Ugandan diplomat Olara Otunnu joins race to lead the United Nations

KAMPALA, Uganda 

Ugandan diplomat Olara Otunnu has become the seventh candidate to join the race to become the next leader of the United Nations.

The former UN under-secretary-general, who served as a special representative for children and armed conflict, was nominated by Kampala on Friday.

A previous opposition presidential candidate, he also served as Uganda's UN envoy, and as his country's foreign minister for a brief period.

At 75, he is the oldest of the current candidates to replace Antonio Guterres whose mandate as secretary-general comes to an end on 31 December after two five-year terms in the post.

The other potential successors in the running are from Chile, Ecuador, Argentina, Costa Rica, Guyana, and Senegal's Macky Sall.

The six other candidates, four of them women, participated in a televised debate on Thursday.

At the end of this month, the 15 members of UN 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 person secures 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 formal appointment to the position.

He or she will take office on 1 January 2027.

51 opposition officials arrested and charged with terrorism in Tanzania

DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania 

Tanzania’s main opposition party, Chadema, on Saturday said 51 of its officials were arrested and charged with terrorism countrywide, accusing the government of using law enforcement to intimidate critics.

Chadema Vice Chairperson, John Heche, told reporters 130 officials were arrested over planned protests this month that failed to materialize because of a heavy police presence.

Tanzanians had planned to take to the streets on July 7, a date that commemorates the formation of the ruling party and is also associated with pro-democracy protests in neighboring Kenya. 

Protest organizers were calling for democratic reforms following the disputed October general election, in which President Samia Hassan was declared the winner with 98% of the vote.

Heche said Chadema Chairman, Tundu Lissu had been denied his basic rights and was facing treason charges, which are not eligible for bail.

Terrorism charges in Tanzania carry severe penalties, with those convicted facing prison sentences ranging from 10 years to life imprisonment.

On Thursday, a university lecturer had charges against him upgraded from incitement to terrorism ahead of a scheduled bail hearing on the earlier charges.

“I urge all Tanzanians and international human rights communities to unite and speak out against blackmail and intimidation,” Heche said.

Chadema Vice Chairman, John Heche addressing reporters 

Heche said the party’s lawyers would defend all the arrested officials and urged opposition supporters to visit and support their families.

The Tanzanian government has not commented on the latest terrorism charges but has previously denied allegations of political repression.

In June, the government banned all political rallies, citing security concerns, but did not specify how long the ban would remain in force.

During the October election, thousands of people took to the streets on polling day. Reports on the number of deaths vary significantly. The government said 500 people were killed but the opposition said the death toll was in the thousands.

ICC top prosecutor removed over sexual misconduct allegations

THE HAGUE, Netherlands 

Members of the International Criminal Court (ICC) have voted to dismiss Karim Khan as chief prosecutor for alleged sexual misconduct.

Elected the ICC's third prosecutor in 2021, Khan was suspended last month. The decision to remove him was passed with 82 votes in favour.

The court's oversight body found in June he had committed a "serious breach of duty and serious misconduct" by engaging in an improper sexual relationship with a junior ICC staff member and seeking to stop her pursuing her complaint.

Khan has repeatedly denied all the allegations against him. His lawyer said he would challenge "the lawfulness and fairness of the decision through all available legal mechanisms".

It was not immediately clear what legal avenues remained open to the ousted prosecutor.

In a statement after the vote, the ICC "took note" of the decision of the Special Session of the Assembly of States Parties - the 125 member states which voted to remove Khan.

"The Court will continue to attach the utmost importance to maintaining a safe, inclusive, and respectful working environment for all personnel," the ICC statement said.

The entire process, however, goes beyond the fate of a single prosecutor and could reshape the world's only permanent war‑crimes tribunal.

The misconduct investigation has put the institution under a glaring spotlight, intensified divisions inside it and played out alongside an unprecedented campaign to weaken, and in fact dismantle, the ICC in its entirety.

