Latest news with #OfficeofthePresident
See - Sada Elbalad
7 days ago
- Politics
- See - Sada Elbalad
Ihor Zhovkva: Agrohub in Egypt Is Ukraine's Ambitious Goal to Strengthen Regional Partnership
Basant Ahmed Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Ihor Zhovkva, held a phone call with the National Security Advisor to the President of Egypt, Faiza Abou el-Naga. The parties discussed the implementation of the agreements reached by the Presidents of Ukraine and Egypt during their phone call on July 2. In particular, they focused on the development of bilateral trade cooperation. Ihor Zhovkva emphasized that Egypt remains Ukraine's largest trading partner in the Middle East and Africa, with the volume of bilateral trade nearly returning to pre-war levels. The key topic of the conversation was food security. The parties discussed the establishment of a Ukrainian agro-industrial hub on the territory of Egypt. 'Ukraine is ready to remain a reliable guarantor of Egypt's food security. We have an ambitious goal – to open a regional logistics hub for Ukrainian food products in Egypt. We are working together to achieve it,' said the Deputy Head of the Office of the President. Ukraine and Egypt will also work to enhance cooperation in the fields of industry and tourism. Special attention during the conversation was paid to the importance of achieving a just and lasting peace. Ihor Zhovkva thanked Egypt for its constructive stance within the UN General Assembly, in particular for supporting Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. read more Gold prices rise, 21 Karat at EGP 3685 NATO's Role in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict US Expresses 'Strong Opposition' to New Turkish Military Operation in Syria Shoukry Meets Director-General of FAO Lavrov: confrontation bet. nuclear powers must be avoided News Iran Summons French Ambassador over Foreign Minister Remarks News Aboul Gheit Condemns Israeli Escalation in West Bank News Greek PM: Athens Plays Key Role in Improving Energy Security in Region News One Person Injured in Explosion at Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid News Israeli-Linked Hadassah Clinic in Moscow Treats Wounded Iranian IRGC Fighters Arts & Culture "Jurassic World Rebirth" Gets Streaming Date News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier Videos & Features Tragedy Overshadows MC Alger Championship Celebration: One Fan Dead, 11 Injured After Stadium Fall Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt Arts & Culture South Korean Actress Kang Seo-ha Dies at 31 after Cancer Battle Business Egyptian Pound Undervalued by 30%, Says Goldman Sachs Sports Get to Know 2025 WWE Evolution Results News "Tensions Escalate: Iran Probes Allegations of Indian Tech Collaboration with Israeli Intelligence" News Flights suspended at Port Sudan Airport after Drone Attacks
UPI
22-07-2025
- Politics
- UPI
Ukraine, Russia to resume peace negotiations hosted by Turkey
1 of 2 | Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Tuesday that Ukraine and Russia are set for a third round of peace talks. File Photo by Sefano Spaziani/UPI | License Photo July 22 (UPI) -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said a third round of direct peace talks with Russia will be held in Turkey on Wednesday in tandem with another prisoner swap. Zelensky made the announcement in his nightly address following a meeting with National Security Secretary Rustem Umerov on "preparations for a prisoner exchange and another meeting in Turkey." The Ukrainian negotiation team will be headed by Umerov along with representatives of Ukrainian intelligence, the foreign ministry and the Office of the President, Zelensky said in a post on X. "Ukraine is ready to work as productively as possible to secure the release of our people from captivity and return of abducted children, to stop the killings, and to prepare a leaders' meeting aimed at truly bringing this war to an end. "Our position is fully transparent. Ukraine never wanted this war, and it is Russia that must end the war that it started," Zelensky said. Previous rounds hosted by Turkey in May and June this year broke up without any breakthrough but did deliver progress on humanitarian issues, including large-scale exchanges of the two sides' respective prisoners-of-war. Moscow immediately sought to downplay expectations for the talks, saying it was unlikely to sign onto any "miraculous" peace deal proposal. "There is no reason to expect any breakthroughs in the category of miracles -- it is hardly possible in the current situation," said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. "We intend to pursue our interests, we intend to ensure our interests and fulfil the tasks that we set for ourselves from the very beginning." The gap between the two sides does remain as large as ever, with neither side moving on from their demands set out at the last meeting on June 2, which lasted barely an hour. In Russia's case, that includes the withdrawal of all Ukrainian forces from four provinces -- Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia -- "annexed" by Russia in 2022 and international recognition of those territories, as well as Crimea, as Russian. Ukraine wants a cease-fire to allow further negotiations toward a permanent end to the conflict as well as exchanges of all POWs and return of abducted children and all Ukrainian civilians being held by Russia. Russia has been doubling up on a summer offensive that threatens to penetrate the Ukrainian defensive line along a 620-mile front by ramping up its nightly air raids on Ukrainian towns and cities. At least three people, including a 10-year-old boy, were killed and 17 were injured in Donetsk overnight in the latest drone, guided-bomb and missile strikes. Six other provinces were also targeted in attacks that injured another 28 people. The growing death toll and ferocity of Russia's renewed airborne campaign prompted U.S. President Donald Trump to issue Moscow on July 14 with a 50-day ultimatum to agree a peace deal or face "very severe" economic sanctions. He also pledged to get more defensive weapons systems to Ukraine "within days," via the United States' NATO partners in Europe.
