East Africa, Tunisia, China.

Today's three stories you should know.

Jul 23, 2022

East Africa

More than 50 million people across East Africa are expected to struggle to access food this year, a regional body said today. The Intergovernmental Authority on Development, which is made up of seven East African governments, said some 300,000 people in Somalia and South Sudan could end up living through a full-blown famine. The UN and aid groups have been warning for months that the crisis is being neglected as the world focuses on the war in Ukraine. The International Rescue Committee aid group said this week that “people have already started dying from starvation and the window to prevent mass deaths is rapidly closing.”

Tunisia

Hundreds of demonstrators marched through the Tunisian capital Tunis today to protest against a proposed new constitution, which is to be put to a referendum on Monday. The vote is being held a year after President Kais Saied sacked the government and dissolved parliament in a movely widely seen as a power grab. Since then he has slowly dismantled state institutions and opponents see the new constitution, which would cement his powers, as ushering in a dictatorship. Said and his supporters say he had to act to combat corruption and poor governance.

China

A Chinese man who set fire to his former wife while she appeared on a livestream has been executed. Tang Lu, whose ex-wife was a well-known vlogger known as Lamu, killed her while she was broadcasting on the popular Douyin platform. The case sparked uproar in China and prompted debate about women trapped in violent marriages. Lamu’s sister said Tang had abused her for years before they divorced.