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Senegal PM Sonko Launches Recovery Plan With 90% Domestic Funding
On Friday, Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko announced a new economic recovery plan for Senegal, promising to finance 90% through domestic resources and avoid extra debt.
The plan, aimed at stabilizing the finances of a West African nation that began producing oil and gas last year, comes with Senegal facing financial challenges and scrutiny over debt misreporting.
Grappling With Hidden Debts
The country is grappling with billions of dollars in hidden debts from the previous administration, which led to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) freezing its loan programme.
“We have identified more than 4.6 trillion CFA francs ($8.16 billion) in available resources between 2025 and 2028, without increasing the state’s debt,” Sonko said during a presentation in the capital Dakar.
The plan to cut public spending and boost revenues aims to help narrow the budget deficit to 3% of GDP by 2027 from 12% in 2024.
Its measures include merging and downsizing state institutions, which the government estimates could save around 50 billion CFA francs, and scrapping tax exemptions in certain sectors, particularly in the largely untaxed digital economy. He cited online gaming and mobile money as examples.
Taxes, Visa Fees
Taxes on tobacco will increase to 100% from 70%, while visa fees will be introduced for visitors from non-African countries and African states that require visas for Senegalese citizens. Visa fees are projected to generate 60 billion CFA.
Sonko said the government expects to raise 884 billion CFA francs from the renegotiation of contracts, particularly in the oil and mining sectors, and an additional 200 billion CFA from the renewal of telecom license.
To attract investment, the government will ease access to land titles and raise the age limit for imported vehicles – a key demand from Senegal’s diaspora.
Senegal will also seek external partners to recycle existing assets and continue to mobilise resources on the domestic market in local currency. Foreign currency debt must target sectors such as hydrocarbons, oil, gas and mining, Sonko said.
He said the reforms would also enable the government to better target subsidies and social programmes to meet the needs of the population.
Subsidies To Phase Out
The IMF has for years called on Senegal to curb what it describes as expensive and inefficient energy subsidies, which in March it estimated as amounting to up to 4% of GDP.
“The problem with these subsidies is that it’s not the vulnerable households that benefit from them. Most of these subsidies, they go to the wealthiest households,” IMF mission chief Edward Gemayel told Reuters in an interview in Dakar in March.
He said the subsidies should be gradually phased out with cash compensation given to vulnerable families, adding that it would be important to communicate clearly to Senegalese why the cuts are necessary.
(With inputs from Reuters)
Ukrainians Grieve 31 Victims Of Russian Airstrike On Kyiv
Rescue teams in Kyiv pulled over a dozen additional bodies from the debris of a destroyed apartment building overnight, raising the death toll to 31 from Russia’s deadliest airstrike on Ukraine’s capital this year.
A two-year-old was among the five children found dead after Thursday’s sweeping Russian drone and missile attack, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday, announcing the end of a more than 24-hour-long rescue operation.
A total of 159 people were wounded in the multi-wave strike, in which Russia launched more than 300 drones and eight missiles early on Thursday, the latest in a campaign of fierce strikes on Ukrainian towns and cities.
The worst damage was to an apartment building that partially collapsed in the Sviatoshyn district in western Kyiv. Damage was also reported in at least three other districts of the capital.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday sharply criticised Russia’s “disgusting” behaviour against Ukraine, while saying he was not sure whether sanctions would deter Russia. He has given President Vladimir Putin until August 8 to make a deal or else he will respond with economic pressure.
Natalia Matviyenko, 65, sitting near the damaged apartment building, said she did not place much faith in Trump’s tough rhetoric.
“Trump just says, ‘I’m upset with President Putin’s behaviour.’ And what? No results,” she said.
The U.S. leader, who returned to power on a pledge to swiftly end the war, has in recent weeks rolled back his earlier conciliatory approach toward Moscow and signalled openness to arming Ukraine.
But a diplomatic effort to end the war has stalled, with Moscow not backing down from what Kyiv and its allies describe as maximalist demands.
‘Will Putin Listen?’
