The African Mirror - The African Mirror

Jul

18

2026

Racism at the World Cup is an ugly reality. How to understand where it comes from

SPECIAL FEATURES: ANALYSIS

NO African teams made it past the quarter-finals of the 2026 men’s football World Cup, but their strategic and tactical play left a lasting impression. The success of African teams doesn’t come out of the blue; it’s the result of a long process. It’s therefore surprising that African football remains underrated and downgraded by experts, often in a manner that reveals their ignorance of both African football and history. At times, their comments have a highly problematic racist tone. This was the case with former star player Bastian Schweinsteiger, now a longtime commentator for a German TV network. Ahead of…

Jul

15

2026

By The African Mirror

Dakar will crown a freedom fighter: Senegal to honour Mathews Phosa as Africa interrogates Mandela’s legacy amid a fracturing world order

NEWS

ON July 18, the day the world pauses to mark what would have been Nelson Mandela's birthday, Senegal will do something no African capital has done for a South African liberation veteran in recent memory: it will place a doctoral cap on the head of Dr Mathews Phosa, the former Premier of Mpumalanga, ex-Treasurer-General of the African National Congress, and one of the last men standing from the room in which South Africa's constitutional settlement was written. The honour will be conferred at a conference titled "Mandela Day in Dakar," running from July 18 to 19 at the Institut Supérieur…

Jul

14

2026

By The African Mirror

World Bank blog analysis: Fast payment systems could slash the cost of sending money home

BUSINESS

A new analysis argues that the future of remittances will be shaped less by traditional money-transfer corridors and more by fast payment systems, digital access and the growing push to make cross-border transfers cheaper, quicker and more inclusive. Remittances remain one of the most personal financial acts in the global economy, yet they are also a major development tool that can be transformed through payment innovation. For millions of migrants, sending money home is not a technical transaction but a lifeline. Remittances help families pay school fees, repair homes and keep basic services running, but the cost of moving that…

Jul

14

2026

By The African Mirror

Monsoon death trap: Rohingya refugees face deadly landslides in Bangladesh

WORLD

THE monsoon has once again turned Bangladesh’s Rohingya refugee camps into a landscape of fear, burying lives under mud and exposing a humanitarian crisis that has become brutally routine. At least seven Rohingya refugees, including children, were killed and about 8,000 people were affected when landslides swept through the Cox’s Bazar settlements after the first heavy rains of the season. The tragedy is not merely a weather event. It is the latest reminder that more than 930,000 Rohingya are trapped in one of Asia’s most fragile environments, where overcrowding, deforestation and flimsy shelters have turned steep hillsides into a death…

Jul

13

2026

By The African Mirror

Senator Lindsey Graham, 71, stalwart U.S. Defence hawk and former Trump ally, dies after sudden illness

WORLD

SENATOR Lindsey O. Graham, 71, a combative and influential Republican lawmaker who shaped U.S. foreign policy for decades and who moved from a fierce critic of Donald Trump to one of the former president’s closest Senate allies, died Saturday after a brief and sudden illness, his office said. Emergency personnel responded to a cardiac arrest call at his Capitol Hill residence late Saturday, U.S. media reported. He had just returned from a trip to Kyiv and was scheduled to appear on “Meet the Press” on Sunday. A former Air Force judge advocate and member of the South Carolina Air National…

Jul

10

2026

By The African Mirror

South Lebanon’s fragile ceasefire: UNIFIL warns returns to “Destroyed villages” as violations continue

WORLD

THE ceasefire between Beirut and Tel Aviv has sharply reduced large-scale combat in southern Lebanon, but fragile calm and continuing violations leave returning communities facing profound insecurity and destruction, the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said on Wednesday. UNIFIL spokesperson Kandice Ardiel told journalists that while “the level of violence has been reduced, we continue to record a number of violations of Resolution 1701 on a daily basis.” That tension, she said, requires sustained peacekeeping work: “Peacekeepers are working, including through our liaison and coordination mechanisms, to consolidate the stability gains we’ve seen and continue efforts towards security and…

Jul

09

2026

By The African Mirror

Ebola continues to spread in DRC, death toll passes 500 – WHO

HEALTH

THE outbreak of the deadly Bundibugyo species of Ebola in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is expanding, while the push to accelerate testing and identify effective treatment options continues, the UN World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Tuesday. The outbreak’s “true scale has not yet been fully established… we would like to say it is stabilising, but frankly, we cannot say it yet”, said Dr Anne Ancia, WHO representative to the DRC. Speaking from Bunia, the capital of Ituri Province at the heart of the outbreak, Dr Ancia told reporters in Geneva that as of 4 July,…

Jul

08

2026

By The African Mirror

‘Prestigious teams are calling’ – Mbekezeli Mbokazi’s agent opens up on transfer interest

FOOTBALL

MBEKEZELI Mbokazi’s agent, Basia Michaels, has revealed to SportsBoom that there have been enquiries from prestigious clubs for the Bafana Bafana and Chicago Fire defender, following what has been an impressive maiden FIFA World Cup for the 20-year-old. Mbokazi’s Future Mbokazi was one of the standout performers for South Africa in their historic 2026 FIFA World Cup run, where they progressed to the knockout stage of the tournament for the first time. The 20-year-old defender remained rock solid against some of the world’s best attacking players, not losing composure and winning most of the duels as he made an impression.…

Jul

08

2026

By The African Mirror

Uganda Parliament officials remanded as probe deepens, Anita Among name looms

NEWS

SEVEN senior officials of the Parliament of Uganda have been remanded to Luzira Prison after appearing in the Anti-Corruption Court on charges of embezzlement, money laundering and causing financial loss, in a case that is now widening pressure on the institution’s leadership and sharpening speculation that former Speaker Anita Among could be drawn in next. The officials, including Parliament’s Director of Communications and Public Affairs, Chris Obore Ariko (pictured), were arrested after reporting to the Inspectorate of Government to record statements, then arraigned before the court in Kampala. The court remanded them as investigations continue into alleged misuse of public…

Jul

08

2026

By The African Mirror

Ghanaian extradited in U.S. romance scam pleads guilty, agrees to repay $4.4m — now awaits prison term

NEWS

JOSEPH Kwadwo Badu Boateng, a Ghanaian national arrested in Accra and extradited to the United States, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and agreed to repay approximately $4.4 million in restitution as he waits to learn how long he will spend in a U.S. prison. Boateng - who used the nom de plume “Dada Joe Remix” - admitted in a federal plea agreement filed in Tucson that he and co‑conspirators ran a decade‑long romance and inheritance fraud targeting elderly Americans from 2013 through March 2023. Prosecutors say the group cultivated romantic contact through online dating sites and…