*Evening News Round-up: Friday 23 May 2025* *Headlines* *3,400 Girls Forced Out Of School As Early Marriages & Teenage Pregnancies Plague Education System* *No End In Sight To The Electricity Crisis* *MP’s Vehicle Shot At In Hotel Brawl Over Married Woman* *South Africa Town Leader 'Sad' About Trump's Misuse Of White Crosses Video* *US Says Sudan Used Chemical Weapons In War As It Issues New Sanctions* *Congo Votes To Lift Immunity Of Former President Kabila* *US Judge Blocks Trump Effort To Bar Harvard From Enrolling Foreign Students* *Trump Renews Trade Threats, Taking Aim At European Union, Apple* *Israel Maintains Minimal Aid Deliveries To Gaza Amid Hunger Crisis* *Man Utd Tell Staff Of Job Losses In Second Round Of Redundancies* Join our *Ad-free* News Channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VacXkvFJJhzd2UoZYF1F *Stories in Detail:* *3,400 Girls Forced Out Of School As Early Marriages & Teenage Pregnancies Plague Education System* LAST year, 3,433 girls were forced out of school as a result of early marriages and adolescent pregnancies, the government has revealed. Of these, 3,324 were secondary school pupils, while 109 dropped out of primary school—a damning statistic in the country’s fight against underage pregnancies. Mashonaland East recorded the highest number of dropouts, with 499 girls’ education disrupted by teenage pregnancy. Speaking in Parliament recently, Deputy Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Angeline Gata painted a grim picture, reporting that girls as young as 13 had fallen pregnant. "We visited a school in Manicaland. While conducting monitoring and evaluation, we asked the headmaster to provide statistics on any dropouts at the school. He mentioned that two 13-year-old girls had dropped out due to pregnancy," the deputy minister said. "We need the support of everybody—the MPs here—so that, to reduce these cases of early marriages and pregnancies, we must work together as a community. We must advocate for our girls—all of us here," said Gata. The ministry has partnered with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and child protection agencies, leading to increased reporting of early marriages and teenage pregnancies. Despite the government’s stance and legislation against relationships with girls under the age of 18, cases of early marriages and adolescent pregnancies continue to be recorded. Gata also stated that, out of the 3,433 affected girls, 667 had been readmitted into the school system. "We have readmitted girls into our schools. Of the 3,433, 467 who were married have returned to school. Additionally, 710 pregnant girls have been readmitted," said Gata. Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) Member of Parliament Mutsa Murombedzi challenged the government over the high dropout rate, noting that some pregnancies were linked to rape. "Are any arrests being made? It is good that we have the Hon. Minister of Home Affairs here—perhaps they can address these questions together so we understand the government’s approach to this problem of early pregnancies, given that some involve rape," said Murombedzi. *NewZW* *No End In Sight To The Electricity Crisis* ZIMBABWE is facing a severe energy crisis, with daily load-shedding lasting up to 16 hours, while neighbouring Zambia is cautiously optimistic about reducing its power outages by August 2025. Government attributes the energy crisis primarily to the El Niño-induced drought as seen in reduced water levels at Kariba Dam, a crucial source of hydroelectric power for both countries. Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) public relations and communications manager Selusiwe Moyo said water allocation to Zimbabwe and Zambia remained low as a result. "Our immediate focus is on rebuilding the dam’s reservoir levels, which were critically depleted by drought," Moyo said. "Only after stabilisation can we sustainably increase water allocation to both Kariba North and Kariba South power stations." ZRA increased Zambia’s water allocation to 13,5 billion cubic metres in 2025, up from eight billion in 2024. This development has led Zesco Limited to project a reduction in load-shedding by August 2025. Speaking during a media briefing at the Kariba North Bank Power Station, Christopher Singogo, Zesco senior manager, said the recent gains in reservoir levels and power imports could ease the strain on electricity generation. "The situation remains delicate, but the signs are encouraging," he said. "With higher water inflows and improved resource management, we are hopeful of reducing the intensity of load shedding by the third quarter." Meanwhile, the Zambia National Marketers Credit Association (ZANAMACA) is calling for greater private sector involvement in tackling the energy crisis. "This is not just Zesco’s problem; it is a national crisis that needs all hands-on deck — especially from the private sector," Mupila Kameya, the ZANAMACA