Former US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle have teamed up with American streamer IShowSpeed to bring Ghana’s independence story to the screen in a documentary called The Eyes of Ghana. The film follows Chris Hesse, the Ghanaian cameraman who filmed the country’s independence in 1957 and key moments involving its first president, Kwame Nkrumah. Directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Ben Proudfoot, it draws on footage from more than 1,300 reels that Hesse kept for decades. The Obamas are executive producers through Higher Ground Productions, and IShowSpeed is also listed as a producer.

An Armenian athlete completed 70 giant swings between moving trucks to set a new record.

American rapper Nicki Minaj has revealed that her pastor is Nigerian, explaining her personal link to the country while speaking out against attacks on Christians. At the X Takeover event at Tesla’s Giga Texas facility in Austin, she said her Nigerian pastor and fans helped strengthen that connection. Minaj questioned why reports of violence against Christians in Nigeria were not getting more attention. She urged celebrities and influencers to speak up and said she was willing to do more to support the cause.

Rwanda has signed a 10-year deal with Formula 1 to host the African Grand Prix, bringing the sport back to the continent for the first time since the 1993 South African race at Kyalami. The event will take place on a brand-new permanent circuit in Bugesera, roughly 40 kilometres south of Kigali and right next to the country’s new international airport. Former F1 driver Alex Wurz is working with the Tilke engineering firm on the layout, which is meant to make the most of the local hills and elevation changes. The first race is pencilled in for the early 2030s, once construction is finished.

Former American WNBA player and Playboy model Kysre Gondrezick has reportedly accused Moroccan footballer Achraf Hakimi of getting her pregnant during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. In an Instagram Story that has since been deleted, she claimed she found out about the pregnancy in July, when Morocco played in Houston, Texas. She also said she felt manipulated, used and betrayed, and explained why she decided to speak out.

South African youngster Camden Schaper has chosen to represent South Africa over England at youth level, a boost for Bafana’s junior setup. The Benoni-born midfielder currently plays for Blackburn Rovers’ academy in England and has previously been linked with top Premier League clubs. He is expected to represent South Africa at the FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival in Azerbaijan, where some of the world’s best young talents will play. The choice matters because he was eligible for England but opted to wear South Africa’s colours instead.

Somali-British woman Sagal Abdi-Wali has made history as the first Somali elected to the UK Parliament, winning the Holborn and St Pancras by-election. The 42-year-old Labour politician took 12,292 votes, beating Green Party leader Zack Polanski, who got 8,928. Abdi-Wali arrived in the UK as a child refugee from Somalia in the 1990s and grew up in Camden, London. Before entering Parliament she served as a local councillor and became leader of Camden Council in May 2026, the first Black woman to hold the post. Her priorities include tackling homelessness, improving housing and making more affordable homes available.

New York mayor Zohran Mamdani, born in Kampala to parents of Indian descent, had a short rap career before he went into politics. He performed as “Young Cardamom,” then later as “Mr. Cardamom.” He rapped in English and in Ugandan languages, including Luganda, and wrote about identity, race, class, food and life in Uganda. An early track, “Kanda (Chap Chap),” lined his own story up with chapati, an Indian food that became a staple in Uganda and elsewhere in East Africa. He also worked on music for his mother Mira Nair’s film Queen of Katwe, and later put out “Nani,” a song for his grandmother, with Indian actress Madhur Jaffrey in the video.

Nigerian model Rachel Ojuromi has walked for Chanel in Paris for the first time, months after she went viral for turning Lagos streets into her own runway. The 22-year-old first drew international attention by recreating Chanel’s Métiers d’Art 2026 looks with thrifted clothes, and Chanel creative director Matthieu Blazy later responded to the work. Since then she has gone from Lagos street videos to representation with agencies in Paris, London, New York and Canada. She walked Chanel’s Spring/Summer 2027 show at the Grand Palais during Paris Fashion Week.

New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani turned up for the Nigerian Independence Day parade in Manhattan. He also said he is into Afrobeats, and named Runtown and Patoranking as artists he follows.

The Global Mercy, the world’s largest civilian hospital ship, is back in Ghana nearly 20 years after Mercy Ships last called there. The $200 million vessel, run by Mercy Ships, will offer free surgery and medical training during a 10-month stay. President John Dramani Mahama welcomed the ship and pointed to the effect of specialist operations, especially for children with orthopaedic conditions. Mercy Ships has a long link with Ghana, with visits going back to 1991, but this mission is on its largest and most advanced ship.

Ghana 🇬🇭 is getting ready to formally apply to join BRICS, the bloc of major emerging economies, after Cabinet signed off on the bid. Foreign affairs minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa announced the approval. BRICS takes in Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, and newer members include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia. Ghana will now submit its application and look for backing from existing members. The government is tying the move to broader partnerships and its New Economy plans.

Femi Otedola’s fortune has climbed to $2 billion, ending his tag as Africa’s poorest billionaire. He is now richer than several other well-known African billionaires, among them Samih Sawiris, Yasseen Mansour and Othman Benjelloun. The rise followed his heavy buying of shares and growing sway at First HoldCo, where he became chairman in January 2024. His holding in First HoldCo is now almost 28%, after a recent multimillion-dollar share purchase added to his stake.

A US court has halted rapid deportations to third countries. African states that take deportees are coming under closer watch. More than 25,000 migrants are said to have been affected. The Trump administration may take the case to the Supreme Court.

Guinea’s media regulator has issued a formal warning to French channel France 24 for calling President Mamadi Doumbouya a “putschist president.” Doumbouya took power in a 2021 coup and was then elected president in December 2025. The regulator says the phrase overlooks the mandate he later won at the ballot box and has told France 24 to correct its coverage, with possible sanctions if it happens again. France 24 has accepted that the wording was a mistake and says it will apologise and put a correction on air.

Senegalese-American singer Akon has said his brother Omar sometimes took his place on stage when he had too many bookings. Akon said Omar would occasionally take gigs in his name without telling him, fly to another city and perform while Akon was appearing somewhere else. He has also said another brother, Abou “Bu” Thiam, stood in for him at times and even lip-synced to his tracks. Akon said the stand-in arrangements date from before social media made it easier for fans to tell who was who.

A passenger from Malawi was detained at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport after a detection dog flagged the bags. Officers found more than two pounds of dead African mice meant as food and 22 pounds of beef. The mice were packed in pages of The Nation newspaper. Authorities confiscated the goods because of fears of disease entering the United States.

Jamaica has carried its slavery-reparations campaign to King Charles, sending a government team to Britain with a formal petition. Culture Minister Olivia Grange heads the group, which wants the monarch to put core legal questions on slavery before the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. Officials seek a ruling on whether the forced shipment and enslavement of Africans in Jamaica was legal. They also ask whether slavery amounted to a crime against humanity and whether Britain is legally obliged to make good its lasting harm. Kingston hopes the court process will bolster its long campaign for redress and justice over slavery’s effects.