Asec Mimosas hold Esperance to frustrating goalless draw at home

TUNIS, Tunisia 

Ivorian giants, Asec Mimosas walked away the happier side on Saturday evening when they frustrated Esperance Sportive de Tunis to a goalless stalemate in what was the last round of Quarter-Final fixtures for the weekend played at the Stade Olympique in Tunis.

The 0-0 draw sets up a grand finish to the Quarter-Finals when the two sides meet in return fixture in Abidjan next weekend with both teams going into the clash on clean sheets.

Despite being starved of possession; the Ivorians were the first to get a chance at goal after loss of possession in the danger area by Raed Bouchniba concluded with Karidioula Mofosse almost capitalizing on the error but saw his effort go wide off target.

The Tunisians eventually had a sniff at goal just before the half hour mark after Ghaylen Chaleli’s dangerous ball almost caught the keeper off guard, who did just enough to fist it away from danger.

In the second stanza, the hosts continued from where they left off as they surged forward in search of the opener.

The introduction of fresh legs by coach Miguel Cardoso injected much-needed pace in the hosts’ attack.

Second half substitute, Oussema Bouguerra was unlucky not to have found the opener after a well struck effort from outside the box had Ayayi Folly well beaten but was fortunate to see the ball come off the woodwork.

Midfield sensation, Houssem Tka should have broken the deadlock in the 74th minute after doing well to rise above his markers for his header to go just off target.

Despite being under severe pressure throughout the match, the Ivorians did well to absorb and thwart most of the attacks, as they escaped the north African nation with a confidence boosting draw ahead of the return leg next weekend.

The TotalEnergies CAF Champions League return leg Quarter-Finals will take place on 05 and 06 April.

TotalEnergies CAF Champions League Quarter-Finals Results (First Leg):

Friday, 29 March

Simba AC 0 – 1 Al Ahly SC

Saturday, 30 MaMarchl

TP Mazembe 0 – 0 Atletico Petroleos 

Young Africans 0 – 0 Mamelodi Sundowns

Esperance de Tunis 0 - 0 Asec Mimosas

Quarter-Finals Return Leg Fixtures: 

Friday, 05 April

18h00 GMT | Mamelodi Sundowns v Young Africans 

20h00 GMT | Al Ahly SC v Simba SC 

Saturday, 06 April 

16h00 GMT | Atletico Petroleos v TP Mazembe 

20h00 GMT | Asec Mimosas v Esperance 

Mamelodi Sundowns hold Yanga to a tactical stalemate

DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania 

There was nothing to separate Young Africans and Mamelodi Sundowns in Dar er Salaam on Saturday evening, as the two sides played out to a highly tactical 0-0 stalemate in their first leg Quarter-Final clash of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.

A packed to the rafters Benjamin Mkapa Stadium saw 60 000 Tanzanians in full voice to witness last season’s TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup finalists taking on the inaugural African Football League champions.

While the fixture failed to produce a goal, the match was nothing short of entertaining as both sides gave it their all but were met with equally good defending and goalkeeping on either side.

True to their enterprising style, Sundowns kept most of the ball possession, hoping to tire out their hosts who stood their ground and responded with quick counter-attacks.

Yanga were the first to have a sniff at goal in the 27th minute when Clement Mzize was through on goal but disappointingly fired a straight shot that was easily gathered by the in-form Ronwen Williams.

With just seconds before the break, Teboho Mokoena unleashed one of his trademark long distance strikes which almost caught Djigui Diarra off guard.

Coming back from the recess, it was the hosts who had the better chances, despite Sundowns having more of the possession.

Mzize was back in the Sundowns danger area again in the 57th minute when he rose above his markers to connect with a Stephane Aziz Ki cross that went just off target with Williams rooted to the ground.

Yanga’s best opportunity came in the 68th minute when Kennedy Musonda found himself one-on-one with Williams, but it was the Sundowns shot stopper who came out top as he made the save to deny the hosts the lead.

The match continued to be a highly tactical affair, with both sides attacking with caution and defending in numbers as it ended goalless.

