Sir Keir Starmer set to become next UK Prime Minister

LONDON, England

Sir Keir Starmer is set to become the UK's first Labour prime minister since 2010 after his party's landslide general election victory.

Labour is returning to power with a huge parliamentary majority of 174, following a collapse in support for the Conservatives.

Sir Keir will be formally appointed by the King at Buckingham Palace later and then make his first speech in Downing Street.

He is then expected to begin appointing his new cabinet on Friday afternoon, before it meets for the first time on Saturday.

Speaking in central London, Sir Keir told a crowd of Labour supporters that "change begins now", adding: "It feels good, I have to be honest."

Labour's victory has come largely as a result in a dramatic 20 point drop in Tory support, with the party down 249 seats to 119, a historic low.

It marks a dramatic turnaround in fortunes for Sir Keir's party, which suffered its worst result in terms of seats - 202 - at the last election in 2019 under Sir Keir's predecessor Jeremy Corbyn.

Despite only increasing its share of the national vote by around 2%, the party has won 411 seats with only a handful set to declare, delivering a result just short of the historic 179 majority won by Tony Blair in 1997.

Its vote share increase came entirely as a result of a 17 point increase in support in Scotland, where it regained its status as the largest party as the SNP slumped from 48 to just nine seats.

On a good night for smaller parties, the Liberal Democrats won 71 seats, the party's best result in a century, whilst Nigel Farage will become one of four MPs for Reform UK, following a breakthrough night for the fledgling party.

Sir Keir fought a cautious campaign in which Labour made very few new policy pledges, but managed to largely retain the large polling lead over the Tories it began with when outgoing Tory PM Rishi Sunak called the election in May.

This polling lead had remained steady since the disastrous premiership of Liz Truss, who lost her previously safe seat of South West Norfolk.

Despite its resounding overall victory, Labour lost a number of former strongholds to independent candidates campaigning on pro-Gaza platforms.

In one of the biggest shocks of the night, shadow minister Jonathan Ashworth lost his Leicester South seat, which had a majority of more than 22,000.

And shadow health secretary Wes Streeting - one of Labour's most high-profile figures during the campaign - saw his majority in Ilford North slashed from more than 9,000 to just 528.

Bodies of 89 migrants retrieved from Atlantic

NOUAKCHOTT, Mauritania

Coastguards in Mauritania have recovered 89 bodies of migrants from a boat that capsized in the Atlantic Ocean early this week.

Nine people - including a five-year-old girl - were rescued, but dozens more are missing.

Survivors say the vessel - a traditional fishing boat - set sail last week from the Senegalese-Gambian border area with 170 people on board. It capsized off Mauritania's south-western coast.

Mauritania is a key transit point for migrants trying to reach Europe from West Africa, with thousands of boats departing from the country last year.

The most common destination on the perilous route is Spain's Canary Islands.

The Spanish government says nearly 40,000 people arrived there last year - double the number from the previous year.

Desperate to get to Europe, migrants often travel in overloaded boats.

More than 5,000 migrants died while trying to reach Spain by sea in the first five months of 2024, the Ca-minando Fronteras charity estimates.

In April, the EU granted Mauritania €210m (£177m; $225m) in aid - almost €60m of which will be invested in the fight against undocumented migration to Europe.

Arab states want Israel out of UN General Assembly

CAIRO, Egypt

The Council of the Arab League has tasked its group at the UN with studying steps to freeze Israel's participation in the body's General Assembly.

The bloc which held an extraordinary session in Cairo Thursday (Jul. 4), said Israel failed to adhere to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.

The Palestinian Permanent Representative to Arab League welcomed the move.

“Today, the Arab League council at the level of permanent representatives has decided clearly to start the procedures of freezing Israel’s participation in the United Nations General Assembly as a colonial power, a power that firstly, threatens international peace and security, and doesn’t commit to the United Nations Charter nor did it fulfil the terms of its membership in the United Nations," he said.

"I we want to remind that this step - a step like this step is what ended, brought down and eliminated the colonial regime in South Africa”.

On 16 December 1974, the General assembly recommended that South Africa be excluded from participation in international organisations was a blow to the Apartheid regime.