On Friday, mourners laid flowers and lit candles at the wrecked apartment block, where rumbling excavators hoisted heavy pieces of rubble. The makeshift shrine included brightly coloured stuffed animals.
Oksana Kinal, 43, who was placing flowers to honour a co-worker who had been killed alongside a son, said she hoped Trump would follow up on his threat but also expressed doubt.
“I think America has a lot of points of leverage that can be used against Russia,” she said.
“But will Putin listen to this? I don’t know.”
Kyiv’s air force said on Friday that Ukrainian air defences had destroyed more than 6,000 drones and missiles across the country in July alone.
“The world possesses every instrument required to ensure Russia is brought to justice,” Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko wrote on X on Friday. “What is lacking is not power — but will.”
(With inputs from Reuters)
US Envoy Witkoff Inspects Gaza Aid Site Criticized By UN As Unsafe
President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, on Friday visited a U.S.-supported aid operation in Gaza — the first senior U.S. official to do so since the war started — despite UN claims that the site has contributed to the enclave’s fatal conditions.
Witkoff visited a site run by the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in Rafah in what he said was a bid to put together a new aid plan for the war-shattered territory.
Hours after his visit, Palestinian medics reported Israeli forces had shot dead three Palestinians near one of the group’s sites in the city on Gaza’s southern edge.
The Israeli military said it was still looking into the incident, in which soldiers had fired warning shots at what it described as a “gathering of suspects” approaching its troops, hundreds of meters from the aid site.
Gaza Killings
The United Nations says more than 1,000 people have been killed trying to receive aid in Gaza since the GHF began operating there in May, most of them shot by Israeli forces operating near GHF sites.
The U.N. has declined to work with the GHF, which it says distributes aid in ways that are inherently dangerous and violate humanitarian neutrality principles, contributing to the hunger crisis across the territory.
The GHF says nobody has been killed at its distribution points, and that it is doing a better job of protecting aid deliveries than the U.N.
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, who traveled with Witkoff to Gaza on Friday, posted on X a picture showing hungry Gazans behind razor wire with a GHF poster with a big American flag that read “100,000,000 meals delivered”.
“President Trump understands the stakes in Gaza and that feeding civilians, not Hamas, must be the priority,” GHF spokesperson Chapin Fay said in a statement, accompanied by images of Witkoff in a grey camouflage top, flak jacket and “Make America Great Again” baseball cap with Trump’s name stitched on the back.
“We were honoured to brief his delegation, share our operations, and demonstrate the impact of delivering 100 million meals to those who need them most,” Fay said.
Witkoff said on X that he had also met with other agencies.
Aid Planning
“The purpose of the visit was to give @POTUS (Trump) a clear understanding of the humanitarian situation and help craft a plan to deliver food and medical aid to the people of Gaza,” Witkoff said.
He visited Gaza a day after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with Israel under mounting international pressure over the devastation of Gaza and growing starvation among its 2.2 million inhabitants.
In addition to the three shot near a GHF site, medics said at least 12 other Palestinians were killed in air strikes across the Gaza Strip on Friday. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Gaza war, which began after Palestinian terrorist group Hamas killed more than 1,200 people and took 251 hostage in an attack on southern Israel in October 2023, has now killed more than 60,000 Palestinians, most of them in Israeli airstrikes.
Ceasefire talks in Qatar ended last week in deadlock.
Starvation
Gaza medics say dozens have died of malnutrition in recent days as hunger sets in, after Israel cut off all supplies to the enclave for nearly three months from March-May, and restricted supplies since.
Israel says it is taking steps to let in more aid, including pausing fighting for part of the day in some areas and announcing protected routes for aid convoys.
It has acknowledged that its forces have killed some Palestinians seeking aid and says it has given its troops new orders to improve their response.
The worsening humanitarian crisis has prompted France, Britain and Canada to announce plans to potentially recognise a Palestinian state, a move already taken by most countries but not by major Western powers.
Israel Accuses Hamas And U.N.
