Iraq dismisses PMF commanders, and on-board a Jordanian aid drop to Gaza
The National has boarded a Jordanian aid flight to Gaza.
Hundreds were arrested in London for marching in support of the banned Palestine Action group.
On this morning's episode of Trending Middle East:
This episode features Khaled Yacoub Oweis, Jordan correspondent.
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Zawya
6 hours ago
- Zawya
Rule of law is Africa's new gold: African Development Bank Group's (AfDB's) Adesina calls for bold legal and governance reforms to unlock prosperity
'When Africa stands for the rule of law, the world will stand with Africa,' the President of the African Development Bank Group ( Dr Akinwumi Adesina, has told more than 1,200 lawyers, judges, and government officials attending the Kenya Law Society's 2025 Annual Conference. Delivering the closing keynote, title Public Finance, Governance, Justice and Development, Dr. Adesina drew a clear link between judicial independence, sound public finance, and sustainable economic growth. He stressed that Africa's true wealth lies not only in its natural resources but also in its ability to govern them transparently, enforce contracts fairly, and ensure justice for all citizens. Turning challenges into opportunities Africa faces a $100 billion annual gap in foreign direct investment, he noted, a situation compounded by weak rule of law rankings, debt vulnerabilities, and predatory 'vulture fund' cases. These involve investors buying national debt at a discount on secondary markets, then exploiting weak legal systems to sue debtor nations for full repayment — plus backdated interest and legal fees. 'Evidence suggests that foreign direct investments move more to countries that have political stability, stable democracies, transparency, and low levels of corruption,' Adesina said during the conference held at Kenya's coastal town of Diani, some 35 kilometres south of Mombasa. Other key drivers, he added, include an independent and transparent judiciary, strong regulatory frameworks, public accountability, efficient public service, competition policy, and respect for intellectual property rights. He also underlined the vital connection between justice and development, arguing that access to justice must be universal. This means legal aid, digitised courts, and grievance mechanisms that bring the law closer to citizens. 'Justice is not a byproduct of development — it is the foundation of development,' he declared. Adesina urged African nations to: Strengthen judicial independence and transparency to attract global capital. Reform natural resource laws to ensure benefits reach communities, not elites. Develop sovereign wealth funds to safeguard prosperity for future generations. Build strong African arbitration systems to settle disputes locally and fairly. He challenged Africa's lawyers, judges, and arbitrators to rise as 'guardians of promise and stewards of destiny' by enforcing constitutional safeguards on public finance. He called on the Kenya Law Society members to champion ethics and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles, digitise court systems, improve legal infrastructure, and protect national assets from predatory debt practices. Adesina's keynote culminated a 3-day conference focused on corporate governance, protecting constitutionalism and the rule of law, responsible public finance management, and digitalization of legal systems. The closing ceremony included the participation of Kenya's legal luminaries and government, including Kenya's Chief Justice Martha Koome, Kenya Law Society President Faith Odhiambo, Mombasa County Governor Abdulswamad Nassir and the AfDB's Director General of East Africa Alex Mubiru. Solutions in motion The African Development Bank supports its regional member countries to address governance, public finance, and justice challenges. In Rwanda and Côte d'Ivoire, Bank support to create and modernise specialised commercial courts has reduced dispute resolution times by nearly half, unlocking more than $1 billion in investment. In Seychelles, Bank-backed constitutional reforms require all sovereign borrowing to receive parliamentary approval — contributing to a fall in the debt-to-GDP ratio from over 100% to below 55%. In Kenya, Bank-supported procurement and debt transparency reforms, including parliamentary oversight of public borrowing, are safeguarding public funds. Known as Africa's 'Optimist-in-Chief,' Adesina urged the continent's legal community to recognise that they hold the keys to turning governance into growth and making development a daily reality rather than a distant promise. 'Let us make a choice that history will record, and generations will remember,' he said. 'As lawyers, justices and guardians of the law, I urge you to uphold the rule of law, to execute justice with fairness and righteousness.' Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB). About the African Development Bank Group: The African Development Bank Group is Africa's premier development finance institution. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). On the ground in 41 African countries with an external office in Japan, the Bank contributes to the economic development and the social progress of its 54 regional member states. For more information:
The National
8 hours ago
- The National
Netanyahu is a 'problem', Danish PM says in comments criticising Gaza war
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen described Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a 'problem', in a rare direct criticism of the Israeli leader over the continuing war in Gaza. "Netanyahu is now a problem in himself," Ms Frederiksen told the Jyllands-Posten daily in an interview published on Saturday, and added that his government was going "too far". Ms Frederiksen said she would try to put pressure on Israel over the 'absolutely appalling and catastrophic' humanitarian situation in Gaza as her country currently holds the EU presidency. 