Tanzanian President John Magufuli Passes Away
On Wednesday, President John Magufuli of Tanzania died at age 61. Mr. Magufuli hadn’t been seen in public for over two weeks, and there were many questions about his health.
Vice President Samia Suluhu Hassan said Mr. Magufuli died of a heart problem that he’d had for over ten years. Under Tanzania’s laws, Ms. Hassan will now become president, making her the country’s first female president.
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President John Magufuli of Tanzania (right) has died at age 61. Vice President Samia Suluhu Hassan (left) said Mr. Magufuli died of a heart problem. Under Tanzania’s laws, Ms. Hassan will now become president, making her the country’s first female president.
Mr. Magufuli was elected president in 2015. He was popular in Tanzania, and made a name for himself by fighting corruption. But not long after coming to power, he upset many people by limiting the rights of political groups that opposed him. He also worked to shut down several news groups.
Mr. Magufuli was re-elected last year in spite of his unusual ideas about the coronavirus. He fought against steps like masks and social distancing, and claimed that God had helped Tanzania get rid of the coronavirus. The current coronavirus situation in Tanzania isn’t known. The country stopped reporting its cases last April.
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Mr. Magufuli, shown above in August, 2020, was re-elected last year in spite of his unusual ideas about the coronavirus. He fought against steps like masks and social distancing, and claimed that God had helped Tanzania get rid of the coronavirus.
Bolivia’s Temporary Leader Put in Jail
Jeanine Áñez, who was president of Bolivia for nearly a year, has been arrested and sent to jail. Ms. Áñez became the country’s temporary leader in November of 2019 after President Evo Morales left the country. The military asked Mr. Morales to step down following protests over an election that many saw as unfair.
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Jeanine Áñez, who was president of Bolivia for nearly a year, has been arrested and sent to jail. Above, Ms. Áñez waves to supporters as she is taken to jail on Monday. Tens of thousands of people in Bolivia protested her arrest.
As president, Ms. Áñez took actions that were very different from the sorts of actions that Mr. Morales would have taken. For example, under Mr. Morales, the country was close with Venezuela, but not with the US. Under Ms. Áñez, it was the opposite.
When new elections for president were held in 2020, Ms. Áñez dropped out of the race. In September, Luis Arce, a strong supporter of Mr. Morales, was elected. Soon afterward, Mr. Morales returned to Bolivia.
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When new elections for president were held in 2020, Ms. Áñez dropped out of the race. In September, Luis Arce, a strong supporter of Mr. Morales, was elected. Above, Mr. Arce (left) is shown with Senator Andrónico Rodríguez (right) after taking office last November.
Mr. Morales says he was forced out by a “coup“. Now Ms. Áñez has been arrested for terrorism and encouraging people to overthrow Mr. Morales’s government. Ms. Áñez says she is being punished for political reasons.
Israel Heads to Its Fourth Election in Two Years
On Tuesday, Israelis will vote for the fourth time in two years. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hopes to win enough votes to allow him to form a working coalition in Israel’s parliament, the Knesset. After the last three elections, no party was able to form a solid coalition.
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On Tuesday, Israelis will vote for the fourth time in two years. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hopes to win enough votes to allow him to form a working coalition. Above posters for Mr. Netanyahu (left) and opposition politician Yair Lapid (right).
With the country facing the coronavirus last April, Mr. Netanyahu and opposition leader Benny Gantz made a deal to share power. Mr. Netanyahu was to lead first, and Mr. Gantz was supposed to take over in November. But the two sides couldn’t get along, and the coalition fell apart in December.
Mr. Netanyahu is currently on trial for corruption. Many people believe that Mr. Netanyahu hopes to use his position as prime minister to avoid the corruption trial.
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Mr. Netanyahu is currently on trial for corruption, but he is hoping that Israel’s successful coronavirus vaccination program (above) will help win votes. About half of Israel’s citizens are now vaccinated.
Mr. Netanyahu is hoping that Israel’s successful coronavirus vaccination program will help win votes. Though Mr. Netanyahu may be in a slightly better position than before, it’s still likely to be hard to form a coalition. If no coalition is formed, Israel could face a fifth election this summer.
(Front page image sources: Magufuli: [CC BY-SA 2.0] Issa Michuz, Áñez: [Public domain], US Embassy, Bolivia, Netanyahu: [Public domain] US Dept. of State, all via Wikimedia Commons.)