The two sides will meet again at Pretoria’s Loftus Versfeld Stadium for the return leg next weekend where the winner will be decided in what promises to be highly entertaining return fixture.

Stuttering Chelsea held at home by 10-man Burnley

LONDON, England 

Chelsea suffered another setback in their erratic season on Saturday when they were held to a 2-2 home draw by 10-man Burnley who remain deep in Premier League relegation trouble.

Mauricio Pochettino's expensively-assembled side looked to be in the driving seat when Burnley's Lorenz Assignon was shown a second yellow card for bringing down Mykhailo Mudryk and top-scorer Cole Palmer converted the resulting penalty in the 44th minute.

But Josh Cullen stunned Stamford Bridge by scoring two minutes into the second half with a fine shot from outside the box.

Chelsea struggled to make their numerical advantage count before restoring their lead in the 78th minute when Palmer scored again, this time with a low shot. Burnley were level again three minutes later, however, when Dara O'Shea headed home from a corner.

The draw left Chelsea in 11th place in the table while Burnley are 19th, four points behind 17-placed Nottingham Forest.

Somalia's Parliament approves historic constitutional amendments

MOGADISHU, Somalia 

Somalia changed its constitution Saturday during a parliamentary vote that, among other things, gives the country’s president the power to appoint a prime minister.

After weeks of intense debate, Somalia's bicameral federal parliament approved amendments to the first four chapters in the country's provisional constitution.

In a joint session in Mogadishu, lawmakers voted on each chapter individually before casting votes on the overall amendments proposed by the Independent Constitutional Review and Implementation Commission, or ICRIC.

The speaker of the Lower House, Sheikh Adan Mohamed Nur Madobe, announced a significant majority of members were in favor of amending the constitution.

“A total of 212 members of the Lower House and 42 members of the Upper House supported the amendments, with no abstentions or rejections. Therefore, the amendment has been approved with a unanimous vote,” said Madobe.

Hussein Idow, chairperson of the Constitutional Review Committee, said that three proposed provisions in a draft related to religion would get further review.

“This decision of the postponement of the religion provisions aims to ensure that these provisions align with the principles and values of the Somali people,” he said.

“This provisional constitution has been under review for nearly a decade. From 2012, three parliaments have tried to amend it, but the efforts to finalize the review gained momentum in late 2023. Thanks to the 11th parliament of Somalia for daring to conduct the amendment,” said Idow.

One key provision in the approved draft establishes that Somalia will have a president and a prime minister. The president will hold the authority to appoint and remove the prime minister from office, an amendment that replaces the previous requirement for the prime minister to obtain a vote of confidence from parliament and allowing more flexibility in the executive branch.

The amended constitution sets the term of office for government constitutional bodies at five years and refers to regional state presidents as leaders.

It also establishes the presence of three political parties in the country, promoting a multi-party system.

Some political stakeholders, including former Somali Presidents Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo and Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, as well as Puntland state leaders, strongly opposed that amendment.

At least 45 killed in South Africa bus accident

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa 

Forty-five people have died in South Africa after the bus they were in plunged some 50m (165ft) off a bridge into a ravine, authorities say.

An eight-year-old girl, the only survivor, sustained serious injuries but is now in a stable condition.

The bus crashed through a barrier and caught fire when it hit the ground in the north-eastern Limpopo province.

Thirty-four body bags have been taken from the scene but only nine bodies are identifiable, authorities say.

The passengers were pilgrims travelling from Botswana's capital, Gaborone, to an Easter service in the town of Moria.

The vehicle lost control and went off a bridge on the Mmamatlakala mountain pass between Mokopane and Marken, around 300km (190 miles) north of Johannesburg, according to South African public broadcaster SABC.

Department of Transport spokesperson Colin Msibi told the BBC's Newsday programme that the girl who survived is currently "in hospital, I'm told in stable condition".

"What we suspect is that when the bus hit the barrier of the bridge, the child was ejected out of the bus, and that is how the child was able to survive," Mr Msibi said.

Rescue operations went on late into Thursday evening and continued the next morning.

Limpopo health official Phophi Ramathuba told South African broadcaster eNCA that body parts from separate crash victims may have fused together in the fire, which is why so far only nine bodies have been identified.

