Month: January 2025

Tanzania’s ruling party has nominated Samia Suluhu Hassan as its candidate for president, ahead of the country’s general elections in October.

Hassan has called for unity ahead of the vote, stating “I urge all to maintain our unity as we go to the elections. The polls can seriously divide us but I believe we will remain united now that we have candidates.”

The 64 year old took office in 2021 following the sudden death of John Magufuli, who was accused of curbing certain freedoms and stamping out dissent.

Initially, she was hailed for easing restrictions Magufuli had implemented on the opposition and media.

However rights groups and Western governments have since denounced what they view as renewed repression of the opposition.

Politicians from the main opposition Chadema party have been detained, and a series of opposition figures have been abducted and murdered.

The Chadema party is yet to select its candidate for president.

Last year, the party threatened to boycott elections if reforms to the electoral system had not been put in place.

That long-standing request has been repeatedly ignored by Hassan’s party.

Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomed his Iranian counterpart, Masoud Pezeshkian, on Friday to formalize a significant agreement between Moscow and Tehran.

According to the Kremlin, this “comprehensive strategic partnership” aims to elevate the collaboration between the two nations to unprecedented heights.

As detailed by the Iranian embassy in Russia via Telegram last week, this pact focuses on “economic and commercial cooperation in the fields of energy, environment, and defense and security issues.”

While the specifics of the agreement remain somewhat vague, it is noteworthy that Moscow had previously established a treaty with North Korea under the same title in 2024.

Their existing relationship is based on a document from 2001, which they have updated at regular intervals.

Russia asserts that its forthcoming agreement with Iran, along with the already established treaty with Pyongyang, is “not aimed at any nation.”

“The treaty … is of a constructive nature and seeks to enhance the capabilities of Russia, Iran, and our allies across different regions of the globe,” stated Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday.

The treaty is set to be valid for 20 years, Russia’s TASS news agency reported on Tuesday, citing the Iranian ambassador to Russia Kazem Jalali.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has made building ties with Iran, China and North Korea a cornerstone of his foreign policy as he seeks to challenge what he calls as a US-led “global hegemony”.

Both Russia and Iran are under heavy Western sanctions that include restrictions on their vital energy industries.

At a summit of the BRICS group in Kazan last year, Putin told Pezeshkian he valued “truly friendly and constructive ties” between Russia and Iran.

Iran has also sought closer ties with Russia, after suffering a series of foreign policy setbacks last year.

Historically, Russia and Iran have had a tumultuous relationship, marked by conflicts in the 18th and 19th centuries, during which the Russian Empire seized extensive territories in the Caucasus and Caspian regions from Persian rulers.

In the early 20th century, Russian forces occupied significant portions of northern Iran, but their presence ended with the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution.

The Soviet Union, alongside Britain, invaded Iran during World War II, an event that still stirs painful memories in Tehran.

During the Cold War, tensions escalated as Tehran aligned with the U.S. under the Shah.

Following his overthrow in the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini condemned the U.S. as the “Great Satan” and labeled the USSR as the “Lesser Satan.”

However, relations between Russia and Iran began to improve after the dissolution of the USSR in 1991.

Moscow emerged as a vital trade partner and a major supplier of weapons and advanced technologies to Iran, which was grappling with the effects of extensive international sanctions.

Erling Haaland has officially extended his contract with Manchester City for an impressive seven more years.

This means the 24 year old Norwegian striker who has scored 111 goals in 125 games since joining the club from Borussia Dortmund in 2022 will remain with the reigning Premier League champions until June 2034.

The new deal for Haaland comes as City awaits a verdict after being charged with 115 breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules.

This move is a significant statement from City, especially considering that Haaland had been on Real Madrid’s radar for quite some time.

This new agreement eliminates any potential release clauses that were included in his previous contract.

The Norway striker will be age 34 when the contract expires.

With this long-term deal, Manchester City sends a strong message to their rivals in the transfer market.

While Real Madrid had been envisioning a future with Haaland, the English champions have secured the talented forward’s services for the foreseeable future.

The Athletic confirms that this new agreement eliminates any potential release clauses that were included in his previous contract.

