Six candidates to replace Guterres at top of UN debate in New York

GENEVA, Switzerland 

The six candidates vying to lead the United Nations stressed the importance of restoring the credibility of an organization in crisis during a restrained debate Thursday, one week before the selection process formally starts.

With the campaign struggling to generate real enthusiasm for a front-runner, the hopefuls faced nearly two hours of questions from diplomats, UN employees and civil society representatives at an event in the huge General Assembly Hall, broadcast by Bloomberg.

Chile's Michelle Bachelet, Ecuador's Maria Fernanda Espinosa, Rafael Grossi of Argentina, Costa Rican Rebeca Grynspan, Guyana's Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett and Senegal's Macky Sall are all in the running to succeed outgoing Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who leaves office December 31.

"Five years from now, I would like nobody to ask me again 'where is the UN?' That will be my indicator. I would like to see a UN that is back at the table on the scenarios of conflict," engendering and delivering "results on the ground," said Grynspan, who has headed the UN's Conference on Trade and Development.

Sall (above), a former president of Senegal, similarly vowed to use his first 100 days "to restore trust and put the UN on a path to become more agile, more effective, and more ready to listen. listen, act, and bring people together."

Like her rivals, Guyanese ambassador Rodrigues-Birkett (below) promised to take on the UN's toughest challenges, saying "I would be that Secretary-General that would try, whether it is in Iran or in Haiti or in Sudan or in the (Democratic Republic of Congo)."

International Atomic Energy Agency head Rafael Grossi also argued for intervention in times of conflict, saying any member who triggers war or uses aggression "is serious enough for the Secretary-General to step in."

"We need to do is to restore this credibility of the UN as a valid interlocutor, and then use the tools at hand," Grossi said.

The United Nations is facing a profound financial and confidence crisis, with US President Donald Trump's administration accusing it of spending recklessly, spreading itself too thin and failing to deliver satisfactory results.

The US wants to see a return to the organization's fundamental purposes of peace and security, while other states stress the equal importance of its other two pillars: human rights and development.

Without naming names, former Chilean president Bachelet said she would refuse to give in to pressure from powerful donor countries.

"I will speak out loud what I think is my moral authority and my duty," she said.

Former UN General Assembly president Espinosa (below) insisted on prevention not as "a slogan but an operating principle, a discipline, and I will establish very early a prevention" to have "the UN machinery ready and active to prevent conflicts. I will be there myself, carrying the UN flag."

The candidates have already faced three hours of questioning each from representatives of the 193 UN member states.

Most stressed the need to continue the organization's ongoing reforms to make it more efficient, as well as the importance of greater involvement by the secretary-general in peace efforts around the world.

On July 30, the 15 members of the Security Council are due to hold their first closed-door, anonymous vote on their preferences among the candidates.

That first "straw poll" will be followed by an unspecified number of similar votes until one candidate can secure the required nine votes without a veto from any of the five permanent members -- the United States, Britain, China, France and Russia.

The name of the selected candidate will then be sent to the General Assembly for the formal appointment to the position. He or she will take office on January 1, 2027.

Several diplomats interviewed by AFP were cautious about the outcome of the race, saying a number of capitals had yet to make their choice.

Rafael Grossi

"I find that Grossi is still the mostly frequently mentioned front-runner, but he has not locked the race up. Other candidates like Grynspan and Rodrigues-Birkett also have significant numbers of admirers," International Crisis Group analyst Richard Gowan told AFP.

Many names are still circulating in UN corridors and the media, notably that of FIFA president Gianni Infantino, whom Trump would reportedly like to see take the helm of the UN, according to the New York Post.

Under a tradition of geographic rotation that is not always followed, Latin America is making a claim to the post this time. Sall is the only candidate not from the region. Many states are also calling for a woman to hold the position for the first time.

US hits dozens of countries with new wave of tariffs

WASHINGTON, United States 

The Unuted States has imposed new tariffs on 60 trading partners in the latest escalation in the trade war reignited by US President Donald Trump when he returned to office last year.