Senegal’s top court confirms Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s election victory

DAKAR, Senegal 

Senegal's Constitutional Council on Friday confirmed the presidential election victory of opposition candidate Bassirou Diomaye Faye.

Senegal’s President-elect Bassirou Diomaye Faye meets outgoing President Macky Sall at the presidential palace in Dakar, Senegal, on March 28, 2024.

The top court validated provisional results announced on Wednesday based on vote tallies from 100 percent of polling stations.

Faye won more than 54% of votes in last Sunday's delayed presidential poll, with ruling coalition candidate Amadou Ba taking over 35%.

Faye ,44, is due to be sworn in as Senegal's youngest president on Tuesday in the city of Diamniadio, according to the presidency.

A Filipino villager is nailed to a cross for the 35th time on Good Friday

MANILA, Filipino 

A Filipino villager has been nailed to a wooden cross for the 35th time to reenact Jesus Christ's suffering in a brutal Good Friday tradition he said he would devote to praying for peace in Ukraine, Gaza and the disputed South China Sea.

On Friday, over a hundred people watched on as 10 devotees were nailed to wooden crosses, among them Ruben Enaje, a 63-year-old carpenter and sign painter. The real-life crucifixions have become an annual religious spectacle that draws tourists in three rural communities in Pampanga province, north of Manila.

The gory ritual resumed last year after a three-year pause due to the coronavirus pandemic. It has turned Enaje into a village celebrity for his role as the "Christ" in the Lenten reenactment of the Way of the Cross.

Ahead of the crucifixions, Enaje told The Associated Press by telephone Thursday night that he has considered ending his annual religious penitence due to his age, but said he could not turn down requests from villagers for him to pray for sick relatives and all other kinds of maladies.

The need for prayers has also deepened in an alarming period of wars and conflicts worldwide, he said.

"If these wars worsen and spread, more people, especially the young and old, would be affected. These are innocent people who have totally nothing to do with these wars," Enaje said.

Despite the distance, the wars in Ukraine and Gaza have helped send prices of oil, gas and food soaring elsewhere, including in the Philippines, making it harder for poor people to stretch their meagre income, he said.

Closer to home, the escalating territorial dispute between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea has also sparked worries because it's obviously a lopsided conflict, Enaje said. "China has many big ships. Can you imagine what they could do?" he asked.

"This is why I always pray for peace in the world," he said and added he would also seek relief for people in southern Philippine provinces, which have been hit recently by flooding and earthquakes.

In the 1980s, Enaje survived nearly unscathed when he accidentally fell from a three-story building, prompting him to undergo the crucifixion as thanksgiving for what he considered a miracle. He extended the ritual after loved ones recovered from serious illnesses, one after another, and he landed more carpentry and sign-painting job contracts.

"Because my body is getting weaker, I can't tell … if there will be a next one or if this is really the final time," Enaje said.

During the annual crucifixions on a dusty hill in Enaje's village of San Pedro Cutud in Pampanga and two other nearby communities, he and other religious devotees, wearing thorny crowns of twigs, carried heavy wooden crosses on their backs for more than a kilometer (more than half a mile) under a hot summer sun. Village actors dressed as Roman centurions hammered 4-inch (10-centimeter) stainless steel nails through their palms and feet, then set them aloft on wooden crosses for about 10 minutes as dark clouds rolled in and a large crowd prayed and snapped pictures.

Among the crowd this year was Maciej Kruszewski, a tourist from Poland and a first-time audience member of the crucifixions.

"Here, we would like to just grasp what does it mean, Easter in completely different part of the world," said Kruszewski.

Other penitents walked barefoot through village streets and beat their bare backs with sharp bamboo sticks and pieces of wood. Some participants in the past opened cuts in the penitents' backs using broken glass to ensure the ritual was sufficiently bloody.

Many of the mostly impoverished penitents undergo the ritual to atone for their sins, pray for the sick or for a better life, and give thanks for miracles.

The gruesome spectacle reflects the Philippines' unique brand of Catholicism, which merges church traditions with folk superstitions.

