*Evening News Round-up: Wednesday 28 May 2025* *Headlines* *Mnangagwa Threatens Journalists: "Harmful Content Will Be Met With A Punch In The Eye”* *UZ Students Protest Against Replacement Of Striking Lecturers* *...As Top Educational Institution Teeters On Brink Of Collapse* *Zimbabwe Sees $2.6bn Bridge Finance In Place By Early 2026* *Tagwirei-led Land Tenure Committee A coterie Of Looters: Mawarire* *EcoCash Holdings, Not EcoCash Mobile Money, Is Changing Its Name* *South Africa In Talks With Zimbabwe & Zambia Over DRC Power Line* *Gokwe Woman (33) Arrested For Draining Blood From 10-Year-Old Girl* *Man Demolishes House He Built For In-Laws After Their Daughter Divorced Him* *Congo Ex-president Kabila Visits Rebel-held Goma For Talks, Associates Say* *Kenya President William Ruto Apologies To Tanzania Over Deportation Row* *Sudan War Shatters Infrastructure, Costly Rebuild Needed* *US-backed Gaza Aid Model ‘Distraction From Atrocities’, UNRWA Chief Says* *US & Russia Clash In Public As The Ukraine War Heats Up* *Arsenal Have Underachieved: Henry* Join our *Ad-free* News Channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VacXkvFJJhzd2UoZYF1F *Stories in Detail:* *Mnangagwa Threatens Journalists: "Harmful Content Will Be Met With A Punch In The Eye”* President Emmerson Mnangagwa has issued a stern warning to Zimbabwean journalists, stating that content deemed harmful to the country or its citizens would not be tolerated and would be met with “a punch in the eye”. Speaking at the launch of Zimbabwe’s Media and Communications Policy in Harare, Mnangagwa declared; “The past trends where media practitioners competed for prominence on the degree to which they demonise our country has no place in Zimbabwe we fought for. “We are building the Zimbabwe we all want, including the media. Content that harms our country and fellow citizens has no place in our constitutional democracy under my watch. “The law and justice system will take its course on all those who infringe on the rights of others on media platforms. “Under my leadership, the media will continue to be our cornerstone for promoting unity, peace, social cohesion, harmony and the love for our country. Anything besides this, chibhakera muziso (we punch you in the face).” This warning comes after Alpha Media Holdings senior journalist Blessed Mhlanga was recently granted bail on May 7, having been detained for 72 days. Mhlanga was arrested on February 24 and charged with ‘transmitting data messages that incite violence or damage to property’ after interviewing a former senior member of the ruling Zanu-PF party, Blessed Geza, who had criticised President Mnangagwa calling for his removal from office. Amnesty International has called for all charges against Mhlanga to be dropped, describing his prosecution as “unjust and in contravention of Zimbabwe’s constitutional and international obligations to respect and uphold the rights to freedom of expression and press freedoms.” For over two decades, the Zimbabwean government has faced persistent and widespread criticism concerning its human rights record. This criticism is characterised by a pattern of abuses, including the frequent arrest and detention of journalists and opposition political activists, often under politically motivated charges. These actions, alongside other forms of repression such as the excessive use of force against peaceful protestors and arbitrary detentions, have been consistently documented by local and international human rights organisations. The media policy launch was held under the theme, “Promoting media excellence and diversity for national development.” *UZ Students Protest Against Replacement Of Striking Lecturers* UNIVERSITY of Zimbabwe (UZ) students are standing in solidarity with their striking lecturers, vowing to resist any attempts to bring in replacement staff. The lecturers have been on an indefinite strike against poor salaries, which began on 16 April. They held their third demonstration at UZ, Tuesday, where they vowed to press on with the industrial action until their demands are met. Delivering a solidarity speech Tuesday during the striking lecturers’ third demonstration, Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) representative Darlington Chingwena said their education had been “stolen,” accusing university authorities of threatening their future by neglecting the plight of academic staff. “Our education was stolen from us and we are going to fight and demand our right to education. “We are not going to tolerate the hiring of scabs to teach us, our future was robbed, our future is at stake, we are going to pursue and recover our education and no one is going to stop or threaten us because we are even prepared to die for this thing,” Chingwena said. UZ lecturers are demanding a return to their pre-2018 