The US has expanded travel bans under President Donald Trump’s second administration, reviving a controversial policy that has sparked legal challenges, diplomatic concern and renewed debate over national security and humanitarian obligations ( image source ) The United States, under President Donald Trump’s second administration, has sharply expanded and tightened travel restrictions in 2025, reviving one of the most controversial policy tools of his earlier presidency and t

China–Zimbabwe Friendship Scholarships marked 45 years of diplomatic ties as the Chinese Embassy honoured scholarship recipients and essay winners, highlighting education as a pillar of bilateral cooperation ( image source ) The Chinese Embassy in Zimbabwe last week hosted an awards ceremony honouring recipients of the 2025 China–Zimbabwe Friendship Scholarship and winners of an essay contest commemorating 45 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Held on No

The United States signals a shift in relations with Zimbabwe toward trade, investment and policy cooperation ( image source ) Harare — The United States has signalled a strategic shift in its engagement with Zimbabwe, moving from a donor-centric relationship toward one centred on trade, investment and policy cooperation. In a recent interview, US Ambassador Pamela Tremont said Washington intends to pursue a “balanced and partnership-based” approach that prioritises commercial

Merck Foundation and Zimbabwe’s First Lady mark seven years of partnership focused on health worker training ( image source ) Harare — The Merck Foundation and Zimbabwe’s First Lady this week marked seven years of a strategic partnership focused on strengthening the country’s health workforce, supporting infertile women and advancing girls’ education. What began as a targeted capacity-building initiative has evolved into a multi-faceted programme with nationwide impact. Since

China–Zimbabwe relations marked a major milestone in 2025 as the two countries celebrated 45 years of diplomatic ties ( image source ) Harare — The year 2025 has been hailed as a landmark in the long-standing relationship between Zimbabwe and China, marking 45 years of diplomatic ties and the formal elevation of bilateral relations to an All-Weather Community with a Shared Future. Officials from both countries say the milestone reflects deep historical solidarity while signal

The US is shifting its engagement with Zimbabwe from a donor-led model to a partnership approach focused on trade ( image source ) The United States has signalled a major recalibration of its engagement with Zimbabwe, shifting from a donor-driven relationship toward a partnership model centred on trade, investment and policy cooperation. In an interview outlining the new approach, US Ambassador Pamela Tremont said Washington intends to prioritise commercial ties in key sector

Air Tanzania launches a new Victoria Falls–Dar es Salaam–Cape Town route, boosting Zimbabwe’s air connectivity and strengthening regional tourism links ( image source ) Harare — Air Tanzania will on Thursday, 11 December 2025, inaugurate a new triangular service connecting Victoria Falls, Dar es Salaam and Cape Town — a development expected to enhance regional air mobility and inject fresh momentum into Zimbabwe’s tourism sector. The twice-weekly flights, operating on Thursda

Sweden has announced the closure of its embassy in Harare and the end of bilateral development aid to Zimbabwe ( image source ) Harare — Sweden has announced plans to close its embassy in Harare and to terminate bilateral development assistance to Zimbabwe, marking a significant shift in relations between the Scandinavian donor and the southern African nation. The decision, confirmed through Swedish diplomatic channels, reflects a broader recalibration of Stockholm’s foreign

South Africa’s Environment Minister urges Parliament to adopt unified climate legislation as extreme weather intensifies ( image source ) South Africa’s Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment has urged Parliament to adopt unified and coordinated action to confront escalating climate risks, warning that fragmented political responses threaten national resilience. Addressing a special session in Cape Town, the Minister stressed that climate change is now a lived re

Victims of the Vecco Lupa migration scam demand accountability from celebrities who endorsed the fraudulent scheme ( image source ) Victims of the Vecco Lupa migration scam are calling for criminal and civil accountability from celebrities and social media influencers who promoted the scheme, arguing that their endorsements helped legitimise a fraudulent operation that swindled thousands of Zimbabweans. The scheme, marketed as a fast-track migration pathway to Europe and Nort