The fear among its supporters is that the court will emerge weakened and less able to face the gravest global threats.

Khan, a prominent British lawyer, has been on voluntary leave to fight the allegations since May 2025. He remains suspended from practising law in the UK, after the Bar Standards Board imposed an interim ban while it conducts its own inquiry.

He was unable to attend the vote, held in the United Nations headquarters in New York, because he is barred from entering the United States under sanctions imposed by the Trump administration over the ICC's investigation into alleged war crimes by Israeli officials in Gaza.

Regardless of his removal, the controversy is unlikely to end there.

The decision follows a highly sensitive process that has left the court under intense scrutiny.

In May 2024, allegations that Khan had engaged in sexual misconduct involving a female staff member were reported to the ICC by a third party.

The court's Independent Oversight Mechanism (IOM) opened an investigation, but the case was later closed after the alleged victim declined to participate.

Critics of the process argued that the investigation had been mishandled, undermining confidence in the IOM.

Investigators ultimately said there was insufficient evidence to substantiate the allegations.

A second referral was made in October 2024. The matter was then transferred to the United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), which conducted a broader investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct and abuse of authority.

That inquiry ran from November 2024 to December 2025 and generated more than 5,000 pages of evidence and testimony.

The OIOS findings were subsequently reviewed by a panel of three judges tasked with advising whether Khan's conduct amounted to serious misconduct, less serious misconduct, or no misconduct.

The allegations have unfolded during a period of exceptional pressure on the ICC, coinciding with wider political tensions.

The United States imposed sanctions on Khan after he sought arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged crimes linked to the war in Gaza.

Washington's attitude to the court in general has become increasingly hostile in recent years.

India's 'cockroach' protest called off after education minister quits

NEW DELHI, India 

India's Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has called off its five-week-long protest, hours after Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned.

The CJP has called it a win for democracy and thousands of jubilant supporters continue to celebrate at Jantar Mantar, the main protest venue in Delhi.

An online satirical campaign with an AI-generated cockroach as its mascot, the CJP is not a real party but has evolved into a powerful platform for young people's anxieties and dissent.

The protest has been the most visible expression of public anger against PM Narendra Modi's government in recent years and gained momentum after Monday's police crackdown on people marching to parliament left dozens injured.

Pradhan announced his resignation on X in a post in Hindi saying he "respected the aspirations, dreams, and expectations of the youth" and was "pained by the events" of the past few days.

"Considering the situation at Jantar Mantar and across the country - with the aim of preventing anti-national forces from exploiting it, preserving national unity, ensuring that not a single Indian student's future gets entangled in legal complexities, and allowing our children to devote their time to studies and focus on building their careers - I have submitted my resignation to the prime minister," he wrote.

As news of Pradhan's resignation broke, a visibly emotional Abhijeet Dipke, CJP's founder, screamed from the makeshift stage at Jantar Mantar: "We have done it."

A loud cheer went up and huge celebrations erupted with the protesters singing, dancing, shouting slogans and handing out sweets.

Several hours since the CJP announced the end of their protest and its leaders left the site, crowds were still gathered at the venue into the night.

Many told our reporter they had waited for this day for weeks, and were not in the mood to leave without celebrating.

Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned

The site is increasingly looking like the centre of a party, with volunteers doing their best to manage the crowds. A large number of police are deployed around the area, but they say they will intervene only if they see breaches of the law.

The CJP was formed after the chief justice of India described some unemployed young people turning to journalism and activism as "cockroaches". He later said he was referring specifically to people with "fake and bogus degrees", but by then, the term had taken a life on its own.

The movement is led by Abhijeet Dipke, a 30-year-old political communications strategist and former student at Boston University.

The CJP quickly gained a huge following online, turning one of the most reviled insects into a symbol of defiance and resilience with 26 million followers on Instagram.

EAST AFRICA NEWSPAPERS 26/7/2026

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.