Those targeted, including the UK, China and the European Union, will face a tariff of 10% to 12.5% on all goods, accounting for almost all American imports.

The tariffs, which replace an identical levy which expires on Friday, are based on claims key economic partners have failed to properly tackle forced labour.

But US trade expert Caroline Freund said the move is "not about forced labour" but that Trump is simply "looking for a legal reason to put the tariffs in".

The US Supreme Court had ruled earlier this year that many of the tariffs imposed globally under emergency powers were illegally enacted.

The 10%-12.5% duties on imports were proposed last month by the White House and over concerns they were not doing enough to tackle forced labour.

"Today's action will begin to correct what is both a human rights abuse and distortive trade practice to improve the welfare of workers everywhere," US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said.

The new duties apply to the top 60 US trade partners covering 99.4% of US imports, it added.

The new tariffs were a "like for like" swap with the regime that expired on Friday, Freund, Dean of the UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy, told the BBC's Today programme.

Asked about the forced labour justification, she said: "I think they were looking for a legal reason to put the tariffs in and that they can maintain them because their goals and Greer has been very clear about this, as has Trump, is about the trade deficit and it is about US manufacturing, it is not about forced labour."

The new levies show the Trump administration is "determined" to push on with its tariff strategy, said trade policy expert Deborah Elms from the Hinrich Foundation.

It is unlikely countries hit with tariffs will be able to prove that they have sufficient measures to prevent forced labour imports, she told the reporters.

The levies are likely to raise costs for businesses and consumers, although its impact could be softened due to the number of exempted goods, said the Asia Society Policy Institute's economic security expert Wendy Cutler.

She added most trading partners would be disappointed with the new levies and were likely to focus on ways to "reduce their dependence on the US" by making deals with other countries.

The head of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) said the UK had lost its comparative advantage against the European Union as a result of the new tariffs.

William Bain said the EU has a 10% all-inclusive deal for tariffs on its goods, while the UK is facing 10% universal tariffs on top of any duties imposed on individual goods.

"So there will be some concerns in the business community this morning about what the UK needs to do to get the same treatment the European Union has got here," Bain added.

David Henig, director of UK trade policy at the European Centre for International Political Economy, also noted the UK's relative disadvantage compared with the EU.

He told Today: "We have slightly moved backwards, but this is President Trump so anything could change tomorrow or the day after.

"I don't think too many businesses will be changing their plans based on that."

The UK government said firms were facing no changes to the tariff rate they are facing.

"We take forced labour very seriously to ensure that in global supply chains UK businesses are not complicit," a government spokesperson said.

And UK whisky will not be affected by the new tariffs, after Trump struck a deal to exempt the tipple during King Charles and Queen Camilla's state visit to the US.

Other countries have criticised the announcement, with Brazil's government calling the new 12.5% rate it is facing "unjustified".

The Japanese government on Friday said it regretted the new tariffs, while Australian Trade Minister Don Farrell said the levies were "completely unjustified".

China has previously said it opposed any form of unilateral tariff, and denied allegations of forced labour.

"There is no so-called forced labour in China, and we oppose using this as an excuse for political manipulation," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said.

But several international human rights groups have said forced labour does exist in China, particularly among Muslim ethnic minorities in Xinjiang.

Malian government rejects US role in anti-JNIM fight

BAMAKO,  Mali 

The Malian government has rejected reports of US intervention in the fight against the jihadist group JNIM, saying the claims are false.

At a news conference in Bamako on Thursday, Mali's Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop responded to reports that the Trump administration is considering military action in the country.

The Washington Post reported Wednesday, citing current and former U.S. officials, that the administration is weighing possible action against JNIM, Al-Qaeda's affiliate in Mali.

JNIM is an Islamist armed group linked to Al-Qaeda that operates primarily in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, as well as elsewhere in West Africa.

Its leader, Iyad Ag Ghali, has been designated a terrorist by the United States.

Diop said Mali only heard about the news of potential U.S. military action from press reports.