Israel blames Hamas and the U.N. for the failure of food to get to desperate Palestinians in Gaza. The Israeli military’s statistics show that an average of around 140 aid trucks have entered Gaza daily during the course of the war, about a quarter of what international humanitarian agencies say is required.
On Friday, the Israeli military said that 200 trucks of aid were distributed by the U.N. and other organizations on Thursday, with hundreds more waiting to be picked up from the border crossings inside Gaza.
The United Nations says it has thousands of trucks still waiting, if Israel would let them in without the stringent security measures which aid groups say have prevented the entry of much-needed humanitarian assistance throughout the war.
Israel has begun food air drops this week, but U.N. agencies say these are a poor alternative to letting in more trucks.
“If there is political will to allow airdrops – which are highly costly, insufficient & inefficient, there should be similar political will to open the road crossings. As the people of Gaza are starving to death, the only way to respond to the famine is to flood Gaza with assistance,” U.N. Palestinian aid agency chief Philippe Lazzarini wrote on social media site X.
(With inputs from Reuters)
South Korea Says No Written Trade Deal Yet With US
South Korea’s Trade Minister on Friday said there is no written agreement yet on the trade deal announced by US President Donald Trump this week.
The US tariff on South Korean imports will be 15%, Trump said after meeting its ministers on Wednesday, down from a threatened 25%, but the US gave scarce details, apart from social media posts by him and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
‘We Cannot Be Relieved’
Speaking to reporters as he arrived home from a visit to Washington, Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo said the two sides had an oral negotiation because of time constraints.
“What we felt during this negotiation is that the US trade environment is fundamentally changing. This is completely different from the first Trump term,” Yeo said of the deal easing tension with a top-10 trading partner and key Asian ally.
“I think we are entering a new normal era. So, although we have overcome this crisis, we cannot be relieved, because we do not know when we will face pressure from tariffs or non-tariff measures again.”
The White House, which issued factsheets on trade deals with Japan and the European Union a day after striking them, has not yet released a separate one on the pact with South Korea.
Seoul’s Mega Investment
Trump said South Korea would invest $350 billion in the United States in projects “owned and controlled by the United States” and selected by him.
Lutnick said 90% of profits from the investments would go to the American people, while White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said they would go to the US government to help repay debt.
More discussions were necessary on the investment fund’s profit structure, said Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan, who returned with Yeo.
Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol, also one of the negotiation team, said detailed plans for the $350-billion investment would need be established.
Wednesday’s deal did not tackle most non-tariff barriers discussed during working-level talks, as well as security and foreign exchange aspects.
(With inputs from Reuters)
Deputy PM Says Cambodia Will Put Forward Trump’s Name For Nobel Peace Prize
Cambodia plans to propose U.S. President Donald Trump’s name for the Nobel Peace Prize, the country’s deputy prime minister said on Friday, crediting his intervention in stopping the recent border clashes with Thailand.
Asked via text message to confirm Cambodia’s plan to nominate Trump for the prize, Chanthol responded, “yes.”
Speaking to reporters earlier in the capital, Phnom Penh, Chanthol thanked Trump for bringing peace and said he deserved to be nominated for the prize, the highest-profile international award given to an individual or organisation deemed to have done the most to “advance fellowship between nations”.
Pakistan said in June that it would recommend Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in helping to resolve a conflict with India, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last month he had nominated Trump for the award.
Trump’s Call Breaks Deadlock
It was a call by Trump last week that broke a deadlock in efforts to end the heaviest fighting between Thailand and Cambodia in over a decade, leading to a ceasefire negotiated in Malaysia on Monday, according to reports.
On Sunday, a day after his initial call, Trump said that Thailand and Cambodia had agreed to meet to work out a ceasefire, and that Washington wouldn’t move ahead with tariff negotiations with both until the conflict had ended.
Following the truce announcement, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said in a post on X that Trump made it happen.
“Give him the Nobel Peace Prize!,” she said.
At least 43 people have been killed in the intense clashes, which lasted five days and displaced more than 300,000 people on both sides of the border.
