Israel Prime Minister vows to defeat Hamas in Rafah despite US arms threat

By Mike Wendling, TEL AVIV, Israel 

Israel Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed Israel can "stand alone", after the US warned arms shipments could be stopped if he orders a full-scale invasion of Rafah in Gaza.

Thousands of people have already fled the southern city after the Israeli military began what it called a "limited" operation on Monday.

US President Joe Biden has repeatedly warned against the operation, saying that it would cross a "red line".

But Mr Netanyahu dismissed the US warning, saying Israel would fight on.

"If we need to ... we will stand alone. I have said that if necessary we will fight with our fingernails," the prime minister said.

Mr Netanyahu also invoked the war of 1948 - where the newly formed State of Israel was attacked by a coalition of Arab states - to dismiss the US warnings.

"In the War of Independence 76 years ago, we were the few against the many," he said. "We did not have weapons. There was an arms embargo on Israel, but with great strength of spirit, heroism and unity among us - we were victorious."

Despite Mr Netanyahu's comments, his government has come under pressure after the US suspended the delivery of 1,800 2,000lb (907kg) bombs and 1,700 500lb bombs over fears that they could cause civilian deaths in Rafah.

Mr Biden went further still in an interview with CNN on Wednesday, saying that if the attack went ahead he would further suspend supplies of artillery shells and other weapons.

Yoav Gallant, Mr Netanyahu's defence minister, dismissed the US warnings, saying Israel's "enemies as well as ... best of friends" should understand that his country "cannot be subdued".

"We will stand strong, we will achieve our goals," he added.

The comments came hours after the UN said more than 80,000 people had fled Rafah since Monday amid constant bombardment and as Israeli tanks massed close to built-up areas.

The UN also warned that food and fuel were running out for the more than one million still sheltering in the city, because it was not receiving aid through nearby crossings.

Israeli troops took control and closed the Rafah crossing with Egypt at the start of their operation, while the UN said it was too dangerous for its staff and lorries to reach the reopened Kerem Shalom crossing with Israel.

Israeli forces said they were conducting "targeted raids" against Hamas elements remaining in the city. However, the Israeli government has refused to rule out a full scale invasion, leading to Mr Biden's warning he would not supply it with the munitions to do so.

White House national security spokesman John Kirby said Mr Biden did not believe "smashing into Rafah" would advance Israel's objective of defeating Hamas.

"An enduring defeat of Hamas certainly remains the Israeli goal, and we share that goal with them," Mr Kirby said.

"The argument that somehow we're walking away from Israel, or we're not willing to help them defeat Hamas just doesn't comport with the facts," he said.

Kenya's President appoints 20 High Court judges

NAIROBI, Kenya

The new high court judges recently nominated by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) have been appointed.

The appointment of the 20 judges is contained in a Gazette notice dated May 9.

“In exercise of the powers conferred by Article 166 (1) (b) of the Constitution of Kenya, I, William Samoei Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya and Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces, appoint… to be Judges of the High Court of Kenya,” the notice reads.

They are Moses Ado Otieno, Alice Chepngetich Bett Soi, Benjamin Mwikya Musyoka, John Lolwatan Tamar, Francis Weche Andayi, Andrew Bahati Mwamuye, Julius Kipkosgei Ng'arng'ar, Wendy Kagendo Micheni, Emily Onyando Ominde, Helene Rafaela Namisi, Alexander Muasya Mutetiand and Julius Mukut Nangea.

Others are Benjamin Kimani Njoroge, Caroline Jepyegen Kendagor, Stephen Nzisi Mbungi, Linus Poghon Kassan, Noel Onditi Adagi Inziani, Tabitha Ouya Wanyama, Rhoda Cherotich Ruto and Joe Omido Mkutu.

JSC forwarded the names of the judges to the president a week ago following the conclusion of the vetting process.

Commission chairperson who doubles up as Chief Justice Martha Koome said the nomination followed lengthy deliberations and consideration of the constitutional imperatives of merit, gender, regional/ethnic balance and affirmative action.

