Tanzania denies claims of meddling in Zambia’s election

DODOMA, Tanzania 

Tanzania government has denied allegations  that it sent its citizens to Zambia as mercenaries to interfere with the country's 2026 general election, insisting that it has initiated diplomatic efforts to establish the facts behind the claims. 

The allegations were made by the main opposition presidential candidate, Brian Mundubile, the flag bearer of National Restoration Party for Unity and Progress (NRPUP).

He alleged that Tanzanians had been sent to Zambia to influence the electoral process in the general election held on 13th August 2026.

"Zambia is not Tanzania, those who think they can bring here tactics that work in Tanzania will never succeed." He said, calling on Tanzanians allegedly involved in election-related activities in Zambia to leave the country immediately. 

Responding to the allegations,  Tanzania’s Government spokesperson, Gerson Msigwa, said in a statement that his government takes the allegations seriously and through the Tanzanian High Commission in Zambia, has written to the Government of Zambia seeking detailed clarification on the basis upon which the candidate made these un-founded allegations.

Brian Mundubile, the flag bearer of National Restoration Party for Unity and Progress (NRPUP).

"The Government of Tanzania wishes to reassure Tanzanians and the international community that it has not sent anyone to interfere with or disrupt Zambia's elections and has no such practice."

Msigwa said that as is the case with other member states of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), Tanzania has a representation of election observers in Zambia who are carrying out their duties in accordance with SADC election observation guidelines, alongside other observers present in Zambia. 

"Their role is to observe the electoral process and not to interfere in the elections, as al-leged by Mr. Brian Mundubile." 

Ukraine launches one of its largest aerial attacks of the war, killing at least 6 people in Russia

KYIV, Ukraine 

Ukraine launched hundreds of drones across Russia on Sunday, killing at least six people in one of Kyiv's largest aerial attacks of the war.

Burnt-out hypermarket following an overnight Ukrainian drone strike, in the course of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in Donetsk, a Russian-controlled city of Ukraine, on Aug. 16, 2026.

Kyiv has stepped up its attacks on Russia this year, with long-range missiles and swarms of drones targeting military industries and energy facilities. 

It has also increasingly pummeled giant Wildberries depots, burning billions of dollars' worth of merchandise belonging to the Russian online retail giant. 

Those attacks have brought the war home to the Russian public nearly 4½ years into Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Ukraine also came under Russian attack, with drone strikes destroying homes and torching Kyiv's landmark book market.

Russia's Ministry of Defense said it had destroyed 822 Ukrainian drones overnight. Some 600 drones were detected headed toward the Russian capital, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said, with a third of those destroyed over the Moscow region itself.

An 83-year-old man was killed after a Ukrainian drone hit a private home in the Moscow region, local Gov. Andrey Vorobyov said. He also confirmed that a Ukrainian attack had sparked a blaze at a Wildberries warehouse in the town of Podolsk.

A drone attack targeted three towns in Russia's southwestern Rostov region, killing five people, local Gov. Yury Slyusar said. The attack, with more than 150 drones, damaged several homes and a railway station and sparked a forest fire.

A Russian missile attack on Ukraine's Kryvyi Rih killed two people and wounded 14 others, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on social media Sunday. He also said that one more person had been killed in the city of Sumy.

ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine's largest steel producer, confirmed that one of its sites had been hit in a missile attack and that operations had been partially suspended.

Elsewhere, a man and a woman died when their home was hit by a Russian strike in Ukraine's southern Zaporizhzhia region, said Ivan Fedorov, the head of the local military administration.

Russian attacks also sparked fires throughout the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, wounding six people. A blaze took hold at one of the city's largest book markets, tearing through kiosks huddled close to the Pochaina metro station. 

Firefighters fought back the flames, which sent plumes of black smoke across the capital, and picked their way through rubble where the market's crowded pavilions once stood.

"Wherever the Russians can reach with their ballistic missiles, they strike civilian infrastructure," Zelenskyy said.

Russia's Ministry of Defense said Sunday that it had targeted a metallurgical plant in Kryvyi Rih and several military-industrial sites in Kyiv, including a manufacturing facility for Ukraine's Flamingo missiles.

The domestically produced missiles are increasingly key to Ukraine's long-range attacks on Russia, with Zelenskyy announcing Saturday that Kyiv had used the weapons to attack a rocket research and production center in Samara approximately 900 kilometers (560 miles) from the Ukrainian border.