president said. "It’s time we move beyond dependence on hydropower and invest in solar and alternative energy sources." As Zambia manages the crisis with measured electricity generation and as ZRA pursues long-term hydropower development, Zimbabwe’s energy sector faces significant challenges. *newsday* *MP’s Vehicle Shot At In Hotel Brawl Over Married Woman* A Member of Parliament’s vehicle windscreen was damaged during a hotel car park incident after he was allegedly caught with a married woman, law enforcement sources said. Masvingo South MP Tanatsiwa Mukomberi was unhurt in the May 20 incident at a Harare hotel. Police sources said the MP spent some time in his hotel room with the woman, who is not being named, before they briefly left in her white Nissan X-Trail, returning just before 9PM. "When they pulled up at the hotel, the husband Wilson Mutambwani was lying in wait in a Toyota Aqua. He must have got information that she was there," the source said. Mutambwani, 38, of Vancouver Road in Braeside, allegedly assaulted the MP before pulling a pistol and shooting at the windscreen of his parked Ford Ranger, damaging it in the process. Police have established the weapon was a pellet gun. "It was absolute carnage," said the source. "The suspect then grabbed the woman’s handbag with her car keys and phone before jumping in his car. The wife also got in the Aqua and they left." The couple, ZimLive heard, returned to the hotel in a taxi at around 3PM on May 21 and drove off in the woman’s X-Trail which was still in the parking lot. The woman told police she was in the process of divorcing Mutambwani, but he was refusing to let go. Mutambwani, who works at a panel beating shop in Msasa, has been charged with malicious damage to property and assault. Police also seized an air pistol used in the incident. Mukomberi declined to comment. *ZimLive * *South Africa Town Leader 'Sad' About Trump's Misuse Of White Crosses Video* A local representative of an area shown in a video played at the White House said she was "sad" that U.S. President Donald Trump used the footage of hundreds of white crosses as false evidence of mass killings of white South African farmers. Trump showed an aerial shot of a procession of cars moving along a road lined with white crosses during his meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday, as he doubled down on false claims of a white genocide in South Africa. He said the crosses were "burial sites" for over 1,000 white farmers. The shot, whose location and date were verified by Reuters, showed crosses that were actually placed along the road between the town of Newcastle and the rural community of Normandien in 2020 as a tribute to a farming couple who had been murdered, said Bebsie Cronje, a ward councillor for Newcastle, in KwaZulu-Natal province. The crosses, installed to accompany a memorial service for the couple, have since been removed. "The crosses was not a display of how many farm murders (took place) or whatever. It was just a total tribute to the Raffertys," she told Reuters by telephone. "I feel it's very sad that something like this is being used politically." The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. South Africa's police minister Senzo Mchunu also said in a press briefing on Friday that the crosses were linked to the murder of the Rafferty couple. Three suspects were arrested and sentenced for their killing and are in jail, he said. "They were sadly murdered by criminals in their home. The incident sparked a very strong protest by the farming community. The crosses symbolised killings on farms over years, they are not graves," he said. He added that claims of a "white genocide" in South Africa were "unfounded and unsubstantiated", saying the country only recorded six farm murders in the first three months of 2025, which included one white person. A total of 5,727 murders took place over that period, down from 6,536 in the same period last year, figures from the police ministry showed. "The history of farm murders in the country has always been distorted and reported in an unbalanced way. The truth is that farm murders have always included African people in more numbers." Cronje said the placing of the crosses was not politically motivated. "There was a group that was very close to the Raffertys. And they organised the gathering and the travelling of everybody there," said Cronje, referring to the long line of vehicles in the video. She said that since then, another white farmer from Newcastle was murdered. But she did not feel that the crimes were linked to race. "I can't say that it's just white people. If a black farmer is killed, it doesn't come to the news," said Cronje, who is from the Democratic Alliance, South Africa's second-biggest political party and a coalition partner of the African National Congress. *Reuters* *US Says Sudan Used Chemical Weapons In War As It Issues New Sanctions* The