Tanzania’s main opposition Chadema party barred from upcoming elections
A treason charge and the exclusion of the main opposition draw attention before October polls in Tanzania. Tanzania’s electoral commission has barred the main opposition party, Chadema, from contesting presidential and parliamentary elections due to take place later this year. The Independent National Elections Commission (INEC) announced the decision on Saturday, stating that the party failed to sign a mandatory code of conduct agreement by the required deadline for the polls expected to take place in October. “Any party that did not sign the code of conduct will not participate in the general election,” said Ramadhani Kailima, the commission’s director of elections, adding that the disqualification extends to all by-elections until 2030. There was no immediate response from Chadema. The announcement comes days after Chadema leader Tundu Lissu was charged with treason, accused of inciting rebellion and attempting to stop the elections from going ahead. Prosecutors claimed he urged the public to take action against the vote, though he was not permitted to enter a plea. The charge carries the possibility of a death sentence. Advertisement Lissu, a former presidential candidate, has long been a vocal critic of the governing Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party and its leader, President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who is seeking a second term. Chadema had already warned it would boycott the polls unless meaningful electoral reforms were introduced. Earlier on Saturday, the party confirmed it would not attend the signing ceremony for the electoral code of conduct, describing the move as part of its broader campaign to push for changes in how elections are conducted. The disqualification of Chadema and the treason case against its leader are expected to raise new questions about the state of democracy in the East African nation. Human rights organisations and opposition groups have accused the government of clamping down on dissent, citing a pattern of unexplained abductions and killings of political activists. President Hassan’s government has denied any role in these alleged abuses and maintains it is committed to upholding human rights. CCM has repeatedly rejected accusations of undermining the opposition or manipulating the electoral process. Adblock test (Why?)
The Zimbabwean singer who found fame in China – and obscurity at home
Harare, Zimbabwe – It was 2017 and Jo Stak – wearing a red tuxedo jacket, a bow tie and a homburg hat – was belting out a Mandarin song. Red and yellow lights shimmered around him as a crowd of cheering, flag-waving fans on the Chinese version of The Voice gave a standing ovation at the end of his act. Stak’s melodious rendition of a 1992 Chinese song called The World Needs Warm Hearts was broadcast on national television. “I was invited to perform at The Voice as a guest performer that year,” Stak recalls. The prime-time spot reflected how well-known he’d become in China. On Douyin, China’s version of TikTok, he had about five million followers. He’d appeared on some of the country’s biggest television stations. Fans stopped him on the street to ask for a photo or just have a chat. The Zimbabwean singer was riding high. “Being Black in China makes you stand out naturally,” he explains. “And I was a musician [so that] made me stand out more.” The people who stopped him were often impressed that a foreigner would sing in Mandarin. People walk along Shanghai’s Bund waterfront on a hot day [File: Aly Song/Reuters] Some ‘big deal’ Today, in the Zimbabwean capital of Harare, Joe Takawira – Stak’s real name – is an inconspicuous figure walking down a street in Budiriro 5, the working class suburb where he was born and raised. In 2019, after seven years in China, his work visa expired, and he returned home. Advertisement Sporting his signature beard, grey sweatpants, sneakers and a black T-shirt, he lights a cigarette. He saunters past street vendors selling fresh produce and condiments, stops at a corner to chat with a friend, then goes about his day. Whenever he runs into someone he knows, he greets them with a fist bump and a toothy grin. When he’s at home, Stak listens to instrumental music and writes songs in Mandarin. “This is how I spend my time in Budiriro,” he says, shrugging. It feels a long way from China and the career he enjoyed there. He has not found the same acclaim back home. Even his neighbours had no idea about his previous life. Clemence Kadzomba, who runs a tyre shop in Stak’s neighbourhood, had no idea who his neighbour was until some of his clients who were among the 20,000 Zimbabweans living in China recognised him. “I couldn’t believe it,” 43-year-old Kadzomba says, grinning. “They were so excited to see him, like he was some big deal. And yet, here he was, just hanging out with us like it was nothing.” Stak stands with fans outside a club in Shanghai in 2019 [Courtesy of Jo Stak] Unexpected journey to stardom Stak’s musical journey has its roots in the Methodist church-run school he attended as a teenager. He sang in his church