Author: Editor

EIGHT out of 10 South African school children struggle to read by the age of ten, an international study has found. South Africa ranked last out of 57 countries assessed in the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study, which tested the reading ability of 400,000 students globally in 2021. Illiteracy among South African children rose from from 78% in 2016 to 81%. The country’s education minister blamed the results on school closures during the Covid-19 pandemic. Describing the results as “disappointingly low”, Angie Motshekga also said the country’s education system was faced with significant historical challenges, including poverty, inequality and…

A TANZANIAN teen has won the Amal Clooney Women’s Empowerment Award in London for her efforts to support girls’ education. The annual Prince’s Trust Awards recognise young people who have succeeded against the odds, improved their chances in life and had a positive impact on their local community. Award winner Zamana was recognised after launching her own campaign to support and encourage girls to stay in school in Tanzania. Through her “Allow Me To Study” campaign, Zamana focuses on helping schoolgirls and their parents understand the importance of completing their education. “This award means so much to me. Every girl…

– City Play Inter In Istanbul June 10 MANCHESTER City are into the final of the Champions League after Bernardo Silva scored twice in a hugely impressive win over Real Madrid at Etihad Stadium. Both of Silva’s goals came in a stunning first-half display by the hosts before Eder Militao’s own goal and a strike by substitute Julian Alvarez late on wrapped a dominant 4-0 win on the night and a 5-1 victory on aggregate. City, who are on the verge of winning the Premier League and are in the FA Cup final, will play Inter Milan in the final…

CELEBRATED Public Sector Turnaround Expert, technocrat and columnist, Dr Dakuku Peterside is to speak at the Center for Pan-African and Peace Studies (CePAPS) of the African University of Science and Technology (AUST), Abuja. The Center will be hosting a special event to celebrate Africa Day 2023 edition on May 25. This year’s theme is “Afrocentric Architecture Defined: Developing New Landscapes for Nigeria Today, Tomorrow & Beyond” and “The Future of Africa & Nigeria’s Leadership Role.” Dr Peterside will speak on “The Future of Africa and Nigeria’s Leadership Role,” where he is expected to identify the parameters of global and continental…

PRESIDENT-ELECT Bola Ahmed Tinubu has promised to hit the ground running and unify the country upon his assumption of office on May 29. He further pledged to work to ensure continued positive relations with the United States. Asíwájú Tinubu spoke during a telephone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Initiated by the US diplomat, the telephone discussion, which was frank and friendly, took place on Tuesday evening. The President-elect said that among his immediate priorities would be to deliver institutional reforms and development programs to deepen our democratic institutions and bring help to poor and vulnerable Nigerians. He…

FOLARIN Balogun has committed his international future to the US, ditching England and Nigeria. The 21-year-old Arsenal player who is on loan at Reims in France was born in the US to Nigerian parents and raised in England. After FIFA cleared him, Balogun decided to pitch his tent with the US. “Folarin Balogun, a 21-year-old multinational with eligibility for England, Nigeria, and the United States, has chosen to represent the United States in international competition,” a Tuesday statement from the US men’s national team read. “He is expected to join the U.S. Men’s National Team for the Concacaf Nations League…

SHEIKH Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani has made an improved offer to buy Manchester United. Sources have told BBC Sport a fresh bid was submitted on Tuesday morning amid further talks involving the Raine Group, who are handling the sale. The Qatari banker and Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos Group are the two main parties looking to buy the Old Trafford club. Both groups submitted third bids at the end of April It is understood the new bid is for 100% of the club, will clear United’s debt and includes a separate fund directed solely at the club and local community.…

A WOMAN won a local election in India almost two weeks after her death as supporters kept their pledge to back her in a sign of respect, officials said. Ashiya Bi polled at nearly 44 percent in the race for a municipal civic body seat in India’s most populous state of Uttar Pradesh this month and was declared victorious posthumously. The popular 30-year-old first-time candidate fell ill, reportedly from an acute lung and abdominal infection, and died just 12 days before the poll. Her husband informed election officials, but district officer Bhagwan Sharan told AFP on Tuesday that there was…

A GERMAN court on Tuesday sentenced five gang members to up to six years in prison for snatching priceless 18th-century jewels from a Dresden museum in what has been dubbed the biggest art heist in modern history. The thieves made off with a haul worth more than 113 million euros ($123 million) from the Green Vault museum in 2019. Some, but not all, of the loot was recovered in exchange for four of the defendants confessing in court. The convicted men, who appeared relieved by the relatively light sentences, are members of the “Remmo clan”, an extended family mostly based…

INFLUENTIAL Ghanaian musician and socialite Mona Faiz Montrage, popularly known as Hajia4Real, has been extradited to the US and charged with a $2m ($1.6m) romance scam. The criminal enterprise she allegedly belonged to targeted lonely American men and women – and in one instance faked married to one victim to further her scheme. The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) in a statement indicated she had been charged with several counts, including conspiracy to commit fraud and money laundering. She could receive a maximum sentence of 20 years in jail for each count if found guilty. She was also charged with…