salaries when a junior lecturer earned US$2,250. Currently, they earn US$230. About a week ago, the university announced plans to replace striking lecturers with temporary staff earning just US$5.50 per hour, 40% of which will be paid in local ZWG currency. The students vowed they will not accept the replacement of their lecturers with scab lecturers. “The idea of scabs is going to be met with fire and fury like what the world has never seen before, the students are ready, and we are not going to surrender until the right thing is done,” Chingwena said. *...As Top Educational Institution Teeters On Brink Of Collapse* “Vaforomani” by the late System Tazvida blared from the public announcement system at the University of Zimbabwe, encapsulating the struggles of the lecturers on Tuesday morning. The yesteryear song, a hard-hitting social commentary, challenges those in authority to acknowledge the plight of the working class by improving their conditions. These sentiments mirror the grievances of University of Zimbabwe (UZ) lecturers, who have now spent 42 days on strike, marked by picketing at the institution. UZ lecturer and renowned author Memory Chirere told NewZimbabwe.com that their current salaries have left them at the mercy of poverty. “Our strike is for the demand of a better salary. An ordinary lecturer is getting less than US$229 a month, which is far too little compared to what we used to receive before 2018. We cannot pay our bills, feed our families, or send our children to school,” said Chirere. The lecturers, under the Association of University Teachers (AUT), have been locked in a dispute with UZ, demanding that their grievances be addressed. However, the university has remained mum, threatening to abandon academic processes as lecturers remain resolute. Chirere warned that if the situation remains unresolved, UZ risks cancelling graduation due to the ongoing impasse. “What this means is, since we have been out for over a month, there will not be exams for the students because they have not been taught. It also means there may well be no graduation this year. “The exams for Block Two have not been processed. The teaching for Block Three has not taken place, and the teaching for Block Four has not taken place. The university is still at a standstill,” said Chirere. Lecturers are demanding salaries of US$2,500, which they argue are in line with other higher education institutions in Southern Africa. An AUT spokesperson told NewZimbabwe.com that their situation is worsened by the lack of essential teaching tools, forcing them to use personal equipment. “The issues are quite numerous. At UZ, from time immemorial, this has been a huge challenge—worse under the current vice-chancellor. We have now adopted Education 5.0, which requires a big chunk of online teaching and adapting to global trends. “They have not provided tools of the trade. For example, we do not have computers issued for work. There are no smartphones, and we do not have data. “The other issue is the working environment itself. UZ administration is dictatorial. There is no platform for engagement,” said Obvious Vengeyi, the AUT spokesperson. In response, UZ has taken a heavy-handed approach, suspending striking lecturers and reportedly recruiting replacement staff at US$3 per hour. According to AUT, the newly hired staff are insufficient to cater to the overwhelming number of students enrolled at the institution. Chirere expressed concern over the continued silence from UZ leadership, led by Vice-Chancellor Paul Mapfumo. “What worries us is that there seems to be no response from the responsible authorities within the University of Zimbabwe about our plight,” said Chirere. *Zimbabwe Sees $2.6bn Bridge Finance In Place By Early 2026* Zimbabwe expects the $2.6 billion bridge finance — needed to repay debt owed to international financial institutions and regain access to capital markets — to be in place by the first quarter of next year, Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube said. Ncube shared details of the roadmap to revamp the southern African nation’s debt at an event in Abidjan, Ivory Coast’s commercial capital, on Monday, on the sidelines of the African Development Bank’s annual meetings. The country is currently negotiating with some of the world’s richest nations, including the UK, Germany and Brazil to become bridge financiers. The nation wrote to 10 nations to request bridge funds, Ncube said, adding that official bilateral bridge loans are "government’s preferred strategy to clear the arrears." The southern African nation owes creditors $21 billion. The debt has precluded it from accessing global capital markets since it defaulted on payments in 1999. It expects to finalise a staff-monitored program with the International Monetary Fund by the end of June, a key