Qatar denies capturing three Iranian pilots after downing fighter jets

TEHRAN, Iran 

Iran has called for the release of three pilots it said were captured by Qatar after two of its fighter jets were hit by air defences during a military operation at the start of the US-Iran war.

Iran said two Su-24 warplanes were used in the mission on a Qatari military base on 2 March 2026 (File)

In a letter to the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Iran's Brig Gen Mohammad Bagherzadeh claimed the pilots - Javad Salehi, Abdul Majid Dashtian and Imran Behroshian - had been held captive for six months.

He said the body of a fourth pilot, Majid Kazemi, had been returned after he was killed in the same operation on 2 March 2026 - the third day of the war.

Qatar "categorically denied" Iran's claims and said it was "surprised by these misleading statements".

Bagherzadeh said the three pilots had been captured by Qatar after they ejected from their jets during a combat mission targeting a Qatari military base.

In the letter to ICRC chief Mirjana Spoljaric, published by Iranian media, he accused Qatar of violating "the inalienable rights of these prisoners, contrary to all international laws and regulations".

The letter also claimed the three pilots had not been allowed to meet or contact their families.

Qatar's foreign affairs spokesperson Majed Mohammed Al Ansari said contact had been made with the pilots "after they violated Qatari airspace", but that it had not received a response.

"The necessary measures were taken to defend our territory in accordance with international law," he added in a statement on X.

Al Ansari said Qatar's search and rescue teams "carried out their duties to the fullest extent in searching for the pilots' remains", adding the Gulf nation had contacted Iran "co-ordinate the handover of the remains of one of the pilots that were recovered".

Bagerzadeh later told the semi-official Tasnim news agency on Sunday that Qatar should allow an Iranian fact-finding team into the country to investigate what had happened, claiming one had been denied entry for months.

Al Ansari said an invitation for an Iranian team to visit Qatar to review the findings of its search and rescue operation had been extended in April but Tehran had yet to respond.

Chad opposition chief calls for reconciliation after his release

N'DJAMENA, Chad

Chadian President, Mahamat Idriss Deby on Friday pardoned jailed ex-prime minister and leader of the main opposition party Succes Masra and eight other opposition leaders.

Deby has led Chad since 2021 after taking charge of a military transition following the death of his father, who was killed by rebels after 30 years leading the central African country.

Masra, one of the president's fiercest critics, was sentenced to 20 years in prison a year ago, convicted of hate speech, xenophobia and having incited a massacre.

The eight other party leaders all belonged to the Political Actors' Consultation Group (GCAP), the main opposition coalition, which was dissolved by the Supreme Court in April.

They were jailed in May for eight years after being found guilty of inciting an insurrection.

The presidential pardon entails a "full remission of custodial sentences for the convicted", according to a decree published on the presidency's Facebook page.

"We thank the president of the republic for having braved the obstacles and chosen to move forward in the spirit of national unity that is now coming into being," Ndolembai Sade Njesada, vice president of Masra's The Transformers party, said.

"We hope at last to sit down around a table to move peace forward," he added.

Like other opposition figures, Masra, 42, an economist, had fled Chad after the army and police opened fire on demonstrators protesting an extension of the political transition under the Deby-led ruling junta in October 2022.

Masra returned from exile and signed a reconciliation deal with Deby before being named prime minister five months ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

Deby was elected head of state with just over 60 percent of the vote, in a contested ballot boycotted by a majority of opposition parties.

Masra faced off against Deby in that vote, coming second with nearly a fifth of the vote, but claimed victory.

He was arrested in May 2025 and sentenced three months later to 20 years in prison, in what Human Rights Watch called a politically motivated trial.

Zimbabwe ferry death toll rises to 80 after recovery of more bodies

KARIBA, Zimbabwe 

The death toll after a ferry capsized on Zimbabwe's Lake Kariba this week has risen to 80 after more bodies were recovered on Sunday, the police said.

The overloaded passenger ferry run by the government's Rural Infrastructure Development Agency (RIDA) overturned on Tuesday in choppy waters.

Officials say the boat was authorised to carry 90 people but was packed with 114 adults, five crew members and an unspecified number of children.

The civil protection unit said on Wednesday that 77 people were rescued.

Dozens of mourners gathered for an emotional service on Thursday in the lakeside town of Kariba, around 400 kilometres (250 miles) west of the capital Harare, before the bodies were buried.