“We have no confirmation and no official statement from the United States or U.S. officials on this matter,” he said.

“I can assure you that Mali is not sitting idly by, waiting for others to come and solve our problem.”

EAST AFRICA NEWSPAPERS 24/7/2026

 

France records 5,764 excess deaths during June heat wave

PARIS, France 

France recorded 5,764 excess deaths during the exceptional heat wave that affected the country between June 17 and July 2, Public Health France said Wednesday.

The agency said the increase in all-cause mortality cannot yet be attributed with certainty to the heat.

The provisional toll marks the highest excess mortality recorded in France since the 2003 heat wave, according to Public Health France.

The figures will be consolidated in the coming months.

The agency said excess mortality was observed across all age groups from 15 years and older, with a "marked increase" from the age of 45, describing the pattern as "unprecedented."

The updated figures include paper death certificates that had not been incorporated into earlier assessments, particularly those involving people found dead at home.

On July 3, Health Minister Stephanie Rist had reported at least 2,025 additional deaths between June 22 and June 28, while noting the figures were incomplete because authorities had not yet received all death reports.

At the time, only electronic death certificates had been included in the preliminary count.

US signs landmark nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia

WASHINGTON, United States 

The US and Saudi Arabia have signed a landmark deal that will allow the Gulf kingdom to develop a civilian nuclear programme.

The deal is described as a "peaceful nuclear co-operation agreement" that will provide "great access for American companies in the Saudi nuclear energy program" by the US energy department.

Text from the deal has not been made public, but US media report that it could allow Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium in the future - which can be used as fuel for power plants, but also to make nuclear bombs.

Experts say that would mark a first for the US and could run the risk of future nuclear proliferation in an already unstable region.

The US Department of Energy said a "bilateral safeguards agreement" had been signed along with the co-operation deal.

"Together, these two agreements lay the legal foundation for a decades-long, multi-billion-dollar partnership that advances several priority economic and strategic objectives, including nuclear nonproliferation," the statement said.

The Saudi government also released a statement saying the deal "represents an extension of existing co-operation between the two countries in the energy sector", noting that it comes after the Saudi leader visited Washington last November.

The nuclear issue has been at the centre of the months-long US-Israeli conflict with Iran. The two nations say one of the reasons they attacked Iran in February was to prevent the country from ever developing a nuclear weapon - something that Tehran denies planning to do.

Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, told CBS News in 2018 that his own nation was not planning to acquire a nuclear weapon, but that "without a doubt if Iran developed a nuclear bomb, we will follow suit as soon as possible".

Wednesday's announcement came as fighting escalates between the US and Iran. Saudi Arabia, a longtime US ally, hosts several US bases that have been targeted by Iranian attacks. It also comes two days after Iran's allies in Yemen, the Houthis, announced a "maritime blockade" against the kingdom.

Specific details of the nuclear deal have not been given but earlier media reports suggested that, after undertaking a joint study with the US, Saudi Arabia may be allowed to enrich uranium on its soil to produce fuel at a US-built enrichment facility, instead of relying on imported fuel.

This could be worth billions of dollars to the US, whose companies could be involved in building a facility to produce enriched uranium, which can be used as fuel for power plants but also to make nuclear bombs.

"Rest assured, these agreements uphold the highest standards of nuclear safety and nonproliferation, while relying on the world's best nuclear technology and scientists, designed right here in the United States," US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said.

The energy department said the deal would advance both "US and regional security", and would strengthen America's "competitive edge in civil nuclear technology".

Nuclear experts and former officials in Israel - the US's top ally in the Middle East - have voiced concern that the plan could ultimately lead to Saudi Arabia being able to develop a nuclear weapon - though other experts say that path would likely take decades and spark pushback from the international community.

EAST AFRICA NEWSPAPERS 23/7/2026

 

"Ebola death toll in DRC and Uganda has surpassed 1,000" - WHO

KAMPALA, Uganda 

The World Health Organization says the death toll in the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda has surpassed 1,000.

