00:07In Zambia, the cost of living is dominating the election campaign and could well determine
00:12the outcome of the presidential vote.
00:18The Ebola alert continues in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with votes being monitored
00:23continuously upstream from Kinshasa.
00:27The final four teams in the Women's Africa Cup of Nations have been confirmed, with
00:32Morocco, Algeria, Cameroon and Malawi battling for a place in the final.
00:39Hello, you're watching Africa News today.
00:42With three days to go before Zambia's presidential election, the campaign is entering its decisive
00:48phase.
00:48Incumbent President Hakainde Hichilema is defending his economic record against his main rival,
00:54Brian Mundubile, as the rising cost of living emerges as voters' biggest concern.
01:00With Zambia's presidential election just days away, residents of the capital Lusaka are hoping
01:07Thursday's vote will bring meaningful change.
01:10incumbent Hakainde Hichilema is facing a challenge from Brian Mundubile.
01:16He's accused the government of intimidation during the campaign, raising concerns among voters.
01:23Yeah, my expectations is we need to vote with peace, not fighting, fighting, no, no, no.
01:31Yeah, you know, next week we are voting for general elections.
01:34We are expecting anyone to win.
01:37We don't know if Zambia is going to win or Hakainde is going to win.
01:40We want just a peaceful election.
01:43Anyone who's going to win is going to be our president.
01:46That's all.
01:48Since taking office in 2021, Hichilema has restructured the country's debt and returned
01:54the economy to growth.
01:59But ordinary citizens are still struggling with unemployment and the high cost of living.
02:05We're expecting, again, the youth to give more jobs to the youth and then the challenges
02:10that we are challenging, like the financial crisis we have here in Zambia, people are lacking
02:14in lack of jobs.
02:15That's what we want the president to do when he comes in power.
02:20Yeah.
02:20When you look on paper, of course, the economy seems to be doing well, but we're not yet feeling
02:26the impact.
02:27But I can say change takes time.
02:29Yeah.
02:30And I believe it should start from the paper before it comes and affects everyone first.
02:38Presidential results are due on August 17th.
02:44If no candidate wins more than 50 percent of the vote, top contenders will face a runoff.
02:54In Kinshasa, skateboarding is moving out of the margins and gaining ground.
02:58Over three days, the second edition of the Two Skate Festival brought together young enthusiasts
03:03and amateurs around a sport that is still relatively little recognized in the Democratic Republic
03:08of Congo.
03:08The initiative combines sport, urban art and intergenerational learning.
03:16More than 500 young people gathered in Kinshasa for the second edition for the Skater Festival,
03:21a three-day celebration of skateboarding and urban culture aimed at inspiring new generation
03:27of athletes and artists.
03:29The organizer says the goal is to promote skateboarding and challenge long-held misconception about
03:42the sport.
03:44The goal of the Skater Festival is to promote skateboarding and urban arts in the DRC, encouraging young
04:03people to take their first steps in the DRC.
04:05in skateboarding.
04:06In skateboarding, which is still not widely recognized in our country, we want to highlight
04:10skateboarding and street arts to show people who marginalize these urban arts can change
04:16the way they see them.
04:20Experienced skaters also use the festival to pass their skills onto the next generation.
04:30Skateboarding is a form of street arts passed from one generation to the next.
04:34We're here to skate, but as we grow older, skateboarding will remain as a legacy for younger generation.
04:42That's why we're here to share that heritage.
04:48For beginners like Atosha Goodlife, the festival has opened the door to bigger dreams.
04:56Learning to skateboard makes me happy because many people still don't know how to skate.
05:02One day I'd like to represent my country in major skateboarding competitions and teach other
05:10young people what I've learned.
05:14As skateboarding continues to grow in popularity, organizers hope the festival will help establish
05:21urban sports as an important part of Congo's cultural and sporting future.
05:37In the Democratic Republic of Congo, a boat that had been held near Kinshasa over fears
05:42of Ebola has now been released.
05:44No cases were detected on board, but the incident has prompted authorities to strengthen checks
05:49on vessels upstream from the capital as part of efforts to prevent any spread of the virus.
05:57Congolese authorities have released a boat detained last week over fears passengers might be carrying
06:03the Ebola virus.
06:05Speaking to RFI on Sunday, DR Congo's health minister said the vessel was mistakenly believed to have originated
06:13in Kisangani, where cases of the deadly virus have been detected.
06:18In fact, the boat started in Mongola, which is free of Ebola.
06:25The vessel was reported after a passenger was forced to disembark after becoming unwell,
06:30with symptoms similar to Ebola infection.
06:34The person later died, but no samples were taken.
06:37Two children and another adult died aboard, but tested negative for Ebola.
06:44Other passengers showing symptoms were also tested, but no cases of the virus were detected.
06:51Authorities in Kinshasa say they will continue to monitor boats heading downriver within 65km of the capital.
06:59Two barges had already been inspected on Saturday, the minister said.
07:09And now to the final four of the Women's Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
07:14Four teams remain in contention for the title, host Morocco, Algeria, Cameroon and surprise package Malawi.
07:20The semifinals are expected to be closely fought with a place in the final at stake.
07:25Malawi defeated Ghana 2-1 on Sunday to secure a historic place in the semifinals and qualify for the FIFA
07:32Women's World Cup Brazil.
07:332017, for the first time, Chantel Boye Loka got Ghana off to a great start with a volley inside the
07:40far post, but Chawinga promptly replied with a fine strike of her own.
07:44Rose Cazeres scored the winner late when she took Chawinga's pass by a defender with her first touch and slid
07:50the ball past the goalkeeper with her next.
07:53Malawi, which defeated Nigeria 3-2 in their first group game, next, faces Algeria and Rabat on Wednesday.
07:59Meanwhile, Cameroon's shock-defending champion Nigeria to reach the semifinals of the Women's Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday and
08:05seal also World Cup qualification.
08:07Cameroon's goalkeeper Michele Behina exiled and her team held on as a 19-year-old.
08:13Miriam Nyanjou's early goal was enough for the indomitable Lions' 1-0 win over 10-time champion Nigeria.
08:19It's the first time that Nigeria has failed to reach the semifinals, where Cameroon will face host nation Morocco on
08:24Wednesday.
08:26And as every week on African News Today, here are some dates to remember.
08:31In Zambia, voters go to the polls on August 13th for general elections.
08:3614 candidates are contesting the presidency, with the main battle expected between incumbent Hakainde Hichilema and opposition candidate Brian Mundubile
08:45amid concerns over the rising cost of living.
08:49Registration is now open for the 2026 African Feminist Forum.
08:53Feminists from across the continent and the diaspora are invited to gather in Windhoek, Namibia,
08:59from August 10th to 12th for three days of discussions and reflection on strategies to advance justice and women's rights.
09:07The 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco is entering its final stretch.
09:13This week, the four remaining title contenders will battle for a place in the final.
09:17The tournament will conclude on August 16th at the Moulet Hassan Stadium in Rabat, where a new African champion will
09:24be crowned.
09:24From August 11th to 15th, Tunisia hosts the Carthage International Festival.
09:29For this year's edition, the ancient city will be transformed into a major cultural stage,
09:33with a program bringing together music, live performances and artists from Tunisia and beyond.
09:38It is one of the highlights of Tunisia's summer cultural calendar.
09:44And that's the end of African News Today.
09:46Join us next week for another edition.
09:48For more information, stay with African News and visit AfricanNews.com.
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