choir, something he loved, and was part of a group of students who recorded a gospel album. The album did well, and some of the songs have close to a million views on YouTube. Music runs in his family, says Stak, the middle of three brothers. His older brother wrote songs at school while the youngest brother plays the piano. Advertisement After graduating, Stak enrolled to study Mandarin in China in 2012, motivated by his love for Chinese culture, which began as a boy watching Jackie Chan’s action films. He was 20 years old when he moved to Shanghai. This came at a time when Zimbabwe was pivoting away from the West with the late leader Robert Mugabe’s “Look East” policy, adopted in response to United States and European Union sanctions after a 2002 presidential election marred by violence. Mugabe opened Zimbabwe’s doors to Asia, leading to an influx of Chinese investment as more Zimbabweans headed to China to work or study. By 2014, Stak was proficient in Mandarin and started posting videos of himself singing in Mandarin to Douyin. “I wanted to explore music in a different language,” he explains as he lights a cigarette and sits back in his chair on the red-floored veranda of his house. He would sing R&B, hip-hop and pop songs in Mandarin and English and started to get booked for gigs. “My first gig was at Yuyingtang, a music bar in Shanghai,” he recalls. He says the venue wasn’t very big but he made $1,500 – enough to pay for his food and accommodation for months. That gig made him realise he could make money from his talent, and it marked the start of his career as a professional pop singer in China. After that, he played at music bars, festivals, weddings and nightclubs – performing mostly in Mandarin. Of the 37 songs he recorded, one was in the top 10 on the Chinese music streaming service Baidu Music. “It meant a lot to me,” Stak says excitedly, although it earned him only 5,000 yuan ($865). Advertisement Then in 2017, he joined the Foundation Band, a group of musicians from Africa, the US and Europe that performed Chinese and Western pop music and hip-hop at weddings and nightclubs. As the lead vocalist, he caught the attention of Chinese television networks, leading to performances on major stations. “I was surprised by my success in China,” Stak admits. Life there was good. His daily routine consisted mainly of “eating, singing and drinking”. His favourite dish was hotpot – a meal for which diners cook raw ingredients like seafood and tofu in a shared pot of broth at the table. “Even now, when I miss it, I go to Chinese restaurants,” he says. He’d perform at night, and during the day, he’d roam along Shanghai’s historic waterfront with its colonial-era architecture and rooftop bars. Stak made good money. “They pay artists well – I mean 1,000 US dollars minimum for a 10-minute show.” But he also felt accepted and at home in China, where he says the music industry welcomes foreign talent and invests in it. Unlike many
Volkanovski beats Lopes; reclaims UFC featherweight title in front of Trump
Alexander Volkanovski has reclaimed the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) featherweight championship after defeating Diego Lopes by unanimous decision at UFC 314 in Miami, where United States President Donald Trump was in attendance. Two judges scored the fight 49-46 and the third had it 48-47 as the Australian mixed martial arts fighter won the title early Sunday. Volkanovski (27-4) had successfully defended his belt four times before losing to Israel Makhachev on February 11, 2023. “It’s good to be back,” Volkanovski said after the win. As for Lopes, he gave his full respect to the champion but wanted the crowd to know this was not the end of the journey. “It was an honour to share the Octagon with Alexander Volkanovski,” Lopes said. “I’ll be back.” Trump, a longtime friend of UFC President and CEO Dana White, as well as a fan of the sport, watched from the front row. Basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal approached Trump and shook his hand. Cabinet officials Tulsi Gabbard, Marco Rubio and Robert F Kennedy Jr also were in attendance as was X owner and White House adviser Elon Musk. US President Donald Trump attends UFC 314 at Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida [Megan Briggs/Getty Images via AFP] Volkanovski, despite getting cut below his right eye in the second and being floored by an overhand right in that round, dominated the first three rounds. But Lopes’s glove caught Volkanovski’s other eye in the fourth round and then pounced, but failed to put him away. Advertisement That set up the fifth round and, barring a knockout, Volkanovski appeared on his way to victory even though Lopes spent much of the fight verbally challenging him and inviting him to box. Theatrics to the contrary, Volkanovski was the aggressor. Volkanovski had hoped to get another shot at Ilia Topuria and avenge his loss from more than a year ago at UFC 298. But Topuria moved up to the lightweight division, leaving the featherweight class vacant. In stepped Lopes, the third-ranked challenger, to take on Volkanovski. This was the 10th consecutive title fight