US will impose new sanctions on Sudan after finding it used chemical weapons last year in the ongoing civil war against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the state department has said. US exports to the country will be restricted and financial borrowing limits put in place from 6 June, a statement from spokesperson Tammy Bruce read. A Sudanese government spokesperson described the accusations as "baseless claims with no supporting evidence". Both the Sudanese military and the paramilitary group the RSF have previously been accused of war crimes during the conflict, which they have denied. More than 150,000 people have been killed during the conflict, which began two years ago when Sudan's army and the RSF began a vicious struggle for power. In recent months, Sudan's military has recaptured the capital of Khartoum, but fighting continues elsewhere. No detail was provided about which chemical weapons the US said it found, but the New York Times reported in January that Sudan used chlorine gas on two occasions, which causes a range of painful and damaging effects and can be fatal. This was said to have been in remote areas which were not named. No visual evidence has been shared so far as proof of the weapons having been used in the current war in Sudan. "The United States calls on the government of Sudan to cease all chemical weapons use and uphold its obligations under the CWC," the statement read, referring to the Chemical Weapons Convention under which signatories have committed to destroy their stockpiles of the weapons. In a strongly worded statement, Sudan's Culture and Information Minister Khalid Al-Ayesir described the US's actions as "political blackmail", adding that they further eroded US "credibility" and eliminated "any remaining influence it may have in Sudan". He said it was a "fabricated narrative... to mislead international opinion and offer political cover to illegitimate actors complicit in crimes against the Sudanese people". He said the US had previously made "false claims" about chemical weapons in Sudan, pointing to the 1998 Al-Shifa attack, when the US bombed a Sudanese pharmaceutical factory. At the time the US had alleged the factory was being used as a site to manufacture chemical weapons and was linked to Osama Bin-Laden's network, which Sudan strongly denied. After the bombing, the US lifted a decision to freeze the assets of the factory owner, which was viewed at the time as an implicit acknowledgment that there was not sufficient evidence to justify the bombing. Nearly every country in the world - including Sudan - has agreed to the CWC, apart from Egypt, North Korea and South Sudan according to the Arms Control Association, a US-based non-partisan membership organisation. Israel has signed the agreement but not ratified its signature, meaning it has not legally confirmed its involvement in the treaty, the ACA adds. "The United States remains fully committed to hold to account those responsible for contributing to chemical weapons proliferation," Bruce added. This is not the first time the US has imposed sanctions in Sudan. In January, they were issued against leaders of both parties embroiled in the conflict. Sudan's military leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan was accused of "destabilising Sudan and undermining the goal of a democratic transition" by the US, which the country's foreign ministry condemned as "strange and troubling". Meanwhile, the head of the RSF Mohammed Hamdan Daglo, also known as Hemedti, was determined to have perpetrated genocide in the country by former secretary of state Antony Blinken. The RSF has denied these charges. The rival forces have been struggling for power for the past two years, displacing around 12 million people and leaving 25 million needing food aid, more than double the population of London. New sanctions will have little effect on the country as a result of these prior measures, according to the AFP news agency. This latest US move comes amid tensions over the alleged involvement of the United Arab Emirates in the conflict. The UAE and Sudan had maintained diplomatic ties until earlier this month when the Sudanese government alleged the UAE provided arms to the RSF, an allegation the UAE denies. Following US President Donald Trump's warm reception in the Gulf state last week, Democrats in Congress sought to block the sale of arms from the US to the UAE in part due to its alleged involvement in the conflict. A Sudanese diplomatic source told news agency Reuters that the US had imposed the new sanctions "to distract from the recent campaign in Congress against the UAE". *BBC* *Congo Votes To Lift Immunity Of Former President Kabila* Congo's senate voted overwhelmingly in favour of lifting former President Joseph Kabila's immunity from prosecution in a late night vote on Thursday over his alleged links to the M23 rebel group. Kabila is wanted in Congo for