Zambia's president wins second term with 60% of the vote

LUSAKA, Zambia 

Zambia's President Hakainde Hichilema has been re-elected for second five-year term after securing 60% of the valid votes cast, the electoral commission has announced.

Hichilema's win was widely expected, with his closest challenger Brian Mundubile getting 38% of the votes. The remaining 12 candidates trailed far behind.

Under Zambia's electoral system, a candidate needs more than 50% of the vote to win in the first round, avoiding a runoff.

The result came after a contested process, with 55-year-old Mundubile earlier claiming victory and alleging, without providing evidence, that there had been voting irregularities.

In statement after being declared the winner, Hichilema (64), said: "We are truly humbled by the trust you have placed in our hands."

He said the election showed that Zambia was a nation of peace, law and order and a "democratic nation that settles our differences at the ballot box, and nowhere else".

"To those citizens who preferred the ideas presented by our opponents, we hear you, and we will continue to work for you," he added.

Hundreds of Hichilema's supporters, dressed in the red colours of his UPND party flooded the streets of the capital, Lusaka, to celebrate after the results declaration.

Zambia has a record of peaceful transfers of power. Since the return to multiparty democracy in 1991, presidential transitions have occurred through the ballot box.

It is unclear if the opposition will challenge the election result.

Mundubile had earlier alleged there had been discrepancies between polling-station results and those officially announced and claimed military involvement at tallying centres.

The opposition candidate was accused by the government of plotting an insurrection, which he denied, with 11 people, including senior opposition figures, being arrested. Mundubile dismissed the accusations as a "fabrication".

A day after polling, the electoral commission briefly suspended counting and the announcement of results, citing reports of violence targeting polling staff and the theft of marked ballot papers in some areas.

The suspension was lifted the same day.

Regional and international observers described the election day as largely peaceful and urged all sides to remain calm and respect the official process.

They did however raise concerns about late electoral reforms, media freedom and access to the media in the run-up to the poll.

They also expressed concern over the brief suspension of the vote counting, saying it risked the credibility of the process as well as voter confidence.

The EU observation mission warned at the weekend that restrictions on the opposition in the campaigning period may have contributed to an "uneven contest".

EAST AFRICA NEWSPAPERS 18/8/2026

 

Top Zambian opposition figures arrested days after presidential vote

By Dingindaba Buyoya, LUSAKA Zambia 

Security forces in Zambia have seized weapons and arrested 11 people, including senior opposition figures, allegedly involved in an insurrection plot, the government has said.

The leading opposition candidate in last Thursday's presidential election, Brian Mundubile, was also found at the scene of the raid in the capital, Lusaka, according to the country's top civil servant Patrick Kangwa.

In an interview with our reporter, Mundubile dismissed the accusations as "total fabrications", saying security forces staged an assassination attempt on his life during a raid at his home on Friday.

With results from more than half of the constituencies announced, he is trailing incumbent Hakainde Hichilema.

Mundubile had earlier claimed victory and alleged there were voting irregularities.

Giving details about the raid, Kangwa said the individuals arrested were connected to "military plans involving foreign nationals and illegal military training camps".

He added that they posed "a serious threat to state security" and held "high-grade military weapons", ammunition and other materials intended for use in an armed insurrection.

He alleged that shots were fired at law enforcement officers leading to an exchange of fire.

Mundubile however told the BBC that there was no militia at his home.

"It's unfortunate that senior government officials would present themselves before the entire nation to make such falsehoods," he said.

According to Kangwa, among those arrested were Patrick Mwansa, the husband of Tasila Lungu, the daughter of former Zambian President Edgar Lungu, and other politicians.

The suspects are being held in custody at various police stations in Lusaka.

Mundubile described the raid in detail, saying armed personnel knocked down the gate with an armoured vehicle, broke doors and windows and opened fire.

"They were basically shooting indiscriminately. They directed two shots towards me. Like I've always said, it was just by God's grace that I survived.

"So they came in to kill us," he said.

Mundubile said former minister Mutotwe Kafwaya was shot while he and his wife were present. He said Kafwaya, whose whereabouts remain unknown, was bleeding and he urged the officers to take him to hospital.

Mundubile said his family remains traumatised.

"My children saw their uncle… bleeding profusely and being dragged like an animal… 80 soldiers coming into the house, shooting indiscriminately and breaking doors and windows down is not an experience anybody would want to go through."

He said he and his family had not returned home since Friday and felt unsafe.