GMA Network
22-07-2025
- Climate
- GMA Network
LIST: Classes, gov't work suspended in 37 provinces on Wednesday, July 23, 2025
In light of the continuous heavy rainfall brought by the Southwest Monsoon, or habagat, the Office of the President has issued Memorandum Circular No. 90, suspending government work and classes at all levels in several parts of the country on Wednesday, July 23, 2025. The suspension was made upon the recommendation of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC). Areas with Class and Government Work Suspensions on July 23, 2025: NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION Metro Manila ILOCOS REGION Ilocos Norte Ilocos Sur La Union Pangasinan CAGAYAN VALLEY Nueva Vizcaya CORDILLERA ADMINISTRATIVE REGION Abra Benguet Ifugao Mountain Province CENTRAL LUZON Bataan Bulacan Pampanga Tarlac Zambales Nueva Ecija CALABARZON Batangas Cavite Laguna Quezon Rizal MIMAROPA Marinduque Occidental Mindoro Oriental Mindoro Palawan Romblon BICOL REGION Albay Camarines Sur Catanduanes Masbate Sorsogon WESTERN VISAYAS Aklan Antique Capiz Guimaras Iloilo Negroc Occidental Meanwhile, vital agencies involved in disaster response, health, and essential services will remain operational. Private companies may choose whether to suspend work, at the discretion of their respective management. Local government units in other regions not listed may issue their own suspension orders as needed. The directive takes immediate effect and was signed by Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin, by authority of the President.
DW
07-07-2025
- Politics
- DW
Zambia's cyber laws: Safety or surveillance? – DW – 07/07/2025
Zambian leaders say new cybersecurity laws are protecting citizens from online scams and identity theft. But critics see them as an attack on freedom of expression. It has been almost three months since Zambia's president, Hakainde Hichilema, signed the Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Acts of 2025 into law. His supporters hailed the laws, calling them progressive, and said they would help fight digital crimes and improve national security. But rights groups maintain the laws, especially the Cyber Crimes Act, are undemocratic, and stifle freedom of expression and speech. The laws allow for the interception and surveillance of all electronic communications, including calls, emails, messages and streamed content. The Zambia Cyber Security Agency has been moved from an independent state agency and brought under the Office of the President. Violating the laws also carries significant consequences: the legislation allows for the extradition of Zambians abroad, and stiff penalties, from fines to prison sentences — potentially two to 25 years — depending on the specific offense committed. Mulambo Haimbe, Zambia's Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, said the legislation is meant to protect citizens online and not stifle fundamental freedoms. "This conception that the cyber laws are perhaps meant to intrude, to go into your personal details in a willy-nilly fashion is not correct," he told journalists at a press briefing in Lusaka. "It needs to be put in its proper context, contrary to the assertions that the government's intention is to intercept any of your communication and break into your gadget," he added. Oliver Shalala Sepiso, a media consultant for the ruling United Party for National Development (UPND), also defended Zambia's new cyber laws — saying they are not about the surveillance of citizens but merely for digital or data protection. To play this audio please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 audio Given that the laws are meant to protect Zambians from digital crimes and identity theft while improving national security, their enactment on April 8 received surprisingly little fanfare. There was so little media coverage that most Zambians only learned about the new rules through an alert issued by the United States embassy in Lusaka, warning Zambians abroad about the