That same year, The UN General Assembly under the chairpersonship of the Algerian Foreign Minister refused to recognise the credentials of the South African delegation.

Palestinian death toll from nearly nine months of war has surged past 38,000 with victims mainly women and children.

The United Nations secretary-general added the Israeli armed forces to the “list of shame” of warring parties committing grave violations against children in armed conflict, last June.

It is estimated that 87,000 people have been wounded in the fighting.

Tanzanian youth jailed for burning President's portrait

By Our Correspondent, MBEYA Tanzania

The Rungwe district court in Mbeya region on, July 4, 2024 convicted one Shadrack Chaula aged 24 to serve two (2) years in prison or pay a fine of 5 million shillings for the crime of publishing false information online in accordance with section 16 of the online crime law 2015.

Jovial Shadrack Chaula (R) being guarded by armed policeman after being convicted of burning President's portrait

Chaula who is a painting artist, was earlier alleged by police of burning portrait of President Samia Hassan he drew, speaking "harsh words" about the hardships of life in Tanzania.

Reading the indictment, state prosecutor, Rosemary Mgeniji, before the chief resident judge of the district court of Rungwe, Ramla Shehagiro explained that the accused committed the crime on 22/6/2024 in Ntokela village in Rungwe district in Mbeya region.

It was stated in court by the prosecutor that the defendant while in his shop in Ntokela recorded a video message with the words "Because you have failed to defend your nation from being affected by homosexuality, this video is about you and no one else" while knowing that the information is false and misleading the society.

ALSO READ: Tanzanian youth arrested for insulting and burning President's portrait

When he was given the chance to defend himself in court, the accused Shadrack Chaula, a resident of Ntokela, said that he is ready to serve any punishment given to him by the court.

The republican side led by government lawyers Veronica Mtafya and Rosemary Mgeniji asked the court to give a severe punishment so that it will be a lesson to others as the act has been interpreted as an insult to the President of the United Republic of Tanzania.

Giving judgment, the chief resident judge of Rungwe district court said that in accordance with the Internet offenses law of 2015, article 16, he has convicted him to go to prison to serve a two-year sentence or pay a fine of five million shillings.

However, Chaula was sent to prison to serve his sentence after failing to pay the fine.

In the meantime, the main opposition party (Chadema) and good-wishers are mobilizing finance contributions to either pay the fine or appeal for him as his cause was ‘meaningful’. Shadrack Chaula (24) is a painting artist. He has drawn portraits of many famous people, especially leaders. The portrait of President Samia was drawn by himself. Later he decided to burn it. While burning it, he allegedly spoke "harsh words" about the hardships of life.

“His complaint is the complaint of many. Life has become difficult; things have increased in price but income does not increase. Food, electricity, fuel, treatment prices are high. This is Chaula's basic argument, which everybody agrees with.” Chadema posted in its Instagram page.

The party said that the difference is that some citizens are afraid to speak, but he has spoken. Imprisoning him does not answer his arguments. Even the police officers who arrested him undoubtedly agree with him that life is difficult, even if they can't say it.

25 people drowned fleeing Sudan fighting

PORT SUDAN, Sudan

Pro-democracy activists in Sudan on Thursday said around 25 people drowned in the Nile River while trying to flee fighting between the Sudanese army and paramilitary forces in the southeast.

"Around 25 citizens, most of them women and children, have died in a boat sinking" while crossing the Blue Nile River in the southeastern state of Sennar, a local resistance committee said in a statement.

The committee is one of hundreds across Sudan that used to organize pro-democracy protests and have coordinated frontline aid since the war between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, began last year.

"Entire families perished" in the accident, they said, while fleeing the RSF's recent advance through Sennar.

On Saturday, the RSF announced they had captured a military base in Sinja, the capital of Sennar state, where over half a million people had sought shelter from the war.

Witnesses also reported the RSF sweeping through neighboring villages, pushing residents to flee in small wooden boats across the Nile.

At least 55,000 people fled Sinja within a three-day period, the United Nations said Monday.