for the 36-year-old top-ranked contender Volkanovski. Lopes, 30, was in his first title bout. Volkanovski ended Lopes’s five-match winning streak. Volkanovski had plenty of reasons for wanting to get to work. He took an extended layoff after losing in February 2024 to Topuria. More than that, he was coming off defeats in three of his past four fights, including losing the two most recent matches. All four fights occurred in less than a year, so he was much more rested. Alexander Volkanovski (red gloves) ended Diego Lopes’s five-match winning streak with his title win during UFC 314 [Sam Navarro/Imagn Images via Reuters] In the co-main event, lightweight contender Paddy Pimblett continued this rise with a technical knockout of Michael Chandler after three minutes and seven seconds in the third round. Plimbett, a 30-year-old from Liverpool, United Kingdom, has won all seven of his bouts since moving to the organisation, giving him a 23-3 record overall. Advertisement “I want that world title,” Pimblett said. “Some say I’ll never be champ, I’ll never get run, I’ll never be in the top 10. But what now?” At nearly 39, Chandler has some decisions to make after winning just two of his most recent seven bouts. He is 23-10. Featherweight Bryce Mitchell, who fought for the first time since praising Adolf Hitler and denying the Holocaust on a podcast, was also on the card. He later backed off his comments, and though White heavily criticised Mitchell, he did not discipline him. Mitchell was little match for Jean Silva in their featherweight fight. Silva won by submission with a guillotine choke with a minute left in the second round. Adblock test (Why?)
In NIA custody, 26/11 Mumbai attack plotter Tahawwur Rana demands THESE 3 things
Tahawwur Rana was extradited to India earlier this week and has since been undergoing interrogation by officials of the National Investigation Agency (NIA). He reportedly demanded three things while in custody.
Assam police bust smuggling racket, seize 11 rare lizards found only in…, were being sold at Rs…
The Special Task Force (STF) of Assam Police recovered and seized 11 Tokay Gecko lizards and apprehended three smugglers in Assam’s Dibrugarh district on Friday, officials said. Rajib Saikia, CPRO of Assam police said that, based on a specific information regarding smuggling of Tokay Gecko lizard (Keko Saap) by some miscreants in Dibrugarh, the Assam police proceeded towards Dibrugarh on April 10 and on Friday (April 11) and got the information that the smugglers had planned to transport the Tokay Gecko from somewhere to Mohanbari area in Dibrugarh district.
Bernie Sanders says largest ‘Fighting Oligarchy’ rally with AOC is making Trump, Musk ‘very nervous’
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said Saturday his latest rally with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., on their “Fighting Oligarchy” tour was also their largest with a stop in downtown Los Angeles before a massive crowd of supporters. “Your presence here today is making Donald Trump and Elon Musk very nervous,” the 83-year-old independent, who caucuses with Democrats, said to loud cheers, adding about 36,000 attended the event. Sanders mentioned that after their last rally in Denver, Colorado, in March, which was slightly smaller than Saturday’s in LA, Tesla CEO and DOGE policy advisor Musk claimed most of those in attendance were “paid organizers.” “Anybody here being paid to come today?” asked Sanders, who was met with shouts of “no!” from the crowd assembled at LA City Hall. BERNIE SANDERS SCOLDS CNN DURING TOWN HALL WITH ANDERSON COOPER FOR NOT TALKING HEALTHCARE He also took a jab at the president, claiming Trump is “envious” of crowd “sizes.” “[Trump] said, ‘Well, Bernie has rallies of (2,000) or 3,000 people, can’t compete with Trump.’ He lied,” Sanders said. Sanders continued to go after Musk and Trump, attacking their wealth, a common refrain for him. ‘THE VIEW’ HOST WARNS DEMOCRATS ABOUT HOW PERFORMATIVELY ‘SCREAMING’ AT RALLIES IS NOT FIXING THE COUNTRY “We’re living at a moment where a handful of billionaires control the economic and political life of our country,” Sanders said. “We’re living in a moment with a president who has no understanding or respect for the Constitution of the United States and, let us make no doubt about it, moving us rapidly toward an authoritarian form of society. And, Mr. Trump, we ain’t going there.” Sanders also noted that Musk had recently posted on social media that Sanders “has been talking about the growth of oligarchy year-after-year-after-year.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Sanders added, “Well, Elon, you’re damn right. That’s what I’ve been talking about. The difference is I’m no longer talking about how we’re moving to oligarchy. I’m talking about how we are living today in an oligarchic form of society.” The pair have already done rallies in Las Vegas; Tempe and Tuscon, Arizona; and Denver and Greeley, Colorado, and they have upcoming rallies scheduled in Bakersfield and Folsom, California; Salt Lake City; Nampa, Idaho; and Missoula, Montana. Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment.