step to attract bridge financing sponsors. An IMF delegation is also scheduled to pay a visit to the country next month. The European Investment Fund, which the country owes $390 million, made up of $150 million principal and the rest in interest, expects to be treated "as preferred creditor," in the debt talks, said Roger Stuart, head of regional hub at EIB. "That is the totality of the arrears will be paid" to EIB without any losses, he said. "We will be part of a process whereby all the international financial institutions will agree." Outgoing AfDB President Akinwumi Adesina urged the Abidjan-based lender to consider using part of its African Development Fund to help Zimbabwe clear some of its arrears. "I am ending my time as AfDB president but will not and will never end my support for Zimbabwe," he said. "Whoever is my successor will continue and takeover the work." *Bloomberg* *Tagwirei-led Land Tenure Committee A coterie Of Looters: Mawarire* LATE President Robert Mugabe’s spokesperson Jealousy Mawarire has come out in support of a constitutional court application by disgruntled war veterans who are challenging the legality of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Lands Tenure Implementation Committee. The Committee, led by businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei, seeks to establish freehold on agricultural land despite clear constitutional provisions placing its ownership in the State. According to war veterans, the committee has been demanding payments of an unclear nature from beneficiaries of the country’s Land Reform Programme, with some being ordered to pay as much as US$1.5 million. War veterans want the committee declared unlawful and for it to let all land issues be dealt with by the constitutionally mandated Land Commission. Speaking on SABC’s Channel Africa, in support of the court application, Mawarire described the committee as a quartet of looters and Mnangagwa’s land barons. "The President’s attempt to introduce freehold land ownership is a huge departure from the provisions of the constitution and the overarching objective of the liberation struggle, which was to deal with private ownership of land," said Mawarire. "We have a President who does not respect the constitution for which he was sworn in to uphold. "In the event that the President has abrogated his responsibilities and has actually, in this case, started to behave like a land baron, then the war veterans are duty-bound to step in and offer those checks and balances that the opposition can no longer do. "They have launched a constitutional court application in order to put a stop to this madness that is being presided over by the President and his coterie of looters. "If you look at the whole scheme, this is a parallel structure formed by the President outside the provision of the constitution." Section 296, Section 297 and Section 72 of the Zimbabwean constitution confirm State ownership of all agricultural land, confirm the role of the Land Commission and further cancel all existing title deeds for it. Mawarire, who has been very vocal, not just about the land issue but Mnangagwa’s attempts to unconstitutionally stay in power beyond his two terms up to 2030, said the fact that war veterans were now confronting Zanu PF themselves indicated an absence of opposition politicians. After close to two decades of keeping Zanu PF on its toes, the MDC, now led by Douglas Mwonzora, is a shell of its former glory. The Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), once headed by Nelson Chamisa, was hijacked by self-styled secretary general Sengezo Tshabangu and has since been singing in favour of Mnangagwa’s term extension. Chamisa withdrew from the party and announced a sabbatical. "It is actually an indication that we no longer have opposition politics in the country, that is why you find war veterans have stepped in to provide checks and balances. *NewZW* *EcoCash Holdings, Not EcoCash Mobile Money, Is Changing Its Name* Zimbabwe’s biggest telecoms and tech company, Econet Wireless Zimbabwe Limited, has clarified that EcoCash, the country’s largest mobile money platform, is not changing its name. This comes after misleading headlines like "EcoCash changes name" caused some confusion. The mix-up likely stems from business restructuring under Econet Wireless a few years ago. Back in 2018, Econet Wireless separated its fintech businesses, including EcoCash, VAYA Technologies, Econet Insurance, Econet Life, MARS Zimbabwe, and Maisha Health Fund, into a new company called EcoCash Holdings. This created two separate companies: Econet Wireless and EcoCash Holdings. But in April 2024, Econet reversed this move by bringing most of those businesses, including the EcoCash mobile money platform, back under Econet Wireless. The only business left in EcoCash