Sierra Leone has recalled its ambassador to Guinea after a vehicle belonging to the country’s embassy was found with seven suitcases containing suspected cocaine.

Guinea’s authorities impounded the vehicle on Monday and detained its occupants, suspecting them of trafficking drugs.

According to Sierra Leone’s Foreign Minister, Alhaji Musa Timothy Kabba, Ambassador Alimamy Bangura, who was not present in the vehicle, has been called back to Freetown to clarify the situation.

Kabba emphasized that the ambassador is not under investigation for involvement in the trafficking. He also confirmed that $2,000 in cash was found along with the drugs, although the exact weight of the cocaine has not been disclosed.

The two nations are cooperating on a thorough investigation, with Sierra Leone pledging to ensure accountability for anyone found breaking drug trafficking laws.

The discovery comes as West Africa remains a key transit zone for cocaine trafficking from Latin America to Europe. The region is grappling with increasing local drug abuse, with Sierra Leone’s president declaring drug misuse a national emergency last year.

People in Deir-al-Balah, Gaza, celebrated as Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire deal, offering hope to end 15 months of devastating conflict.

The agreement includes the phased release of hostages held by Hamas and Palestinian prisoners in Israel, allowing displaced people in Gaza to return to their homes.

Humanitarian aid will also flow unhindered into Gaza. Qatar’s prime minister announced the ceasefire would start on Sunday, following weeks of negotiations in Doha. Details, including the list of released prisoners, are still being finalised and are pending Israeli cabinet approval.

Hundreds of supporters of Mozambique’s opposition protested Wednesday as the country inaugurated a new president following disputed elections and deadly unrest.

Daniel Chapo took his oath as the country’s fifth president before about 2,500 people who endured intense heat in front of a city hall in the capital, Maputo.

Opposition supporters peacefully protested a few meters away after security forces wielding guns and batons blocked them from getting to the venue.

Security forces sealed several roads and kept a heavy presence in other parts of Maputo.

Chapo, a 48-year-old law graduate, acknowledged the need to end the instability rocking the southern African nation.

“Social harmony cannot wait, nor can the building of consensus for the matters that worry the Mozambican people, so dialogue has already began and we will not rest until we have a united and cohesive country,” he said.

The country’s Constitutional Council in December declared Chapo the winner of the presidential election, with 65.17% of the vote, dismissing a challenge by opposition leader Venâncio Mondlane, whom it said got 24 percent of the vote.

A series of protests and a violent crackdown by security forces following the elections have left at least 300 people, including scores of children, dead, according to local and international human rights organizations.

Mondlane, a 50-year-old pastor, has been leading the push for protests through messages on platforms such as Facebook to demand “restoration of the electoral truth.” Some western countries, including the United States, have also questiond the credibility of the elections.

If confirmed, his contract will shatter Cristiano Ronaldo’s world record deal.

Egyptian football star, Mohamed Salah, has reportedly been offered close to $80 million to tempt him to leave Liverpool for two seasons in Saudia Arabia.

The 32-year-old is in his last season at the English club if he does not sign a new deal with the team.

But the lure of a salary that is reportedly about double the one he makes at Liverpool would be hard to resist.

The forward is one of three footballers believed to be considering leaving The Reds, with the transfer window well underway.

There have reports in several media that Salah is in serious negotiations with Saudi’s Al-Hilal club to secure his transfer to the team.

The expected departure in the summer of Brazil’s Neymar means that the club will have space in their squad to register another overseas player.

There are also reports suggesting Al-Hilal is in talks with Liverpool’s management to purchase the remaining six months of Salah’s contract.

This would enable his transfer during the ongoing winter transfer window.

The UAE and Kenya have entered into a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) designed to bolster trade and investment between the two countries.

This paradigm shift marks the UAE’s inaugural bilateral trade agreement with an African nation, showcasing its commitment to diversifying its economy beyond oil dependency.

In the first three quarters of 2024, non-oil trade between the UAE and Kenya soared to $3.1 billion, reflecting a remarkable 29.1% increase compared to the same timeframe in 2023.

This impressive growth highlights the strengthening economic relationship fostered by the CEPA.