Survivors said they pleaded with the ferry driver to turn back in the rough waters as the vessel had begun taking on water soon after departing.

Locals told our correspondent that such accidents on the lake were rare.

Lake Kariba straddles the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia and is the world's largest man-made lake by volume.

EAST AFRICA NEWSPAPERS 16/8/2026

 

Iran, Oman reach agreement on shipping traffic map in Strait of Hormuz

TEHRAN, Iran 

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Saturday that Iran has reached an agreement with Oman on a shipping route map for the Strait of Hormuz after weeks of technical negotiations.

Baghaei told Defa Press that Iran and Oman, the two coastal states bordering the strategic waterway, began intensive negotiations three months ago following the signing of the June 18 memorandum of understanding to establish safe navigation routes.

“Despite US obstruction, the talks have made positive progress over the past three weeks, and an agreement has been reached on the shipping route map,” he said.

Baghaei said the plan was the result of coordination led by the Foreign Ministry with the participation of Iran’s defense, security and environmental authorities.

He added that the two sides were still negotiating outstanding issues, including a statement to be issued by Tehran and Muscat, noting that exchanges between the two countries would continue until the process was finalized.

Baghaei stressed that the Iran-Oman arrangement was an independent agreement between the two coastal states aimed at ensuring the safe passage of ships through the strait, while preserving the sovereignty of both countries.

He said, however, that the full restoration of security in the strait and the resumption of normal commercial shipping depended on an end to what he described as illegal US actions, military threats and the naval blockade, as well as compensation for US breaches of commitments in the last two months.

The talks are part of technical negotiations launched under the Iran-US memorandum of understanding, which tasked Tehran and Muscat with developing a new navigation framework for the Strait of Hormuz. 

While Iran and Oman have continued discussions on shipping routes, Tehran has repeatedly said any decision to reopen the strategic waterway remains contingent on the US fulfilling its obligations under the memorandum.

Powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake kills at least 38 in Indonesia

JAKARTA, Indonesia 

At least 38 people have been killed after a 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Indonesia early on Saturday, the nation's disaster mitigation agency has said.

The official death toll has been rising as a search and rescue operation gets under way. The BNPB agency said several people had been injured to varying degrees.

Buildings in the region have been damaged by the quake and the dozens of aftershocks that followed.

The quake struck the island of Flores shortly before 05:00 local time on Saturday (22:00 GMT on Friday). It had a depth of 15km, Indonesia's meteorology and geophysics agency stated.

The shallower an earthquake is, the more destructive its effects on the surface tend to be.

Strong aftershocks were felt in the same area, including one with a magnitude of 6.1.

Video taken at the port in Maumere showed large chunks of concrete breaking off the terminal building onto passengers waiting to board an inter-island ferry. Some were thrown into the sea when the gangway to a ship collapsed.

Emanuel Melkiades Laka Lena, governor of East Nusa Tenggara province, told a news conference that they were killed in their sleep by collapsing rubble.

Arnold Welianto, who lives in Talibura, a village near the coastline in Sikka, East Nusa Tenggara, said he was awoken by the "very strong shaking", adding: "I was startled awake and immediately went to my child's room."

He told the correspondent that many people had already fled into the hills.

"Some other residents were standing along the roadside because the sea had also receded," he explained. "The water remained low for quite some time, so everyone panicked and ran - I went around to the community health centre, and the people there had already been evacuated."

A tsunami warning was issued but lifted around three hours after the initial jolt when no significant sea level rise was detected.

A stream of people could be seen moving inland on motorbikes after authorities issued a tsunami warning. BNPB said 2,000 people had evacuated or relocated on their own.

It said three fatalities had been recorded in Sikka province, six in Manggarai province, and five in East Manggarai province.

At least two others had been seriously injured and 11 slightly injured, the disaster agency added.

Welianto said many residents of Talibura were choosing to remain outdoors as the aftershocks meant they were afraid to return to their homes.

Yulian Juita Ekalia, a university lecturer from Ruteng, a city to the west of the epicentre, said she had dragged her stove outside and was cooking there for fear of further tremors.

"I have never felt an earthquake this big," she told news agency AFP. "It felt like we were on a trampoline - it was really scary."

It will take time to assess the full extent of the destruction in the region, which is remote and mountainous.

Preliminary reports indicated 54 houses had been severely damaged, as well as five healthcare facilities, three places of worship, six government buildings, an educational institution and a warehouse.