Local authorities in neighboring Gedaref state estimated on Thursday that some 120,000 displaced people had arrived this week. The state's health minister Ahmed al-Amin Adam said 90,000 had been officially registered.

Over 10 million people are currently displaced across Sudan, in what the U.N. calls the world's worst displacement crisis.

Sudan has been gripped by war since April 2023, when fighting erupted between forces loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the RSF, led by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.

The conflict in the country of 48 million has killed tens of thousands, with some estimates putting the death toll as high as 150,000, according to the United States envoy to Sudan, Tom Perriello.

It has also torn the country apart into competing zones of control. The RSF holds much of the capital and the agricultural heartland to its south, nearly all of Darfur and swathes of the southern Kordofan states.

In El-Fasher in North Darfur — the only state capital in the Darfur region that the RSF has not captured — a paramilitary attack on a market on Wednesday "killed 15 civilians and injured 29 others," Health Ministry official Ibrahim Khater told AFP Thursday.

Since fighting in the city began in early May, at least 278 people have been killed, according to French charity Doctors without Borders, or MSF.

But the real toll is likely much higher, with most of those wounded unable to reach health facilities amid an ongoing siege and heavy street battles.

The hospitals in El-Fasher — nearly all of which have shut down — have themselves been attacked at least nine times since May, according to MSF.

Both sides have been accused of war crimes, including targeting civilian infrastructure and indiscriminately shelling homes, markets and hospitals.

Hezbollah fires 200 rockets and drones into Israel

BEIRUT,  Lebanon 

Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group has launched more than 200 rockets and attack drones into northern Israel, in response to the killing of one of its senior commander.

Israel's military said one of its officers was killed in the barrage, which started a number of fires.

The military also said it had targeted Hezbollah “military structures” and other targets in southern Lebanon in response.

Lebanese media reported that one person was killed in an Israeli drone strike in the town of Houla.

The latest barrage, which followed one comprising 100 rockets on Wednesday afternoon, was one of the biggest so far in the nine months of cross-border violence which have raised fears of an all-out war.

The Hezbollah commander killed in an Israeli air strike near the southern Lebanese city of Tyre, Mohammed Nimah Nasser, was one of the most senior figures in the group to have been killed in the conflict.

The Israeli military said Nasser commanded Hezbollah’s Aziz Unit, which is responsible for launching rockets from south-western Lebanon, and accused him of directing a “large number of terror attacks”.

It also described him as “the counterpart” of Taleb Sami Abdullah, the commander of another unit whose killing last month prompted Hezbollah to launch more than 200 rockets and missiles into northern Israel in a single day.

There have been almost daily exchanges of fire across the Israel-Lebanon border since the day after the start of the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza on 7 October.

Hezbollah has said it is acting in support of the Palestinian group that is also backed by Iran. Both groups are proscribed as terrorist organisations by Israel, the UK and other countries.

So far, more than 400 people have been reported killed in Lebanon, the vast majority of them Hezbollah fighters, and 25 people in Israel, mostly soldiers.

The hostilities have also displaced tens of thousands of people from border communities in northern Israel and southern Lebanon.

“The response to the assassination of the dear leader Hajj Abu Nimah [Nasser]... started last night and quickly," senior Hezbollah official Hashem Safieddine warned at Nasser’s funeral in Beirut on Thursday.

“This series will continue to target new sites that the enemy did not imagine would be hit.”

Israeli government spokesman David Mencer said its military was “countering this Hezbollah aggression”.

“We will use all and every means necessary to restore security to our northern border,” he told a briefing.

A spokeswoman for the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, Unifil, said the exchanges were now extending deeper into both sides of the border, and called on both Israel and Hezbollah to show restraint.

“We're very concerned... because any exchange, any incident, can escalate into something greater if there is a misunderstanding,” Kandice Ardiel told journalists.

There has been a flurry of diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions in recent weeks, with the UN and US warning of the potentially catastrophic consequences of a war that could also draw in Iran and other allied groups.

Israeli officials have repeatedly warned that they are ready for a war if diplomacy fails. Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said on Wednesday that the military would soon be ready to “take any action required in Lebanon, or to reach an arrangement from a position of strength”.