A Zimbabwean midwife in Doncaster is being celebrated for her resilience, compassion, and vital contributions to NHS maternal care ( image source ) A Zimbabwean midwife’s journey from Harare to Doncaster has emerged as a testament to resilience, professional excellence, and cross-cultural service. Trained in Zimbabwe before relocating to the United Kingdom, she has become a valued member of the NHS maternity team in Doncaster, where her work is celebrated for strengthening ma

Spain and Zimbabwe have asked the UK Supreme Court to block enforcement of ICSID arbitration awards, challenging the Court of Appeal’s ruling that accession to ICSID waives sovereign immunity ( image source ) London — Spain and Zimbabwe have jointly steered a critical legal question to the UK Supreme Court: whether investor–state arbitration awards issued under the ICSID Convention can be enforced in English courts against sovereign states despite claims of immunity under the

Nollywood actor Odira Nwobu has died suddenly in South Africa, prompting widespread grief across the Nigerian film industry ( image source ) The Nigerian film industry is grieving following the sudden death of Nollywood actor Odira Nwobu in Johannesburg. Widely recognised for his comedic talent and energetic screen presence, Nwobu’s passing has sent shockwaves across Nollywood and the broader entertainment community. According to early accounts, Nwobu collapsed just hours aft

A volcanic ash plume from Ethiopia’s Hayli Gubbi eruption has disrupted India–UAE air travel, causing cancellations ( image source ) MUMBAI/DUBAI — Air travel between India and the United Arab Emirates has been thrown into disarray after a massive ash plume from Ethiopia’s Hayli Gubbi volcano forced widespread cancellations, diversions and heightened safety checks across major airports. Aviation regulators in both countries have issued urgent advisories as airlines work to sa

A Witbank pastor receives two life sentences for a violent 2024 attack that left a Vosman man permanently disabled ( image source ) The Witbank Regional Court has sentenced Pastor Solomon Mhlanga to two life terms and an additional three years for kidnapping, closing a case that has unsettled communities in both South Africa and Zimbabwe since 2024. The case stems from an incident in March 2024 along Kroomdraai Road in Vosman, where Dumisani Mahlangu was accused by the Mhlang

The Hawks’ Crimes Against the State unit is investigating allegations that Zuma family members were involved in recruiting 17 South African men for the Russia-Ukraine war ( image source ) The story began as a whisper a rumour that young South African men had vanished into the fog of the Russia-Ukraine battlefield. Then, like many political scandals in South Africa, it widened into a family saga with national-security implications. Now it sits squarely on the desk of the Hawks

A Limpopo father has been arrested after police found his two-year-old child’s mutilated body ( image source ) A man has been arrested in Shongoane village, Limpopo, after police discovered the mutilated body of his two-year-old child—a case that has horrified the local community and prompted renewed calls for strengthened child-protection interventions in vulnerable rural areas. According to police, the arrest followed an early-morning emergency response after residents aler

Two retirees reveal how slow, purpose-driven travel through Zambia and Zimbabwe created deeper meaning, richer human connections and a more fulfilling experience beyond traditional fast-paced tourism ( image source ) Two retirees have shared how a deliberately slower, purpose-led travel approach transformed their recent journey through Zambia and Zimbabwe into a deeply meaningful experience one shaped less by rushed itineraries and more by presence, reflection and genuine hum

Kafka (2025) becomes the unlikely sensation of the Cairo International Film Festival, captivating audiences with its haunting study of bureaucracy and modern anxiety ( image source ) Cairo’s bustling downtown—alive with late-autumn heat, stone façades and fluttering festival banners—saw an unusual kind of frenzy during the 46th Cairo International Film Festival. It wasn’t a celebrity entrance or a red-carpet spectacle that stirred the city, but the unexpected magnetism of Kaf

At COP30, experts warned that East and Southern Africa cannot meet climate or food-security goals without reinventing plant nutrition ( image source ) When delegates gathered under the humid Belém skies for COP30, most global attention centred on forests, fossil fuels, and climate finance. Yet in quieter corners of the summit—inside pavilions lined with soil samples, crop models, and renewable-energy schematics—a different revolution was taking shape: one rooted not in carbon