On the day following the election, he maintained that his campaign's parallel vote tabulation showed him in the lead and repeated allegations of irregularities, without providing detailed evidence

The authorities denied the claims of vote rigging and in preliminary statements observers described election day as largely peaceful and orderly.

They did however raise concerns about late electoral reforms, media freedom and access to the media in the run-up to the poll.

The mood remains stable as Zambians await the full results of the election, although some uncertainty has emerged following the government's announcement of the raid.

However, there is a heightened security police presence in some parts of the capital.

Mundubile had made a series of allegations about the electoral process, including reports of military involvement at tallying centres and irregularities involving ballot boxes.

He later said he was being interrogated by Zambian army officers over two videos he released and alleged he had been assaulted while in custody, which authorities denied.

He also accused Tanzania of sending individuals to interfere in the election, an allegation the Tanzanian government firmly rejected as false and unfounded.

Zambia's electoral commission briefly suspended the counting and announcement of results on Friday, citing violence against polling staff and theft of marked ballot papers.

It lifted the suspension the same day, saying the security threat had been contained.

Both the European Union (EU) and the southern African (Sadc) observer missions have since expressed concern over the suspension of the vote counting.

On Saturday, Sadc said it had created "uncertainty and anxiety" while the EU mission said any such interruption should be clearly explained, legally grounded and proportionate.

The EU mission's chief observer Michael McNamara said the elections took place "against a backdrop of constrained democratic space".

He said even though the elections were "genuinely competitive" the conditions in which the candidates competed were "uneven".

He cited the blurring of lines between state and the party, including state media coverage being "heavily biased" to favour the ruling party.

"It is important that the remaining stages of the process are conducted calmly, transparently, and in full accordance with Zambian law and the procedures in place."

Cameroon crowned as Africa women football Queens

RABAT, Morocco 

Cameroon won the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations for the first time after a commanding 3-0 victory over Malawi in Sunday’s final at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat.

Marie Ngah scored twice, either side of Naomi Ndjoah Eto’s goal, as the Indomitable Lionesses produced a devastating first-half display to finally end their long wait for continental glory.

Ngah opened the scoring in the 20th minute before Ndjoah Eto doubled the advantage 10 minutes later after being set up by Myriam Nyadjou.

Ngah then struck again three minutes into first-half stoppage time, this time from an assist by Ndjoah Eto, to effectively settle the contest before the interval.

The victory made Cameroon the fourth different nation to win the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, joining Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea and South Africa.

It also ended a painful sequence of three previous final defeats for the Indomitable Lionesses, who had lost to Nigeria in the deciding match in 2004, 2014 and 2016.

The final brought together two sides seeking their first African title, with Malawi attempting to complete a remarkable run in their debut WAFCON appearance and Cameroon looking to finally turn years of near misses into silverware.

But it was Cameroon who settled faster.

After an energetic opening spell, Ngah made the breakthrough in the 20th minute to put the Indomitable Lionesses ahead and immediately change the complexion of the final.

Malawi, whose attacking strength had been one of the major features of the tournament, were suddenly forced to chase the game against a Cameroon side that had built its campaign on defensive discipline and efficiency.

Ten minutes later, the task became significantly more difficult.

Nyadjou provided the opening for Ndjoah Eto, who made it 2-0 in the 30th minute as Cameroon tightened their grip on the trophy.

Malawi tried to find a response and made a change shortly before half-time, with Tiasha Sani introduced for Chikondi Gondwe in the 43rd minute.

But the Indomitable Lionesses were not finished.

Deep into first-half stoppage time, Cameroon produced another decisive attacking move.

Ndjoah Eto, having already scored the second goal, turned provider for Ngah, who struck in the 45+3 minute to complete her brace and send Cameroon into the interval with a commanding 3-0 advantage.

The third goal left Malawi needing an extraordinary second-half comeback.

The Scorchers had arrived in the final as the tournament’s leading scorers with 12 goals and with sisters Temwa and Tabitha Chawinga having played leading roles in their historic campaign.

But Cameroon’s defence, which had conceded only twice before the final, once again proved difficult to break down.

Malawi made further changes after the interval in an attempt to revive the contest, but the Indomitable Lionesses controlled the game with the security of their three-goal cushion.

Cameroon coach Valentine Nguele was also able to manage the closing stages with substitutions, while the defence remained disciplined enough to prevent Malawi from finding even a consolation goal.

The final whistle brought an emotional conclusion to one of the most remarkable campaigns in Cameroon’s WAFCON history.