Hezbollah, which is seen as a significantly superior foe to Hamas, has said it does not want a full-out war with Israel and that it will observe in Lebanon any ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. But it has also warned Israel that it would fight “without rules” if there was a war.

DR Congo soldiers sentenced to death for desertion

By Wedaeli Chibelushi, KINSHASA DR Congo 

Twenty-five soldiers with the Democratic Republic of Congo's army have been sentenced to death for fleeing battles against the notorious M23 rebels in the conflict-hit east of the country.

The soldiers were also convicted of theft by a military tribunal as they stole goods from shops in a nearby village after abandoning their positions, an army spokesman said.

Four of the soldiers' wives were acquitted by the military court of receiving goods looted by their husbands.

In March, the government lifted a moratorium, in place for more than 20 years, on the death penalty being carried out after the justice minister cited the need to remove "traitors" from the army.

A lawyer for the soldiers, two of whom were captains, said he would appeal against the sentence, which was handed down on Wednesday by the military tribunal in DR Congo's North Kivu province.

In addition to the 25 who received death sentences, one soldier was given a 10-year prison sentence and another was acquitted.

In May a military court in the city of Goma sentenced eight soldiers to death for "desertion" and "cowardice" when fighting rebel forces. They, too, are appealing against their sentences.

The M23 rebels have over the last few days captured several towns, including the strategic town of Kanyabayonga.

Neighbouring Rwanda is widely accused of backing the M23, but the government in Kigali denies it.

The UN has said that the current situation in North Kivu is "particularly concerning".

In the past week more than 150,000 civilians fled their homes, it said, worsening a humanitarian crisis in a region where 2.8 million people had already been displaced.

North Kivu is also "perilous" for humanitarian workers, the UN added.

On Sunday two aid workers with the charity Tearfund were killed after their convoy was attacked in the town of Butembo.

The army's fight against the M23 and other rebel groups in the east has long been hampered by the disarray within its ranks.

The army is seen as unprofessional and badly disciplined. Soldiers complain of poor pay and a lack of equipment.

Both the UN and regional states have troops in DR Congo to support the army, but they have failed to stem the violence.

M23 fighters are said to be well-armed and disciplined.

The rebel group began operating in 2012 ostensibly to protect the Tutsi population in the east of DR Congo, which had long complained of persecution and discrimination.

Despite Rwanda's denials, UN experts - along with France and the US - say the M23 is supported by President Paul Kagame's government.

Kenyan Police patrol Haitian Capital

PORT-AU-PRINCE,  Haiti

The streets of Port-au-Prince were patrolled by Kenyan police officers on Wednesday, equipped with body armour and automatic weapons.

This group, the initial U.N.-supported foreign police unit in Haiti, arrived in the country in June, responding to a plea for assistance to combat escalating gang violence.

Currently, criminal gangs dominate approximately 80% of the capital, leading to over 580,000 individuals being displaced in recent months.

The officers, stationed near the international airport, drew the attention of onlookers but encountered no confrontations with gangs.

Haiti's Prime Minister Garry Conille expressed gratitude for the Multinational Security Support Mission, emphasizing the urgent need to address the violence perpetrated by armed groups.

“Haiti is currently at a critical point with 12,000 armed individuals holding a population of 12 million hostage," said Conille.

A contingent of hundreds of Kenyan police officers landed in Haiti on June 25 to participate in the Multinational Security Support Mission aimed at combating armed criminal gangs and restoring peace in the country.

"The deployment of the first contingent of police officers alongside Haitian law enforcement agencies should help put a stop to the barbarity of criminal groups,” added Connille.

They will be soon reinforced by police and military personnel from the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Benin, Chad, and Jamaica, bringing the total number of personnel to 2,500.

María Isabel Salvador, Head of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti, highlighted the significance of this deployment in line with Security Council Resolution 2699, offering a glimmer of hope for the people of Haiti.

19 bodies found in abandoned truck in the violence-heavy Mexican state of Chiapas

CHIAPAS, Mexico

At least 19 bodies were discovered on Monday in an abandoned truck in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas, near the border with Guatemala, according to the state’s attorney general.