Trump orders military to take control of federal land at southern border
The U.S. military will take control of a strip of federal land that spans three states along the southern border in an effort to stem illegal immigration, a memorandum Friday by President Donald Trump said. The memorandum, “Military Mission for Sealing the Southern Border of the United States and Repelling Invasions,” directs the secretaries of Defense, Interior, Agriculture and Homeland Security “to provide for the use and jurisdiction by the Department of Defense over such Federal lands, including the Roosevelt Reservation and excluding Federal Indian Reservations, that are reasonably necessary to enable military activities.” He wrote it could include “border-barrier construction and emplacement of detection and monitoring equipment.” NAVY DEPLOYS ANOTHER HOUTHI-FIGHTING WARSHIP TO NEW US SOUTHERN BORDER MISSION “Our southern border is under attack from a variety of threats,” Trump wrote in the memorandum. “The complexity of the current situation requires that our military take a more direct role in securing our southern border than in the recent past.” The federal land, which consists of a narrow, 60-foot-deep strip at the border within the Roosevelt Reservation, would become a “military installation” designated as “National Defense Areas” where “military activities” would occur. AMERICAN WOMEN ARRESTED AT CALIFORNIA IMMIGRATION CHECKPOINT FOR ATTEMPTING TO SMUGGLE CHILDREN: ‘UNBEARABLE’ The Roosevelt Reservation covers California, New Mexico and Arizona and was designated as federal land by Theodore Roosevelt in 1907 to keep the border secure. The memorandum added that the secretary of defense can “determine those military activities that are reasonably necessary and appropriate to accomplish the mission” of keeping the border secure. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Trump campaigned on securing the border and “mass deportations” and has focused on both in the first months of his presidency.
Trump administration ends temporary protected status for thousands of Afghans amid deportation push
The Trump administration is ending the protected status for thousands of Afghans who entered the U.S. after its chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 under the Biden administration. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security doesn’t plan to renew Afghans’ Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which lasts six to 18 months and applies to people from countries that are war-torn or have a natural disaster or some other event that makes returning dangerous. The U.S. military evacuated more than 82,000 Afghans from the country when the U.S. withdrew in 2021, and the Taliban took over. TALIBAN LEADER SAYS ‘NO NEED’ FOR LAWS FROM THE WEST IN AFGHANISTAN: ‘WE WILL CREATE OUR OWN LAWS’ Thousands of Cameroonians are also expected to lose their status. DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told Reuters that DHS Secretary Kristi Noem has determined that the situation in Afghanistan and Cameroon no longer meets the standard for the Afghans and Cameroonians to have TPS protections renewed. “The Secretary determined that Afghanistan no longer continues to meet the statutory requirements for its TPS designation and so she terminated TPS for Afghanistan,” McLaughlin said in a statement, according to NPR. Shawn VanDriver, who served in the military and is president of #AfghanEvac, disagreed with the administration’s assessment on Afghanistan. COURT TELLS TRUMP ADMIN TO ‘FACILITATE’ RETURN OF DEPORTED MARYLAND IMMIGRANT “The conditions on the ground haven’t improved — they’ve worsened,” he told NPR. “Afghans who were invited here, who built lives here, are now being told they don’t matter. It’s cruel, it’s chaotic, and it undermines everything America claimed to stand for when we promised not to leave our allies behind.” More than 14,000 Afghans and 7,000 Cameroonians are expected to lose their TPS protections. The Biden administration renewed TPS protections for Afghans in 2023. Afghan TPS protections end in May and Cameroonian protections in June. At that time, foreign nationals will be eligible for deportation. HOUSE GOP RELEASES SCATHING REPORT ON BIDEN’S WITHDRAWAL FROM AFGHANISTAN Fox News Digital has reached out to DPS and the White House for comment. Last month, a judge delayed a Trump administration effort to end TPS protections for Venezuelans. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Both Afghanistan and Venezuela are listed by the U.S. State Department as “Level 4: Do Not Travel” because of the risk of terrorism, unlawful detention, civil unrest and kidnapping. Cameroon is listed as “Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution” due to the risk of terrorism, kidnapping and armed violence. Reuters contributed to this report.