UN calls for negotiations to end the conflict in Mozambique

UNITED NATIONS, New York 

A military victory over jihadist insurgents in Mozambique's Cabo Delgado province does not appear imminent, according to a report by a United Nations special rapporteur released Friday.

Mozambique is fighting an insurgency in the northern province of Cabo Delgado linked to the Islamic State group.

The conflict has seen attacks on civilians and security forces, including beheadings, and has displaced thousands of people.

"The frequency, severity and scale of attacks against civilians have increased over the past year," said UN Special Rapporteur Ben Saul, after visiting Mozambique from August 4 to 14 to assess the consistency of its counter-terrorism laws, policies and practices.

UN experts are independent figures mandated by the Human Rights Council to report their findings and do not speak for the United Nations itself.

Cabo Delgado has enormous reserves of gas, which have attracted the attention of energy giants including France's TotalEnergies, Italy's ENI and US company ExxonMobil.

Rwandan forces have been deployed to the area since 2021 to assist Mozambique's army in an operation backed by the EU.

But despite Rwanda's support, the report said the current military posture is "offensive defence" rather than actively pursuing the non-state armed group.

"While this dampens hostilities, it risks enabling the group to rebuild," it said.

The conflict has resulted in the deaths of 6,632 people including 2,772 civilians since 2017 to mid-2026, the report said, citing figures from Acled, an organisation that compiles data on conflict zones.

About 1.5 million people have been displaced, it said, and 1,7 million required humanitarian assistance in 2026.

Other impacts have included loss of land, livelihoods, property, access to services and family separation.

"$50 million ransom fueled Al-Qaeda offensive in Mali" - UN

NEW YORK, United States 

The United Nations said a ransom of about 50 million dollars, paid in late 2025 for the release of a hostage in Mali, helped finance Al-Qaeda-linked militants and their offensive across West Africa.

According to a new UN report, most of the money was redistributed to fighters in the Sahel, while some was passed on to Al-Qaeda’s affiliate in the Arabian Peninsula and to the group’s central command.

The report does not name the hostage or confirm who made the payment, though regional sources say the United Arab Emirates paid the ransom.

Those same sources say an Emirati citizen, along with two other foreign hostages, were released after the deal. The UAE did not comment on the specific case, but said it remains committed to fighting extremism and terrorism.

The UN says kidnappings are both a funding source and a way for militants to weaken trust in the state. It adds that the Mali-based JNIM coalition now has between 7,000 and 8,000 fighters across the Sahel, half of them in Mali.

The report warns that ransom money is helping militants buy weapons, support logistics, and expand their insurgency across the region.

Mali has been gripped by a security crisis since 2012, fuelled notably by violence from groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State jihadist group, as well as local criminal gangs and separatists.

Since two successive coups in 2020 and 2021, the country has been ruled by the military, which came to power on the promise of restoring security, so far without success.

Zambia resumes vote counting after a nationwide suspension over election-related violence

LUSAKA, Zambia 

Zambia has resumed vote counting after a nationwide suspension over election-related violence, with the Electoral Commission saying security threats have been contained. The first presidential results are expected at 10:00 p.m. local time, or 2000 GMT.

The Electoral Commission of Zambia lifted the suspension after consultations with law enforcement agencies and a review of the security situation.

Commission chairperson Mwangala Zaloumis said the threat to the electoral process had been contained and measures were in place for counting to continue.

The commission had suspended counting on Friday after reports of violence targeting election staff and the theft of marked ballot papers from ballot boxes.

President Hakainde Hichilema, seeking a second five-year term, said his campaign was receiving “encouraging results” and urged supporters to remain peaceful and patient.

His main challenger, Brian Mundubile, meanwhile claimed victory in the presidential race and said his alliance had also won a majority of parliamentary seats.

Official results will determine whether Hichilema can secure another term or whether the opposition can force a change of power in the copper-rich country.

About 8.7 million voters were registered for Thursday’s election, which also included parliamentary and local contests. Counting for parliamentary seats was suspended alongside the presidential tally.

The vote was held against a backdrop of concerns over political freedoms, arrests and tensions between the government and opposition.

Authorities also arrested several people accused of attempting to disrupt the electoral system, including former senior government officials

The election has also put Hichilema’s economic record under scrutiny. His government has secured a major debt restructuring agreement, restored an IMF programme and returned the economy to growth after Zambia defaulted on its sovereign debt under the previous administration.