Five of the bodies had gunshot wounds and all were wearing dark clothing and tactical vests containing ammunition, authorities said.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador attributed the deaths to cartel violence and said some of the victims were migrants from Guatemala.

“What causes this? Well, drug trafficking and the trafficking of migrants, meaning human trafficking, it’s a route,” Lopez Obrador said Tuesday during his daily press conference.

“There are two groups (cartels) fighting … the people of the area are being protected,” he added.

Some Chiapas natives disagree.

“It’s sad and I can’t say otherwise, it’s sad that the violence came all the way here,” one resident told CNN en Español.

“A lot of fear, I was born and grew up in Chiapas, but given the violence in the state I had to migrate, I live somewhere else now, outside the state and only come to visit my family,” said another.

The president promised a thorough investigation into the deaths and said security in Chiapas will be reinforced.

Violence has been on the rise in Chiapas as cartels fight for control of lucrative routes for smuggling migrants and drugs.

The Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel have been engaged in a turf war in the area, with hundreds forced to flee their homes last January.

Pro-Palestinian protesters scale Australian parliament roof

CANBERRA, Australia

Pro-Palestine protesters climbed the roof of Australia's Parliament House in Canberra on Thursday in a security breach that was condemned by lawmakers.

Four people clad in black and wearing traditional Palestinian keffiyeh scarves, climbed the facade at the entrance to Australia's parliament before rolling out banners. One read "from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free" — a common refrain at pro-Palestinian rallies and an expression that has been declared illegal in Germany. They stood there for about an hour.

One protester used a megaphone to give a speech, accusing the Israeli government of war crimes. "We will not forget, we will not forgive and we will continue to resist," the protester said.

Israel has repeatedly denied allegations of war crimes.

A UN inquiry found last month that both Israel and Hamas committed war crimes in the early stages of the war. It said that Israel's actions also constituted crimes against humanity because of the immense civilian losses.

The protesters packed up their banners before being led away by waiting police at around 11:30 a.m. local time (0130 GMT).

"This is a serious breach of the Parliament's security," opposition Home Affairs spokesperson James Paterson said in a post on social media platform X.

The demonstration comes after recent cracks within Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's Labor government which suspended a Muslim senator after she broke with her colleagues to vote in favor of Australia recognizing a Palestinian state. 

Since the war began on October 7, Australia has been the site of several pro-Palestinian protests, including weekly demonstrations in major cities and a months-long occupation of university campuses 

Around 40 killed in attack on central Mali village

BAMAKO, Mali

Unidentified armed men have killed around 40 people in an attack on a village in insurgent-plagued central Mali, local officials said on Tuesday.

The attack took place on Monday in the village of Djiguibombo in Mopti region - one of several areas in Mali’s north and centre where jihadist groups linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State have been active for over a decade.

“It was a very serious attack, armed men surrounded the village and shot at people,” said Bankass Mayor Moulaye Guindo by phone.

He was not able to share a death toll, but two local officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said around 40 people were killed.

“It was carnage, they surrounded the village where there was a wedding … There was panic, some people managed to flee, but many were killed, most of them men,” said one of the officials.

They did not identify the attackers and no group has yet claimed responsibility.

It was not possible to reach the army spokesperson for comment.

Violence has spiraled in West Africa’s central Sahel region since the insurgencies took root in Mali and spread into neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger, killing thousands of people and displacing millions more.

The insecurity has helped spur two coups in Mali, one in Burkina Faso, and one in Niger since 2020.

Hungary's PM urges ceasefire on Kyiv visit

By Gordon Corera, KYIV Ukraine 

Viktor Orban arrived in Ukraine on Tuesday for an unannounced visit having just taken over as rotating president of the European Union.

While in Kyiv, the Hungarian prime minister said a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine could speed up negotiations to end the war that followed Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022.

Mr Orban has been a critic of Western support for Ukraine and is seen as the European leader closest to Russian President Vladimir Putin. This was his first visit to Ukraine in 12 years, although he has met Mr Putin repeatedly during that time.

During his joint appearance with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky the body language between them was not warm and neither took questions from the media after they gave their statements.