Church leaders in the Philippines, the largest Catholic nation in Asia, have frowned on the crucifixions and self-flagellations. Filipinos can show their faith and religious devotion, they say, without hurting themselves and by doing charity work instead, such as donating blood, but the tradition has lasted for decades.

Jacob Zuma barred from running in South Africa election

PRETORIA South Africa 

Former President Jacob Zuma has been barred from running in South Africa's general election in May.

The country's electoral commission, or IEC, has not given a reason.

However, his 2021 conviction, and jailing, for contempt of court would appear to disqualify him.

His backing of the new uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party has been seen as a possible threat to the governing African National Congress (ANC), which has suspended Mr Zuma.

The 81-year-old served as president from 2009 until 2018, when he had to step down because of corruption allegations.

Mr Zuma's new party is named after the ANC's former military wing, and he sees himself as the true heir to the governing party's revolutionary roots.

The ANC had wanted South Africa's electoral body to deregister MK but this request was rejected on Tuesday.

Mr Zuma has been leading the MK party's campaign and was the first name on their candidate list, but the electoral commission received objections to him potentially becoming a member of the National Assembly.

Rather than voting directly for a president, South Africans elect members of the National Assembly. The head of whichever party gains a majority then becomes the country's leader.

"In the case of former President Zuma, yes, we did receive an objection, which has been upheld," said electoral commission head Mosotho Moepya on Thursday.

"The party that has nominated him has been informed," Mr Moepya told journalists.

Mr Zuma has until 2 April to appeal against the decision.

The former president received a 15-month prison sentence in 2021 for contempt of court and the constitution says anyone who has had a prison sentence of longer than 12 months is not eligible to run for election.

Mr Zuma is also facing charges of corruption over a multi-billion dollar arms deal from the 1990s, when he was vice-president.

The IEC said that the ruling did not prevent the MK party from taking part in the 29 May poll, News24 reports.

For the first time since the start of the democratic era in 1994, the ANC's vote share could fall below 50%, according to several opinion polls. The MK party is seen as popular in Mr Zuma's home region of KwaZulu-Natal.

Visiting doctors 'stunned' about situation of wounded palestinian children

GAZA, Palestine

It was the constant stream of wounded Palestinian children that most stunned the international team of doctors visiting the hospital in central Gaza, overwhelmed by casualties from Israel’s shelling and bombardment.

Tanya Haj-Hassan, a pediatric intensive care doctor from Jordan, described the cases she had seen in just the past 10 hours at al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the town of Deir al-Balah.

Haj-Hassan was part of a seven-doctor team that has been working at al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital since the middle of March, set up by the relief groups International Rescue Committee and Medical Aid for Palestinians.

Their two-week visit has given them a first-hand look at Gaza’s decimated health sector under the nearly six-month Israeli assault in the tiny territory.

Only around a dozen of Gaza’s 36 hospitals are even partially functioning.

The rest have gone completely out of commission as they ran out of fuel and medicine, were surrounded and raided by Israeli troops, or were damaged in fighting.

The remaining facilities, including al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospitals, have to take in the flood of patients even as they struggle with limited supplies and overwhelmed staff.

"People are tired. Our team has been doing this for five days, we’re exhausted. I can’t imagine what the Gaza team who has been here for 162 days, doing this 24/7 - 162 days without resources - is dealing with," she told the Associated Press.

A similar team went to al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in January.

This time, because Israel strikes in the area were surging, it was too risky for the team to stay at a nearby guesthouse and instead they have stayed in the hospital itself, giving them a 24/7 look at the deterioration during their two-week visit, said Arvind Das, the IRC’s team leader for Gaza.

Mustafa Abu Qassim, a nurse from the Specialty Hospital in Jordan who is on the visiting team, was shocked by the crowded hallways.

“Patients are lying in the corridors. When we go looking, we don't find rooms for the patients.,” he said.

“They’re all in the corridors, either on mattresses or blankets on the floor, or a bed without basic components. So they are struggling a lot,” he added.

al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital normally has a capacity of around 160 beds, according to the World Health Organization, but now it is struggling with some 800 patients, according to staff.