"The Commission congratulates the nominees and wishes to thank all the candidates, stakeholders and Kenyans for their participation in the recruitment and selection exercise," she said.

JSC advertised 20 vacancies in the Office of Judge of the High Court on October 13, 2023.

The Commission received a total of 305 applications and shortlisted 100 candidates upon the closure of the application window.

The Commission conducted the selection interviews between April 3, 2024 and May 3, 2024.

A total of 95 candidates were interviewed, 4 candidates withdrew their applications, and 1 candidate was appointed the Chief Registrar of the Judiciary.

Under Article 172 (1) (a) of the Constitution, the Judicial Service Commission is mandated to recommend to the President suitable persons for appointment as Judges.

Zelensky fires head of bodyguard after failed plot

KYIV, Ukraine

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has sacked the head of his personal protection unit after two of its top officials were detained over an alleged assassination plot.

Serhiy Rud (pictured above) has led the president's security detail since 2019.

No reason was given for his dismissal, which was announced in a brief presidential decree.

However, the state guard administration (UDO) is critical for the safety not only of the president but other key figures in Ukraine and their families.

The two colonels in the state guard who were detained on Tuesday are suspected of belonging to a network of agents run by Russia's FSB security service.

Mr Zelensky has spoken of repeated Russian plots to assassinate him, but the latest revelations involved his own entourage and also targeted military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov and the head of the SBU state security service, Vasyl Malyuk.

Mr Malyuk said this week that the plot was due to culminate with a "gift to Putin" before his fifth term as president was inaugurated on Tuesday.

Individuals close to President Zelensky's bodyguard were meant to kidnap and kill him, while Mr Budanov would have been attacked with rockets, drones and anti-tank grenades, the SBU said.

There was no suggestion that Serhiy Rud, 47, had any link to the allegations, although one of the two colonels in detention, Andriy Huk, was seen as a personal friend. Ukrainian reports said they had studied together in the border troops academy many years ago.

Maj Gen Rud has served in Ukraine's military for most of his adult life, and much of his career has been focused on state security.

Ever since Russian paratroopers attempted to land in Kyiv and assassinate President Zelensky in the early hours and days of the full-scale invasion in February 2022, plots to assassinate him have been commonplace.

The Ukrainian leader said at the start of the invasion he was Russia's "number one target".

President Zelensky has frequently replaced key figures in Ukraine's security forces, and on Thursday he also announced that the commander of special forces, Col Serhiy Lupanchuk, was being moved from the role only months into the job.

The man who led Ukraine's defence in the first two years of Russia's full-scale invasion, Gen Valerii Zaluzhnyi, was replaced in February. He has now been appointed as Ukraine's ambassador to the UK and given the title "Hero of Ukraine".

Putin criticizes Western nations on 79th victory day anniversary

MOSCOW, Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin celebrated Nazi Germany's defeat in World War II by praising its forces fighting in Ukraine and blaming the West for fueling conflicts around the world.

Although few veterans of what Russia calls the Great Patriotic War are still alive 79 years after the fall of Berlin to the Red Army, the victory remains the most important and revered symbol of Russia's prowess. , as well as a key element of national identity.

Mr. Putin has made Victory Day — the country's most important secular holiday — a pillar of his quarter-century in power and a justification for his military action in Ukraine.

Two days into his fifth term, he led festivities across Russia to remember the nation's wartime sacrifices.

“Victory Day unites all generations,” Mr. Putin said in a speech in Red Square, the coldest May 9 in decades, with some snow showers. “We are moving forward, building on our centuries-old traditions and are confident that together we will ensure a free and secure future for Russia.”

As battalions marched and military equipment - old and new - rumbled across the cobblestones, the skies briefly cleared to allow warplanes to fly overhead, some of which trailed smoke in the colors white, red and blue of the Russian flag.

Mr Putin praised the courage of troops fighting in Ukraine and castigated the West, accusing it of "fueling regional conflicts, inter-ethnic and inter-religious quarrels and trying to contain sovereign and independent centers of development global”.

As tensions between Russia and the West over Ukraine reach their highest level since the Cold War, Mr. Putin once again recalled Moscow's nuclear power.