MALIAN Prime Minister Choguel Maïga has rejected a UN report that accused the army and foreign forces of killing at least 500 civilians in the central village of Moura in March last year. Mr Maïga said the report sought to tarnish the reputation of the security forces, state-owned television ORTM reported on Monday. He said that no-one would make Malians doubt their army and its rising strength in recent months. Mali has now ordered an “espionage” probe of the UN, whom it accused of being manipulated by the “French junta”. Meanwhile, Mali’s High Authority of Communication (HAC) has condemned French…

INTER Milan reached the Champions League final for the first time in 13 years as Lautaro Martinez’s goal sealed victory over fierce rivals AC Milan at San Siro. Three-time winners Inter, who led 2-0 after the first leg, will face either Manchester City or Real Madrid in Istanbul on 10 June after a disciplined second-leg display ensured their progress. Heavily backed at a feverish San Siro as the designated home team, Inter were made to absorb early pressure as a determined start by Milan ensured the match began at a frenetic pace. Theo Hernandez fired marginally over with a ferocious…

CURTIS Jones scored twice as in-form Liverpool brushed aside hapless Leicester to maintain their recent winning streak and push the Foxes closer to Premier League relegation. Jurgen Klopp’s side have won their past seven games to bolster their push for a top-four finish and now lie a point behind Newcastle and Manchester United, albeit having played a game more. Another dismal loss for Leicester leaves the 2016 Premier League champions firmly rooted in danger in 19th position, two points adrift of safety with only two games remaining. The Reds scored twice in the space of three first-half minutes through the…

BARCELONA president Joan Laporta said on Monday the club will “do everything possible” to bring Argentine superstar Lionel Messi back in the close season. The Paris Saint-Germain forward is set to leave in the summer when his contract expires and new La Liga champions Barcelona are hoping to lure their all-time top goalscorer back, despite strong interest from Saudi Arabia. Messi has had two lacklustre seasons in Paris after a glorious era at Barcelona where he won four Champions League and 10 La Liga titles and is still worshipped by the fans there. Laporta said he has spoken with Messi…

IRANIAN authorities on Monday executed five people over “armed drug smuggling” in the south of the country, the judiciary reported. The convicts, “all criminals and armed drug smugglers”, had been sentenced to death by hanging in a verdict upheld by Iran’s top court, the judiciary’s website Mizan Online quoted Mojtaba Ghahramani, Chief Justice of the southern province of Hormozgan, as saying. “The sentences of the aforementioned were carried out this morning in Bandar Abbas and Minab prisons” in Hormozgan, he added. The latest hangings bring to eight the number of people executed in less than a week over drug smuggling.…

A MUNICH court sentenced a 27-year-old male nurse to life in prison Monday for murdering two patients by deliberately administering unprescribed drugs so he could be “left in peace”. The nurse, identified only as Mario G., was also found guilty on six counts of attempted murder, a spokesman for the Munich district court in southern Germany said. During his trial, Mario G. admitted to injecting patients with sedatives and other drug cocktails while working in the recovery room at a Munich hospital. “I wanted to be left in peace,” Mario G. told the court. Three of the attempts targeted the…

THE Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) have accused the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of attacking worshippers in a church in Omdurman, a city adjacent to the capital Khartoum. The army in a statement on Sunday claimed RSF shot at worshippers in the Blessed Church in Omdurman against international humanitarian law and established customs. But in a Twitter post, RSF denied that it had attacked the church and instead accused an “extremist group” aligned with the SAF of being behind the attack. The force also accused SAF of “assassinating” an official of a football federation, Amir Hasaballah, and other killings in…

KENYAN government officials have visited herder communities in the south-west after nearly a dozen lions were recently killed after attacking livestock. The officials, including the tourism minister and Kenya Wildlife Service officials, met residents of the Mbirikani ranch amid escalating human-wildlife conflicts that led to the killing of 11 lions by herders living near the Amboseli National Park. The minister, Peninah Malonza, said the government was working to ensure pending claims by the community seeking compensation for wildlife attacks were settled. She urged the local people to embrace a “peaceful and harmonious co-existence with wildlife” even as their concerns were…

THE Federal High Court in Lagos has adjourned indefinitely an application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), seeking a stay of execution of the ruling that lifted a forfeiture order on some assets linked to the Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello. Justice Nicholas Oweibo adjourned the hearing of the application sine die because the matter is now before the Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal. On April 26, Justice Oweibo struck out a suit by the EFCC seeking the final forfeiture of the assets based on the provisions of Section 308(1) of the 1999 Constitution. The…

BARCELONA sealed their first La Liga title since 2018-19 with four games to spare after a stylish win at the home of city rivals Espanyol. Barca were 3-0 up by half-time, Robert Lewandowski scoring his 20th league goal of the season before Alejandro Balde, 19, doubled the lead. Lewandowski added the third before Jules Kounde’s header made it 4-0. Espanyol did reduce the deficit through Javier Puado and Joselu but remain in trouble near the bottom of the table. Barcelona have 85 points, 14 more than nearest rivals Real Madrid, with 12 points left to play for. It is their…