Normally, it has around 120 staff, but many of those are no longer able to come to work – leaving a skeleton crew of doctors and nurses juggling the massive load.

"Most of them have lost their children, their wives, or their parents," said Abu Qassim about the staff that operate in the health facility.

Thousands of people driven from their homes by the Israeli military offensive are also living in the hospital grounds, hoping it will be safe.

The staff also face the same daily struggle others in Gaza have in finding food for their families and trying to ensure some safety for them.

Das says the doctors have been eating minimally, living on canned food. Many bring their children with them to the hospital to keep them close, Abu Qassim said.

Israel’s bombardment and offensive in Gaza have killed some 32,000 Palestinians and wounded nearly 75,000 more in the territory of 2.3 million people, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

Israel’s offensive was triggered by Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel in which militants killed around 1,200 people and abducted 250 hostages, around 100 of whom remain in captivity.

Since the start of the assault, Israel has cut off entry of food, fuel and medical supplies into Gaza except for a trickle of aid crossing the border at two crossings in the south.

The international community has called for Israel to let in more.

China emerges as leading source of foreign investment in Tanzania - officials

DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania

China has emerged as a leading source of foreign direct investment (FDI) in Tanzania, significantly contributing to the country's development, officials said Wednesday.

The remarks were made at the closing session of a one-day China-Tanzania Investment Forum and China (Jinhua)-Tanzania Trade and Investment Promotion Conference in the port city of Dar es Salaam.

Tausi Kida, the permanent secretary in the President's Office responsible for Planning and Investment, said that from January 2021 to December 2023, the Tanzania Investment Center registered 256 Chinese projects worth about 2.5 billion U.S. dollars. The top five sectors for these projects were manufacturing, commercial building, agriculture, transportation and services.

Tanzania has made significant strides in improving the investment climate culminating in tangible achievements, including the attraction of more than 11 billion U.S. dollars in projects led by Chinese investments, creating more than 114,726 jobs, said Angelina Ngalula, chairperson of the Tanzania Private Sector Foundation.

Chinese Ambassador to Tanzania Chen Mingjian commended the Tanzanian government's determination and proactive measures in attracting investment and promoting economic development. "We are confident in Tanzania's future development prospects."

Zhu Chonglie, secretary of the Communist Party of China Jinhua Municipal Committee, emphasized the traditionally friendly relations between China and Tanzania. He said that the forum aimed to contribute to building a closer high-level China-Africa community with a shared future.

In closing the forum, Tanzanian Vice President Philip Mpango highlighted China's long-standing role as a leading strategic investor and major trading partner of Tanzania. He noted that the growing FDI and trade indicate that Tanzania is a rewarding investment destination for Chinese investors.

During the forum, four memoranda of understanding were signed between Chinese and Tanzanian enterprises, as well as between Chinese and Tanzanian public institutions.

Ukraine calls for more Patriot missiles to beef up its defense

KYIV, Ukraine

Kyiv has made renewed calls for its backers to send more shipments of Patriot missiles as the country fends off a new wave of Russian airstrikes. 

"The peculiarity of the current Russian attacks is the intensive use of ballistic missiles that can reach targets at extremely high speeds, leaving little time for people to take cover and causing significant destruction," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said during an online press conference.

"Patriot and other similar systems are defensive by definition. They are designed to protect lives, not take them," he added.

Russian forces fired 190 rockets of various types, 140 drones and 700 guided bombs from March 18 through 24 alone.

Kuleba said ballistic missiles that climb up to a high altitude and then fall straight down to Earth were especially dangerous.

"They can hit targets at particularly high speeds, leaving people little time to seek shelter and causing immense damage," he said.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also called for more Patriot missiles, along with warplanes, to defend against Russian aerial attacks.

"Bolstering Ukraine's air defense and expediting the delivery of F-16s to Ukraine are vital tasks. There are no rational explanations for why Patriots, which are plentiful around the world, are still not covering the skies of Kharkiv and other cities," Zelensky said in a post on social media.

Ukraine has warned that Russia is preparing for a major summer offensive while it waits on a $60 billion (€55.5 billion) aid package from the United States that has been held up for months by Congress.