The Indomitable Lionesses had not even originally qualified for the tournament before being added following the expansion of the competition to 16 teams.

They went on to make the most of that opportunity.

Cameroon defeated Ghana during the group stage, eliminated 10-time champions Nigeria 1-0 in the quarter-finals and then overcame hosts Morocco 3-1 on penalties after a goalless semi-final.

Their victory over Malawi completed a knockout run in which Cameroon did not concede a single goal.

For players such as captain Gabrielle Aboudi Onguéné, the triumph represented the culmination of years of frustration at continental level.

Cameroon had reached three previous finals without scoring a goal in any of them. On Sunday, they ended that unwanted record emphatically by scoring three times in the opening 48 minutes.

Ngah’s brace ensured she would be one of the defining figures of the final, while Ndjoah Eto finished with a goal and an assist in an outstanding attacking contribution.

EAST AFRICA NEWSPAPERS 17/8/2026

 

Arsenal cruise to win over Manchester City in Community Shield

CARDIFF, England 

Arsenal have powered to a 3-0 win over Manchester City in the Community Shield, delivering a swaggering statement of intent ahead of their Premier League title defence.

Mikel Arteta’s side used the annual curtain-raiser to the English top-flight football season as an opportunity to prove their long-awaited title triumph has done nothing to sate their appetite for success.

The Gunners took just 24 seconds on Sunday to show new City boss Enzo Maresca the standard required to keep up with the champions.

Riccardo Calafiori’s quick-fire opening goal was followed by a clinical Kai Havertz header before half-time.

Arsenal overwhelmed sloppy City with their trademark intensity and Martin Odegaard netted after the interval to cap a resounding victory.

The game at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales also allowed Arteta to parade Arsenal’s close-season recruits.

Bruno Guimaraes, signed from Newcastle for 75 million pounds ($101m), slotted into midfield with ease, while Christos Tzolis, lured from Club Brugge for 34 million pounds ($46m), gave a lively display including two assists.

The north Londoners will start a campaign as champions for the first time since the 2004-05 season.

Already installed as favourites to win their first successive English titles since the 1930s, Arsenal look primed for a sustained spell as the Premier League’s preeminent force.

Their vibrant Community Shield performance was the perfect warm-up before promoted Coventry visit London’s Emirates Stadium for the opening game of the Premier League season on August 21.

It was a dispiriting wake-up call for Maresca, who will have noted how much more dynamic and cohesive Arsenal looked compared to his spluttering team.

Pep Guardiola won 20 trophies in a glorious decade in Manchester, including the FA Cup and League Cup in his farewell season, but City have not won the title since 2024 and finished seven points behind Arsenal in second place last season.

Hand-picked to succeed Guardiola after quitting Chelsea in January following a turbulent reign lasting less than two seasons, Maresca now knows it will take a huge effort to close the gap on Arsenal, starting with City’s opener at home to Bournemouth on August 23.

Arteta believes his players are still “hungry” for trophies, with their painful Champions League final loss to Paris Saint-Germain on penalties in May providing motivation for this season.

The Gunners took less than a minute to underline Arteta’s point with a beautifully crafted opener.

Myles Lewis-Skelly featured in Arsenal’s midfield despite being linked to Chelsea and Manchester United, and the teenager showed why he is in demand with a deft pass that split the City defence.

Calafiori surged onto Lewis-Skelly’s ball, evading City’s woeful marking to slot a composed finish past Gianluigi Donnarumma from 12 yards.

The left-back’s goal was the quickest in the Community Shield since 1968 and rampant Arsenal struck again in the 27th minute.

Martin Odegaard was gifted space to float a cross to the far post and Tzolis, left unmarked by Abdukodir Khusanov, headed it back into the six-yard box, where Havertz climbed above Ruben Dias to nod home.

In his first showpiece occasion for City after his 116 million pound ($157m) move from Nottingham Forest, England midfielder Elliot Anderson struggled to exert any influence.

City talisman Erling Haaland was largely anonymous, wasting two good chances in the first half.

Arsenal captain Odegaard showed his Norway teammate how to do it three minutes after half-time.

Tzolis rolled a pass into Odegaard’s path and he slalomed through the City defence before leaving Donnarumma embarrassed with a clever dummy and close-range finish.

Only City, in 2019, have gone on to become Premier League champions among the previous 15 winners of the Community Shield.

On the evidence of their stroll in the Cardiff sunshine, Arsenal’s 18th Community Shield victory will not be the last silverware lifted by Odegaard this season.

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.