“We acknowledge his great efforts for peace,” said Chanthol, also Cambodia’s top trade negotiator, adding that his country was also grateful for a reduced tariff rate of 19%.
Washington had initially threatened a tariff of 49%, later reducing it to 36%, a level that would have decimated Cambodia’s vital garment and footwear sector, Chanthol said on Friday.
(With inputs from Reuters)
South Korea’s Jailed Ex-President Yoon Snubs Interrogation, Lies On Cell Floor
In a dramatic turn of events, South Korea’s jailed former President Yoon Suk Yeol on Friday refused to cooperate with investigators, lying on the floor of his prison cell and declining to appear for questioning, according to a special prosecutor’s spokesperson.
Yoon was removed from office in April by the Constitutional Court over his botched attempt last year to declare martial law and is now being investigated by a special prosecution team formed under new President Lee Jae Myung.
‘Stubbornly Refused’
Prosecutors investigating influence-peddling allegations connected to Yoon and his wife had tried to get him to comply with an arrest warrant and attend questioning voluntarily, a spokesperson for the special prosecution said.
“But the suspect stubbornly refused to do so, while lying on the ground, not dressed in a prison uniform,” Oh Jung-hee told a news briefing. She said investigators would try again to bring him in, even if they had to use force.
Yoon was dressed only in his undershirt and underwear when prosecutors came to his cell, the Yonhap News Agency reported, citing the special prosecution.
Violating Human Rights: Yoon’s Lawyer
Yu Jeong-hwa, one of Yoon’s lawyers, told Reuters that bringing up what he was wearing in a small space where the temperature was close to 40 degrees Celsius (104°F) was a public insult to his dignity and showed how the state was violating inmates’ human rights.
The former president was put back in a solitary cell at the Seoul Detention Center in July, as prosecutors investigating his short-lived declaration of martial law in December sought additional charges against him.
Yoon is already on trial for insurrection, a charge which is punishable by death or life imprisonment.
He also faces a string of other investigations led by special prosecutors including one into scandals surrounding his wife, former First Lady Kim Keon Hee, where the couple allegedly exerted inappropriate influence over elections.
Politically-Motivated Witch Hunt
Yoon has denied any wrongdoing and his lawyers have accused prosecutors of conducting a politically-motivated witch hunt.
The former president has repeatedly rejected requests by prosecutors to appear for questioning, citing health issues.
His lawyers said on Thursday that he was unwell due to preexisting conditions, including a condition that meant there was a risk of him losing his eyesight.
In a reference to Yoon’s position as a former top prosecutor, Oh, the spokesperson for the special prosecution, said the case was being closely scrutinised by the public.
“The suspect has consistently highlighted the importance of laws, principles, fairness and common sense and through this case people are watching if the law applies equally to everyone,” Oh said.
Separately, investigators requested that Yoon’s wife Kim, who has also denied any wrongdoing, attend questioning on August 6. Kim’s lawyers have said she would cooperate with the investigation.
(With inputs from Reuters)
Syria Forms Committee To Probe Deadly Sectarian Clashes In Sweida Province
Syria has vowed to investigate last month’s deadly clashes in the southern province of Sweida, which left hundreds dead in the second major sectarian violence since the ouster of longtime leader Bashar al-Assad.
In a decree dated July 31, justice minister Muzher al-Wais said a committee of seven people – including judges, lawyers and a military official – would look into the circumstances that led to the “events in Sweida” and report back within three months.
The committee would investigate reported attacks and abuses against civilians and refer anyone proven to have participated in such attacks to the judiciary.
Sweida Clashes
The violence in Sweida began on July 13 between tribal fighters and Druze factions. Government forces were sent to quell the fighting, but the bloodshed worsened, and Israel carried out strikes on Syrian troops in the name of the Druze.
The Druze are a minority offshoot of Islam with followers in Syria, Lebanon and Israel. Sweida province is predominantly Druze but is also home to Sunni tribes, and the communities have had longstanding tensions over land and other resources.