Holdings was Steward Bank. *South Africa In Talks With Zimbabwe & Zambia Over DRC Power Line* South Africa’s Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, Gwede Mantashe, has announced that the country is in discussions with Zambia and Zimbabwe regarding the possibility of routing an electricity transmission line from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) through their territories. This line is set to be a crucial part of the ambitious Grand Inga Hydropower Project, a significant energy development on the Congo River. The project is expected to provide South Africa up to 2,500 megawatts (MW) of electricity, bolstering its energy capacity and contributing to its long-term power stability. The Grand Inga Hydropower Project is one of the world’s most significant planned hydropower developments. Situated on the Congo River in the DRC, the project aims to generate an enormous amount of electricity. South Africa, an important energy consumer in the Southern African region, is particularly interested in importing electricity from the Inga 3 station, the first planned hydropower plant in the Grand Inga series. In a recent session with Members of Parliament (MPs) in the Portfolio Committee on Mineral and Petroleum Resources, Minister Mantashe addressed questions about South Africa’s involvement in the Grand Inga Project and the progress of electricity supply negotiations. Mantashe clarified: "The Grand Inga project is not ours; it’s a DRC project, given to the Spanish and Chinese. We have a right to buy equity in it, which would have to be approved by the DRC. We have not bought that equity, so we can’t really pretend to be managing the Inga project. It is not our project. We have committed ourselves to a quantity of electricity South Africa will use, but the project’s driving is out of our jurisdiction." Despite not directly managing it, Mantashe’s comments reflect South Africa’s ongoing interest in the project. The country aims to secure a reliable and sustainable electricity supply from the Grand Inga Hydropower Project, which is crucial for addressing South Africa’s energy crisis. The proposed electricity transmission line from the DRC will pass through Zimbabwe and Zambia, making these two countries essential partners in the project. Mantashe confirmed that discussions with both nations are ongoing, as the line will cross through their territories to reach South Africa. He stated: "In the plan for Grand Inga, there is a plan for a transmission line to go through two countries to South Africa, so it is possible. Electricity is not loaded in a truck; it is transmitted through a line that can cross borders. In our discussions, we have explored the possibility of involving Zimbabwe and Zambia, as the transmission line will cross their territory. So, it is possible to get electricity from Grand Inga." This collaboration would benefit South Africa and provide Zimbabwe and Zambia access to cheaper, renewable electricity, potentially easing their energy shortages. Despite South Africa’s enthusiasm for the Grand Inga project, the matter has not been without controversy. MKP MP Crown Prince Adil Nchabaleng questioned the feasibility of the plan, stating: "You can’t expect to tell us you will power South Africa from the Grand Inga project. Is South Africa discussing a concession to resell in that market concerning the 2,500 MW as an investment partnership? You cannot power South Africa from the Grand Inga project." In response, Mantashe emphasised that discussions were still underway, underscoring that the transmission line’s construction would be crucial for ensuring that the electricity generated by the Grand Inga plants could reach South Africa and the surrounding region. While South Africa is the primary recipient of the electricity, the Grand Inga project has the potential to offer several benefits for Zimbabwe. As one of the countries through which the transmission line will pass, Zimbabwe stands to gain from improved energy infrastructure, potential energy trade agreements, and an increase in power supply to meet its domestic needs. Zimbabwe has faced frequent power shortages, partly due to a lack of investment in energy infrastructure and an over-reliance on ageing power plants. The Grand Inga project could provide the country access to cleaner, renewable energy, reducing the reliance on coal-powered plants and mitigating load shedding issues The collaboration between South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Zambia on the Grand Inga project highlights the potential for regional energy cooperation in Southern Africa. By sharing resources and working together to harness renewable energy, these countries can create a more stable and sustainable energy grid for the entire region. When fully operational, the Grand Inga Hydropower