French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu is expected to narrowly survive two no-confidence votes in parliament on Thursday, after offering to suspend President Emmanuel Macron’s controversial pension reform in a bid to win over opposition lawmakers.

Lecornu, already France’s shortest-serving prime minister in modern history before his reappointment last week, faced the threat of an even briefer second tenure until he made the dramatic concession on Tuesday.

The move effectively puts one of Macron’s signature policies on hold and underscores the fragility of the government’s grip on power.

The Socialist Party, which holds the balance of power in the National Assembly, welcomed Lecornu’s proposal and announced it would abstain from supporting no-confidence motions filed by both the far-left and the far-right National Rally.

Their decision significantly improves Lecornu’s chances of surviving the votes, though the outcome remains tight.

The government’s opponents, 265 lawmakers from various left- and right-wing factions, have pledged to back the motions, just 24 votes short of the 289 required to topple the prime minister and his cabinet.

Potential defections among Socialist or conservative Republican deputies, however, could still sway the result.

In an address to lawmakers on Wednesday, Lecornu said he would propose an amendment to the social security financing law in November to formally suspend the pension reform until after the 2027 presidential election.

The reform, which aimed to raise the retirement age and reduce pension deficits, sparked months of mass protests and strikes when first introduced in 2023.

The decision to freeze the reform deals a blow to President Macron’s economic legacy, leaving him with few major domestic policy victories as his second term enters its final stretch.

Analysts say the move also reflects mounting fiscal and political pressures as France grapples with high deficits and a deeply divided legislature.

The country remains mired in one of its worst political crises in decades, with successive minority governments struggling to pass key budgets amid an increasingly fragmented parliament split into three ideological blocs, the far-left, the center, and the far-right.

Meanwhile, the Socialists have shifted focus to the upcoming 2026 budget, pushing for the inclusion of a tax on billionaires as negotiations intensify.

For now, Lecornu’s calculated gamble may buy the government time, but it also highlights the steep price Macron’s administration is paying to stay in power.

Source: Reuters

Written By Rodney Mbua

Madagascar’s new military ruler, Colonel Michael Randrianirina, announced on Wednesday that he will soon be sworn in as the country’s president, following a military coup that ousted President Andry Rajoelina over the weekend.

The move comes as the African Union (AU) suspended the island nation, condemning the takeover and calling for a return to constitutional order.

Speaking at a press briefing in Antananarivo, Randrianirina said the military had “taken responsibility” for restoring stability after weeks of nationwide protests and defections within the security forces.

“We will be sworn in soon,” he told reporters, a day after the High Constitutional Court invited him to serve as interim head of state.

The coup leader confirmed that all state institutions had been dissolved except the National Assembly, and that a military-led committee would oversee a transitional government for up to two years before new elections are organized.

The African Union swiftly suspended Madagascar from all its activities, citing a breach of the bloc’s democratic principles. “The rule of law must prevail over the rule of force,” AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf said after an emergency meeting in Addis Ababa. “Our approach is grounded in law and dialogue.”

Former President Andry Rajoelina, who was impeached by lawmakers and fled the country on Sunday aboard a French military plane, has rejected the coup, insisting he remains the legitimate leader. He is believed to be in Dubai, according to diplomatic and opposition sources.

Rajoelina, once hailed as a reformist after seizing power in a 2009 coup backed by youth protests, failed to deliver on promises to improve living standards or curb corruption.

Madagascar, home to around 30 million people, three-quarters of whom live in poverty, has struggled with economic stagnation and political instability for decades.

Randrianirina, formerly a commander in the elite CAPSAT army unit that helped bring Rajoelina to power in 2009, turned against his former ally last week after refusing to order troops to fire on demonstrators demanding the president’s resignation.

The gendarmerie and national police have also declared their support for the coup, deepening Rajoelina’s isolation.

As Madagascar enters yet another uncertain political transition, regional leaders and international observers are urging calm and dialogue to prevent further turmoil in the Indian Ocean island nation.

Source: Reuters

Written By Rodney Mbua

U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday confirmed he has authorized the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to carry out covert operations in Venezuela, a move that marks a dramatic escalation in U.S. efforts to oust President Nicolás Maduro.

The New York Times, citing officials familiar with the matter, reported that the classified directive gives the CIA authority to conduct lethal operations in Venezuela and across parts of the Caribbean.

The plan reportedly forms part of a broader Trump administration strategy aimed at removing Maduro from power, which includes a $50 million reward for information leading to his arrest on drug trafficking charges.

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said he authorized the CIA operations for two main reasons: migration and drug trafficking.