In all, 2,473 cases of the deadly virus, including 999 deaths, have been confirmed in the Congo, while 20 cases, including two deaths, have been registered in neighbouring Uganda.

Kinshasa’s health ministry says that at least 737 patients are currently in isolation and hospitals.

The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo virus, was declared on 15 May in Ituri Province in the DRC, before spreading to four other regions in the east of the country.

Several cases were then reported in Uganda, linked mostly to Congolese citizens who had crossed the border.

Kampala says it has gone three weeks without registering any new cases.

This rare strain of Ebola, which spreads through close contact and infected bodily fluids, currently has no approved vaccine or specific treatment.

By the time the WHO declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern in May, the virus had already been spreading undetected for weeks.

It warned last week that Ebola had over the past month "expanded faster than any previous outbreak".

This includes the 2013-2016 outbreak that is considered the worst on record with over 11,000 deaths out of at least 28,000 cases.

That outbreak took about eight months to reach 1,000 deaths.

The WHO's incident manager for Bundibugyo virus in DRC, Thierno Balde, earlier this week said that despite a ramping up of the response, "the outbreak remains ahead of us”.

But the WHO has reported "encouraging progress", with trials for two potential treatments, a vaccine and a post-exposure prophylaxis underway on the ground.

ECOWAS reaffirms plans to launch single currency in 2027

FREETOWN, Sierra Leone 

ECOWAS is forging ahead with plans for a single currency. The legal registration of the ECO trademark is progress, but the broader framework for the currency is still being worked out.

The Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS, has reaffirmed plans to launch a single currency next year. But the bloc says it’s leaning towards a phased rollout, with countries meeting convergence criteria such as inflation, debt, and monetary stability joining first.

The news was announced in a communique following Sunday’s ECOWAS Heads of State meeting in Sierra Leone.

The single currency, dubbed the ECO, is being presented as a way to deepen regional integration and support sustainable and inclusive growth.

The legal registration of the ECO trademark is progress but important questions remain unresolved, including whether members of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA), who use the CFA franc, will be included at the start.

ECOWAS says several issues still need agreement, particularly around the future central bank, decision-making rules, and which countries will start first.

The launch of the ECO will also have to grapple with West Africa's changing political landscape since Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger left the bloc but remain within the UEMOA.

Consultations are continuing and a key Task Force meeting is expected before the December 2026 summit.

Kenyan lawyers launch nationwide strike over judicial corruption and delays

NAIROBI, Kenya 

Lawyers in Kenya launched a nationwide court boycott on Wednesday to protest judicial corruption and chronic delays.

Cases in the country take an average of two years to conclude and lawyers say corruption and systematic inefficiencies are to blame.

"The court boycott is going on in courts across the country, with many lawyers heeding the call," Charles Kanjama, the president of the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), told reporters.

After Wednesday’s strike, the LSK is pushing for an ongoing boycott of specific judges and magistrates who they accuse of blocking anti-corruption measures and disciplinary procedures. Named judges include the Supreme Court’s Chief Justice, Martha Koome.

"As lawyers we are tired of a corrupt judiciary that refuses to reform itself," said lawyer Ahmednasir Abdullahi.

Others have warned judicial corruption could be an issue for next year's election if political disputes arise.

"The judiciary is irredeemably compromised and is unable to act as an arbiter," said former LSK president Eric Theuri.

Also on Wednesday, Kenya’s anti-corruption body said it had arrested a magistrate for allegedly soliciting a bribe to influence a criminal case.

US renews strikes on Iran as Trump threatens to attack Pickaxe Mountain

WASHINGTON, United States 

The United States launched strikes on Iran for the 11th consecutive night late on Tuesday, as Tehran warned the US against targeting its nuclear facilities.

Vantor satellite image shows tunnel construction activity and road infrastructure near the Natanz nuclear facility in the mountainous area around Pickaxe Mountain.

US Central Command (Centcom) said the wave of strikes were "designed to continue degrading Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping" in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian state media reported that air defences were activated in the capital Tehran. Explosions were also reported in Tabriz, Chabahar, Konarak, and in Bushehr, home to Iran's only nuclear power plant.