Project could become a key driver of economic development in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Zambia. Its success could also serve as a model for future energy collaborations in Africa. *263chat* *Gokwe Woman (33) Arrested For Draining Blood From 10-Year-Old Girl* Police in Gokwe South District, Midlands Province, have arrested a 33-year-old woman in connection with the alleged extraction of blood from a 10-year-old girl at Gokwe Centre. Mavis Sibanda, a market stallholder dealing in clothing at Gokwe Centre, is at the centre of the investigation. Inspector Emmanuel Mahoko, the spokesperson for the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) in Midlands, confirmed the shocking incident, which has left Gokwe Town residents deeply unsettled. He said: Zimbabwe Republic Police arrested a 33-year-old woman on allegations of assault involving the draining of blood from a 10-year-old juvenile. The case occurred in Gokwe Town on 26 May 2025 at about 10 AM. Inspector Mahoko said the suspect was at her marketplace in Gokwe Town when the incident occurred. He said: It is alleged, she called a 10-year-old girl who was passing by and injected her with a needle before draining blood. Sibanda was subsequently arrested and remains in custody as police conduct thorough investigations into the incident. *Man Destroys House He Built For In-Laws After Their Daughter Divorced Him* Zambian man has reportedly demolished the house he built for his in-laws after their daughter divorced him, according to reports the wife divorced him for another man after 10 years of marriage. The incident which took place in Zambia has left people in shock and the brotherhood proud. According to sources close to the situation, the man had invested significant time, effort, and resources into building the home for his in-laws as a gesture of goodwill during his marriage. However, following the dissolution of the couple’s decade-long union, the man allegedly took drastic action, tearing down the structure. The message from the man seems to be perfectly clear, their new in law should also build for them since the parents approved the divorce. The man’s former wife and her family have not issued a public statement regarding the incident, and it remains unclear whether legal action will be pursued. Authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding the demolition, including property ownership and any potential legal ramifications. *Congo Ex-president Kabila Visits Rebel-held Goma For Talks, Associates Say* Congolese former president Joseph Kabila has arrived in the rebel-held eastern city of Goma for talks with locals, three people close to him told Reuters, a month after declaring he wanted to help end the crisis in the war-ravaged region. If confirmed, the visit could complicate a U.S.-backed bid to end a rebellion by the Rwandan-backed M23 armed group in eastern Congo, which contains valuable minerals that U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is keen to help mine. Kabila, who has denied accusations by Kinshasa that he supports the M23 insurgency, agreed to step down following protests and external pressure in 2018 after almost two decades in power. He has been out of the country since late 2023, mostly in South Africa. The three people said the former president will begin holding consultations on Wednesday with citizens in Goma, which fell under the control of M23 in January during an advance that has seen the group seize more ground than ever before. The people close to Kabila said he had arrived in Goma on Sunday night. Corneille Nangaa, leader of the rebel alliance that includes M23, has also said on social media that Kabila is in Goma, though Kabila himself has not spoken and no images of him in Goma have been published. The reported visit follows a vote in the Senate in Kinshasa last week overwhelmingly in favour of lifting his immunity from prosecution over his alleged links to M23. Government spokesman Patrick Muyaya said in a briefing aired on state television Tuesday that Kabila was "positioning himself as the rebel leader" along with Rwandan President Paul Kagame. 