Foreign
Two die, dozens injured in stampede at Odinga’s state funeral
Two people died and dozens were injured in a stampede at the state funeral of Kenya’s revered opposition leader, Raila Odinga, on Friday as crowds rushed to see his coffin, Doctors Without Borders said.
It came a day after at least three people were killed when security forces opened fire to disperse a crowd that had gathered to see Odinga’s body in a separate ceremony.
Odinga, 80, died from a suspected heart attack at a health clinic in southern India on Wednesday, triggering a huge outpouring of grief for a man known affectionately as “Baba” (father) by many Kenyans.
Friday’s state funeral began calmly at Nairobi’s Nyayo stadium, with President William Ruto telling the crowd that Odinga “walked among us as a man but also charged among us as a movement for change, a movement for justice… for a better and greater Kenya.”
Moments later, a surge of mourners trying to reach the coffin on the pitch turned deadly.
AFP journalists saw people trampled underfoot, leaving some with broken bones or difficulty breathing.
Medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said emergency responders “attended to 163 patients and referred 34 others for further care”.
“Most injuries involved blunt trauma and fractures. Tragically, two lives were lost in the stampede,” MSF said in a statement.
– ‘The father’ –
Arguably the most important political figure of his generation in Kenya, Odinga served as prime minister from 2008 to 2013 but never succeeded in winning the presidency despite five attempts.
But he outlasted many rivals and is credited as a major player in returning Kenya to multi-party democracy in the 1990s and overseeing the widely praised constitution of 2010.
“I have freedom of speech because of Raila… I’m here because he is the father,” said Paul Oloo, a supporter at the funeral.
There were also chaotic scenes on Thursday as Odinga’s body was repatriated from India and taken to another stadium on the outskirts of Nairobi to be viewed by mourners.
As huge crowds surged towards a VIP gate, security forces opened fire, killing at least three people, according to prominent rights group VOCAL Africa based on information from the city morgue.
It was not clear if the security forces fired directly into the crowd or used live rounds. Autopsies are due on Tuesday.
– ‘Excessive use of force’ –
AFP met families of the victims at the city morgue on Friday and saw photos of the bodies that appeared to show bullet wounds.
“He was not disorderly in any way but he was shot,” said the brother-in-law of one victim, Vincent Otieno Ogutu.
Another victim was named as Evans Kiche. The third has yet to be identified.
“The excessive use of force against mourners is totally unwarranted,” said Hussein Khalid, head of VOCAL Africa, at the morgue.
“We are calling on the police to exercise utmost restraint… We don’t want to see more deaths associated with this funeral,” he added.
Odinga’s body will next travel to western Kenya, his family’s home region, where more huge crowds are expected on Saturday, before a private burial service on Sunday.
His death leaves a leadership vacuum in the opposition, with no obvious successor as Kenya heads into a potentially volatile election in 2027.
AFP
Iran has ruled out fresh negotiations with the United States at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, despite US President Donald Trump saying he expects talks between the two countries to resume this week.
Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency reported Monday that the Iranian delegation in New York had no plans to hold negotiations with Washington, citing an unnamed source close to the delegation.
The development came a day after Trump told Axios that he expected US and Iranian representatives to engage in further discussions following Washington’s rejection of Tehran’s latest proposal concerning the Strait of Hormuz.
“Iran’s delegation in New York has no plans for negotiations with the United States,” IRNA quoted the source as saying.
However, indirect diplomatic contacts appear to be continuing through regional mediators, particularly Qatar. Axios reported that Qatari officials have been shuttling between Iranian and US negotiators in an effort to narrow differences between the two sides.
Iran has proposed reopening the Strait of Hormuz within seven days as part of a broader arrangement to halt hostilities. Tehran has linked the proposal to demands including the lifting of the US naval blockade, removal of sanctions affecting its oil exports and a regional ceasefire.
The Strait of Hormuz is a crucial global energy corridor through which a significant share of the world’s oil trade passes, making the dispute over access to the waterway a major concern for international energy markets.
The latest diplomatic standoff follows months of conflict between Washington and Tehran. Iran has sought to use negotiations over the strait as a pathway toward a broader settlement, while the Trump administration has also pressed Tehran over its nuclear programme.
