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
Trump threatens Iran bridges, power plant in latest Hormuz attacks
Trump told reporters that he was “not finished” with a war that has already cost Washington $37.5 billion.
US President Donald Trump threatened on Wednesday to bomb Iranian bridge or power plant each time Theran attack ship in the Strait of Hormuz.
The latest round of escalation began on July 18.
Trump told reporters that he was “not finished” with a war that has already cost Washington $37.5 billion.
Fighting over the strait led to the collapse of a preliminary deal between the United States and Iran, and Tehran has reimposed its blockade on the strategic conduit for oil and gas shipments, firing on vessels that seek to transit.
The blockade has rattled markets and sent oil prices climbing, adding to the pressure on Trump to find an off-ramp to a conflict that has hit Americans’ pocketbooks heading into closely-fought midterm elections.
International
Zelensky sacks Ukraine’s top army commander after days of protests
Syrskyi was replaced by Mykhailo Drapatyi, 43, who is a popular, battle-hardened general.
•Zelensky
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed the country’s army commander-in-chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi.
It comes just days after the removal of popular Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov – a move that triggered street protests across the country.Initial rumours that the end of Fedorov’s tenure was related to a conflict between him and Syrskyi were soon confirmed.
Fedorov, 35, has been widely praised for energising the ministry and transforming the armed forces, as well as leading a drive against corruption.
Syrskyi, 60, is seen by many in Ukraine as a Soviet-school commander reluctant to implement radical changes in the army.
Syrskyi defended his record in a farewell address, writing on Telegram: “An army that was fighting a difficult defensive campaign two years ago is now on the offensive.””I am handing over to my successor an army that is not only holding the line but is advancing… I sincerely hope this offensive will continue.”
Syrskyi was replaced by Mykhailo Drapatyi, 43, who is a popular, battle-hardened general.
” I will work responsibly, with full focus, and with respect for the people who are defending our country today,” Drapatyi said on Facebook
BBC
International
Burnham becomes PM, vows 10-year plan to stabilise UK
The 56-year-old is the sixth prime minister to enter Downing Street in the last 10 years.
•Incoming Prime Minister Andy Burnham poses with Britain’s King Charles III on July 20, 2026 (Photo by Aaron Chown / POOL / AFP).
Andy Burnham became British prime minister Monday after meeting King Charles III at Buckingham Palace and was set to set out his vision for the country after taking over from Keir Starmer.
In his first speech, Burnham vowed to put forward a 10-year plan for Britain, saying the country needed to make politics work.
“Britain needs to show the world that we can regain our stability once again,” Burnham said just after being appointed by King Charles III to take over from Keir Starmer.
He pledged to “issue my first instruction to end rough sleeping in our country” once he starts work.
Starmer departed Downing Street on Monday morning, insisting in a farewell speech his two years in office had made Britain a better place.
The monarch met Starmer to accept his resignation and Burnham arrived next for the formal procedure in which the king asked him to form the next government and he accepted.
The 56-year-old is the sixth prime minister to enter Downing Street in the last 10 years.
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