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. Congo has also moved to suspend his political party and seize the assets of its leaders. In a speech on Friday evening, Kabila said Congo's justice system was being "openly exploited for political ends" and was "nothing more than an instrument of oppression" for President Felix Tshisekedi's government. Kabila, who came to power in 2001 after his father's assassination, clung to office following Congo's disputed 2018 election for almost two years through an awkward power-sharing deal with Tshisekedi. Tshisekdi cut him out at the end of 2020 by chipping away at his influence and accusing him of blocking reforms. The two men's relationship has since soured to the point that, as M23 marched on east Congo's second-largest city of Bukavu in February, Tshisekedi told the Munich Security Conference that Kabila had sponsored the insurgency. Washington is pushing for a peace agreementto be signed this summer, accompanied by minerals deals aimed at bringing billions of dollars of Western investment to the region, Massad Boulos, Trump's senior adviser for Africa, told Reuters earlier this month. The United Nations and Western governments say Rwanda has provided arms and troops to M23. Rwanda denies backing M23 and says its military has acted in self-defence against Congo's army and a militia founded by perpetrators of the 1994 genocide. *Reuters* *Kenya President William Ruto Apologies To Tanzania Over Deportation Row* Kenya's President William Ruto has publicly apologised to Tanzania following days of tension between the neighbouring countries. Some Kenyans on social media have been targeting Tanzania's President Samia Suluhu Hassan following the recent detention and deportation of prominent East African activists. Angry Tanzanian MPs on Monday accused Kenyans of cyberbullying and disrespecting Tanzanian sovereignty and "meddling in domestic affairs". Speaking at a national prayer breakfast on Wednesday, Ruto appeared to extend an olive branch to Tanzania. "To our neighbours from Tanzania, if we have wronged you in any way, forgive us," he said. "If there is anything that Kenyans have done that is not right, we want to apologise," the president added. Ruto also apologised to young Kenyans, popularly known as Gen-Zs, who have been critical of his administration since the deadly anti-tax protesters last June. Some of them have dismissed Ruto's apology, insisting that the president should resign. The president made the remarks in response to a call by visiting American preacher Rickey Allen Bolden, who urged leaders to pursue reconciliation. The diplomatic row was triggered by the deportation of activists who had travelled to Tanzania to attend the trial of opposition leader Tundu Lissu. Among them were Kenyan Boniface Mwangi and Agather Atuhaire from Uganda. The two said they were held incommunicado for several days and tortured, before they were left at the border by Tanzanian security forces, sparking widespread condemnation across the region and from international rights groups. Tanzania is yet to comment on the torture claims but President Samia had earlier warned that she would not allow activists from neighbouring countries to "meddle" in her country's affairs and cause "chaos". Both Kenya and Uganda had formally protested against the detention of the activists, accusing the Tanzanian authorities of denying consular access despite repeated requests. The alleged mistreatment of the activists triggered an online war, with social media users from Kenya and Tanzania clashing over the claims. In a heated debate on Monday, Tanzanian parliamentarians expressed outrage over the young Kenyans trolling President Samia. The MPs said Samia had every right to defend Tanzania's national interests. The legislators' comments angered some Kenyans who hit back by sharing lawmakers' contacts and flooding their phones with messages to express their disapproval. Tanzania's Iringa Town MP Jesca Msambatavangu said that most of the messages came via WhatsApp, forcing her to temporarily switch off her phone. Msambatavangu, however, welcomed the engagement, encouraging Kenyans on social media to "counter ideas with ideas". She asked young Kenyans to create a WhatsApp group for further engagement and promised to engage them in a live session on Saturday. "Kenyans are our neighbours, our brothers, and we cannot ignore each other," she added. *BBC* *Sudan War Shatters Infrastructure, Costly Rebuild Needed* Destroyed bridges, blackouts, empty water stations and looted hospitals across Sudan bear witness to the devastating impact on infrastructure from two years of war. Authorities estimate hundreds of billions of dollars' worth of reconstruction would be needed. Yet there is little chance of that in the short-term given continued fighting and drone attacks on power stations, dams and fuel depots. Not to mention a world becoming more averse to foreign aid where the biggest donor, the U.S., has slashed assistance. The Sudanese army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been battling since April 2023, with tens of thousands of people killed or injured and about 13 million uprooted in what aid groups call the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Residents of the capital Khartoum have to endure weeks-long power outages, unclean water and overcrowded hospitals. Their airport is burnt out with shells of planes on the runway. Most of the main buildings in downtown Khartoum are charred and once-wealthy