alleged crimes against humanity for supporting the insurgency in the east, including a role in the massacre of civilians and personnel. Congo has also moved to suspend his political party and seize the assets of its leaders. Kabila, who denies any ties to the rebel group, stepped down after almost 20 years in power in 2018, yielding to protests. He has been out of the Central African country since late 2023, mostly in South Africa. The senate backed lifting his immunity by 88 votes to 5 in a secret ballot. Kabila has been threatening to return to Congo for weeks to help find a solution to the crisis in the east, where Rwandan-backed M23 rebels now control large swathes of territory. A return to Congo by Kabila could complicate the bid to end the rebellion in eastern Congo, which contains vast supplies of critical minerals that President Donald Trump's administration is keen to access. Washington is pushing for a peace agreement between the two sides to be signed this summer, accompanied by minerals deals aimed at bringing billions of dollars of Western investment to the region, Massad Boulos, U.S. President Donald Trump's senior adviser for Africa, told Reuters earlier this month. Kabila came to power in 2001 after his father's assassination. He refused to stand down when his final term officially ended in 2016, leading to deadly protests, before agreeing to leave office following an election in 2018. *Reuters* *US Judge Blocks Trump Effort To Bar Harvard From Enrolling Foreign Students* A United States judge has issued a temporary restraining order against an effort to prevent Harvard University from enrolling foreign students. Friday’s ruling comes in response to an emergency petition filed earlier in the day in the federal district court of Boston, Massachusetts. In that petition, Harvard sought immediate relief after the administration of President Donald Trump barred it from using a federal government system, the Student and Exchange Visitor Program, that is required for the enrolment of international students. US District Judge Allison Burroughs agreed with Harvard that the school and its students may suffer harm if the Trump administration’s decision is allowed to take effect. Her injunction is set to last for approximately two weeks, and she set hearing dates on May 27 and 29. Friday’s lawsuit against the Trump administration is Harvard’s second in less than two months. The latest is a response to a decision on Thursday announced by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Her department oversees the Student and Exchange Visitor Program, and she said she is revoking Harvard’s privilege to use the system based on its failure to address Trump administration concerns. "This administration is holding Harvard accountable for fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus," she wrote on social media. The revocation means that Harvard can no longer accept foreign students. Those already enrolled will need to transfer to another school. The move represents a major escalation in Trump’s pressure campaign against Harvard and other top US universities. He has accused schools of allowing anti-Semitism to fester, promoting "discriminatory" diversity programmes, and pushing ideological slants. But in Friday’s lawsuit, Harvard called the Trump administration’s actions a "blatant violation" of the US Constitution and other federal laws. *Aljazeera* *Trump Renews Trade Threats, Taking Aim At European Union, Apple* U.S. President Donald Trump threatened on Friday to ratchet up his trade war once again, pushing for a 50% tariff on European Union goods starting June 1 and warning Apple he may slap a 25% levy on all iPhones bought by U.S. consumers. The twin threats, delivered via social media, roiled global markets after weeks of de-escalation had provided some reprieve. The S&P 500 fell 1% in early trading, the Nasdaq fell 1.2%, and European shares fell 1.5%. Trump's broadside against the EU was prompted by the White House's belief that negotiations with the bloc are not progressing fast enough. But his saber-rattling also marked a return to Washington's stop-and-start trade war that has shaken markets, businesses and consumers and raised fears of a global economic downturn. The president's attack on Apple, meanwhile, is his latest attempt to pressure a specific company to move production to the United States, following automakers, pharmaceutical companies and chipmakers. However, the United States does not produce any smartphones - even as U.S. consumers buy more than 60 million phones annually - and moving production would likely increase the cost of iPhones by hundreds of dollars. "All the optimism over trade deals wiped out in minutes – seconds, even," said Fawad Razaqzada, market analyst at City Index and FOREX.com, in a note. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News on Friday that the 50% EU threat will hopefully "light a fire under the EU," adding that other countries have been negotiating with Washington in good faith. "The European Union, which was formed for the primary purpose of taking advantage of the United States on TRADE, has been very difficult to deal with," Trump wrote on his Truth Social site. "Our discussions with them are going nowhere!" The European Commission on Friday declined to comment on the new threat, saying it would wait for a phone call between EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic and his U.S. counterpart Jamieson Greer scheduled for Friday. Envoys from the 27 EU countries are also due to meet on trade in Brussels later in the day. Speaking to reporters in The Hague, Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof said he agreed with the EU's strategy in trade talks with the United States, and said the EU would likely to see this latest announcement as part of the negotiations. "We have seen before that tariffs can go up and down in talks with the US," he said. The White House paused most of the punishing tariffs Trump announced in early April against nearly every country in the world after investors furiously sold off U.S. assets including government bonds and the U.S. dollar. He left in place a 10% baseline tax on most imports, and later reduced his massive 145% tax on Chinese goods to 30%. "My base case is that they are able to reach an agreement, but I am most nervous about negotiations with European Union," said Nathan Sheets, global chief economist at Citigroup in New York. A 50% levy on EU imports could raise consumer prices on everything from German cars to Italian olive oil. *Reuters* *Israel Maintains Minimal Aid Deliveries To Gaza Amid Hunger Crisis* Aid agencies have continued to criticise Israel after it announced it had sent a small convoy of trucks carrying vital supplies into Gaza. COGAT, the Israeli military body responsible for civil affairs in the occupied Palestinian territory, confirmed on Friday that 107 trucks had entered the enclave the previous day, loaded with flour, medicine and equipment. However, aid agencies and others have condemned Israel’s policy to allow only minimal volumes of aid into Gaza, which the Israeli military has been blockading for close to three months. They insist that the supplies are nowhere near enough for the millions trapped in the territory, and add that even the small amounts making it in are not making it to people due to Israeli attacks and looting. The shipments follow Israel’s announcement on Sunday that it would permit "minimal" humanitarian aid into the territory for the first time since implementing a total blockade in early March. Amid warnings of mounting famine and humanitarian disaster, Israel said that the decision to allow aid into Gaza was driven by diplomatic concerns. Global outrage has been rising as the 11-week siege has progressed, leaving Gaza’s 2.1 million people on the brink of starvation, with medicine and fuel supplies exhausted. The United Nations’ Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher has branded the aid deliveries "a drop in the ocean" and warned that far greater access is required to address the escalating crisis. The UN estimates that at least 500 trucks of aid are needed daily. Since Monday’s announcement, only 300 trucks have made it in, including Thursday’s convoy, according to COGAT. *Attacks and looting* Aid agencies also state that even the aid that is being allowed into Gaza is not reaching people. "Significant challenges in loading and dispatching goods remain due to insecurity, the risk of looting, delays in coordination approvals and inappropriate routes being provided by Israeli forces that are not viable for the movement of cargo," the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said. Hamas officials said on Friday that Israeli air strikes had killed at least six Palestinians guarding aid trucks against looters. An umbrella network of Palestinian aid groups said that just 119 aid trucks have entered Gaza since Israel eased its blockade on Monday, and that distribution has been hampered by looting, including by armed groups of men. "They stole food meant for children and families suffering from severe hunger," the network said in a statement. The UN’s World Food Programme said on Friday that 15 of its trucks were looted in southern Gaza while en route to WFP-supported bakeries. *Aljazeera* *Man Utd Tell Staff Of Job Losses In Second Round Of Redundancies* Manchester United have told some staff working at their Carrington training ground that they will lose their jobs in the second round of redundancies since Sir Jim Ratcliffe bought into the club last year. Club insiders say the actual process, which could lead to 200 staff losing their jobs, has been ongoing for a number of weeks, with most staff already aware if they are to remain at the club or not. However, BBC Sport has been told some staff connected to the first team