Seven Lebanese paramedics killed in Israeli attack on ambulance station

BEIRUT, Lebanon

An Israeli airstrike on a paramedics’ center linked to a Muslim group in south Lebanon killed seven workers and triggered a retaliatory rocket attack on northern Israel that left one person dead on Wednesday.

The strike on the village of Hebbariyeh, in the Arqoub area of Hasbaya district, came amid heavy bombardment along the border from both the Israeli military and Hezbollah.

As of March 19, Lebanon had lodged 22 complaints against Israel with the UN Security Council since the start of the attacks on its territory. These document “Israel’s violations of Security Council Resolution 1701” and call on Security Council members to “condemn these attacks, curb Israel’s violations of Lebanese sovereignty and prevent the outbreak of a large-scale regional war,” the Foreign Ministry said.

The seven paramedics worked for the Lebanese Succor Association. All were aged under 30 and several were relatives. They were identified as: Abdallah Atoui, Mohammed Al-Farouk Atoui, Bara’ Abu Kais, Abderrahmane Shaar, Hussein Shaar, Ahmed Shaar and Mohammed Hammoud.

Several other people were injured in the strike, which leveled the center in which the medics were working. The attack was met with widespread condemnation by politicians and the public.

The Israeli Army said it “targeted a military building affiliated with the Islamic Group in Habbariyeh, targeting an armed individual who had a role in planning attacks against Israeli territory and was associated with the Islamic medical group. The target was eliminated along with other armed individuals in the building.”

The Islamic Group, however, denied any connection to the center. Its media office said: “The Lebanese Succor Association center targeted by the Israeli airstrike is its own entity and is not affiliated with the Islamic Group.”

Under the wing of Hezbollah, the group has engaged in military operations against Israel on the southern Lebanese front since Oct. 8.

Hezbollah said that at 8 a.m. it retaliated to the Israeli strike by “bombing the Kiryat Shmona settlement and the 769th Brigade Command in the Kiryat Shmona barracks with dozens of rockets.”

Israeli news sites reported that more than 30 rockets were launched from southern Lebanon at locations in Galilee. A 38-year-old worker was killed and several others injured when a factory in Upper Galilee was hit.

Hezbollah said they also conducted a successful artillery strike on Israeli military deployments near the Shtola settlement and Ruwaisat Al-Alam site in the occupied Kfar Shuba hills, attacked an infantry force located within Ramim forest and hit spy equipment at the Miskav Am camp using “sniper weapons.”

The fighting on Wednesday came after Israeli drones killed two Hezbollah members in a strike on the Hermel region in the Bekaa Valley on Tuesday, the furthest incursion to date from Lebanon’s southern border.

Qasim Hashem, a politician from Lebanon’s Development and Liberation bloc, told Arab News: “What the Zionist enemy committed is a continuation of a criminal path that extends from Palestine to Lebanon.

“Today, Habbariyeh and Arqoub are paying in blood for confronting the Zionist project that began 75 years ago. Arqoub is at the forefront of the confrontation due to factors of history, geography, identity and belonging.”

Agriculture Minister Abbas Al-Hajj Hassan denounced the killing of “the ambulance men who were in their station to ensure the rescue of our people from the dangers of an enemy who only understands the language of murder and bloodshed.”

Environment Minister Nasser Yassin said: “The Hebbariyeh massacre is blatant evidence of Israel’s criminality and its failure to adhere to international humanitarian law, which grants immunity and protection to health and emergency care facilities.”

Wael Abu Faour, from the Democratic Gathering bloc, said: “The crime shows the enemy’s criminal behavior, resembling what is happening in Gaza and all of Palestine and their belief that they are above the law.”

Politician Bilal Abdullah said the killings were “the Zionist response to the Security Council’s ceasefire resolution in the Gaza Strip.”

Fellow member of parliament Ali Asseiran said: “Israel is repeating its dark history, and our state should file a complaint against Israel at the Security Council to condemn them for the terrible massacre they committed.”

The Progressive Socialist Party said: “Israeli madness has reached the point of bombing a health center and killing volunteers for humanitarian work.”