A U.S.-brokered truce ended the fighting, which had raged in Sweida city and surrounding towns for nearly a week.
In March, hundreds of Alawite civilians were killed after government-aligned forces deployed to Syria’s coastal areas following a deadly attack on new government forces by militias still aligned with Assad, who hails from the Alawite minority.
Assad’s brutal crackdown on protests against him in 2011 from within Syria’s Sunni majority spiralled into a nearly 14-year war. Western leaders are keen to ensure the new government, led by a former Sunni Islamist group that has its roots in global jihad, conducts an orderly democratic transition.
The fact-finding committee established after the March killings last month referred 298 people suspected of carrying out abuses against Alawites to the judiciary.
The committee said it found no evidence of commanders ordering troops to commit violations and that 265 people had been involved in the initial attack on government forces.
(With inputs from Reuters)
Two-Year-Old Found Dead After Russian Strike On Kyiv, Death Toll Rises To 28
A two-year-old child was found dead beneath the rubble following Thursday’s massive Russian drone and missile strike on Kyiv, raising the death toll to 28 and leaving over 150 wounded, Ukraine’s prime minister said on Friday.
The toddler was the third child to have died in the attack, in which Russia launched more than 300 drones and eight missiles in the early hours of Thursday morning. The other two underage victims were six and 17 years old, the head of the Ukrainian presidential office, Andriy Yermak, said.
The rescue service said 16 of the injured were children, the largest number of children hurt in a single attack on Ukraine’s capital since Russia started its full-scale invasion almost 3-1/2 years ago.
City authorities declared Friday a day of mourning as rescue operations continued.
“This morning, the body of a 2-year-old child was pulled from the rubble, bringing the total dead to 28, of which 3 are children,” Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said on X, adding that over 150 people had been wounded.
“The world possesses every instrument required to ensure Russia is brought to justice. What is lacking is not power — but will,” Svyrydenko said.
Military Sites Targeted
Russia’s Defence Ministry said it targeted and hit Ukrainian military airfields and ammunition depots as well as businesses linked to what it called Kyiv’s military-industrial complex.
Explosions rocked Kyiv from about midnight onward and blazes lit up the night sky.
Yurii Kravchuk, 62, stood wrapped in a blanket next to a damaged building with a bandage around his head. He had heard the missile alert but did not get to a shelter in time, he said.
“I started waking up my wife, and then there was an explosion. My daughter ended up in the hospital,” he said.
Russia, which denies targeting civilians, has stepped up air strikes in recent months on Ukrainian towns and cities far from the front lines of the war.
Thousands of civilians, the vast majority of them Ukrainian, have been killed since Moscow invaded in 2022.
Kyiv and Moscow have held three rounds of talks in Istanbul this year that yielded exchanges of prisoners and bodies, but no breakthrough to defuse the conflict.
Trump Criticises Russia’s ‘Disgusting’ Behaviour
U.S. President Donald Trump, speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, sharply criticised Russia’s “disgusting” behaviour against Ukraine and said he planned to impose sanctions on Moscow if no agreement could be reached.
Trump said he was not sure whether sanctions would deter Russia. He has given Russian President Vladimir Putin until August 8 to make a deal or else he will respond with economic pressure.
Trump said U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff would travel to Russia after his current trip to Israel.
A senior U.S. diplomat, John Kelly, told the United Nations Security Council that Trump had made clear that he wants a deal to end the war by August 8.
On Tuesday, Trump said Washington will start imposing tariffs and other measures on Russia if Moscow shows no progress toward ending the conflict.
(With inputs from Reuters)
Thailand Sends Home Two Cambodian Soldiers Ahead Of Key Border Talks
Thailand repatriated two of 20 Cambodian soldiers on Friday, ahead of next week’s crucial Malaysia talks, where defence leaders will discuss sustaining a ceasefire along the disputed border.
Long-simmering tensions on the Thai-Cambodian border exploded into clashes last week, including exchanges of artillery fire and jet fighter sorties, the worst fighting between the Southeast Asian neighbours in over a decade.
