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Kenyan Titus Ekiru, winner of the Milan marathon in May 2021, received a ten-year suspension for doping and obstructing the investigation, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) announced on Monday.

The 31-year-old athlete tested positive for a doping substance after his surprise victory in Milan, where he had just won the marathon in a stunning time of 2 hours 2 min 57 sec. He had another positive test in November of the same year in Abu Dhabi, the AIU said in a press release.

Ekiru had claimed that this abnormality was the result of legal medical treatment for his injuries.

A little-known athlete, Ekiru surprised the specialists of the event with an exceptional time equal to the old world record of his compatriot Denis Kimetto (2h02:57 also, in 2014), improved twice by Eliud Kipchoge (in 2018 then in 2022) and finally beaten by Kelvin Kiptum on October 8 in Chicago (2h00:35).

Ekiru was initially provisionally suspended on June 28, 2022, for the use of triamcinolone acetonide – a glucocorticoid completely banned since January 2022 – and pethidine (narcotic). Confirmation of his suspension means he will be banned from racing until 2032.

The AIU added that the Kenyan was stripped of his titles, as well as his results since the Milan race and all prizes gleaned are lost.

The ban follows a “thorough investigation” that revealed deliberate fraud by Ekiru to obstruct the AIU investigation and collusion with a doctor at a Kenyan hospital, the agency said.

“Initially, Ekiru expressed his intention to contest the allegations. But confused by substantial evidence against him, the Kenyan athlete decided not to pursue the proceedings,” the text adds.

The body has asked the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) to refer the doctor to the country’s criminal authorities for further investigation.

Kenya has seen a surge in doping cases that have tarnished its reputation as an athletic powerhouse. Nearly 70 athletes – mainly long-distance runners – have been banned over the past five years.

Bomb attacks on churches by Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) jihadists were foiled on Sunday in Uganda, some 50km west of the capital Kampala, President Yoweri Museveni announced.

Two explosive devices that the ADF, rebels who have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group, “were planning to plant in the churches of Kibibi  were reported to the police and defused”, wrote the Ugandan head of state on X (formerly Twitter).

Earlier on Sunday, 79-year-old Yoweri Museveni, who has ruled the country with an iron fist since 1986, said that Ugandan forces had carried out air strikes against ADF positions in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo the previous day. “It seems that many terrorists have been killed”, he wrote on X, without giving further details.

The President warned that the ADF could “attempt to commit random acts of terrorism” in Uganda following these air strikes.

In September, Ugandan police claimed to have foiled a bomb attack on a cathedral in Kampala and arrested the man suspected of trying to activate the explosive device among worshippers.

In June, members of the ADF killed 42 people, including 37 pupils, at a secondary school in western Uganda close to the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo.

It was the deadliest attack in Uganda since the double bombing in Kampala in 2010, which killed 76 people in a raid claimed by the Somali-based Islamist group Shebab.

In its latest report published in June, the UN Group of Experts on the DRC stated that the EI had “provided financial support to the ADF since at least 2019, through a complex financial system involving individuals in several countries on the continent, emanating from Somalia and passing through South Africa, Kenya and Uganda”.

Originally Ugandan rebels with a majority of Muslims, established in the DRC since the 1990s, the ADF pledged allegiance in 2019 to the EI, which claims responsibility for some of their actions and presents them as its “central African province” (Iscap in English).

Uganda and the DRC launched a joint offensive in 2021 to drive the ADF out of their Congolese strongholds, but have so far failed to put an end to the group’s attacks.

The governments of Ghana and South Africa have reached a visa waiver agreement to allow citizens of both countries to travel visa-free.

This was made known by Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration in a post made on the social networking platform, X, where it said both countries have entered into an “agreement on a visa waiver regime for holders of ordinary passports.”

“Travellers may transit through, depart from and stay in the territory of both countries for a cumulative period of up to 90 days without recourse to work.

According to the post, the agreement takes effect from 1 November.

South Africa also reached a similar agreement with Kenya in January.