The Iranian Embassy in Lebanon, in its first comments on the Israeli attacks, said: “The occupation’s targeting of the medical center in Hebbariyeh is part of its aggressive and brutal policy.”

Ethiopia international Alelegn Azene dies suddenly

AMHARA, Ethiopia

Ethiopia international Alelegn Azene passed away on Wednesday morning. The cause of death has not been disclosed yet.

The Ethiopian international and Bahir Dar City player started his football career in his hometown of Arbaminch.

He featured for the Arba Minch City Football Club from 2016/17 to 2018/19 before moving to Hawassa City for two seasons before eventually joining Bahir Dar City two years ago.

The impressive midfielder helped the Waves of Tana to a historic second place finish in 2022/23 Ethiopian Premier League season and also represented the club in the Confederations Cup.

He played 27 games for Bahir Dar City in the 2022/23 season and scored five goals. He featured in 22 games this season and scored one goal.

His performance at club level has earned him national honours and it was expected that he would play an important part in the Walyas jersey for years to come.

He played for the Olympic team and for the National team of Ethiopia under Wubetu Abate.

Azene was married less than a month ago.

Senegal results show large win for opponent Faye in Presidential poll

DAKAR, Senegal

Anti-establishment figure Bassirou Diomaye Faye has comfortably won the Senegalese presidential election with 54.28% of votes in the first round, official provisional results showed Wednesday.

He placed well ahead of the governing coalition's candidate, former prime minister Amadou Ba, who garnered 35.79%.

The victory for Faye, who was only freed from prison 10 days before the election, still has to be validated by Senegal's top constitutional body, which could happen in a few days.

Faye, 44, who has said he wants a "break" with the current political system, is set to become the youngest president in Senegal's history.

It would be the first time since independence from France in 1960 that an opponent has won in the first round.

Aliou Mamadou Dia, who came third out of 19 candidates officially on the list, won just 2.8% of the vote, according to figures read out at the Dakar court by the president of the national vote counting commission, Amady Diouf.

While his victory in Sunday's vote was already clear after the publication of unofficial partial results, the margin of Faye's win was confirmed by the vote counting commission, which falls under the judiciary.

The turnout of 61.30% was less than in 2019 when outgoing President Macky Sall won a second term in the first-round, but more than in 2012.

The announcement of the official provisional results seems to clear the way for a handover of power between Sall and his successor.

The political crisis triggered by Sall's last-minute postponement of the vote, and the subsequently rushed electoral timetable, cast doubt on whether the handover could take place before the incumbent's term officially ends on April 2.

But a swift handover now seems feasible in the West African nation, which prides itself on its stability and democratic principles in a coup-hit region, provided no appeals are made.

Presidential candidates have 72 hours after the results are announced by the commission to lodge an appeal with the Constitutional Council.

The Constitution states that if no appeals are made in this period, "the Council shall immediately proclaim the final results of the ballot.”

But if an objection is made, the Council has five days to rule and could, in theory, annul the election.

Faye, who has never before held elected office, is set to become the fifth president of the West African country of around 18 million people.

His fellow presidential candidates, and Sall, have recognized his victory.

Sunday's election was preceded by three years of tension and deadly unrest, with Senegal plunged into a fresh political crisis in February when Sall decided to delay the presidential poll.

Dozens have been killed and hundreds arrested since 2021, with the country's democratic credentials coming under scrutiny.

Faye himself was detained for months before his release in the middle of the election campaign.

International observers hailed the smooth running of Sunday's vote.

The African Union's observation mission commended the "political and democratic maturity of the Senegalese people (and) the generally peaceful political atmosphere of the presidential election,”

Faye has promised to restore national "sovereignty" and implement a program of "left-wing pan-Africanism.”

His election could herald a profound overhaul of Senegal's institutions.

On Monday he pledged "to govern with humility, with transparency, and to fight corruption at all levels.”

He said he would prioritize "national reconciliation," "rebuilding institutions" and "significantly reducing the cost of living.”

But he also sought to reassure foreign partners.

