Africa

Good morning, Nepal Protest Death Toll Hits 51 Nepal’s anticorruption protest death toll reached 51 including 21 protesters, nine prisoners, and three police officers, while over 12,500 escaped prisoners remain on the run after jailbreaks during the chaos that saw parliament set ablaze and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli resign. Former Chief Justice Sushila Karki appears set to be appointed interim prime minister as she’s seen as an “anticorruption voice” acceptable to Gen Z protesters, though uncertainty remains whether she can serve without being a parliament member, potentially requiring dissolution of parliament or constitutional changes. The army imposed curfews and recovered over 100 looted guns as shops began reopening Friday with signs of normalcy returning to Kathmandu, while some escaped prisoners reportedly tried crossing into India where border forces apprehended scores, as Nepal faces prolonged political uncertainty in a country wedged between India and China that has struggled with instability since abolishing its monarchy in 2008. More - Al Jazeera ...

Good morning Israel Intensifies Gaza City Campaign Israeli forces control 40% of Gaza City as round-the-clock bombing reduces entire neighborhoods to rubble, killing 44 people Thursday including a family of five in a tent strike, with UNICEF calling it a “city of fear” trapping nearly one million residents. Military spokesperson said the operation will “continue to expand and intensify” as satellite images show over 52 Israeli vehicles forcing displacement toward the west, while hospitals overflow with casualties and al-Shifa’s morgue floor is strewn with white-shrouded bodies. US Secretary of State Rubio blamed France and other countries planning Palestinian state recognition for Israeli West Bank abuses, as the US sanctioned three Palestinian rights groups for supporting ICC war crimes investigations against Netanyahu, while EU official Teresa Ribiera called Gaza a “genocide” and criticized the bloc’s inaction as the death toll surpassed 64,000. More - Al Jazeera ...

Africa Stability Ratings and News Summary More Unstable Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Democratic Republic Of The Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, The Gambia, Togo, Uganda, Western Sahara, Zimbabwe More Stable No countries were more stable over this period. ...

Good morning. Lebanon Begins Disarming Palestinian Camps Lebanon launched a plan to disarm Palestinian groups in refugee camps, starting with weapons handovers from Burj al-Barajneh camp in Beirut as part of a wider disarmament campaign expected across all camps nationwide. More - Al Jazeera Russia Launches Heaviest Bombardment in Weeks Russia fired 574 drones and 40 missiles at Ukraine in one of the heaviest bombardments in weeks. More - BBC EU-US Detail Trade Deal Next Steps The US and EU formalized plans for their trade pact with specific benchmarks for European tariff reductions. More - Bloomberg ...

Smotrich Vows Settlement Push, China’s Economy Weakens, Pressure on Russia’s Economy Good morning. 🇮🇱 🇵🇸 Smotrich Vows Settlement Push Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich revived the long-shelved E1 Plan to build 3,000 houses near Jerusalem, vowing it will “bury the idea of a Palestinian state” as over a dozen countries prepare to recognize Palestine in September. The settlement would split East Jerusalem from the West Bank by expanding Ma’ale Adumim between Jerusalem and the Dead Sea, effectively dividing Palestinian territory into northern and southern sections. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas condemned the plan as “a breach of international law” that “undermines the two-state solution,” while Israeli NGO Peace Now warned the government is “driving us forward at full speed” toward “an abyss” as construction could begin within a year if fast-tracked approvals proceed. More - Financial Times ...

Israel Plans Gaza City Occupation, Europe Seeks Rare Earth Independence Good morning. 🇵🇸 Israel Plans Gaza City Occupation Israel’s security cabinet approved Prime Minister Netanyahu’s plan for military occupation of Gaza City, marking a major escalation that will force tens of thousands of starving residents to evacuate by October 7. An Israeli official said the operation involves displacing “all Palestinian civilians from Gaza City to the central camps” while imposing a siege on Hamas militants and launching a ground offensive. UK Prime Minister Starmer called the plan “wrong,” saying it “will only bring more bloodshed,” while Hamas accused Netanyahu of abandoning hostages to serve his “personal interests and extremist ideological agenda” as nearly 200 Palestinians have died from starvation in the famine-stricken territory. More - Al Jazeera ...

Full Range of Trump Tariffs Come Into Effect, US Envoy Visits Gaza Aid Sites Good morning and happy August. 🇺🇸 Full Range of Trump Tariffs Come Into Effect Trump’s tariff blitz pushed average US levies to 15% - roughly six times higher than a year ago and the steepest since the 1930s - with rates ranging from 10% baseline to punitive levels like 39% for Switzerland. Bloomberg Economics estimates the tariff hike could cut US GDP by 1.8% and lift core prices by 1.1% over two to three years, creating a “serious demand shock” for the global economy according to former IMF chief economist Raghuram Rajan. Markets responded more mutedly than April’s initial shock, but economists warn greater pass-through to US consumers lies ahead as the “universal” nature of tariffs makes it harder for exporters to absorb costs. More - Bloomberg ...

France to Recognize Palestine; Gaza Talks Collapse, Thai-Cambodia Conflict Explainer Andrew Sheves Good morning. 🇵🇸** France to Recognize Palestine; Gaza Talks Collapse** French President Macron announced France will recognize Palestine as a state at the UN General Assembly in September, making it the largest European country to do so amid growing anger over Israel’s Gaza war that has killed 59,587 Palestinians. Separately, US envoy Steve Witkoff withdrew from Gaza ceasefire talks, accusing Hamas of showing “a lack of desire” to reach agreement, while Israel also recalled its negotiating team from Qatar. Hamas expressed surprise at the US withdrawal and affirmed its commitment to continue negotiations, as at least 115 Palestinians have died from malnutrition since October with aid groups warning of “mass starvation.” ...

Iraq Shopping Mall Fire Kills 61, Israel Strikes Gaza Catholic Church, Weekend Diversions Andrew Sheves Good morning. 🇮🇶** Iraq Shopping Mall Fire Kills 61** A fire at a week-old shopping center in Kut, Iraq killed 61 people with many still missing after an air conditioner explosion triggered the blaze. Survivors described being trapped as the fire spread rapidly through the mall, which lacked proper fire extinguishing systems according to witnesses who lost family members. Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani ordered an immediate investigation as the tragedy highlights Iraq’s persistent safety standard problems, following similar deadly fires including a 2023 wedding party blaze that killed over 100 people and a 2021 hospital fire that claimed more than 90 lives. More - BBC ...

Iran’s Uranium Buried, Not Destroyed, Saudis Breach OPEC+ Quota Andrew Sheves Good morning. 🇮🇷** Iran’s Uranium Buried, Not Destroyed** A senior Israeli official said intelligence indicates much of Iran’s enriched uranium is buried at Isfahan and could potentially be recovered, though any attempt would likely be detected and prompt renewed Israeli strikes. The assessment contradicts Trump’s repeated claims that US strikes “totally obliterated” Iran’s nuclear facilities, while IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said parts of the targeted sites are “still standing.” Iran’s President Pezeshkian confirmed the facilities were “severely damaged” with no current access, though Israel believes the nuclear program was set back two years overall. More - BBC ...