The clashes claimed at least 43 lives and left over 300,000 people displaced.
A truce was achieved on Monday, following a push by Malaysia and phone calls from U.S President Trump, who threatened to hold off tariff negotiations with both countries until fighting stopped.
Thailand and Cambodia previously faced tariffs of 36% for sending goods to the U.S., their largest export markets. Following further negotiations, they will now pay a 19% tariff, the White House announced on Friday.
In Bangkok, Thai government spokesperson Jirayu Houngsub told reporters on Friday that two Cambodian soldiers had been sent back, and the remaining 18 were being processed for violating immigration law.
“The Cambodian soldiers intruded on Thai territory and the army took them into custody, treating them based on humanitarian principles,” he said.
In a statement, the Cambodian defence ministry asked Thailand to return all the detained soldiers.
Negotiations Underway
“Cambodia is actively engaging in negotiations to secure their release, and reiterates its firm call for their immediate and unconditional release in accordance with international humanitarian law,” a ministry spokesperson said.
Defence ministers and military leaders from both sides, who were previously scheduled to meet in the Cambodian capital next week, will now hold talks in Malaysia, after Thailand sought a neutral venue for the meeting.
The General Border Committee, which coordinates on border security, ceasefires, and troop deployments, will meet between August 4-7, Thai Acting Defence Minister Nattaphon Narkphanit told reporters.
“Defence attachés from other ASEAN countries will be invited, as well as the defence attachés from the U.S. and China,” a Malaysian government spokesperson told reporters, referring to the Southeast Asian regional bloc that the country currently chairs.
Thailand and Cambodia have for decades claimed jurisdiction over undemarcated points along their 817-km (508-mile) land border, with ownership of several ancient temples at the centre of disputes.
In May, a Cambodian soldier was killed in a skirmish, leading to a troop build-up and a diplomatic crisis, which eventually snowballed into five days of intense fighting in late July.
(With inputs from Reuters)
Germany To Deliver Two Patriot Systems To Ukraine After Deal With US
Germany announced on Friday it will deliver two Patriot air defence systems to Ukraine, following an agreement with the U.S. granting Berlin priority access to newer systems in exchange.
Thanks to the U.S. commitment, “Germany can initially support Ukraine with launchers and then with additional Patriot system components,” said German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius in a statement.
The Bundeswehr army will initially deliver additional Patriot launchers to Ukraine in the coming days, followed by additional system components to be handed over in two or three months.
In return, Berlin will receive new Patriot systems, for which it is providing the funding, from the United States at an accelerated pace.
Ukraine’s needs for air defence have grown more urgent as Russia has intensified its nationwide aerial attacks this summer, and the Patriot systems have proven effective at destroying Russian ballistic missiles.
Germany has already delivered three of its Patriot systems to Ukraine and said on Friday that sending the additional systems will not affect its contribution to the NATO defence alliance.
Why Patriots Are Crucial For Ukraine?
Patriot air defence systems are advanced surface-to-air missile (SAM) platforms developed by the United States to detect, track, and intercept incoming threats such as aircraft, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles.
Known officially as the Phased Array Tracking Radar to Intercept on Target (PATRIOT), the system uses a combination of radar, command-and-control units, and multiple launchers to deliver high-precision strikes against aerial threats.
Its ability to intercept targets at long ranges and high altitudes makes it one of the most reliable air defence solutions globally.
For Ukraine, Patriot systems are critically important amid its ongoing war with Russia.
As Russian forces continue to launch missile and drone attacks on civilian infrastructure, energy grids, and military positions, Ukraine’s ability to shield its skies has become a top priority.
While Ukraine already employs various Western-supplied and Soviet-era systems, the Patriots provide a higher level of accuracy and longer-range protection — particularly against Russian ballistic missiles, which are difficult to intercept with older platforms.
Deploying Patriot systems strengthens Ukraine’s air defence network, safeguards critical infrastructure, and enhances its ability to maintain operational resilience in the face of persistent aerial threats from Russian forces.
(With inputs from Reuters)