South Africa is Africa’s second-largest economy, after Nigeria. However, the two African giants have no such visa waiver agreement. There is also no indication that such an agreement is in the works between both countries.

South Africa emerged victorious in a thrilling quarter-final clash at the World Cup against France on Sunday in Saint-Denis (29-28). They will now face England in the semi-finals, following England’s victory in a less intense match against Fiji (30-24) in Marseille.

The match scheduled for next Saturday at the Stade de France already appears to favor the defending champions on paper, as does the other semi-final, which saw New Zealand, making a resurgence, face off against Argentina the previous day.

The Springboks decisively pulled ahead in the final quarter of a match filled with intense moments. They secured their lead with a powerful try, their fourth of the game, thanks to second-row Eben Etzebeth. Despite the support of their 80,000 spectators, the French team narrowly missed out.

The first half was an action-packed spectacle with no fewer than six tries, three by the French (Baille twice and Mauvaka) and the same number for the South Africans (Arendse, De Allende, Kolbe). With a 22-19 deficit at halftime, the Boks, who had been initially dominated, capitalized on the French’s mistakes, particularly in handling high balls.

The elimination is a massive disappointment for the French team, who had aimed for their first-ever World Cup title. Their hopes had been further bolstered by their impressive victory in the opening match against the All Blacks.

However, the outcome isn’t entirely surprising, given the pedigree of their opponent, a three-time world champion (1995, 2007, 2019), and now the top favorite for a fourth title.

While the South Africans suffered one loss in the pool stage to Ireland (13-8), it was mainly due to issues with their kicker, which they didn’t face on Sunday.

The French, boosted by the return of their scrum-half and captain Antoine Dupont, who played just three weeks after surgery for a fractured cheekbone sustained during the match against Namibia, entered the game with confidence. They also remembered their victory over the South Africans in a test match last November.

However, the presence of their star scrum-half was insufficient against the overpowering might of the Springboks, who physically dominated towards the end of the match and nearly extended their lead.

– Farrell’s Kicking Boots –

The South Africans will be the clear favorites against England in the semi-final next Saturday at the Stade de France. This match will be a repeat of the final from the World Cup in Japan four years ago, but the balance of power has shifted significantly in their favor since then.

For England, reaching the semi-finals is an unexpected outcome, considering the state of the team before the World Cup.

The Rose’s XV was unconvincing in the pool stage, narrowly avoiding a loss to Samoa. On Sunday, they didn’t provide much reassurance, especially against Fiji, another Pacific nation, who gave them a tough time.

Steve Borthwick’s team had scored two early tries through their centers, Tuilagi (14) and Marchant (23), but the Fijians also scored three (Mata, Ravai, Botitu), with the latter two completely reigniting the suspense just fifteen minutes before the final whistle.

Owen Farrell’s kicking was the difference-maker. However, much more will be required to challenge the Springboks.

Tens of thousands of Moroccans took to the streets of Rabat over the weekend in support of the Palestinians amid the Gaza war.

Crowds stretching for two kilometres marched through the capital in the rally called for by an alliance of Islamist parties and a left-wing coalition.

It was the biggest demonstration in the North African kingdom since it normalised ties with Israel in 2020 in a US-sponsored deal.

“This march firmly expresses our support for the people of Palestine and their courageous resistance,” said Moroccan activist Abderrahim Chikhi.

“It also represents the Moroccan voice refusing normalisation of ties with Israel and rejecting the Zionist regime, thus reaffirming commitment to the Palestinian cause,” he said.

The march came as Israel continued its intense reprisals against the Gaza Strip after the Palestinian militant group, Hamas, launched an attack on southern Israel from the enclave 10 days ago.

Thousands of people have been killed on both sides.

“These are crimes against humanity and we’re here to express our solidarity. We want peace, we want international organisations to ensure that the Palestinian people regain their rights,” said Moroccan politician, Nabila Mounib, who took part in the march.

She added that they were also demanding of the Moroccan state “that no relations should be established with the Zionist state”.

