International
Zimbabwe Set to Conduct General Elections in August 23
A nationwide election is set to take place in Zimbabwe on August 23, the government gazette said Wednesday, ending months of speculation over the date.
The government’s official record, seen by AFP, said President Emmerson Mnangagwa “fixes the 23rd day of August 2023, as the day of the election to the office of President.”
Elections for the National Assembly and local government will also be held that day.
Mnangagwa’s ZANU-PF party, which has been in power since independence in 1980, will face off against the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) led by Nelson Chamisa, a 45-year-old lawyer and pastor.
He will be Mnangagwa’s opponent for a second time.
Chamisa on Tuesday called on Mnangagwa to set a date for the poll after prolonged uncertainty and flip-flops.
The CCC also cried foul over the electoral roll, saying many voters, including some senior politicians, had had their names had been removed or misplaced on the register.
Zimbabwe, a country landlocked between Mozambique, South Africa, Botswana and Zambia, has a population of 15 million, according to the latest census.
Mnangagwa replaced strongman ruler Robert Mugabe in 2017 after a military-led coup but faces widespread criticism of authoritaranism and discontent over the economy.
The country has been plagued for years by deepening poverty, chronic power cuts and crippling hyperinflation.
In 2018 Mnangagwa, dubbed “the Crocodile” for his political cunning, narrowly won a violence-stained election with 50.8 percent of the vote, a result which Chamisa denounced as fraud.
Analysts say Chamisa faces an uphill battle this time around, in the face of a clampdown on CCC events and arrests of party officials.
The country is ranked 137th out of 180 countries in Reporters Without Borders’ 2022 World Press Freedom Index, and 157th out of 180 countries by Transparency International for perceived corruption.
AFP
International
U.S. bombs Venezuela, arrests President Maduro, wife
The U.S. has long accused Maduro of leading an international drug trafficking organisation, something that Maduro denies.
•President Nicolas Maduro
The United States of America has successfully carried out a large-scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, Cilia Flores captured and flown out of the country to an unknown destination.
U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed the attack in a statement on Truth Social on Saturday, January 3.
This operation was done in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement.
“There will be a News Conference today at 11 A.M., at Mar-a-Lago. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP.”
The U.S. has long accused Maduro of leading an international drug trafficking organisation, something that Maduro denies.
Trump did not give more detail about how Maduro was captured or where he has been taken.
The Venezuelan government has not yet confirmed this.
The U.S. had offered a $50m reward for information leading to the arrest of Maduro.
That, along with the huge military build-up in the region over the last few months, were interpreted in the region as encouragement for someone inside the country to turn against him.
Donald Trump adds on Truth Social that there will be a news conference at 11:00 EST (16:00 GMT), at the president’s Florida residence Mar-a-Lago.
International
‘128 journalists killed worldwide in 2025’,says IFJ
Meanwhile, the IFJ said that across the globe, 533 journalists were currently in prison – a figure that has more than doubled over the past half-decade.
• Journalists at work
A total of 128 journalists were killed around the world in 2025, more than half of them in the Middle East, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) said Thursday.
The grim toll, up from 2024, “is not just a statistic, it’s a global red alert for our colleagues,” IFJ general secretary Anthony Bellanger told AFP.
The press group voiced particular alarm over the situation in the Palestinian territories, where it recorded 56 media professionals killed in 2025 as Israel’s war with Hamas ground on in Gaza.
“We’ve never seen anything like this: so many deaths in such a short time, in such a small area,” Bellanger said.
Journalists were also killed in Yemen, Ukraine, Sudan, Peru, India and elsewhere.
Bellanger condemned what he called “impunity” for those behind the attacks. “Without justice, it allows the killers of journalists to thrive,” he warned.
Meanwhile, the IFJ said that across the globe, 533 journalists were currently in prison – a figure that has more than doubled over the past half-decade.
International
In pictures: New Year welcomed around the world
The London Eye is illuminated by the fireworks display in central London. Credit: PA Media
Fireworks lit up the midnight sky over Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House during New Year’s Day celebrations in Australia. Credit: AFP via Getty Images.
The UK rings in the new year with a spectacular fireworks display over London’s Big Ben. Credit: EPA
The London Eye is illuminated by the fireworks display in central London. Credit: PA Media
Scotland welcomes 2026 with world-renowned fireworks over Edinburgh Castle. PA Media
Fireworks light up the sky over the Brandenburg Gate during celebrations in Berlin. Credit: EPA
Crowds on Champs-Elysees avenue in Paris, France enjoy a light show and fireworks on the Arc de Triomphe. Credit: EPA
A firework display from the top of Auckland’s Sky Tower welcomed in the New Year. Credit: Shutterstock
Then Australia lit up the sky over the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge. Credit: Shutterstock
Source: BBC
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