“Russia will do everything to prevent a global confrontation, but will not allow anyone to threaten it,” he said. “Our strategic forces are combat ready.”

Nuclear-capable Yars intercontinental ballistic missiles were fired into Red Square, underscoring his message.

The Soviet Union lost approximately 27 million people during World War II, an estimate that many historians consider conservative, which scarred virtually every family.

Nazi troops invaded much of the western Soviet Union in June 1941, before being pushed back to Berlin, where the USSR flag, the hammer and sickle, was raised over the above the ruined capital. The United States, United Kingdom, France, and other allies mark the end of the war in Europe on May 8.

The immense suffering and sacrifices made in cities like Stalingrad, Kursk and Leningrad, Mr. Putin's hometown (now St. Petersburg), still stand as a powerful symbol of the country's ability to meet seemingly insurmountable challenges.

Since coming to power on the last day of 1999, Mr Putin has made May 9 an important part of his political agenda, complete with missiles, tanks and fighter jets. Medal-winning veterans joined him on Thursday to review the parade, and many of them - including the president - wore the black and orange St. George ribbon, traditionally associated with VE Day.

Some 9,000 soldiers, about 1,000 of whom fought in Ukraine, took part in Thursday's parade.

Although the ambassadors of the United States and the United Kingdom did not attend the parade, other dignitaries and the presidents of several former Soviet nations joined Mr. Putin, as well as some other Moscow allies, including the leaders from Cuba, Guinea -Bissau and Laos.

Mr. Putin, 71, often talks about his family history and recalls memories of his father, who fought on the front lines during the Nazi siege of the city and was seriously injured.

He says his father, also named Vladimir, came home from a military hospital during the war and saw workers trying to take away his wife, Maria, who had been declared dead of starvation. 

For several years, Mr. Putin carried a photo of his father in Victory Day parades, as others did in honor of war veteran relatives, in what was called the " immortal regiment”.

These protests were suspended during the coronavirus pandemic and then again for security reasons after fighting began in Ukraine.

As part of its efforts to capitalize on the Soviet legacy and trample any attempt to question it, Russia has introduced laws that criminalize the "rehabilitation of Nazism”, including punishing the "desecration" of memorials or questioning the Kremlin's versions of World War II history.

When he sent troops to Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Mr. Putin invoked World War II to try to justify his actions, which Kiev and its Western allies denounced as an unprovoked war of aggression. Mr. Putin has cited the "denazification" of Ukraine as one of Moscow's main goals, falsely describing the government of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who is Jewish and lost relatives in the Holocaust, as neo -Nazis.

Putin has tried to pass off Ukraine's reverence of some of its nationalist leaders who cooperated with the Nazis during World War II as a sign of kyiv's alleged Nazi sympathies. He regularly made unfounded references to Ukrainian nationalist figures such as Stepan Bandera, killed by a Soviet spy in Munich in 1959, to justify Russian military action in Ukraine.

Many observers see Mr. Putin's focus on World War II as part of his efforts to revive the influence and prestige of the USSR and its reliance on practices Soviets.

"It was the continued self-identification of the USSR as the victor of Nazism and the absence of any other strong legitimacy that forced the Kremlin to declare 'denazification' as the goal of the war ," Nikolay Epplee said in a commentary for the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center.

According to him, Russian leaders have locked themselves into a worldview limited by the Soviet past.

African leaders unite in calls to revive soil health for food security

By Agatha Ngotho, NAIROBI Kenya

African leaders have called for urgency in addressing soil health and fertiliser usage.

President of Kenya, William Ruto, who is the host of the summit has called for prioritising of investment in nitrogen fertiliser production to ensure a steady supply of essential nutrients for crops.

According to the Guiding Acid Soil Management Investments in Africa project carried out in Kenya, Ethiopia, Rwanda and Tanzania, 15 per cent of all agricultural soils in Africa are affected by acidity issues.

This causes land degradation, decreases the availability of plant and essential nutrients, increases the impact of toxic elements and decreases plant production and water use.

