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THE International Criminal Court (ICC) has opened its war crimes case against fugitive Ugandan rebel leader Joseph Kony in its first-ever confirmation of charges hearing without the accused present. The proceedings mark a historic moment for the court and could serve as a test case for future prosecutions of high-profile suspects who currently appear to be beyond its reach. Despite an arrest warrant issued 20 years ago, Kony, the founder and leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), has managed to evade arrest. He faces 39 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including murder, sexual enslavement, abduction and…

THE Federal Government has officially released the newly approved subject offerings for Nigeria’s Basic and Senior Secondary Education Curriculum, in a move designed to cut down subject overload, strengthen vocational and digital skills, and prepare learners for global competitiveness. The announcement came on Tuesday in a statement issued by the Federal Ministry of Education made available to News Point Nigeria, Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, and the Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Ahmad, explained that the reforms followed extensive consultations with key education stakeholders, including the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC), WAEC, NECO, NBTE, NABTEB,…

THE football world has been buzzing after former England striker Michael Owen reignited debate by claiming he was superior to Wayne Rooney as a 17-year-old. But Rooney has responded in typical diplomatic fashion, steering clear of controversy while showing admiration for his former teammate. The discussion began during Owen’s appearance on Rio Ferdinand’s podcast, where he declared that only Rooney could be compared to him in terms of talent at that age but insisted he had the edge. “Who was better aged 17, Michael Owen or Wayne Rooney?” asked BBC Match of the Day’s X account on Friday, setting social…

ISRAELI attacks across Gaza since dawn have killed at least 52 people, including 32 in Gaza City. Israeli PM Netanyahu says that troops will soon move into the city, threatening residents and ordering them to flee for their lives. Six people have been killed and many wounded in a shooting in occupied East Jerusalem, Israeli officials say, blaming the attack on two Palestinians from the occupied West Bank. Police say the perpetrators have been killed. Israeli forces are carrying out violent raids in the West Bank in the wake of the shooting, killing two 14-year-old boys in Jenin and wounding…

THE French government has collapsed after parliament voted to oust Prime Minister François Bayrou on Monday, plunging the country into fresh political turmoil and leaving President Emmanuel Macron facing one of the toughest decisions of his presidency. Bayrou, who had been in office for just nine months, became the first premier in modern French history to be toppled by a confidence vote rather than a no-confidence motion. The shock outcome followed his controversial decision to gamble on a high-risk vote of confidence over his deeply unpopular austerity budget. The spending plan had aimed to cut €44 billion ($52 billion) to…

HUNDREDS of protesters on Monday responded to a call from civil society to take to the streets of Uvira, in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Citizens protested the recent appointment of General Olivier Gasita Mukunda as deputy commander of the 33rd military region of the DRC’s Armed Forces (FARDC). Protesters demanded Gasita’s removal, accusing him of having collaborated with the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels during the seizure of Bukavu last February. “We were sent an officer we do not agree with, General Olivier Gasita. He has a very bad track record in Bukavu,” protester Dunia Prince told Africanews. “He does not…

WEST African leaders and health experts have called for stronger regional co-operation and African-led solutions to tackle Lassa fever and other emerging infectious diseases. They made the call at the opening of the 2nd ECOWAS Lassa Fever International Conference (ELFIC2025) in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, on Monday. This newspaper reports that the theme of the conference is: “Beyond Borders: Strengthening Regional Cooperation to Combat Lassa Fever and Emerging Infectious Diseases.” It seeks to reaffirm regional commitment, mobilise political will, and drive collective action against Lassa fever and other emerging infectious diseases. The President of Cote d’ Ivoire, Alassane Quattara, expressed the…

MIKEL Merino scored a hat-trick as a majestic Spain thumped Turkey 6-0 away in World Cup qualifying on Sunday, while a brilliant Florian Wirtz free-kick helped Germany beat Northern Ireland 3-1 to get their bid up and running. European champions Spain were in unstoppable form in the central Turkish city of Konya, claiming their second biggest-ever away win in World Cup qualifying as Arsenal midfielder Merino scored his first professional hat-trick. Barcelona playmaker Pedri Gonzalez opened the scoring inside six minutes and later completed the scoring, with Ferran Torres netting the visitors’ other goal. The quality of Merino’s strikes was…

THE United States has issued a new ceasefire proposal that would quickly end the war in exchange for the release of all captives held in Gaza at once. Hamas said it “welcomes” the effort and is ready to talk. Israel has displaced dozens more Palestinians after destroying another high-rise building in Gaza City, the second such attack in 24 hours. At least 65 people have been killed in strikes on a school, tents and houses across Gaza today. Trump’s latest talk of a ceasefire proposal is a sign that Washington is “getting more anxious about the continuation of the Israeli…

STATGAZERS enjoyed a “Blood Moon” Sunday night during a total lunar eclipse visible across Asia and swathes of Europe and Africa. When the Sun, Earth and Moon line up, the shadow cast by the planet on its satellite makes it appear an eerie, deep red colour that has astounded humans for millennia. People in Asia, including India and China, were best placed to see Sunday’s total eclipse, which was also visible on the eastern edge of Africa as well as in western Australia. The total lunar eclipse lasted from 1730 GMT to 1852 GMT. Stargazers in Europe and Africa also…