Mr Orban previously slowed agreement on a €50bn ($54bn; £42bn) EU aid package designed to support Ukraine in its defence against Russia.

But for the next six months his position as head of the European Council means he has an influential role as a figurehead for Europe. He came to Ukraine on his second day in that role for discussions, saying there was a need to solve previous disagreements and focus on the future.

In his statement following their meeting, Mr Zelensky said it was “very important to have Europe’s support for Ukraine maintained at sufficient level… it’s important for co-operation between all the neighbours in Europe to become more meaningful and mutually beneficial".

In his own statement, Mr Orban stressed the need to work together but also said he had raised the idea of a ceasefire to hasten negotiations with Russia.

"I have asked the president to consider whether... a quick ceasefire could be used to speed up peace negotiations... I am grateful for his frank dialogue and his answers."

Mr Orban also said: "My first trip has taken me here because the issue of peace is important not only for Ukraine, but for the whole of Europe. This war that you are suffering is deeply impacting European security."

President Zelensky did not publicly respond to those comments.

Later, in a post on X, the Ukrainian leader said Mr Orban's visit to Ukraine was a "clear signal to all of us of the importance of unity in Europe and taking collective steps".

"We discussed the path to a just, lasting, and fair peace."

Many Ukrainians believe a ceasefire would simply cement Russia’s hold over territory it has taken from Ukraine and, if negotiations were to take place, they would prefer them to be conducted from a position of strength rather than on the back foot.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said his country was open to "work with everyone and solve problems".

"This work is difficult and time-consuming, but it eventually yields tangible results,” he told the BBC.

“During the visit, President Zelensky had a candid but constructive discussion with Prime Minister Orban about ways to achieve a just peace, not simply a ceasefire or peace talks.”

The two leaders also discussed bilateral issues including the 100,000 ethnic Hungarians who reside in Ukraine.

Mr Orban said the two countries were determined to put past disagreements behind them, and that he was reassured progress was being made on the rights of the ethnic Hungarians.

He also wished Ukraine "every success".

The EU opened membership talks for Ukraine the week before Hungary assumed the EU Council Presidency.

Kenyan president orders review of law makers' pay rise after outcry

By Basillioh Rukanga, NAIROBI  Kenya

Kenya's President William Ruto has ordered a review of plans to raise the salaries of members of the cabinet and parliament following a public outcry.

It comes a week after mass protests forced Mr Ruto to drop a controversial finance bill that had included tax hikes.

People began questioning how the salaries of politicians, including governors, could be raised when there was a supposed financial crisis.

The pay increase of between 2% and 5% for all state officials, covering judges as well, was recommended by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC).

It issued a notice last year, proposing that the increases take effect from the beginning of this month.

But Public Service Minister Moses Kuria said he would not implement the increases "as applies" to the cabinet.

Mr Ruto abandoned plans to increase taxes after protesters complained they could not afford to pay them as they were already hit by the sharp increase in the cost of living.

Many said the government should first reduce spending, which President Ruto has vowed to do.

Several lawmakers - including Aaron Cheruiyot, a senator from the ruling coalition - have called for parliament to reject the pay increase.

Adan Keynan, an opposition party MP allied with the government, expressed a similar view, saying the proposed increase was "tone-deaf".

While opposition senator Edwin Sifuna said higher salaries could not be justified "when the whole country is saying we need to lessen the taxpayer burden".

On Tuesday, Samuel Njoroge, clerk of the National Assembly, told the People Daily newspaper that the SRC's recommendation could not be overturned as it affected all state officers.

"The changes are normal salary reviews or increments in any organisation," he was quoted as saying.

But Mr Ruto has asked the treasury to review the notice.

"The president has emphasised that this is a time, more than ever before, for the executive and all arms of government to live within their means, " a statement by his spokesman said.

Last week's protests, led by young people, were the biggest in Kenya since Mr Ruto took office in 2022.

The demonstrations have since morphed into calls for his resignation and demands that the security forces face justice over the killing of protesters.

It is estimated by the state-funded rights commission that 39 people have been killed in the demonstrations over the last two weeks.

On Tuesday, the protests appeared to degenerate into anarchy as shops and supermarkets were looted.