These issues are major constraints impacting the sustainable intensification of the African smallholder farming system, in particular, current and future crop production.

Ruto said real-time tracking of fertiliser market trends and last-mile logistics for distribution underscores the importance of efficient and accessible fertiliser supply chains.

He spoke during the Africa Fertiliser and Soil Health Summit.

The summit was attended by six African heads of state and government. Also present were President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, Chairperson of the African Union Assembly and Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the African Union Commission among other dignitaries.

He noted that Africa remains heavily reliant on food imports, highlighting the limited progress achieved decades after the Abuja declaration.

“We have very important issues to reflect upon and resolve as a matter of urgency,” he said.

Ruto said in order to achieve Africa's green revolution, large-scale subsidised fertiliser use is a necessary imperative.

“Therefore, as we continue our deliberations, I urge this summit to pay particular attention to several critical areas including prioritising investments in nitrogen fertiliser production facilities,” he said.

He also emphasised the need to develop mechanisms for real time tracking of fertiliser market trends to ensure timely availability. 

This is in addition to having sustainable strategies to make fertilisers more affordable and accessible.

“We need to enhance last-mile logistics for fertiliser distribution which is equally critical. Moreover, building farmers' capacities for effective fertiliser use and soil health improvement is imperative,” Ruto said.

He added that to anchor interventions in sustainability; “we must design effective subsidy programmes that support both immediate productivity needs and long-term soil health. Fundamental to our efforts will be the need to entrench production incentives by leveraging the African Continental Free Trade Area to enhance market access and profitability for farmers.”

Faki's remarks further highlighted the severity of soil degradation in Africa and the urgent need for concerted action to address the issue.

He said initiatives such as the Soil Initiative for Africa and the Africa Fertiliser and Soil Health Action Plan demonstrate a commitment to long-term strategies aligned with the continent's development goals.

“The disparity between the current fertiliser use rate and the target set in the Abuja declaration underscores the need for greater efforts to boost local fertiliser production and make it more affordable for farmers. Optimising existing continental assets, such as the African Center for Fertiliser Development, could play a crucial role in achieving this goal,” Faki said.

The two leaders' statements reflect a recognition of the multifaceted challenges facing African agriculture, calling for a commitment to collaborative efforts to overcome them for the benefit of food security and economic development on the continent.

“The current pace of soil degradation in Africa has attained a threshold which requires proactive attention and action from all, to halt the degradation and commence effective soil health management,” he said.

Africa is below the global average and the target set by African heads of state and government in 2006 where they endorsed the Abuja declaration on Fertilisers for a Green Revolution in Africa, with a target of 50kgs per hectare per year.

Faki said the current average fertiliser use rate stands at about 18kgs, less than half of the target set in 2006.

“Some African countries produce fertilisers but we depend mostly on imported fertilisers, making them very expensive for our farmers. Yet the African Center for Fertiliser Development based in Zimbabwe has been in existence since the 1980s,” he said.

“We must optimise use of such existing continental assets to boost local fertiliser production and deliver quality fertilisers to African farmers at affordable prices. This is imperative if we are to improve the continent’s agricultural sector, key for our food sovereignty and security.  These investments should also be reflected in our national budgets,” Faki said.

Chad declares interim president Deby winner of disputed vote

N’DJAMENA, Chad

Chad's state election body said on Thursday interim President Mahamat Idriss Deby had won the May 6 presidential election outright with more than 61% of the vote, citing provisional results, even as his main challenger declared himself the winner.

Chad's junta has become the first of the coup-hit countries in West and Central Africa to stage a return to constitutional rule via the ballot box, but some opposition parties have cried foul over vote-rigging concerns.

With tensions running high, large numbers of security forces deployed at major intersections in the capital, N'Djamena, ahead of the results announcement.

National Election Management Agency chief Ahmed Bartichet said Deby had secured 61.3% of the vote, comfortably more than the 50% needed to avoid a runoff.

He said Deby's prime minister and top opposition candidate Succes Masra, 40, had won 18.53%.

Just before the ceremony, Masra claimed victory in a live broadcast on Facebook and called on security forces and his supporters to oppose what he called an attempt to steal the vote.

