Author: Editor

A UNIVERSITY professor in Afghanistan who is an outspoken critic of the Taliban’s ban on education for women and girls has been arrested in Kabul. Prof Ismail Mashal was detained on Thursday while handing out free books. He rose to prominence after he tore up his academic records live on television in protest against the Taliban’s ban on university and secondary school education for women and girls. Prof Mashal, 37, has been accused of “provocative actions” by the Taliban. He is accused of trying to harm the Taliban’s government by inviting journalists to crowd on a main road and create…

FOUR South African police officers accused of assaulting and torturing a Nigerian on Friday made their first court appearance at the Boksburg Magistrates Court. The case has been postponed until February 7 when their formal bail hearing will take place. The officers – one Sargeant and three Constables – were arrested on Wednesday by the police watchdog, the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID). According to the IPID spokesperson, Lizzy Suping, their charges have now been reviewed from assault with grievious bodily harm and defeating the ends of justice to Kidnapping and attempted murder. The officers remain in custody pending the…

THREE Kenyan police officers were on Friday given sentences ranging from 24 years in jail to the death penalty for the brutal murder of a rights lawyer and two other people. The bodies of lawyer Willie Kimani — who had criticised police abuse — as well as his client Josephat Mwenda and driver Joseph Muiruri were found wrapped in sacks and dumped in a river outside Nairobi in June 2016. The torture and killing of the three men sparked furious protests in Kenya, where many people fear the police. In July last year, High Court judge Jessie Lessit found the…

AS earlier reported by News Point Nigeria, President Buhari is currently meeting with members of the Progressives Governors Forum at the council chamber of the State House, Abuja. The meeting started about half an hour past 10:00am after our source spotted some of the governors entering the chamber. Present are governors of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai; Imo State, Hope Uzodimma; Zamfara State, Bello Matawale; Kebbi State, Atiku Bagudu; Ebonyi State, Dave Umahi; Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun; Yobe State, Mai Bala-Buni; Kano State, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje; Niger State, Sani Bello and Kwara State, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq. Details later…

REAL Madrid beat 10-man Valencia to cut Barcelona’s lead at the top of La Liga to five points. Los Blancos took the lead through a stunning left-footed strike from Marco Asensio in the 52nd minute. Brazilian forward Vinicius Jr celebrated his 200th Real appearance with his side’s second goal two minutes later. Gabriel Paulista was shown a straight red card for the visitors in the 72nd minute for kicking out at Vinicius. Antonio Rudiger thought he had opened the scoring for the hosts in first-half stoppage time when he headed home from Luka Modric’s cross. However, the goal was ruled…

PARIS St-Germain striker Kylian Mbappe will miss the first leg of his side’s Champions League last-16 tie against Bayern Munich with a thigh injury. The France forward was injured in Wednesday’s 3-1 win at Montpellier and has been ruled out for three weeks. It proved to be a night to forget for the 24-year-old who missed two penalties and an open goal before being forced off after 21 minutes. PSG host the German champions on Tuesday, 14 February. Mbappe will also miss his side’s French Cup tie against Marseille on 8 February and a Ligue 1 game against Monaco three…

A GUANTANAMO Bay prison detainee who endured torture in CIA custody has been transferred to Belize nearly a year after finishing his sentence at the US-run detention facility. The Pentagon announced on Thursday that Majid Khan was freed, bringing the number of prisoners at Guantanamo to 34, including 20 who are eligible for transfer. Khan, who was captured in Pakistan in 2003 and taken to Guantanamo three years later, said he was looking forward to beginning a new chapter in the Central American nation of 400,000 people. “Today, I feel like I am reborn. I have reentered the world,” Khan…

SEVERAL people have been arrested in Cameroon over the murder of a prominent journalist Martinez Zongo, the presidency said on Thursday. It did not reveal the identities of the suspected people or their number. A statement said the suspects were being interrogated to determine the level of their involvement and the identities of all the people connected to the murder that happened two weeks ago. For the first time since Mr Zogo’s body was found, President Paul Biya paid a “special tribute” to him and expressed his “heartfelt condolences” to his family. The radio host was found dead on 22…

GHANA’S military has denied claims that its personnel were behind the killing of at least 10 civilians in the town of Bawku, in the north of the country, close to the border with Burkina Faso. The civilians were killed in separate incidents and Mahama Ayariga, MP for Bawku Central, condemned the incidents. He accused the military of being behind the deaths and called for an immediate investigation. Eyewitnesses told the BBC that they saw armed men in military uniform chasing and shooting at civilians on Wednesday. They added that in the Missiga district of Bawku alone, eight people were killed…

THE US is tracking a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon that has been spotted flying over sensitive sites in recent days. Defence officials said they were confident the “high-altitude surveillance balloon” belonged to China. It was most recently seen above the western state of Montana. But military leaders decided against shooting it down as there were concerns over the danger of falling debris. China has not yet commented. Canada said on Friday that it was monitoring “a potential second incident” involving a surveillance balloon, but did not say which country could be behind it. It said in the statement that it…

