (UFR) returned to Chad Thursday (18 August), […]
Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya once again clarified Japan’s official position on the Polisario separatist entity at the opening of the ministerial meeting of the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9) in Yokohama on Tuesday. “I would like to make it clear that the presence at this meeting of any entity that […]