"A small number of individuals believe they can make people believe that the election was won by the same system that has been ruling Chad for decades," he said.

"To all Chadians who voted for change, who voted for me, I say: mobilize. Do it calmly, with a spirit of peace," he said.

What happens next is unclear.

While Masra drew larger-than-expected crowds on the campaign trail, analysts had widely predicted that the victor would be Deby, who seized power when rebels killed his long-ruling father, Idriss Deby, in April 2021.

"Post-election protests are possible, though the threat of police repression could dissuade many people from taking to the streets," Crisis Group experts said ahead of the vote.

The election is being closely watched from abroad.

While other juntas in the insurgency-torn Sahel region, including Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, have told Paris and other Western powers to withdraw and turned to Moscow for support, Chad remains the last Sahel state with a substantial French military presence.

Security and the economy have been key campaign issues. One of the world's least-developed countries, Chad's meagre resources have been stretched thinner by multiple shocks including climate change-fueled heatwaves and a refugee crisis linked to the civil war in Sudan.

Tanzania's Simba SC revives premier league champions hopes

By Osoro Nyawangah, MWANZA Tanzania 

The Simba SC team has revived the hopes of the NBC Tanzania Mainland Premier League championship after a 3-0 victory against Azam FC tonight at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam.

Bad signs for second team on the list,  Azam FC appeared early in the 35th minute after the team's top scorer, Feisal Salum, missed a penalty kick that hit the right post for Simba's goalkeeper, Moroccan Ayoub Lekred and returned to the field.

Referee Ahmed Arajiga of awarded the penalty after the Cameroonian defender of Simba SC, Che Fondoh Malone brought down Azam FC's right winger, Gibril Sillah from Gambia, in the box.

Both teams intensified their efforts to score, but their tactics went in vain to the end of first half. 

In the second half, Simba led by local coaches, Juma Mgunda and Suleiman Matola, came up with a new approach against their opponents led by foreign coaches, Senegalese Youssoupha Dabo and French, Bruno Ferry managing to score three goals; narrowly missing two shorts.

The Simba SC's goals today were scored by international midfielders from Mali, Sadio Kanoute in the 63rd minute, Congolese Fabrice Ngoma in the 77th minute and native defender, David Kameta in the 89th minute.

With the victory, Simba reaches 56 points in the 25th game, though remaining in third place, one point behind Azam FC, which has also played one more match and both teams are behind the defending champions, Young Africans with 68 points from 26 matches.

Uganda emerges among top African destinations for immigrants - UN Report

By Brian Kimani, KAMPALA Uganda

Uganda has been ranked among the top three African destinations for immigrants in the Continent, edging out Kenya.

This is according to the World Migration Report 2024 published by the United Nations. The study tracked migration trends that occurred globally in the past year.

UN's report ranked Uganda third, while Kenya featured in seventh position.

South Africa, where the share of male immigrants is slightly higher than that of females, was ranked first.

 Cote d'Ivoire, Sudan, Nigeria and Ethiopia were also identified as favourite destinations by immigrants.

"In Africa, the proportion of female and male migrants in the top destination countries is similar, with only slight differences between countries," the report read in part.

"The most visible exception is Libya, where the share of male immigrants is significantly higher than that of female immigrants."

The report however, yielded very different inferences for emigrants as Egypt ranked at the top of the list.

An emigrant is a person who permanently leaves their country of origin to settle in another.

"This dynamic is broadly similar in the top 10 origin countries in Africa, apart from Egypt – the top country of origin in the region – which has a far greater share of male emigrants compared to females."

The major reasons given for the rapid migration across countries were; extreme environmental events (climate change), food insecurity, and epidemics among others.

Globally, an average of 1.5 million people had migrated to Africa since 2020 while close to 20 million migrated from Africa over the same period.

"From 2015 to 2020, the number of migrants born outside the region remained virtually unchanged (around 2 million), most of whom were from Asia and Europe."