intrusive nature of the legislation. "Cyber legislation is needed to combat cybercrimes that are very rampant, like identity theft, and online fraud," Richard Mulonga, CEO of Bloggers of Zambia, told DW. "There are some provisions that have the potential to restrict free expression, for example, assembly and association, and just broader digital rights." Lungisani Zulu, President of the Law Association of Zambia, said his association will challenge the new law in court. "Numerous provisions of the Act, which is now law, infringe upon the rights and freedoms of citizens, hinder a free press, and have the potential to undermine the cherished democracy in our country," Zulu said. The new laws replace the Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Act of 2021, which was passed by former president, Edgar Lungu. Under these laws, Zambia police arrested Mbewe Sibajene in April 2024 for circulating satirical memes and videos mocking government officials and institutions. Police said the memes were abusive, defamatory, and aimed at inciting public disorder towards state institutions. To play this audio please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 audio Among the contentious provisions are laws that criminalize so-called false information, vague definitions of indecent content, and a lack of protection for journalists reporting on sensitive national issues. The Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), a regional media watchdog in eight African countries, says the new law has already impacted journalists negatively. "Journalists are living in fear because whenever they are doing their stories, they need to now do self-censorship because they don't know what is going to come out from what they are doing," Kennedy Mbulo, vice chairperson of MISA Zambia, told DW, "it has also impacted investigative journalism. You cannot record an individual because one day that could be used as evidence." Tech-savvy young Zambians are divided over the new cyber laws. Kellys Mushota, a frequent social media user and youth member of Zambia's Congress of Trade Unions, has noticed some changes online. "The enactment of this law has seen some reduction in the number of harassment or even the way of harassment social media users engage in. However, there has also been a reduction of the will by people to speak freely on matters such as governance and politics," he told DW. Kitwe-based 22-year-old researcher Joshua Seke says young people online are worried about their private conversations being intercepted by authorities. "If you look at what young people are saying online, does it mean that now I can't laugh with my girl online? Is the government actually going to read everything that we do?" he asked. Others, like 31-year-old Lusaka resident Mary Ndau, told DW that the laws would discourage online abuse. "People will be doing the right thing online, they will not express bad behaviors or bully others online because they will be subjected to the law," she said. As opposition leader, President Hichilema repeatedly criticized cyber laws, describing them as tools of government surveillance. Yet he has enacted arguably even stricter cybersecurity laws. Kampala-based Edrine Wanyama of CIPESA (Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa), says cyber security legislation is not unique to Zambia, with neighbors South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia, and Malawi also enacting cybersecurity laws. "Countries tend to pick practices from one country, and apply in theirs," the lawyer told DW. "The whole virus keeps biting the rest of the continent, and these laws have been found to be effective for governments in checking on freedoms of expression, access to information, assembly and association in the online spaces." The West Africa Media Foundation has also reported a rise in restrictive cyber laws infringing on freedom of expression and privacy in countries like Nigeria, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Benin and Niger.