“I authorized for two reasons really,” Trump said. “Number one, they have emptied their prisons into the United States of America. They came in because we had an open border. And the other thing is drugs.”

Trump provided no evidence to back his claim that Venezuela has released prisoners into the U.S. He also said Washington had made “great progress” in intercepting narcotics at sea and would now focus on overland trafficking routes.

While the White House declined to elaborate on what specific actions Trump had authorized, intelligence experts noted that CIA operations in such contexts could range from surveillance and intelligence gathering to direct paramilitary involvement.

The agency has a long and controversial history of covert activity in Latin America, including efforts during the Cold War and in anti-narcotics campaigns in Colombia and Mexico.

Venezuela’s government swiftly condemned Trump’s remarks as a violation of international law, accusing Washington of attempting to justify a regime-change operation to seize the country’s vast oil reserves.

“Our Permanent Mission to the UN will raise this complaint with the Security Council and the Secretary-General tomorrow, demanding accountability from the United States government,” Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil said in a statement.

Maduro’s administration has faced sustained U.S. sanctions and international isolation since 2019, when Washington and several Western nations recognized opposition leader Juan Guaidó as Venezuela’s legitimate leader.

Asked by reporters whether the CIA has been authorized to target Maduro directly, Trump declined to comment, saying only, “I think Venezuela is feeling heat.”

The president also accused Venezuela of being a hub for fentanyl trafficking,,a claim contradicted by U.S. data showing Mexico as the primary source of the deadly synthetic opioid.

Trump has ordered a significant U.S. military buildup in the southern Caribbean, with U.S. forces reportedly striking several vessels alleged to be linked to drug cartels, though Washington has yet to provide evidence for those claims.

The Pentagon recently informed Congress that Trump has declared the United States engaged in a “non-international armed conflict” with drug cartels.

The administration’s opaque approach has drawn criticism from members of Congress. Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, warned that Trump’s actions risk entangling the U.S. in another foreign conflict.

“The American people deserve to know if the Administration is leading the U.S. into another conflict, putting service members at risk or pursuing a regime-change operation,” Shaheen said.

As the CIA’s operations begin under Trump’s new directive, analysts warn that U.S. involvement in Venezuela could further destabilize the region and heighten tensions with allies wary of unilateral American interventions.

Source: Reuters

Written By Rodney Mbua

Aid convoys rolled into the Gaza Strip on Wednesday as Hamas handed over more bodies of Israeli hostages, easing tensions in a fragile ceasefire that has paused two years of devastating conflict.

Israel, which had threatened to close the Rafah crossing and restrict aid deliveries, confirmed preparations were under way to reopen the border and allow hundreds of trucks into the enclave.

According to Israeli security officials, 600 aid trucks are expected to enter Gaza under the latest phase of the U.S.-brokered truce. The Rafah crossing, shut for weeks, is set to reopen to civilians on Thursday, with a European Union mission deployed to oversee operations.

The latest breakthrough followed a dispute over the return of hostages’ bodies, which threatened to derail the ceasefire. Hamas returned several Israeli bodies overnight and two more on Wednesday, bringing the total to ten this week.

The Israeli military confirmed that the Red Cross had handed over two additional coffins for forensic identification.

A senior U.S. adviser said the recovery process was “more difficult than anticipated” because many bodies were believed to be buried under rubble. The adviser added that rewards may be offered to encourage civilians to provide information about the location of remains.

U.S. President Donald Trump, who brokered the ceasefire deal, warned that Israel could resume military operations if Hamas fails to disarm as agreed.

“Israel will return to those streets as soon as I say the word,” Trump told CNN. “If Israel could go in and knock the crap out of them, they’d do that.”

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has ordered the military to prepare a “comprehensive plan for the total defeat of Hamas” should fighting resume.

A senior U.S. official said Washington is working to establish an international stabilization force to secure Gaza once hostilities fully end.

Under the deal, Hamas is required to disarm and cede power, conditions it has so far resisted. The militant group has instead intensified internal security operations, executing several alleged collaborators and clashing with local clans.

Hamas’ armed wing said it had handed over all living hostages and the bodies it could recover, adding that locating the remaining 21 bodies would require “major efforts and special equipment.”

Israel, for its part, began returning Palestinian bodies as part of the exchange, with 45 of the 360 promised already handed over for identification, according to Palestinian health officials.

Video footage showed trucks carrying fuel and relief supplies moving through Rafah from Egypt into Gaza early Wednesday. The United Nations said the approved 600-truck entry is “a good base,” though far short of meeting the massive humanitarian needs in a territory where famine has been confirmed and health systems have collapsed.