Benin blocks Niger oil exports over border dispute

PORTO-NOVO, Benin

Benin has blocked exports of oil from Niger via its port, President Patrice Talon said on Wednesday, demanding junta-led Niger reopen its border to Beninois goods and normalise relations before crude shipments can restart.

The move jeopardises landlocked Niger’s plan to start exports from its Agadem oilfield under a memorandum of understanding signed last month with Chinese state-owned oil giant China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) worth $400 million.

Trade flows in the region were expected to normalise after the West African regional bloc lifted in February strict sanctions on Niger as it sought to dissuade it and junta-led neighbours Mali and Burkina Faso from withdrawing from the political and economic union.

But Niger has kept its borders closed to goods from Benin and not formally told Benin why it has done so, Talon said in a statement.

“If you want to load your oil … in our waters, then you should not see Benin as an enemy,” he said.

“If tomorrow the Nigerien authorities decide to collaborate formally with Benin, the ships will be loaded.”

Ghana's supreme court deliberates on anti-LGBTQ+ bill

ACCRA, Ghana

The Supreme Court of Ghana has commenced deliberations on the challenge to the anti-LGBTQ+ legislation passed by parliament earlier this year.

Richard Dela Sky, a lawyer and journalist, was granted permission by the court to contest the contentious bill, which imposes strict penalties, including imprisonment, for individuals identifying as LGBTQ+ or advocating for LGBTQ+ rights.

The lawsuit, which was filed in March, sought to halt the bill's progress, urging the court to prevent parliamentary officials from forwarding the bill to the president for approval and to block President Nana Akufo Addo from enacting it into law.

The initial day of proceedings was marked by tension, characterized by impassioned arguments between legal representatives and the Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo. Torkornoo expressed dismay at the inflammatory language used in some affidavits, cautioning against its use in future submissions.

The hearings, presided over by Chief Justice Torkornoo and four other Supreme Court judges, were broadcast live on television due to widespread public interest.

President Akufo Addo has indicated his intent to await the Supreme Court's ruling before deciding on the bill's fate.

The case has been adjourned until May 17th.

US threatens to withhold weapons supply from Israel

WASHINGTON, US

US President Joe Biden for the first time publicly vowed to withhold weapons from Israel if its forces make a major invasion of Rafah in southern Gaza while negotiations in Cairo on a ceasefire plan for the enclave were due to continue on Thursday.

“I made it clear that if they go into Rafah …, I’m not supplying the weapons,” Biden, whose administration has repeatedly asked Israel for its plan to protect civilians in Rafah, said on Wednesday in an interview with CNN.

Biden acknowledged that US bombs provided to Israel have killed Gaza civilians in the seven-month-old offensive aimed at annihilating Hamas.

Biden’s comments, his starkest to date, increase the pressure on Israel to refrain from a full-scale assault on Rafah, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have sought refuge after fleeing combat farther north in Gaza.

There was no immediate comment from Israel on Biden’s remarks, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the Rafah operation would go ahead. Israel says it must hit Rafah to defeat thousands of Hamas fighters it says are there.

Israel, meanwhile, continued tank and aerial strikes on southern Gaza after moving in via the Rafah border crossing with Egypt on Tuesday, cutting off a vital aid route.

Biden has been under pressure from his fellow Democrats and growing campus protests to deter Israel from invading Rafah. His support of Israel has become a political liability as the president runs for re-election.

The United States is by far the biggest supplier of weapons to Israel, and it accelerated deliveries after the Hamas attacks on Oct. 7 that triggered Israel’s offensive in Gaza. Biden said US weapons for Israel’s defense, such as for its Iron Dome anti-missile system, would continue.

US officials confirmed on Wednesday that Washington paused delivery of a shipment of bombs to Israel because of the risk to civilians in Gaza.

Israel’s UN ambassador, Gilad Erdan, called that decision “very disappointing” but said he did not believe the US would stop supplying arms to Israel.

Palestinian militant group Hamas said late on Wednesday it would not make more concessions to Israel in the truce talks.

In Cairo, delegations from Hamas, Israel, the US, Egypt and Qatar have been meeting since Tuesday.