Iran, which has retaliated against the US and its Middle East allies, warned of reprisals after Donald Trump said the US would soon hit an underground nuclear site near Natanz.

Iran and the US agreed a ceasefire in April, but hostilities resumed last week as both countries battled over control of the vital Strait of Hormuz waterway.

Centcom said US forces had targeted Iranian military operations centres, maritime capabilities, aircraft hangars, drone storage facilities, and military logistics infrastructure.

It also accused Iran of attacking "more than 30 commercial vessels" passing through the Strait of Hormuz over the past three months.

"The unwarranted attacks have endangered hundreds of innocent mariners and undermined freedom of navigation," it said, adding the waterway remained "open for commercial vessel transit".

Kuwait's army said early on Wednesday morning that its air defences were engaging with drone attacks from Iran, while Bahrain and Jordan said they had also intercepted drone and missile strikes.

Earlier the US president said the next military target could be a complex known as Pickaxe Mountain, an underground nuclear site where Iran is suspected of building an undeclared enrichment facility.

"We'll be hitting that area pretty soon, and very heavily," Trump said, addressing reporters during a White House meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.

He added that he would not normally announce targets but "there's not a thing they can do about it".

Iran's Khatam Al-Anbiya military command said it would consider such an attack "as an expansion of war in the region", threatening strikes on "all the interests of America, the allies and supporters", state-run broadcaster IRIB reported.

Trump also threatened to "take care of" the Houthi rebels if the Iran-backed militant group in Yemen followed through on its threatened blockade of Saudi ports.

A Houthi media official had earlier said they were closing the Bab al-Mandab Strait - the Red Sea's southern gateway - to Saudi vessels.

The Red Sea has become crucial for oil shipments from Saudi Arabia during the US-Israeli war with Iran, which has led to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Following the Houthi announcement, two tankers which had just loaded Saudi crude bound for China and India at Saudi Arabia's Red Sea port of Yanbu made U-turns on Tuesday, heading instead towards the Suez Canal, British maritime risk management group Vanguard said.

The threat from the Houthis risks further disruption to international shipping, with hostilities in the region having already led to global fuel prices fluctuating significantly.

Ukraine President sacks top army commander after days of protests

KYIV, Ukraine 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed the country's army commander-in-chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi.

It comes just days after the removal of popular Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov - a move that triggered street protests across the country.

Initial rumours that the end of Fedorov's tenure was related to a conflict between him and Syrskyi were soon confirmed.

Fedorov, 35, has been widely praised for energising the ministry and transforming the armed forces, as well as leading a drive against corruption. Syrskyi, 60, is seen by many in Ukraine as a Soviet-school commander reluctant to implement radical changes in the army.

He was replaced by Mykhailo Drapatyi, 43, who is a popular, battle-hardened general.

"I will work responsibly, with full focus, and with respect for the people who are defending our country today," Drapatyi said on Facebook.

He also thanked Syrskyi "for his consistent work to strengthen the Ukrainian army," adding: "I grew up in it."

In a video post on social media late on Tuesday, Zelensky thanked Syrskyi for his military campaigns, including his role in successfully defending the capital Kyiv during the first days of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022.

Zelensky also revealed that earlier in the day, he met Fedorov and offered him a "worthy position in power", but did not say whether the offer had been accepted.

Fedorov was last week replaced by Yevhenii Khmara, a former top official at Ukraine's Security Service (SBU).

"All decisions will be formalised tomorrow," Zelensky added in his post.

Meanwhile, Fedorov congratulated Drapatyi with his new job, describing his appointment as a "new hope in the fight of free people for freedom and justice".

He said it was "the voice of change that could not be ignored".

Fedorov also revealed that he had called Syrskyi to thank him for the defence of the Kyiv region and other "historic battles".

"But we need to move even faster and write new chapters correcting all previous mistakes," he added.

Fedorov had been appointed defence minister only in January - but has been widely praised for using data to analyse and try to improve performance on the front line.