neighbourhoods are ghost towns with destroyed cars and unexploded shells dotting the streets. "Khartoum is not habitable. The war has destroyed our life and our country and we feel homeless even though the army is back in control," said Tariq Ahmed, 56. He returned briefly to his looted home in the capital before leaving it again, after the army recently pushed the RSF out of Khartoum. One consequence of the infrastructure breakdown can be seen in a rapid cholera outbreak that has claimed 172 deaths out of 2,729 cases over the past week alone mainly in Khartoum. Other parts of central and western Sudan, including the Darfur region, are similarly ravaged by fighting, while the extensive damage in Khartoum, once the centre of service provision, reverberates across the country. Sudanese authorities estimate reconstruction needs at $300 billion for Khartoum and $700 billion for the rest of Sudan. The U.N. is doing its own estimates. Sudan's oil production has more than halved to 24,000 barrels-per-day and its refining capabilities ceased as the main al-Jaili oil refinery sustained $3 billion in damages during battles, Oil and Energy Minister Mohieddine Naeem told Reuters. Without refining capacity, Sudan now exports all its crude and relies on imports, he said. It also struggles to maintain pipelines needed by South Sudan for its own exports. Earlier this month, drones targeted fuel depots and the airport at the country's main port city in an attack Sudan blamed on the UAE. The Gulf country denied the accusations. All of Khartoum's power stations have been destroyed, Naeem said. The national electrical company recently announced a plan to increase supply from Egypt to northern Sudan and said earlier in the year that repeated drone attacks to stations outside Khartoum were stretching its ability to keep the grid going. *Reuters* *US-backed Gaza Aid Model ‘Distraction From Atrocities’, UNRWA Chief Says* The head of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) has condemned the new United States-backed aid model in Gaza, saying it is a "distraction from atrocities" taking place there, as a second day of chaotic, deadly scenes unfolded as desperate Palestinians tried to access aid. Ismail al-Thawabta, director of the Government Media Office in Gaza, confirmed to Al Jazeera that at least six people were shot and killed by Israeli forces on Wednesday while trying to reach an aid distribution point west of Rafah in the south of the besieged enclave. The deaths came a day after at least three people were killed and dozens wounded when the Israeli military opened fire on Palestinians trying to get to the aid. On Tuesday, thousands of Palestinians clambered over fences to reach the humanitarian supplies at a distribution site run by the newly formed, US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), in Rafah. Ajith Sunghay, head of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in the occupied Palestinian territory, told reporters in Geneva on Wednesday that 47 Palestinians were wounded, mainly by Israeli gunfire, during that incident. The Israeli military said its forces had fired warning shots nearby. "We have seen yesterday the shocking images of hungry people pushing against fences, desperate for food. It was chaotic, undignified and unsafe," UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini told reporters at the Japan National Press Club in Tokyo. "I believe it is a waste of resources and a distraction from atrocities," Lazzarini continued. "We already have an aid distribution system that is fit for purpose." Israel has facilitated the GHF’s efforts and said the model keeps supplies out of Hamas’s hands. The GHF has faced accusations of helping Israel fulfil its military objectives while excluding Palestinians, bypassing the UN system and failing to adhere to humanitarian principles. The GHF said it had distributed about 8,000 food boxes, equivalent to 462,000 meals, since Israel eased an 11-week blockade of the war-shattered Palestinian enclave last week. The UN and other international aid groups have boycotted the foundation, which they said undermines the principle that humanitarian aid should be distributed independently of the parties to a conflict and based on need. "The model of aid distribution proposed by Israel does not align with core humanitarian principles," Lazzarini said on Wednesday. "It will deprive a large part of Gaza, the highly vulnerable people, of desperately needed assistance," he said. He added: "We used to have before 400 distribution places, centres in Gaza. With this new system, we are talking about three to four, maximum, distribution places. "So it’s also a way to incite people to be forcibly displaced to get humanitarian assistance," he said. As a trickle of aid has resumed, Israeli forces – now in control