DW
07-07-2025
- Politics
- DW
What have Zambia's new cyber laws achieved so far? – DW – 07/07/2025
Zambian leaders say new cybersecurity laws are protecting citizens from online scams and identity theft. But critics see an attack on freedom of expression. It has been almost three months since Zambia's president, Hakainde Hichilema, signed the Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Acts of 2025 into law. His supporters hailed the laws, calling them progressive, and said they would help fight digital crimes and improve national security. But rights groups maintain the laws, especially the Cyber Crimes Act, are undemocratic, and stifle freedom of expression and speech. The laws allow for the interception and surveillance of all electronic communications, including calls, emails, messages and streamed content. The Zambia Cyber Security Agency has been moved from an independent state agency and brought under the Office of the President. Violating the laws also carries significant consequences: the legislation allows for the extradition of Zambians abroad, and stiff penalties, from fines to prison sentences — potentially two to 25 years — depending on the specific offense committed. Mulambo Haimbe, Zambia's Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, said the legislation is meant to protect citizens online and not stifle fundamental freedoms. "This conception that the cyber laws are perhaps meant to intrude, to go into your personal details in a willy-nilly fashion is not correct," he told journalists at a press briefing in Lusaka. "It needs to be put in its proper context, contrary to the assertions that the government's intention is to intercept any of your communication and break into your gadget," he added. Oliver Shalala Sepiso, a media consultant for the ruling United Party for National Development (UPND), also defended Zambia's new cyber laws — saying they are not about the surveillance of citizens but merely for digital or data protection. To play this audio please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 audio Given that the laws are meant to protect Zambians from digital crimes and identity theft while improving national security, their enactment on April 8 received surprisingly little fanfare. There was so little media coverage that most Zambians only learned about the new rules through an alert issued by the United States embassy in Lusaka, warning Zambians abroad about the intrusive nature of the legislation. "Cyber legislation is needed to combat cybercrimes that are very rampant, like identity theft, and online fraud," Richard Mulonga, CEO of Bloggers of Zambia, told DW. "There are some provisions that have the potential to restrict free expression, for example, assembly and association, and just broader digital rights." Lungisani Zulu, President of the Law Association of Zambia, said his association will challenge the new law in court. "Numerous provisions of the Act, which is now law, infringe upon the rights and freedoms of citizens, hinder a free press, and have the potential to undermine the cherished democracy in our country," Zulu said. The new laws replace the Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Act of 2021, which was passed by former president, Edgar Lungu. Under these laws, Zambia police arrested Mbewe Sibajene in April 2024 for circulating satirical memes and videos mocking government officials and institutions. Police said the memes were abusive, defamatory, and aimed at inciting public disorder towards state institutions. To play this audio please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 audio Among the contentious provisions are laws that criminalize so-called false information, vague definitions of indecent content, and a lack of protection for journalists reporting on sensitive national issues. The Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), a regional media watchdog in eight African countries, says the new law has already impacted journalists negatively. "Journalists a living in fear because whenever they are doing their stories, they need to now do self-censorship because they don't know what is going to come out from what they are doing," Kennedy Mbulo, vice chairperson of MISA Zambia, told DW, "it has also impacted investigative journalism. You cannot record an individual because one day that could be used as evidence." Tech savvy young Zambians are divided over the new cyber laws. Kellys Mushota, a frequent social media user and youth member Zambia's Congress of Trade Unions, has noticed some changes online. "The enactment of this law has seen some reduction in the number of harassment or even the way of harassment social media users engage in. However, there has also been a reduction of the will by people to speak freely on matters such as governance and politics," he told DW. Kitwe-based 22-year-old researcher Joshua Seke says young people online are worried about their private conversations being intercepted by authorities. "If you look at what young people are saying online, does it mean that now I can't laugh with my girl online? Is the government actually going to read everything that we do?" he asked. Others, like 31-year-old Lusaka resident Mary Ndau, told DW that the laws would discourage online abuse. "People will be doing the right thing online, they will not express bad behaviors or bully others online because they will be subjected to the law," she said. As opposition leader, President Hichilema repeatedly criticized cyber laws, describing them as tools of government surveillance. Yet he has enacted arguably even stricter cybersecurity laws. Kampala-based Edrine Wanyama of CIPESA (Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa), says cyber security legislation is not unique to Zambia, with neighbors South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia, and Malawi also enacting cybersecurity laws. "Countries tend to pick practices from one country, and apply in theirs," the lawyer told DW. "The whole virus keeps biting the rest of the continent, and these laws have been found to be effective for governments in checking on freedoms of expression, access to information, assembly and association in the online spaces." The West Africa Media Foundation has also reported a rise in restrictive cyber laws infringing on freedom of expression and privacy in countries like Nigeria, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Benin and Niger.