Video: ‘Critical first step forward’ as first round of US-Iran talks end
NewsFeed US-Iran talks on the nuclear issue and sanctions have ended with Iran describing the discussions as “constructive”. Al Jazeera’s Tohid Asadi said both sides will see this as a “critical step forward” with reports indicating they have agreed to continue negotiations next week. Published On 12 Apr 202512 Apr 2025 Adblock test (Why?)
Israel cuts off Rafah, issues new forced displacement orders for Gaza
The army says it completed the Morag Corridor as it threatens to expand its operations to ‘most of Gaza’s territory.’ The Israeli military has said it completed the construction of what it calls the Morag Corridor, which cuts off the city of Rafah from the rest of Gaza, as it expanded its attacks on the southern part of the Strip. The Israeli army’s Arabic language spokesperson on Saturday issued new forced displacement orders for several neighbourhoods in Khan Younis, warning of an imminent attack “with great force” in response to alleged Hamas rockets fired at Israel from this area. Residents in Qizan an-Najjar, Qizan Abu Rashwan, al-Salam, al-Manara, al-Qurain, Maen, al-Batn al-Sameen, Jurt al-Lot, al-Fakhari and the southern neighbourhoods of Bani Suheila were ordered to leave their homes and proceed to al-Mawasi, on Gaza’s sea coast. The announcement came amid a barrage of drone attacks and artillery shelling on Khan Younis that killed at least two people. Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz said the Morag Corridor effectively turned Rafah into an “Israeli security zone” and added that the Netzarim Corridor, which divides the Strip in two, would also be expanded. Advertisement “Willful passage” will be granted for Palestinians who wish to flee Gaza, Katz said in a statement, mentioning again US President Trump’s plan to remove Palestinians from Gaza. Katz told Gaza’s besieged population he was offering them the “last chance to banish Hamas and release all hostages, stopping the war,” or else Israeli operations will spread to “most of Gaza’s territory”. Hamas issued a statement accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of prolonging the war despite repeated calls from within Israeli society to halt the conflict. “The equation is clear: the release of captives in exchange for a cessation of the war. The world accepts it, but Netanyahu rejects it,” it said. “The blood of Gaza’s children and the occupation’s prisoners are victims of Netanyahu’s ambitions to remain in power and to escape prosecution”. Al Jazeera’s Nour Odeh, reporting from Jordan’s capital Amman, said the Israeli defence minister had given Palestinians an ultimatum. “Topple Hamas and deliver the Israeli captives, Katz said, that’s the only way to end the war,” Odeh said. About 2.1 million Palestinians are now squeezed into about one-third of Gaza and no trucks carrying aid, food, cooking gas, or fuel have entered the Strip since Israel reimposed a blockade last month. Katz has publicly stated that, since breaking the ceasefire with Hamas on March 18, Israel’s goal has been to apply pressure on the civilian population, the correspondent added. Robert Geist Pinfold, a lecturer in international security at King’s College London, told Al Jazeera that while Israel says the creation of the Morag Corridor is purely operational and meant to constrain Hamas, it appears to be part of a longer-term Israeli strategy to control Gaza from afar. Advertisement “Israel has always sought to control the Gaza Strip, particularly to oversee what comes in and what comes out and ‘security’ over the territories, as Israel would call it,” he said. “These [Morag, Netzarim and Philadelphi] corridors are named after settlements, and the settlements did not appear there randomly. They were put there for this specific purpose: to cut off Gaza’s urban areas and give Israel the ability to squeeze the territory when and if it desires.” Adblock test (Why?)