But poverty, unemployment and rising food prices remain major concerns for many voters, with more than 70 percent of the population living on less than $3 a day, according to the World Bank.

Zambia has traditionally enjoyed peaceful transfers of power since the return to multiparty democracy in 1991, making the handling of the vote and the final result closely watched.

Trump says he'll declare Strait of Hormuz a US territory when Iran war ends

GARDEN CITY, United States 

United States President,  Donald Trump, said he wants to declare the Strait of Hormuz a U.S. territory when the war with Iran ends.

Trump's comments come as the U.S. remains engaged in its conflict with Iran -- and as control and access to the Strait of Hormuz have emerged as central issues in negotiations.

Iran has sought concessions related to the waterway as part of broader negotiations with the U.S., while Trump and his administration emphasized maintaining freedom of navigation and preventing Tehran from controlling commercial shipping.

The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and is a critical route for global oil and natural gas shipments.

Trump did not elaborate on how the U.S. Would claim the waterway or whether his comments reflected a formal administration proposal. The move would raise significant questions under international law.

EAST AFRICA NEWSPAPERS 15/8/2026

 

Zambia's opposition leader expresses 'grave concern' as vote count suspended

LUSAKA, Zambia 

Zambia’s opposition presidential candidate Brian Mundubile has raised “grave concern” after the country’s electoral commission suspended vote counting nationwide amid reports of violence.

Mundubile said his party’s Parallel Voter Tabulation, based on results collected from polling stations and tallying centres across the country, indicated that he had won the presidential election and secured a majority of seats in parliament.

He called for the immediate publication and verification of the official results, warning that delays could create opportunities for interference or manipulation.

“The will of the Zambian people” must be independently verified, Mundubile said, calling for all stakeholders to have access to relevant electoral records.

Zambians went to the polls on Thursday in an election dominated by concerns over economic hardship. President Hakainde Hichilema, who has been in power since 2021, faced Mundubile, a former minister in the previous Patriotic Front government.

Around 8.7 million people were registered to vote. Voters were also choosing members of parliament, with the legislature expanded from 156 to 226 seats.

Official presidential results were expected on Monday.

The election comes as Zambia, a major copper producer in southern Africa, continues to grapple with economic challenges, making the outcome closely watched both at home and abroad.

Zimbabwe's Kariba ferry disaster victims honoured as death toll reaches 44

KARIBA, Zimbabwe 

Hundreds gathered for a memorial service in northern Zimbabwe on Thursday to honour victims of the Lake Kariba ferry disaster, which killed at least 44 people.

Survivors recalled a desperate struggle for life as the vessel capsized in rough waters.

Grieving families and survivors gathered in Kariba to remember those who died when a government passenger ferry overturned on the vast lake.

Among the survivors was Anymore Chambate, who said heavy winds caused water to flood the ferry’s engines, leaving only one still operating as the vessel began to sink.

“I tried to give life jackets to people on the ferry and I managed to only give not more than ten,” he recalled.

Another survivor, Norah Chadenga, described clinging to a window as the ferry went down.

She said she struggled in the water despite being unable to swim, drowning several times before a young man pulled her to safety.

The vessel was carrying 114 adult passengers and five crew members, exceeding its stated capacity of 90 people. The number of children aboard remained unclear.

Survivors said passengers had urged the driver to turn back as the weather deteriorated, but the ferry continued across the lake.

Witnesses reported seeing bodies and debris in the water after the vessel overturned.

The Civil Protection Unit initially said 77 people had been rescued and 15 bodies recovered. Police later raised the confirmed death toll to 44.

Rescue teams involving the army, divers, local boats and a helicopter continued searching the waters around the wreck.

The ferry served as a crucial link between the lakeside town of Kariba and surrounding islands and fishing communities, transporting villagers and traders across one of Africa’s largest reservoirs.

The disaster is among the deadliest passenger boat accidents recorded on Lake Kariba, which straddles the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa declared the ferry disaster a national tragedy and called for urgent improvements to maritime safety and rescue capabilities.

“This tragedy has exposed serious deficiencies in our maritime capabilities,” Mnangagwa said, warning that recreational and transport sites must not become “death traps”.

As families mourn, questions are likely to focus on why the ferry sailed in dangerous conditions, whether it was adequately equipped and how safety regulations were enforced.