Citing a source familiar with the matter, Egypt’s state-affiliated Al Qahera TV reported early on Thursday that areas of disagreement were being resolved and there were signs that an agreement will be reached, without giving details.

But Izzat El-Reshiq, a member of Hamas’ political office in Qatar, said in a statement late on Wednesday that the group would not go beyond a ceasefire proposal it accepted on Monday. It would also entail the release of some Israeli hostages in Gaza and Palestinian women and children detained in Israel.

AstraZeneca withdraws its Covid-19 vaccine from sale

CAMBRIDGE, England

Pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca has formally asked the European Medicines Agency to withdraw its COVID-19 vaccine authorization.

In an update on the European Medicines Agency's website Wednesday, the regulator said that the approval for AstraZeneca's Vaxzevria had been withdrawn “at the request of the marketing authorization holder.”

The vaccine, initially approved in January 2021, faced safety concerns over rare blood clots, prompting various countries to halt its use temporarily.

While the EU regulator determined that the overall risk was low, doubts lingered. Additionally, limited data on its effectiveness in older adults led to initial restrictions.

Billions of doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine were distributed to poorer countries through a U.N.-coordinated program, as it was cheaper and easier to produce and distribute. However? studies later suggested that the pricier messenger RNA vaccines made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna provided better protection against COVID-19 and its many variants, and most countries switched to those shots.

The U.K.'s national coronavirus immunization program in 2021 heavily relied on AstraZeneca's vaccine, which was largely developed by scientists at Oxford University with significant financial government support.

But even Britain later resorted to buying the mRNA vaccines for its COVID booster vaccination programs and the AstraZeneca vaccine is now rarely used globally.

Togo’s leader signs a new constitution that eliminates presidential elections

By Erick Kaglan, LOME Togo

Togo’s president has signed a new constitution eliminating presidential elections, his office said late Monday, a move that opponents say will allow him to extend his family’s six-decade rule. Civil society groups in the West African nation have called for protests.

Parliament will now choose the president. The new constitution comes days after the election commission on Saturday announced that President Faure Gnassingbe’s ruling party had won a majority of parliament seats.

There was a crackdown on civic and media freedoms ahead of the vote. The government banned protests against the proposed new constitution and arrested opposition figures. The electoral commission banned the Catholic Church from deploying election observers. Togo’s media regulator suspended the accreditation process for foreign journalists.

The new constitution also increases presidential terms from five to six years and introduces a single-term limit. But the nearly 20 years that Gnassingbe has served in office would not count, and the political opposition, religious leaders and civil society say it’s likely that Gnassingbe will stay in power when his mandate expires in 2025.

Togo has been ruled by the same family for 57 years, first by Eyadema Gnassingbe and then by his son. Faure Gnassingbe took office after elections that the opposition described as a sham.

The new constitution also creates a figure similar to a prime minister, to be selected by the ruling party. Critics fear that could become another way for Gnassingbe to extend his grip on power.

A group of about 20 civil society organizations in Togo have called for protests to reinstate the previous constitution.

“We will never accept this new constitution, even after its promulgation,” David Dosseh, a spokesperson for the civil society groups, told The Associated Press, calling the 2025 election “absolutely necessary for the people to choose a new president and finally achieve a democratic transition in Togo.”

Kenya declares public holiday to mourn flood victims

NAIROBI, Kenya

Kenya's President William Ruto has declared Friday a public holiday to mourn the 238 people who have died due to ongoing flooding.

The president on Wednesday said the day will be observed by national tree planting activities to help mitigate the effects of climate change.

Kenya, along with other parts of East Africa, has been overwhelmed by floods. More than 235,000 people are displaced and living in dozens of camps.

President Ruto also announced the reopening of schools countrywide, after two weeks delay due to heavy rains that have destroyed hundreds of schools.

The government had said more than 1,000 schools were affected by the heavy rains and flooding and set aside funds for renovations.

The metrology department in its daily weather forecast has continued to predict moderate to heavy rainfall in most parts of the country.

The government is in the process of forcefully evacuating people living in flood-prone areas and those near rivers and dams as water levels in the country's major hydroelectric dams rise to "historic levels".