AN Assistant Inspector-General of Police and Head of the National Central Bureau, INTERPOL Nigeria, Garba Umar, on Thursday, disclosed why the Federal Government has failed to extradite a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, over corruption allegations and trial. Umar, while appearing before the House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee to Investigate Alleged Loss of Over $2.4bn in Revenue from Illegal Sale of 48 Million Barrels of Crude in 2015 Including Crude Oil Exports from 2014 Till Date, alleged that the British Government turned down the request to extradite Alison-Madueke. The AIG, while being grilled by members of the…

REPUBLICANS have ousted Democrat Ilhan Omar from her committee post in a sign of escalating tensions in the US Congress. They voted to remove Ms Omar from the House Foreign Affairs Committee over her past comments about Israel. Republicans said the move sent a strong statement against antisemitism. But Democrats and Ms Omar said it was revenge after two Republicans were ousted from committees in 2020 when Democrats held a House majority. Ms Omar also suggested she was being removed due to her being a Muslim woman who immigrated to the US as a refugee. “Is anyone surprised that I…

THE man who attacked a mosque in the Pakistani city of Peshawar on Monday used a police uniform to gain access to the area, police have said. The suicide bomber reportedly entered through the main gates of the secure zone where the mosque is located. Police chief Moazzam Jah Ansari said they had CCTV footage revealing the man’s final movements, and were closing in on the “terror network” responsible. He also confirmed a head found at the site was the attacker’s. Monday’s blast – one of the deadliest attacks in Pakistan in years – took place at a 50-year-old mosque…

VLADIMIR Putin has compared Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to the fight against Nazi Germany, in a speech to mark the 80th anniversary of the conclusion of the Battle of Stalingrad. Citing Germany’s decision to send Leopard tanks to Ukraine, he claimed history was repeating itself. “It’s unbelievable but true,” he said. “We are again being threatened by German Leopard tanks.” Germany is one of many countries helping Ukraine defend its territory. Russia launched its bloody, full-scale invasion almost one year ago, prompting Western countries to send weapons and aid to the government in Kyiv. Speaking in Volgograd – the modern…

THE education of young girls should not just be a top priority, our children must also be taught the highest standards of honesty, piety, and hard work, in order to build a healthier, happier and more prosperous society. These views were expressed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, today at the virtual inauguration of the school-based Management Board of Adawiyya Girls Academy, Minannata community, in Sokoto State. Acknowledging the brainchild of the Academy, Hajia Rabiatu Adawiyya, from whose name the school is endowed, Prof. Osinbajo noted that despite the fact that she did not undergo formal education, she “understood a…

AN UPPER Shari’a Court sitting in Kano on Thursday dissolved the 16-year-old marriage between Asiya Ganduje and Inuwa Uba. Ms Asiya is the daughter of the Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje. Delivering a ruling, the Judge, Abdullahi Halliru said the marriage was dissolved through Khul’i (divorce by Islamic means). Mr Halliru ordered the plaintiff to return N50,000 paid as dowry by the respondent. “The conditions the respondent earlier raised before the court should be based on Islamic Sunnah on Khul’i. “Khul’i is strictly based on returning the dowry giving to a woman, the condition should not affect her in…

CHARGES of attempted rape and assault have been dropped against Manchester United footballer Mason Greenwood. The 21-year-old was arrested in January last year amid allegations surrounding images and videos that emerged online. He was later charged with attempted rape, controlling and coercive behaviour and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. The Crown Prosecution Service said the charges were discontinued after key witnesses withdrew their involvement. A spokesman said: “We have a duty to keep cases under continuous review. “In this case a combination of the withdrawal of key witnesses and new material that came to light meant there was no longer…

THE Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the election of Laila Buhari as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for Kano Central Senatorial District. The PDP had approached the Supreme Court, seeking the apex court to set aside the judgement of the Court of Appeal, and then declare Damburam Nuhu as the validly elected senatorial candidate. But in a judgement delivered by Justice Mohammed Garba, the 5-man panel comprising Justices Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, Ibrahim Saulawa, Adamu Jauro and Emmanuel Agim, disagreed with all the grounds of the appeal. The panel also lambasted and warned the PDP against impunity. In his…

ALKALAM Writers Association, Kaduna, says it is organising a public commemoration and book presentation on renown Hausa broadcaster and author, Alhaji Mahmoon Baba-Ahmed, who died five years ago. President of the association, Hajiya Halima Abdullahi K/Mashi, revealed this in a press release on Tuesday, saying the event will take place at Arewa House, Kaduna, on Thursday, February 9, 2023, which falls on the fifth anniversary of the demise of the journalist. Alhaji Mahmoon, whom she described as an elder statesman, died in Kaduna on Thursday, February  9, 2018, aged 77. He first made a name for himself as a correspondent…

THE National Directorate of Employment (NDE) today flagged off orientation ceremony for Graduate Coaching Scheme (GCS) in Sokoto. The training which is under the Special Public Works Department of NDE is targeted at 36 participants. Addressing the participants, the Director General of NDE, Mallam Abubakar Nuhu Fipko said they remained committed to their mandate of creating mass employment opportunity for unnskilled and unemployed persons in Nigeria.   Fipko who was represented by the Sokoto State Coordinator, of NDE, Mohammad Umar Sanda Gusua said the 36 participants will be posted to 3 different centers across the 3 Senatorial Districts of Sokoto. While admonishing…