'We are one of the countries that wants to increase pressure on Israel, but we have not yet obtained the support of EU members,' she said. Israel's government has drawn increasing condemnation over the war, including from its allies, but Ms Frederiksen's comments are a rare instance of a world leader directly blaming Mr Netanyahu. Health authorities in the Palestinian enclave have reported more than 61,800 people killed over more than 22 months, most of them civilian, and Israeli restrictions on the entry of aid have led to widespread hunger and more than 1,800 deaths among desperate crowds trying to collect food. The Danish Prime Minister also criticised an Israeli decision this week to proceed with a controversial plan to build settlements in area of the occupied West Bank known as "E1", which would effectively divide the Palestinian territory. Switzerland also criticised the decision on Saturday, saying the move would violate international law and undermines the prospects for a two-state solution. The Israeli government last week approved plans for the military, which currently controls about 75 per cent of Gaza, to launch an assault on Gaza city that would force about one million residents, about half the population, to move south into an area already packed with people displaced from their homes. Residents have reported heavy bombardment in the Al Zeitoun area in the city's south in recent days. The Israeli army said it was conducting a range of operations on the outskirts of Gaza city, leaving thousands of residents trapped with no escape. The Israeli military continues to carry out attacks across the entire coastal strip, with heavy bombardment early on Saturday that targeted densely populated residential areas in the north and south, the Palestinian state news agency Wafa reported. Dozens were killed including children and women and others injured in central and southern Gaza, where the Israeli army targeted several areas housing displaced Palestinians, Wafa said. Civilians seeking aid were also targeted, with at least two killed near a food distribution site in the southern Rafah area that is run by a US and Israel-backed group called Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). At least 16 people seeking aid were killed on Friday, many of them were near GHF sites, which the UN has described as "death traps". According to the UN human rights office, 994 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid near GHF sites between May 27, when it began operations, and August 13, while another 766 were killed along the routes of supply convoys. "Most of these killings were committed by the Israeli military," the agency's office for the Palestinian territories said. Wafa reported that another Palestinian child starved to death in Gaza on Friday, increasing the number of deaths from hunger and malnutrition to 240, including 107 children, according to Gaza's health ministry said. At least 112 children are admitted for treatment of malnutrition every day in Gaza, the UN children's agency, Unicef, said on Saturday. The war began with an attack by Palestinian militants from Gaza, led by the Islamist group Hamas, on October 7, 2023. About 1,200 people were killed in the raids on southern Israel, and about 250 others taken back to Gaza as hostages. Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas and is demanding that the group disarm and hand over about 50 hostages still in captivity, of whom 20 are believed to be still alive, in exchange for a ceasefire. Israel insists that Hamas have no role in the postwar governance of Gaza, while also refusing to allow it to be administered by the internationally recognised Palestinian Authority based in the West Bank. Far right members of Mr Netanyahu's government are calling for the territory to be taken over by Israel, 20 years after Israel pulled out.
The National
10 hours ago
- The National
Gaza mother's poetic plea to end the war sparks global response
'I'm a mother just like you, I dream only to see my children grow,' Munira Al Najjar says in a plea for an end to Israel's war in Gaza, addressed to mothers around the world. The poem, which has been widely shared on social media, reflects the desperation and heartbreak that mothers in Gaza endure daily – living mostly in tents, trying to feed their children amid a blockade on aid and trying to keep them safe from Israeli attacks. Ms Al Najjar, an English teacher, wrote the poem in her tent in Nuseirat camp in central Gaza, where she now lives with her four young children after her family was displaced by the war. It invokes 'the voice of every mother who endured, grieved and who still dares to dream of peace'. 'I ask mothers around the world to stand with us, to understand our struggles, and to help raise their voices for peace and justice in Gaza and beyond,' Ms Al Najjar, 40, told The National. 'We urge the world to stop the war so our children can continue their normal life and education and build a future filled with hope and opportunity,' she says. She hopes for enough food to feed her children, for clean water and daily essentials, for a life without fear of being torn to pieces by Israeli bombs and gunfire. 'We do not ask for pity but for witness, we do not ask for silence but for a voice beside ours so that your children, when they grow up, will know that we had children too,' she writes in her poem. Rachel Accurso, the creator of a YouTube channel of songs for toddlers under the name Ms Rachel, which has more than 16 million subscribers, shared Ms Al Najjar's poem on social media. 'This is a call to all mothers, please show the mothers in Gaza that they are not alone. The only difference between you and Munira is geographical luck,' Ms Accurso said in an Instagram post. The poem was then shared and read out publicly by US Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib and other influential figures, triggering an array of emotional responses. Ms Al Najjar said her poem had received 15 million views on Instagram after Ms Accurso shared it. Out of nearly 62,000 people killed and more than 150,000 injured in Gaza since the war began in October 2023, more than 50,000 are children, according to a Unicef estimate. Earlier this month, the UN agency said that on average at least 28 children have been killed every day. Hunger has reached starvation levels as Israeli restrictions continue to make aid inaccessible, while plans for a military offensive into Gaza city threaten to displace a million people, or half the population of the Gaza Strip. Newborns and young children are reported to be dying from malnutrition. 'My message to mothers everywhere is, although our circumstances may be different, the love we have for our children unites us all. Mothers everywhere want nothing more than safety, peace and opportunities for their children to grow and thrive,' Ms Al Najjar says. Displaced with her family at least seven times already, Ms Al Najjar says the war has taught Gazans how to 'hold on to each other more tightly', and adds: 'We will emerge from this war stronger, seeking life.'