This week, the government bulldozed houses in informal settlements of Mathare and Mukuru in the capital Nairobi and the president promised evicted families the equivalent of $75 to relocate after a deadline passed to evacuate amid deadly rains.

"US weaponry allowed Israel to kill aid workers in Lebanon" - HRW

NEW YORK, US

An alleged airstrike on an emergency relief center in south Lebanon, in March 2024, was made using US-manufactured weaponry, according to a Tuesday release from the organization Human Rights Watch (HRW.) 

The strike was reportedly made using Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) guidance kit and an Israeli-made 500-pound general purpose bomb. 

Some seven aid workers were reportedly killed in the strike, according to HRW.

HRW described the attack as unlawful, claiming it was on civilians and that Israel failed to take all necessary precautions. If the attack on civilians was carried out intentionally or recklessly, it should be investigated as an apparent war crime, the organization claimed. 

The strike, which occurred after midnight, hit a residential structure that housed the Emergency and Relief Corps of the Lebanese Succour Association, a nongovernmental humanitarian organization that provides emergency, rescue, first aid training, and relief services in Lebanon, according to the release

HRW claimed to have found no evidence of a military target at the site. 

“Israeli forces used a US weapon to conduct a strike that killed seven civilian relief workers in Lebanon who were merely doing their jobs,” said Ramzi Kaiss, Lebanon researcher at Human Rights Watch. “Israel’s assurances to the United States that it is abiding by the laws of war ring hollow. The US needs to acknowledge reality and cut off arms to Israel.”

It is the position of HRW that the United States should immediately suspend arms sales and military assistance to Israel given evidence that the Israeli military is using US weapons unlawfully.

The organization also expressed the belief that Lebanon’s Foreign Ministry should move forward with filing a declaration with the International Criminal Court, enabling it to investigate and prosecute alleged crimes within the court’s jurisdiction on Lebanese territory since October 2023.

In October 2023, Hamas launched a massive terror attack which resulted in more than 1200 people being killed and over 250 more kidnapped. Hezbollah, a Lebanese-based terror group, began launching rockets toward Israeli residential communities and Israeli military bases in the north, resulting in the IDF conducting strikes against Hezbollah infrastructure in Lebanese territory. A number of Hamas terrorists have also been eliminated during the strikes in Lebanon.

In a Telegram post on March 27, the Israeli military said that “fighter jets struck a military compound in the area of al-Habbariyeh in southern Lebanon” and that “a significant terrorist operative belonging to the ‘al-Jama’a al-Islamiyya’ [an Islamic terrorist group] organization who advanced attacks against Israeli territory was eliminated along with additional terrorists who were with him.”

A parliament member representing The Islamist terror group, a Lebanese Islamist political party whose armed wing, the Fajr Forces, has been engaged in cross-border hostilities with Israel, told Human Rights Watch that no fighters from the group were killed in the strike, and denied any affiliation with the Emergency and Relief Corps of the Lebanese Succour Association.

HRW later interviewed six people from Habbarieh, including the parents of three people killed, the owner of the house, a member of the emergency and rescue team who left the center shortly before the strike, a resident who was at the site shortly after the attack, and a local official.

In addition, HRW representatives spoke to the head of the Emergency and Relief Corps at the Lebanese Succour Association, a member of parliament representing the Islamist terror group, and two people at the General Directorate of the Lebanese Civil Defense, including the head of the civil defense team that pulled the bodies out of the rubble.

Photographs of weapon remnants found at the site were also reviewed, after photographs and videos of the site before and after the attack shared online by journalists, news agencies, and rescue workers; and the footage was shared directly with researchers. 

Footage of weapons remnants found at the site of the strike, and shared with Human Rights Watch, included a metal remnant marked “MPR 500,” confirming it was a 500-pound class general purpose bomb, made by Israeli weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems, and remnants of the strake and a tail-fin belonging to a JDAM guidance kit, produced by the US-based Boeing Company.

Based on the above investigation, HRW claimed to have sent a letter with findings and questions to the IDF and the US State Department on April 19 but state that they have not received a response as of time of publishing.