of wide areas of Gaza – have kept up their offensive, killing 3,901 Palestinians since a short ceasefire collapsed in mid-March, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health. At least eight people were killed and others were wounded early on Wednesday when Israeli forces targeted the home of journalist Osama al-Arbid, who reportedly survived the strike in the as-Saftawi area in northern Gaza. Medical sources told Al Jazeera that at least 15 people have been killed by Israeli attacks across Gaza since early on Wednesday. The Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said on Monday that at least 3,822 people had been killed in the territory since Israel ended a ceasefire on March 18, taking the war’s overall death toll to 53,977, mostly civilians. *Al Jazeera* *US & Russia Clash In Public As The Ukraine War Heats Up* The United States and Russia quarrelled in public on Wednesday over the intensifying Ukraine war after U.S. President Donald Trump warned that President Vladimir Putin was "playing with fire" and Moscow massed 50,000 troops near a Ukrainian region. While world leaders bicker over the prospects for peace, the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War Two is heating up fast: swarms of drones are being launched by both sides while Russia is advancing at key points along the front. Trump, in a post on Truth Social, said that Putin was playing with fire and cautioned that "REALLY BAD" things would have happened already to Russia if it was not for Trump himself. "What Vladimir Putin doesn't realize is that if it weren't for me, lots of really bad things would have already happened in Russia, and I mean REALLY BAD. He's playing with fire," Trump said in a Truth Social post on Tuesday. Putin's foreign policy aide, Yuri Ushakov, told a state TV reporter that Trump's remark suggested that he is not well-briefed on the realities of the war. "Trump is not sufficiently informed about what is really happening in the context of the Ukrainian-Russian confrontation," Ushakov said. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it was clear the Trump administration is making "considerable efforts towards a peaceful settlement" and that Russia was "grateful for the mediation efforts of President Trump personally." "Just like the United States, Russia has its own national interests, which are above all for us, and they are above all for our president," Peskov said. After speaking to Trump on May 19, Putin said he had agreed to work with Ukraine on a memorandum which would set out the contours of a peace accord including the timing of a ceasefire. Peskov said Russia was preparing for the next round of negotiations with Ukraine and to continue contacts with the United States. But U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said that Trump was losing patience with Russia. "His patience has worn thin," Bruce said in an interview with Fox News. Trump, who has known Putin for some time, "feels that something has happened to him, and he's unable to explain it, and clearly he's quite frustrated enough to express that outrage in public." *Reuters* *Arsenal Have Underachieved: Henry* Arsenal have underachieved under manager Mikel Arteta in the past three years, says former captain Thierry Henry. Arteta, 43, has transformed the Gunners since leaving Manchester City for the club in 2019, making the side regular title challengers. However, the club have not won a piece of silverware since beating Chelsea in the FA Cup final during Arteta's first season in charge in 2020. Arsenal have finished second in the past three Premier League seasons, and they were knocked out at the semi-final stage of the Champions League and Carabao Cup this term. "I'm not saying that I'm disappointed with Arsenal, but it's normal that people are raising questions now about what the team is doing," Henry told the Stick to Football podcast., external "I understand that at the very beginning you arrive and it's not your team. You need at the very least three or four transfer windows to change everything that you want to. "It takes time and you have to give a manager time to be able to implement what he wants to do. "For the last three years Arsenal have been in a situation where they should have at least brought one cup or [reached] a final." Arsenal have averaged 82 points per season over the past three Premier League campaigns. But Henry used Manchester United, who have won two trophies and competed in five finals during the past five years, as a comparison. "Manchester United have played in five finals in the last five years, the United that everyone laughs at - whereas for Arsenal in the last three years of building, they've not reached a final," said Henry. "So I do understand when people ask the question, 'surely you should compete for a trophy?'" *BBC*