Police have published images of 38 people wanted for “engaging in lawlessness”.

Some of the young Kenyans linked to organising the protests alleged that hired "goons" had infiltrated the demonstrations.

They said they were reassessing their strategy and were even thinking of calling off the protests altogether.

Egypt swears in new Cabinet as mounting economic challenges mount

CAIRO, Egypt 

Egypt’s new Cabinet was sworn in in Cairo on Wednesday as the country faced an ailing economy and raging conflicts in neighbouring nations.

The new Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly, who has been in office since 2018, included major changes, particularly in the defence and economy-related portfolios. 

Some ministers, including those in charge of police, health and transportation, remain in place.

The change comes as the country faces mounting public discontent following years of economic mismanagement, the coronavirus pandemic and the fallout of the wars in Europe and the Middle East.

In addition, a Western-backed reform programme - adopted in 2016 and backed by President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi - has caused prices to soar due to austerity measures. 

Nearly 30% of Egyptians currently live in poverty, according to official figures.

Mohamed Maait, the country’s finance minister since 2018, was replaced by his deputy Ahmed Kouchouk, a former World Bank economist who played a major role in implementing a reform programme with the International Monetary Fund.

Earlier this year, the government floated the pound and sharply increased the main interest rate.

Commercial banks are now trading the U.S. currency at more than 47 pounds, up from about 31 pounds.

The measures are meant to combat ballooning inflation and attract foreign investment.

This comes as attacks by Yemen’s Houthis on shipping routes in the Red Sea have slashed Suez Canal revenues.

Egypt has been struggling to revive the lucrative tourism sector decimated by years of turmoil, the pandemic and most recently war in Europe and the Middle East.

In the new Cabinet, Sherif Fathy, a former civil aviation minister, replaced Ahmed Issa as Tourism and Antiquities Minister in the new government.

Another main point of contention is the recurring power cuts during the soaring heat of summer in the country of over 106 million people.

Consequently, Mahmoud Esmat was named to oversee the electricity ministry.

As conflicts rage in Gaza, Libya and Sudan a key portfolio of Egyptian diplomatic leadership is the foreign ministry.

Badr Abdelatty, who has acted as Egypt’s envoy to European countries including Germany and Belgium, has been named Foreign and Migration Minister.

The 58-year-old diplomat replaced Sameh Shoukry, 72, who led the country’s diplomacy for the past decade.

Also, General Abdel-Majeed Sakr replaced Gen. Mohamed Zaki who was on top of the defence portfolio since June 2018.

The ministers, their deputies, and provincial governors took the oath in a presidential palace in Cairo before el-Sissi, elected in December for a third six-year term.

El-Sissi tapped Madbouly to form the new government last month.

The new Cabinet includes four women and several technocrats.

It comes three months after el-Sissi was sworn in for his third term.

The former defence minister was first elected president in mid-2014 and then re-elected in 2018.

A year later, constitutional amendments, passed in a general referendum, added two years to el-Sissi’s second term and allowed him to run for a third, six-year term.

Tanzanian youth arrested for insulting and burning President's portrait

MBEYA, Tanzania

A 24-year-old Tanzanian youth, Shadrack Chaula, has been arrested after recording a video in which he verbally attacked President Samia Hassan and subsequently burning an image depicting her.

Mbeya Regional Police Commander, Benjamin Kuzaga, said on Tuesday, July 2, 2024 that the incident took place on June 30 at Ntokela Village, Rungwe District.

Chaula, a skilled artist and resident of Ntokela Village, was alleged for burning the image of the President, an act deemed unethical in Tanzania.

"The suspect is an artist who committed the offense of burning a picture depicting President Samia Suluhu Hassan. Such actions are contrary to the laws and cultural norms of our country," stated Kuzaga. The police did not, however, state which laws were broken.

Commenting on the matter a lawyer based in Dar es Salaam, said that the act of burning a president's image does not contravene any laws, however, if the act was shared on social media or made public, the accused can be charged with other offences such as inciting hate.

Currently, the police is interrogating Chaula to ascertain the motives behind his actions, while investigative procedures are ongoing to gather further evidence.