MORE than two years of armed conflict in Sudan have ravaged the country’s agriculture sector, slashing food production and plunging nearly half of the population into an unprecedented hunger crisis. According to the United Nations, about 24.6 million Sudanese are now facing “severe food insecurity or worse,” with some 637,000 people enduring famine-like conditions, the most catastrophic level of hunger. The World Health Organization on Friday confirmed famine in parts of the country. Agriculture, once the backbone of Sudan’s economy, has been crippled by widespread fighting that destroyed irrigation systems, drove farm workers from their land and left vast areas…

CHINESE technologies shone at the ninth edition of the Aviation Africa Summit and Exhibition, which was held in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, from Thursday to Friday, boosting more exploration on China-Africa cooperation in low-altitude economy. Under the theme of “Collaborating to unlock Africa’s growth – How can Africa deliver a sustainable aviation industry?”, the event attracted 1,700 aviation industry professionals who engaged in-depth discussions on challenges facing the African aviation industry and the new opportunities brought about by technologies, as well as more than 100 companies that showcased their cutting-edge products. Opening the summit, Rwandan President Paul Kagame said…

NIGERIA’s Super Eagles boosted their hopes of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a narrow but vital 1-0 win over Rwanda in a Group C qualifier at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo, on Saturday night. News Point Nigeria Sport repots that Tolu Arokodare emerged the hero of the day, scoring the decisive goal in the second half to hand the three-time African champions all three points in front of a packed home crowd. The result lifts Nigeria to third place in the group, trailing leaders South Africa by six points, with three games left to play. Super…

MANCHESTER United captain Bruno Fernandes has turned down three lucrative approaches from Saudi Arabia this summer including a direct push from Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr but sources suggest this could be his final season at Old Trafford and the skipper is consiedring a Saudi move now. According to talkSPORT, Fernandes was a top target for PIF-owned Saudi Pro League clubs, with Al-Hilal, Al-Nassr, and Al-Ittihad all attempting to lure him away from the Premier League. Fernandes, 30, was closest to joining Al-Hilal, who were prepared to pay over £80 million if the midfielder gave the green light. His agent, Miguel Pinho,…

THE Israeli army has bombed another high-rise in Gaza City after threatening Palestinian residents to evacuate or face being killed amid its ongoing siege and imposed mass starvation in the enclave. The Israeli military designated more high-rise towers as targets in a map released on Saturday. Shortly after releasing the map, it bombed the 15-storey Soussi Tower, located opposite a building belonging to the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, in the Tal al-Hawa neighbourhood. “These attacks are causing panic among the people, especially considering the time they are given to evacuate. Half an hour or an hour is…

JAPAN heralded on Saturday the coming-of-age of Prince Hisahito with an elaborate ceremony at the Imperial Palace, where a succession crisis is brewing. The nephew of Emperor Naruhito and second in line to become emperor after his father, the 19-year-old received a black silk and lacquer crown at the ceremony, which marks the beginning of his royal adult life. “Thank you very much for bestowing the crown today at the coming of age ceremony,” said Hisahito, clad in the traditional yellow costume for minors, bowing to Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, who smiled at him. “I will fulfil my duties,…

AID workers on donkeys have delivered the first humanitarian supplies to survivors of a landslide that reportedly killed hundreds of people in a remote mountain village in Sudan’s western Darfur region. Heavy rains and flash floods that hit Tarseen village triggering the disaster on Sunday have continued, meaning donkeys are the only way to reach the affected families. “Families in [Tarseen] have lost everything. It took our team more than a full day on a rocky, muddy, and hilly route to reach this devastated community,” said Francesco Lanino, from aid agency Save the Children. It remains unclear how many people…

AFTER outfoxing Egypt on the diplomatic stage for more than a decade, Ethiopia is set to officially inaugurate one of the world’s biggest dams on a tributary of the River Nile, burying a colonial-era treaty that saw the UK guarantee the North African nation the lion’s share of its water. The dam – built on the Blue Nile at a cost of about $5bn (£3.7bn), with a reservoir roughly the size of Greater London – has led to a surge in Ethiopian nationalism, uniting a nation often polarised along ethnic lines and mired in conflict. “Ethiopians may disagree on how…

MOROCCO trounced 10-man Niger 5-0 in Rabat on Friday to win Group E and become the first African qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup. Ismael Saibari scored twice in the first half after Abdul-Latif Goumey was sent off and second-half goals from Ayoub el Kaabi, Hamza Igamane and Azzedine Ounahi completed the rout. A sixth straight victory lifted Morocco to an unassailable lead with 18 points eight more than Tanzania and sealed a seventh appearance at the global showpiece with two matches to spare. Morocco were semi-finalists at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, topping a group including Croatia and…

ISRAELI forces shot dead a Palestinian man in the occupied West Bank amid a sharp escalation of violence, following the country’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s call this week to take over most of the territory. The Palestinian Health Ministry identified the dead man as Ahmed Shehadeh, 57, saying he was killed on Friday by “occupation bullets” near the al-Murabba’a checkpoint south of Nablus in the occupied West Bank. Palestinian news agency Wafa cited Amid Ahmed, director of the Red Crescent’s Emergency and Ambulance Centre in Nablus, as saying Israeli soldiers prevented his crew from reaching the site of the shooting.…