US launches priority ‘FIFA Pass’ visa for 2026 World Cup fans
The United States has introduced a priority visa appointment system for supporters planning to attend the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The programme, known as the “Fifa Pass”, went live this week after being announced by Donald Trump in November.
- US launches priority ‘FIFA Pass’ visa for 2026 World Cup fans
- Japan sentences Shinzo Abe assassin to life in prison
- Netanyahu joins Trump led board of peace despite ICC warrant
- Trump rules out forceful acquisition of Greenland, seeks negotiations
- AFRICA
- Republic of Congo sets presidential election for March 15
- Senegal revokes Atlas Oranto offshore oil licence
- Ouattara reappoints Mambé as Ivory Coast opts for continuity
- Uganda military chief threatens Bobi Wine after disputed election
- El-Sissi praises Trump role in Gaza peace plan at Davos
The US will host 78 of the tournament’s 104 matches, including the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. The World Cup will run from June 11 to July 19, 2026. The scheme is intended to ease visa processing in countries facing long backlogs. Uncertainty remains over whether fans from all qualifying nations will be permitted entry.
Japan sentences Shinzo Abe assassin to life in prison
A Japanese court has sentenced Tetsuya Yamagami to life imprisonment for the murder of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Abe was shot dead at an outdoor election rally in Nara in July 2022 using a homemade firearm. The killing stunned Japan, where gun crime is extremely rare, and Abe remained a dominant political figure. Yamagami pleaded guilty to the charge at the start of his trial. The court described the attack as despicable and premeditated. Defence lawyers had sought leniency, citing what they called religious abuse linked to his family background.
Netanyahu joins Trump led board of peace despite ICC warrant
Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, has accepted an invitation from Donald Trump to join a newly created Board of Peace. Netanyahu’s office confirmed the decision in a social media statement on Wednesday. The move comes despite an International Criminal Court warrant over alleged war crimes committed during Israel’s war in Gaza. Trump says the body will oversee governance planning, reconstruction, and regional engagement for the territory. The board was unveiled as part of the second phase of a ceasefire agreement with Hamas. Critics have already questioned the credibility and neutrality of the initiative.
Trump rules out forceful acquisition of Greenland, seeks negotiations
Donald Trump has said the United States will not use military force to acquire Greenland. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, he described the Arctic territory as vital to international security.
Trump said Washington would instead pursue negotiations to secure control and ownership. He argued that leasing arrangements were insufficient for long-term defence needs. Greenland is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. Danish officials have previously rejected any suggestion of a transfer of sovereignty.
AFRICA
Republic of Congo sets presidential election for March 15
The Republic of Congo has scheduled its presidential election for March 15. The announcement was made by government spokesperson Thierry Moungalla. The constitution requires elections to be held 30 to 40 days before the end of the presidential term. Incumbent president Denis Sassou Nguesso was sworn in for his current term in April 2021. The electoral authority has yet to announce the timetable for candidate submissions. The ruling Congolese Labour Party has already nominated Sassou Nguesso as its candidate.
Senegal revokes Atlas Oranto offshore oil licence
Senegal has revoked an offshore exploration licence held by Atlas Oranto Petroleum. The government said the company failed to provide the required bank guarantees and carried out limited exploration work. The licence covered the Cayar Offshore Shallow block north of Dakar. It had been awarded in 2008 and repeatedly extended over the years. Officials said no wells were drilled despite identified geological leads. The decision signals a tougher stance toward dormant petroleum licences.
Ouattara reappoints Mambé as Ivory Coast opts for continuity
Alassane Ouattara, Ivory Coast’s President, has re-appointed Robert Beugré Mambé as prime minister, just two weeks after his resignation. Mambé had stepped down following December’s parliamentary elections, which delivered a decisive victory for the ruling Rally of Houphouëtists for Democracy and Peace. The party secured 197 of the National Assembly’s 255 seats, consolidating its grip on power.
Mambé himself was re-elected as a lawmaker representing Songon. A long-time public servant, he has spent more than four decades in government roles, including serving as governor of the Abidjan district from 2011 to 2023. While his initial appointment in 2023 surprised many observers, his return is widely seen as a signal of continuity after Ouattara’s landslide re-election in October.
Uganda military chief threatens Bobi Wine after disputed election
Uganda’s military chief has given opposition leader Bobi Wine 48 hours to surrender to police following the country’s disputed presidential election. Wine finished second in the vote, which saw Yoweri Museveni, Uganda’s president, secure a seventh term in office. The opposition leader says he is in hiding after fleeing what he described as a military raid on his home hours before the results were announced.
In a series of social media posts, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the army chief and Museveni’s son, warned that Wine would be treated as an “outlaw” if he failed to comply. Kainerugaba is known for making provocative public statements and is widely viewed as a potential successor to his father. Meanwhile, more than 100 members of Wine’s National Unity Platform party have been charged with election-related offences, which party officials strongly deny.
El-Sissi praises Trump role in Gaza peace plan at Davos
Abdel Fattah el Sissi, Egypt’s president, has praised Donald Trump, United States president, for his role in advancing the current Gaza peace plan. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, el Sissi said Trump had shown commitment to ending the war and easing humanitarian suffering in Gaza. Egyptian officials said the president highlighted efforts to relieve what he described as prolonged hardship faced by Palestinians. El Sissi also reiterated Egypt’s position that Palestinian statehood remains central to regional stability and any lasting peace. A meeting between the Egyptian and US leaders is expected on the sidelines of the forum to discuss bilateral relations and regional security. The remarks come as Washington moves into the second phase of the Trump-led Gaza plan and establishes a new Board of Peace to oversee reconstruction, an initiative that has drawn criticism from several European governments.
