The News Review:

- Senegal’s powerful Mouride caliph dies at 92
- Africa: We Can Do It – Shereni
- Lisbon-Dakar Rally to follow original route
- Portsmouth 0-1 Middlesbrough
- Sunderland 3-1 Bolton Wanderers
- Sheikh Abdullah Bin Hussien al-Ahmar passes away
- Coldwater barn shaking with primal groove of master jammer

Senegal’s powerful Mouride caliph dies at 92
International Herald Tribune – Dec 29, 2007
The grave was sheltered under a metal structure and covered with a carpet flowers and portraits of other marabouts or religious teachers. By late Saturday some people slaughtered cows by roadsides outside the town to feed the many supporters who had come. “Serigne Saliou's calling back to God is a huge loss for me for Senegal and for the entire Muslim community” said Senegal's Mines Minister Madicke Niang himself a “talibe” or disciple. Saliou was the last surviving son of Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba who founded the Sufi Islamic brotherhood in 1883. Supporters praise Saliou for promoting education in daaras or Koranic schools and building up the city of Touba. Mouride followers said Bamba's eldest grandson Serigne Bara Falilou Mbacke would become the movement's sixth caliph. GLBAL NETWRK Bamba's doctrine of hard work as a route to paradise and unique brand of moderate Sufi Islam helped forge his followers into a global network of small traders whose donations funded the building of Touba's Grand Mosque with its lavish colonnades.

Africa: We Can Do It – Shereni
AllAfrica.com – Dec 29, 2007
"For instance in France where I am playing we see national teams from Cote d’ Ivoire Ghana Senegal Mali and Nigeria coming down to play against European teams or each other on Fifa approved international friendly days. "It is easy for the West Africans to play matches in France because most of their players play in leagues in Europe. "Senegal Ghana and Nigeria have at least 50 players each playing in France and when there are friendlies very few players are brought from other areas. "Sometimes the African nations play among themselves in Europe and we should be getting more Zimbabwean players to play in Europe if we take our game there. "It would be easy for scouts to notice our guys when the Warriors meet France or Nigeria or Mali in a friendly match in Europe" said Shereni. Shereni also believes Zimbabweans can easily shift base from South Africa to the European leagues in France Italy Spain Netherlands or England. He challenged the Zimbabweans in the South African Premiership to come out of their shells and try their luck in Europe than waste the rest of their careers there.

Lisbon-Dakar Rally to follow original route
RTE.ie – Dec 29, 2007
An unauthenticated audio recording broadcast by Al Arabiya television said al Qaeda’s north African wing al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb had killed four Mauritanian soldiers in the remote north of the country late on Wednesday. The attack came after gunmen shot dead four French tourists in Mauritania on Monday which officials have said may have been carried out by Islamic militants. The attacks raised fears that al Qaeda-linked militants who have carried out attacks in Algeria and Morocco may be seeking to extend operations southwards to Mauritania Mali and Senegal where the rally is due to finish on 20 January. Roger Kalmanovitz the rally’s head of security has been in the country meeting military police and government officials and said the 5-20 January event would go ahead as planned. ‘We are satisfied and the rally will indeed start in Lisbon on 5 January and arrive on Mauritanian soil on 11 January’ he told reporters in the capital Nouakchott. Last year organisers of the 9000-km (5600-mile) race cancelled two stages after France’s security services said rally participants risked being kidnapped or ambushed by Algerian rebels while passing through Mali.

Portsmouth 0-1 Middlesbrough
RTE.ie – Dec 29, 2007
It was Pompey’s sixth consecutive scoreless home outing in the Barclays Premier League and the cheers from Wednesday’s goalless draw with Arsenal soon faded away in a shot-shy display. Papa Bouba Diop was outstanding for Pompey running the show from midfield and filling the holes left by the injured Sean Davis flu-victim Pedro Mendes and surprisingly-dropped Sulley Muntari. But the Senegal international could not convert his dominance into goals and after Tuncay had struck for his fourth goal in six games in the 20th minute he fired over a golden chance to equalise just before half-time. Diop’s enormous figure was seemingly everywhere as he tried to rouse Pompey but the home fans probably wished it was anyone but him on the end of Benjani’s cutback in first-half stoppage time. Diop has yet to score since his £3million move from Fulham in August. Tuncay however was the first to show some purpose in a scruffy start to a frenetic encounter shooting wide on the turn with James confidently looking on. John Utaka’s mazy run on the right eventually took him into the Boro area and although he was challenged as he attempted to shoot the ball ran loose for Niko Kranjcar to fire a low drive which Mark Schwarzer smartly held.

Sunderland 3-1 Bolton Wanderers
RTE.ie – Dec 29, 2007
Keane replaced striker Michael Chopra who had lined up on the right-hand side of midfield before the break with Grant Leadbitter. But it was from the other flank that his side’s first chance of the second half came as Richardson ran on to Andy Cole’s pass before unleashing a dipping drive which Jaaskelainen had to tip over. Leadbitter proved his worth inside his own penalty area three minutes later after Ricardo Gardner and Anelka had combined to set up Diouf the youngster getting in a vital challenge before the Senegal international could pull the trigger. Veteran striker Cole briefly got the better of Andy ‘Brien on 54 minutes but could not get a shot in and after Davies had scuffed an effort straight at Gordon the former Manchester United frontman made way for Murphy with Danny Guthrie replacing Jlloyd Samuel for the visitors. But it was Wanderers who were applying the pressure and they went close on 61 minutes when after Anelka had thumped a shot straight at Diouf he reacted smartly to curl a right-footed effort just wide. Keane introduced more fresh legs with 20 minutes remaining when he sent on striker Roy ‘Donovan for the tiring Richardson as Bolton’s fightback gathered pace. At times the home side were camped inside their own penalty area and were forced to repel wave after wave of attacks.

Sheikh Abdullah Bin Hussien al-Ahmar passes away
Yemen bserver – Dec 29, 2007
The president office mourns the death of Sheikh Abdullah and announced a three-day mourning starting from today. Thousands have rushed to pay their respect to the family of al-Ahmr though the body is still in KSA. Sheikh al-Ahmar passed away in Riyadh after a long bout of illness following the accident that occurred in Senegal in 2004 when his car turned over and the injuries he sustained to his leg and hand as well as several injuries to his chest and other parts of body. He had received treatment in Saudi Arabia London and Germany before he came back to Yemen to resume his work as a Speaker of the Parliament following the latest parliamentary elections. The deceased Sheikh Abdullah Al-Ahamar was re-elected by Islah party as the president of the party for the fourth time last April 2007. He was born in Haboor Dholymah of Hashid in 1933. He was among the September revolutionist if not its greatest revolutionary ever particularly during the 70 days siege of Sana?a in 1967.

Coldwater barn shaking with primal groove of master jammer
commercialappeal.com (subscription) – Dec 29, 2007
Boyce played bass drum on that session and its 1999 follow-up From Senegal to Senatobia. "tha was in my family — he’s my uncle by marriage" says the 52-year-old musician. ne of 17 children Boyce was born in Como. Today he lives within a few miles of his birthplace with his wife Sheila and 9-year old daughter Shanquishan. "I come up hard" he says of his childhood remembering working all day and then lying in bed at night listening to "frolic parties" where musicians like McDowell would play ’til dawn.