Senegal "will remain a friendly country and a sure and reliable ally for any partner that engages with us in virtuous, respectful and mutually productive cooperation," he pledged.

Son of ex-president jailed in US for trafficking drugs to fund coup

WASHINGTON, US 

The son of Guinea-Bissau's ex-president has been sentenced to over six years in prison by a US court for leading an international heroin trafficking ring.

Malam Bacai Sanha Jr, 52, planned to use the proceeds to fund his ambitions to become Guinea-Bissau's president through a coup, authorities say.

He is the son of Malam Bacai Sanha, who led the West African country from 2009 until his death in 2012.

Sanha Jr has been linked to a failed coup in February 2022.

He was extradited to the US in August 2022, following his arrest in Tanzania a few weeks earlier.

His trial began soon afterwards and in September last year, he pleaded guilty to conspiring to illegally import drugs.

"Malam Bacai Sanha Jr wasn't any ordinary international drug trafficker," said FBI agent Douglas Williams on Tuesday.

"He is the son of the former president of Guinea-Bissau and was trafficking drugs for a very specific reason - to fund a coup that would eventually lead him to the presidency of his native country where he planned to establish a drug regime."

Sanha Jr is accused of importing heroin from several countries to Portugal, and also from Europe to the United States.

US authorities say he could be deported following his imprisonment as he is not an American citizen.

The 52-year-old, known as "Bacaizinho" in Guinea-Bissau, has held several roles in the government, including as his father's economic adviser.

He reportedly revealed that he was "personally involved" in the foiled 2022 coup attempt to unseat President Umaro Sissoco Embaló, which left 11 people dead, most of them members of the security forces.

Sanha Jr allegedly told undercover agents of the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) that he used drug proceeds to fund the coup plotters, German state-owned broadcaster Deutsche Welle reported last year.

Guinea-Bissau is a notorious drug trafficking hub. It is a key conduit for cocaine from Latin America destined for Europe, which led to the US and the UN designating it a "narco-state" more than a decade ago.

Experts say that drug traffickers and networks are highly influential and well-entrenched in the country's government, often funding election campaigns for politicians they can rely on to protect the illegal trade.

Four persons sentenced to death in Tunisia for a 2013 assassination of a politician

TUNIS, Tunisia 

A Tunisian court sentenced four people to death and two to life in prison on charges stemming from the murder of a left-wing politician, a public prosecutor said Wednesday.

Chokri Belaid, the 48-year-old leader of the Popular Front coalition, was shot in his car outside his home in Tunis in February 2013. His assassination, the country's first in decades, prompted mass protests and helped lead to the resignation of the then-prime minister.

The case was reopened last month after a former investigating judge was arrested on suspicion of concealing certain files. Wednesday's verdict came after hours of late night delays and lengthy deliberations due to "the complexity of the very thorny case," said Mohamed Jmour, a member of Belaid's defense committee.

Before his death, Belaid had earned a following for his forceful criticisms of Ennahda, the Islamist party that rose to power after President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali became the first dictator toppled in the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings. His supporters blamed the party for taking an overly accommodating approach toward extremists after his assassination.

Ennahda leaders classified Ansar al-Sharia as a terrorist group after the killing of another left-wing politician, Mohammed Brahmi, later that year. Law enforcement killed several alleged members of the al-Qaeda-linked group suspected of involvement in Belaid's death.

Several members of Ansar al Sharia were sentenced, including Mohamed Aouadi, the head of its military arm; Mohamed Khiari, the head of its field surveillance and information arm.

The assassinations and subsequent unrest set off a political crisis for Tunisia as it struggled to transition from dictatorship to democracy.

Two dozen defendants were ultimately charged in a sprawling case that took years to investigate and bring to trial. One died in prison. Of the 23 defendants sentenced on Wednesday, five were acquitted while others received sentences ranging from two to 120 years.

Aymen Chtiba, a deputy prosecutor in the terrorism court's judicial unit, said the dismissals had to do with the similarity of sentences already handed down against some defendants in other cases.

Belaid's brother Abdelmajid Belaid called the verdict "a positive step" and said that supporters were still awaiting the trial of those suspected of planning the assassination.