Ghanaian Mother Travels to US After Son’s Fatal Shooting
The mother of 15-year-old Ghanaian boy Javits Frimpong, who was fatally shot while walking to school in New York’s Bronx, has travelled to the United States. She was granted an emergency visa by President Donald Trump. Doris Adu Gyamfi said that she wants justice for her son at the airport before her departure. Police are still searching for three teenage suspects in connection with the shooting. No arrests have been made. The killing has sparked outrage in Ghana and the US. New York mayor Zohran Mamdani said the murder of a child was a pain no parent should endure, “let alone from thousands of miles away.” Ghana’s government is calling for a thorough investigation and pledging legal and consular support to the family.
Africa Emerges as Growing Hub for Synthetic Drug Production
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Discoveries of clandestine drug laboratories across Africa are raising concerns that the continent is becoming an increasingly important centre for the production of synthetic drugs, rather than simply serving as a transit route for international trafficking networks. In Nigeria, authorities recently dismantled what they described as the country’s largest methamphetamine laboratory, seizing more than 2.4 tonnes of the drug and precursor chemicals, with an estimated international value of 363 million dollars. Similar laboratories have been uncovered in South Africa, Kenya and Mozambique. The increasing production and use of synthetic drugs is causing addiction, school dropouts, family breakdown and other social problems, experts said. They are calling for stronger regional cooperation, rehabilitation services and prevention programmes alongside law enforcement.
Tinubu Seeks Senate Approval for $7.7bn External Loan
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has asked the Senate to approve $7.7 billion in external borrowing to help finance the Federal Government’s 2026 budget deficit. Senate President Godswill Akpabio said that the latest request supersedes an earlier proposal for 20.3 billion dollars in external loans. Tinubu said that the funds will be sourced through a combination of multilateral and bilateral loans, international financial institutions and Eurobond issuance. Priority will be given to financing defence, security, infrastructure, agriculture, education and healthcare. He also said that the borrowing will help strengthen Nigeria’s foreign reserves and support the naira. He said that the funds would be received by the Central Bank of Nigeria on behalf of the Federal Government, thereby increasing the country’s foreign reserves. The request has been referred to the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debt for consideration.
DR Congo Rebels Threaten Radio Station, Demand Broadcast Approval
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called on rebel leaders in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo to stop threatening journalist Guillaume Munguakonkwa and interfering with the operations of community radio station Kamole FM. Munguakonkwa went into hiding for five days after armed members of the Front for the Refoundation of the Nation (FRN) reportedly searched for him over broadcasts relating to their activities. The station’s director was also summoned and ordered to submit all news reports for approval before they could be aired, with threats of imprisonment for non-compliance. CPJ said that the threats highlight the growing dangers facing journalists covering the conflict in eastern DR Congo and has urged all armed groups to respect press freedom and allow independent reporting.
Somalia Rejects Israel’s Diplomatic Moves in Somaliland
Somalia has rejected Israel’s appointment of an ambassador to Somaliland and plans to establish an embassy in the region, describing the moves as a violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Israel’s ambassador, Michael Lotem, recently presented his credentials to Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro, followed by a ceremony marking the planned embassy site in Hargeisa. Somalia maintains that Somaliland remains part of its territory and has no authority to establish independent diplomatic relations. It has called on Israel to reverse the decisions and urged the international community not to recognise them, warning that the developments could increase tensions in the strategically important Red Sea and Gulf of Aden region.
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Mugabe’s Youngest Son Arrested in Zimbabwe Over Assault and Vehicle Smuggling
Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe, the youngest son of Zimbabwe’s late former president Robert Mugabe, has been arrested alongside four other men in connection with an assault case in Harare. The arrests follow an investigation into the alleged smuggling of two luxury vehicles into the country, which the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission has reportedly seized. The suspects face charges of contravening Section 136 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, alternatively Section 182 of the Customs and Excise Act. Police said that the alleged assault took place at Brompton Guest Lodge. Bellarmine previously made headlines in South Africa following his arrest in February 2026 after a shooting incident at his Hyde Park residence in Johannesburg, in which a gardener was wounded.