“Our situation is utterly tragic. We returned to our homes in al-Tuffah and found nothing left,” said Moemen Hassanein, a Gaza resident, speaking amid a landscape of tents and rubble.

Israeli officials said aid continues to enter through Kerem Shalom and other crossings after security inspections, while the Palestinian Authority confirmed it is preparing to manage the Rafah crossing once it reopens.

Despite the ceasefire, violence persists within Gaza. Hamas has executed several people accused of collaboration, sparking condemnation from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, after videos verified by Reuters showed masked gunmen shooting seven men in public.

The U.S. Central Command urged Hamas to “suspend violence against civilians” and proceed with disarmament. Trump, while supporting Hamas’ crackdown on criminal gangs, warned that renewed airstrikes could follow if it fails to uphold the ceasefire terms.

Meanwhile, Israeli forces have withdrawn to what officials describe as a “yellow line” outside Gaza’s main cities under the truce framework.

As Gaza’s battered population awaits relief and stability, the future of the ceasefire, and the region’s broader peace process, remains uncertain, hinging on Hamas’ next moves and continued international pressure to maintain the fragile calm.

Source: Reuters

Written By Rodney Mbua

The landmines that triggered deadly clashes between Thailand and Cambodia in July were likely newly planted, according to multiple independent landmine experts consulted by Reuters.

The discovery has intensified tensions between the two Southeast Asian neighbours and raised fresh questions about adherence to international landmine treaties.

The confrontation began on July 16, when Thai Army Second Lieutenant Baramee Sricha and his patrol were on routine duty near a disputed section of the border. One soldier stepped on a PMN-2 anti-personnel mine, a Soviet-era device that exploded and severed Sricha’s ankle.

The incident sparked five days of cross-border hostilities, which ended with a U.S.-brokered ceasefire, but not before injuring several Thai soldiers and igniting a diplomatic dispute over the origin of the mines.

Thailand accused Cambodia of laying new PMN-2 mines along parts of the border, claiming that at least six of its soldiers had been maimed since July. Cambodia denied the charge, insisting that the explosives were remnants of its civil war era, when millions of mines were planted during decades of conflict that ended in the 1990s.

However, four independent experts who analyzed photos and videos of the recovered mines told Reuters the ordnance appeared recently laid.

“The mines I was shown had no dirt accumulation or brittleness that you would expect from older PMN-2s,” said Andrew Vian Smith, a U.K.-based mine specialist. “They looked like they had been in the ground for no more than a few months.”

Yeshua Moser-Puangsuwan of Landmine Monitor, part of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, said the mines’ pristine condition and lack of vegetation cover suggest recent placement. “Flooding might move an old mine but would not make it look new,” he noted.

The Cambodia Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA) rejected the conclusions, saying environmental factors such as soil erosion or flooding could make older ordnance appear newer.

CMAA’s First Vice President Ly Thuch added that a determination could only be made after an impartial third-party investigation, stressing that Cambodia’s military no longer holds stockpiles of live anti-personnel mines.

Thailand’s military shared photographs, videos, and shrapnel evidence from two border incidents, on July 16 and July 23, which it said confirmed the presence of PMN-2 mines.

Reuters verified the metadata on several of the images, showing they were captured between July 18 and 23, coinciding with Thai demining operations, though the precise locations could not be independently confirmed.

Cambodia maintains that the explosion on July 16 was not caused by a PMN-2, suggesting instead that the mine could have been of American, Chinese, or Vietnamese origin.

The dispute has strained bilateral relations and put Cambodia under scrutiny for a possible violation of the Ottawa Convention, which bans the use and stockpiling of anti-personnel mines. Both countries are signatories to the treaty.

Thailand has since filed a formal complaint under the convention’s compliance mechanism and asked UN Secretary-General António Guterres to press Phnom Penh for a response.

“The Secretary-General hopes that Thailand and Cambodia will achieve a cooperative resolution,” said UN deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq, reaffirming the UN’s support for dialogue.

Since 1991, Cambodia has spent over $1 billion, with international assistance, on demining its heavily contaminated territory.

More than 3,200 square kilometres of land have been cleared, and over 1,800 PMN-2 mines have been neutralized since September 2023.

If confirmed, the new use of PMN-2 mines would mark a serious reversal of Cambodia’s decades-long commitment to eliminating the weapon, which has already claimed tens of thousands of lives since 1979.

As both countries trade accusations, experts warn that renewed mine deployment in the border zone risks undermining three decades of demining progress and destabilizing a region still haunted by its violent past.

Source: Reuters

Written By Rodney Mbua