Kenya, recognized as one of Africa’s most promising economies, achieved a real GDP growth rate of 5.6% in 2023.

Forecasts suggest an average growth rate of 5.2% from 2024 to 2026.

Key sectors such as services, which contribute 53.6% to Kenya’s GDP, and agriculture, accounting for approximately 25%, offer substantial opportunities for UAE businesses looking to expand in the region.

The CEPA is poised to enhance investment in high-potential areas, including information and communications technology (ICT), banking, tourism, infrastructure, and renewable energy.

This aligns with the UAE’s broader economic strategy, which aims to double the economy’s size to over $800 billion by the decade’s end, with foreign trade as a key pillar.

Additionally, the agreement seeks to eliminate trade barriers across a wide array of goods and services, opening new avenues for importers and exporters in both nations.

Kenyan businesses are expected to capitalize on the UAE’s strategic geographic and logistical advantages to broaden their market access.

This initiative is part of the UAE’s ongoing strategy to strengthen economic relations with African countries, following similar agreements with nations like Mauritius and the Republic of the Congo.

The CEPA with Kenya is expected to further solidify the UAE’s role as a reliable partner and investor in Africa.

Spain is planning a raft of measures to address its brewing housing crisis, including an up to 100% tax on properties bought by non-European Union residents.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced the plan this week to tackle housing affordability and high rents in the Southern European nation. He said that the overall goal was to provide “more housing, better regulation and greater aid.”

However, it remains unclear if the plan put forth by Sánchez’s minority coalition will pass in parliament.

Here’s a look at what’s happening:

Spain’s housing affordability crisis

Like most rich countries, Spain is in the throes of a growing housing affordability problem. Skyrocketing rents are particularly acute in cities like Barcelona and Madrid, where incomes have failed to keep up, especially for young people. Housing prices are also steadily rising, especially in cities and coastal areas.

Rental prices have also been driven up by short-term contracts mainly offered for tourists. Spain sees more tourists than almost any country in the world, having received more than 88.5 million visitors in 2024. Tourism is one of the country’s key economic drivers.

The negative aspects of mass tourism have caused tension at times between visitors and residents concerned about rising costs, the proliferation of short-term rentals on platforms like Airbnb, and water supplies that can be stretched in some parts of the country, including the Canary and Balearic Islands.

Last year, protesters took to the streets on various occasions across the country to express their frustrations about the growth of tourism and high rents. Barcelona’s town hall has pledged to completely eliminate all short-term rentals to tourists in the coming years.

“What citizens expect from us here is action,” Spanish housing minister Isabel Rodríguez told reporters on Tuesday about the plan.

Curbing foreigners from buying houses in Spain

Spain plans to limit the number of homes foreigners purchase by raising taxes on properties bought by non-European Union residents by up to 100%.

Non-EU residents bought 27,000 properties in Spain in 2023, “not to live in” but “to make money from,” Sánchez said as he announced the plan,

Sánchez didn’t provide a timeline or details on how he plans to implement the tax.

Some of the other measures put forth

Spain plans to build more public housing and allocate around 2 million square meters (21.5 million square feet) of residential land to a newly created public housing agency.

Other proposed measures include higher taxes on holiday rentals, tax breaks and protections for landlords who provide affordable housing, and amending laws to speed up construction processes and expand the availability of land for private construction.

Why is housing politically important in Spain?

The rising cost of living has driven voter discontent across many wealthy countries in recent years, including the United States.

But as one of Europe’s leading Socialist politicians, the housing crunch is a crucial question for Sánchez to resolve as he tries to keep his left-wing minority coalition afloat after winning another four-year term in 2023.

Also, according to the Spanish Constitution, all Spaniards have the right to enjoy a “decent and adequate” home. In theory, at least, the government has a duty to allow citizens to exercise that right.

Demonstrators formed a human chain in front of the Israeli parliament to demand the release of all hostages held in Gaza since the October 7 attacks by Hamas militants. Talks between Israel and Hamas, which have been conducted indirectly for over a year, are aimed at exchanging hostages for Palestinian prisoners. However, negotiations have stalled on several points, including the details of the exchange, the duration of the ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli forces. The families of the Israeli hostages are holding rallies to demand an agreement.