Until now, Morocco’s anti-normalisation movement has only been able to mobilise, at most, a few hundred people.

The treaty with Israel has been of great importance to Rabat as it came in exchange for Washington recognising Morocco’s sovereignty over the disputed region of Western Sahara.

Morocco maintains that the territory, a former Spanish colony under its control, is an integral part of the kingdom.

The Polisario Front, which campaigns for Western Sahara’s independence with the support of Algeria, demands a referendum on self-determination.

Israel and Morocco have strengthened their economic and security cooperation following the deal.

Some 130 leaders from Africa, South America and other emerging markets are gathering in China for a meeting organized by the Chinese government that will mark the 10th anniversary of its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Denis Sassou N’guesso of The Congo, Ethiopia’s Abiy Ahmed and Nigeria’s Kashim Shettima arrived Monday (Oct. 16) in Beijing.

Other leaders who arrived on Monday included Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Papua New Guinean Prime Minister James Marape and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet.

Chilean President Gabriel Boric and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Sunday. Others are coming on Tuesday.

The summit kicking off on October 17th, is the third Belt and Road Forum for international cooperation.

The BRI is a plan that China launched a decade ago. Under the initiative, a signature policy of president Xi Jinping, Chinese companies have built infrastructures including ports, roads and power plants around the world in a bid to boost trade and economic growth.

One decade down the line, some observers say the Initiative may be losing steam as Beijing becomes more averse to risk and as the domestic economy struggles to bounce back to pre-pandemic growth levels.

The main events of the two-day meeting are scheduled on Wednesday. Global organizations will also be in attendance.

Over 4,000 residents in Ghana’s southeastern region have been forced to abandon their homes due to widespread flooding.

This crisis has been triggered by the overflowing of the Akosombo Dam, resulting in the devastating destruction of homes and farmlands along the banks of the River Volta.

The deluge has led to the disruption of essential services, leaving some areas without access to water and electricity. The Ghanaian government, in an official statement on Friday, confirmed that thousands of people in at least nine districts have been displaced as a direct consequence of the flooding, local media reported.

The Global Disaster and Coordination System, affiliated with the United Nations, reported seven injuries in connection with the disaster.

Prior to the inundation, the Volta River Authority had issued advisories urging residents to relocate to higher ground. This recommendation came in response to the rising water levels upstream of the Akosombo Dam, primarily driven by heavy rainfall in the region.

A judge in the southern town of Ziguinchor on Thursday evening overturned the removal of imprisoned opposition politician Ousmane Sonko from Senegal’s electoral rolls, preventing him from standing as a presidential candidate, his lawyers and his dissolved party said.

Lawyers for Mr. Sonko, who came third in the 2019 presidential election, said their client could once again stand for election in February 2024. In a statement published by news websites, however, the State’s judicial agent said that the State would appeal against the judge’s decision and that Mr. Sonko could still not be a candidate.

On Thursday, Mr. Sonko’s lawyers challenged his disbarment before a court in Ziguinchor, the town where he is mayor and where he was registered. This action was presented by part of the press as representing the opponent’s last chance to stand as a candidate.

The court “declared Mr. Ousmane Sonko’s removal from the electoral rolls null and void and ordered his reinstatement, which should take immediate effect”, one of his defenders, Me Ciré Clédor Ly, said in a message on Friday.

“The Ziguinchor district court ruled on the law and only on the law  There was no justification for removing President Ousmane Sonko from the electoral rolls,” said El Malick Ndiaye, a leading figure in Mr. Sonko’s dissolved party.

Mr. Sonko was found guilty on June 1 of debauching a minor and sentenced to two years in prison. Having refused to appear at the trial, which he denounced as a plot to keep him out of the election, he was sentenced in absentia.

Mr. Sonko was imprisoned at the end of July on other charges, including calling for insurrection, criminal association in connection with a terrorist enterprise and undermining state security.

The authorities are questioning his responsibility in a series of protest episodes since 2021 – the most serious in June – which have resulted in several deaths.