were not informed of their fate until Friday so that preparations for Wednesday's Europa League final against Tottenham were not disrupted. It is anticipated that the sports science, medical and scouting departments will be among the areas that could be affected, with up to 200 jobs set to go. Now the game is out of the way, staff in the affected areas are being informed. Sources claim those staff had earlier been told their positions would be clarified at a later date. It means in cases of specific roles in those areas being cut back, staff affected are being told whether they are to remain at United or not. Morale around the club is said to be at a low ebb given this latest news has come so soon after the defeat by Tottenham in the Europa League final. Club sources are adamant the timescale for the redundancies has not changed. United had about 1,100 employees before the first wave of cuts last year. About 250 employees were made redundant during the first round of redundancies, saving the club between £8m and £10m. United chief executive Omar Berrada said earlier this year that between 150 and 200 redundancies were set to follow. Defeat in Bilbao means United will be without European football next season for only the second time since 1990, leaving a £100m hole in the club's finances. Ratcliffe has embarked on a series of cost-cutting initiatives since purchasing a minority stake in the club in February 2024. Club ambassadors, including Sir Alex Ferguson, have had their roles reprised, while a canteen for staff was closed and replaced with the offer of free fruit. Ratcliffe and fellow co-owner Avram Glazer attended Wednesday's final in Bilbao, with Ferguson pictured alongside them. Sources have told BBC Sport that a number of cars were driven to Bilbao before the final for the use of Ratcliffe and senior club officials during their time in Spain. The club stuck to plans to hold a barbecue for the first-team squad and family members at Carrington following the defeat by Spurs. But the latest cutbacks come against a bleak financial backdrop, with United losing more than £370m over the past five years. According to their 2024 accounts, they owe £313m in outstanding transfer payments to other clubs.Manchester United have told some staff working at their Carrington training ground that they will lose their jobs in the second round of redundancies since Sir Jim Ratcliffe bought into the club last year. Club insiders say the actual process, which could lead to 200 staff losing their jobs, has been ongoing for a number of weeks, with most staff already aware if they are to remain at the club or not. However, BBC Sport has been told some staff connected to the first team were not informed of their fate until Friday so that preparations for Wednesday's Europa League final against Tottenham were not disrupted. It is anticipated that the sports science, medical and scouting departments will be among the areas that could be affected, with up to 200 jobs set to go. Now the game is out of the way, staff in the affected areas are being informed. Sources claim those staff had earlier been told their positions would be clarified at a later date. It means in cases of specific roles in those areas being cut back, staff affected are being told whether they are to remain at United or not. Morale around the club is said to be at a low ebb given this latest news has come so soon after the defeat by Tottenham in the Europa League final. Club sources are adamant the timescale for the redundancies has not changed. United had about 1,100 employees before the first wave of cuts last year. About 250 employees were made redundant during the first round of redundancies, saving the club between £8m and £10m. United chief executive Omar Berrada said earlier this year that between 150 and 200 redundancies were set to follow. Defeat in Bilbao means United will be without European football next season for only the second time since 1990, leaving a £100m hole in the club's finances. Ratcliffe has embarked on a series of cost-cutting initiatives since purchasing a minority stake in the club in February 2024. Club ambassadors, including Sir Alex Ferguson, have had their roles reprised, while a canteen for staff was closed and replaced with the offer of free fruit. Ratcliffe and fellow co-owner Avram Glazer attended Wednesday's final in Bilbao, with Ferguson pictured alongside them. Sources have told BBC Sport that a number of cars were driven to Bilbao before the final for the use of Ratcliffe and senior club officials during their time in Spain. The club stuck to plans to hold a barbecue for the first-team squad and family members at Carrington following the defeat by Spurs. But the latest cutbacks come against a bleak financial backdrop, with United losing more than £370m over the past five years. According to their 2024 accounts, they owe £313m in outstanding transfer payments to other clubs. *bbc*