Trump rejected Iran’s latest proposal on Saturday but said the door to further discussions remained open. According to Axios, he said he expected more talks during the week and that Qatar and other regional mediators were continuing efforts to revive negotiations.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also indicated Sunday that Tehran remained open to diplomacy, saying Iran was waiting for an official response through mediators despite Trump’s rejection of the proposal.
The conflicting statements highlight the uncertainty surrounding the next phase of US-Iran diplomacy, with Washington signalling interest in further talks while Tehran says its delegation currently in New York has no plans for direct negotiations.
Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic announced his resignation on Sunday, seven months before his tenure was originally scheduled to expire.
56-year-old Vucic ended his second and final five-year term amid campaigning for the October 25 snap parliamentary vote to elect 250 members of the National Assembly.
His departure sets the stage for early presidential elections and allows him to be appointed Prime Minister if the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) retains majority control of government.
“I have faithfully served you and my fatherland, Serbia. I am proud of what we have done together,” he told supporters at the Presidency building in Belgrade.
The populist politician, who previously served as Minister of Defence, said the first round of presidential elections will be held by the end of December.
Serbia’s constitution stipulates that the presidential election must be completed within 90 days, with the campaign lasting between 30 and 60 days.
Outgoing parliament Speaker Ana Brnabic will serve as acting President until her successor is elected. She was the Prime Minister from 2017 until 2024.
Factor Plus polling places public support for Vucic’s United Serbia, led by the SNS, at 49%. The youth-backed opposition challenger, known as the Student List, has about 37% popularity.
The movement stemmed from the “Students in Blockade” group after the collapse of the Novi Sad railway station canopy in November 2024, which sparked anti-corruption protests.
The group, which comprises academics, public figures, and professionals, gathered nearly 70,000 signatures and was proclaimed as number 3 on the ballot by the Electoral Commission.
At least 27 people have been killed and 26 others wounded in two separate mass shootings near South Africa’s two biggest cities, Johannesburg and Cape Town, triggering a police manhunt for the attackers.
The shootings occurred within hours of each other, adding to growing concern over gun violence and organised crime in the country.
In the first attack, eight gunmen armed with assault rifles and pistols stormed a tavern in Wedela township, about 80 kilometres southwest of Johannesburg, at around 9:30 p.m. on Saturday.
Police said the attackers opened fire on patrons drinking outside before moving into the tavern and continuing the shooting.
Seventeen people — 13 men and four women — were killed, while 15 others sustained gunshot injuries.
The suspects reportedly searched some patrons and took their mobile phones before fleeing in two vehicles, which they later set ablaze. No arrests had been made as of Sunday, according to police.
The motive for the Wedela attack remained unclear. However, police said preliminary information suggested it could have been linked to an earlier incident at the same tavern.
Deputy provincial police commissioner Major General Fred Kekana said investigators had obtained images of the suspects and were confident they would eventually be identified and arrested.
The shooting occurred in an area where authorities have been intensifying operations against illegal mining and criminal networks operating around abandoned mine shafts.
Second attack near Cape Town
Hours later, another mass shooting was reported in Lwandle township, near Cape Town.
Police said gunmen opened fire at an entertainment venue selling grilled meat at about 1:46 a.m. on Sunday, killing 10 people and injuring 11 others.
Five victims died at the scene, while five others succumbed to their injuries after being taken to medical facilities.
Police said detectives were searching for the perpetrators, with no arrests reported in connection with the attack.
Videos circulating on social media showed people drinking and dancing before gunfire erupted, sending revellers scrambling for safety.
Ramaphosa vows action
The two attacks came just days after another mass shooting near Durban in which 11 people, including a pregnant woman, were killed at a house party.
South Africa has long struggled with high levels of violent crime, with shootings frequently linked to gangs, organised criminal groups and disputes involving local businesses.
President Cyril Ramaphosa condemned the latest attacks and said security agencies would continue efforts to reduce violent crime.
“This cannot go on like this,” Ramaphosa said, stressing that people should not be able to pick up firearms and randomly shoot others.
South Africa has repeatedly deployed soldiers to support police operations in areas affected by serious violence and organised crime.
Despite those efforts, shootings remain a persistent security challenge.
The latest attacks have renewed questions about the availability of firearms, organised crime and the ability of security agencies to prevent repeated mass-casualty shootings.
Police investigations into both incidents are ongoing, and authorities are urging anyone with information about the attackers to come forward.
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