South Africa to Spend R600m to Prepare for 30 June Anti-Immigration Protests
Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia has warned that law enforcement will act decisively against any violence, intimidation, or criminality during planned anti-immigrant protests on 30 June. Cachalia said that while peaceful protest is a constitutional right, participants must not carry weapons. The warning comes amid rising xenophobic tensions and recent attacks that left several foreign nationals dead or injured. Police have heightened security across all nine provinces. KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, the Eastern Cape and the Western Cape were identified as potential hotspots. Authorities have also indicated that the South African National Defence Force could be deployed if unrest escalates beyond the police’s capacity to maintain order.
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Kenya Health Minister Found in Contempt Over Ebola Centre Facility
Kenya’s Health Minister, Aden Duale, has been found in contempt of court after a judge ruled that construction of a controversial US-funded Ebola quarantine facility in Nanyuki continued despite a court order halting the project. The 50-bed centre is intended to isolate US citizens suspected of contracting Ebola during the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The project has sparked protests in Nanyuki. Three people have died in clashes with police, including a 17-year-old schoolboy. Rights groups and medical unions have opposed the facility. They argued it poses public health risks and unfairly turns Kenya into a quarantine hub for foreign nationals. The government maintains the project is necessary for Ebola preparedness. President William Ruto has defended the plan, saying rejecting the US request would have been inhumane.
Ebola Leaves Over 130 Children Orphaned in Eastern DR Congo
More than 130 children have been orphaned by the Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, as the number of confirmed cases surpasses 1,000, according to UNICEF. The agency estimates that nearly 3 million children and adolescents across 31 affected health zones are at risk from both the disease and disruptions to essential services. Children account for about 15% of confirmed Ebola cases and more than a quarter of deaths, with infected children nearly twice as likely to die as adults. In response, UNICEF is providing psychosocial support, alternative care arrangements and has opened a nursery for young children separated from caregivers receiving treatment. The agency warned that the outbreak is worsening existing challenges, including malnutrition, low immunization rates, displacement, and protection risks. They called for additional funding and humanitarian access to affected communities.
Pope Leo XIV Labels Food Access a ‘Fundamental Human Right’
Pope Leo XIV has urged urgent global action to combat rising hunger, calling access to food a “fundamental human right” during a visit to the World Food Programme (WFP) headquarters in Rome. He warned that conflict is a major driver of food insecurity worldwide, with political instability and war worsening already severe humanitarian crises. His remarks come as the WFP reports that 266 million people across 48 countries face acute food insecurity in 2025. The Pope said that food security is essential for global stability. He criticized political and bureaucratic barriers that hinder humanitarian aid. He praised the WFP’s role in providing emergency relief and long-term support such as school feeding programmes that reach millions of children globally.
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UN Warns Funding Cuts Threaten to Reverse Decades of HIV Progress
Four decades after AIDS first emerged as a global crisis, world leaders, advocates and community representatives gathered at UN Headquarters issued a stark warning: progress against HIV is slowing just as financial pressures and shrinking support threaten to reverse decades of gains. They warned that global progress against HIV is slowing amid funding cuts and weakening international support, raising fears that decades of gains could be reversed. UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed reflected on the extraordinary progress achieved through decades of global cooperation. Mohammed said that while AIDS-related deaths have fallen significantly and over 32 million people are on treatment, millions still lack access to care and new infections and deaths continue. UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima warned that sharp reductions in development financing, falling HIV testing rates, and cuts to prevention programmes are undermining efforts to end the epidemic. The meeting is expected to conclude with the adoption of a new Political Declaration intended to serve as the world’s primary accountability framework for national HIV commitments through 2030.
