FLOODING caused by heavy rains in the Gamo area of southern Ethiopia has left at least 48 people dead, police said on Wednesday. “The number of bodies recovered from the natural disaster that struck three districts of Gamo Zone has reached 48,” the South Ethiopia Regional State Police Commission said in a statement on X. There were reports of 95 missing persons, and rescue operations were ongoing, it said. It was unclear whether this figure included the bodies already found. There has been heavy flooding across east Africa in recent days. Dozens were killed in neighbouring Kenya after torrential rain…
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QUESTION: Salamu Alaikum Ya Sheikh. When is Laylat al-Qadr and how should we observe it? Is it by praying, or by reading Quran and the Prophet’s (SAW) Sirah, listening to lectures and lessons and by celebrating it in the mosque? Fatima Abubakar, Asaba – ANSWER: Amin Alaikum Salaam Wa Rahamatullah. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to strive hard in worship during the last ten days of Ramadan as he never did at any other time, praying, reading Quran and making du’a. Al-Bukhari and Muslim narrated from ‘Aishah (may Allah be pleased with…
THE head of the Iranian Football Federation on Tuesday cast further doubt on his country’s participation in this summer’s World Cup, saying women playing in the Asian Cup in Australia had been coerced into defecting. “If the World Cup is like this, who in their right mind would send their national team to a place like this?” Mehdi Taj asked on Iranian state television. The men’s World Cup will be hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, but Iran is scheduled to play all three group games in the United States, two in Los Angeles and one in Seattle.…
IRAN remained defiant as fresh explosions thundered out in Tehran on Tuesday, insisting it was not seeking a ceasefire even as US President Donald Trump upped his threats surrounding the strategic Strait of Hormuz. The conflict has engulfed the Middle East and roiled energy markets since the February 28 US-Israeli strikes that killed supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and triggered the war, with Tehran on Tuesday vowing no crude exports would leave the Gulf if the bombardment continued. The Pentagon had earlier announced its most intense strikes to date, but Iran has so far refused to bow to the pressure.…
ELON Musk is the wealthiest individual ever recorded, worth an estimated $839 billion, Forbes said Tuesday, as a record 3,428 billionaires worldwide saw their combined fortunes surge to an all-time high of $20.1 trillion. Musk topped the Forbes World’s Billionaires list for the second consecutive year after his fortune swelled by roughly $500 billion over the past twelve months, driven by rising valuations at Tesla and SpaceX, which is targeting a public offering in 2026.He is the first person ever to surpass the $800 billion mark and is on course to become the world’s first trillionaire. Forbes releases its 40th-annual…
THIS engagement underscores Mali’s determination to make digital transformation a core pillar of administrative modernization, economic growth, and continental cooperation. On the sidelines of the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2026 in Barcelona, the Minister of Communication, Digital Economy, and Administration Modernization of Mali, Mr. Alhamdou AG ILYENE, met with Mr. Lacina Koné, Director General of the Smart Africa Alliance, on March 3, 2026. During the meeting, Minister ILYENE reaffirmed Mali’s commitment to accelerating its digital transformation through a strengthened partnership with Smart Africa. Discussions focused on human capital development, emphasizing youth education and the enhancement of national skills in digital…
MADAGASCAR’s military ruler Col Michael Randrianirina has dissolved the government unexpectedly, dismissing the prime minister and the entire cabinet, according to a statement from his spokesperson. “The government has ceased its functions” it said, adding that Randrianirina will appoint a new prime minister “in line with the provisions stipulated by the constitution”. No reason was given for the move. Randrianirina seized power last October from Andry Rajoelina, following weeks of youth-led protests on the Indian Ocean island. Rajoelina had been elected president for a third term in a disputed poll in 2023. The demonstrations were over persistent power and water…
QUESTION: Salaamu Alaikum Ya Sheikh, is there a specific prayer recited for Ramadan or the last ten days? Aminu Kabiru, Abuja – ANSWER: Amin Alaikum Salaam. Tirmidhee and others report: `A’ishah asked: “O Messenger of Allaah! If I was to know which night is the night of qadr, what should I say therein?” He answered: “Say: ‘O Allaah! Verily, You are One who Pardons (`Afuww) and You love pardoning (`afw), so pardon (`afw) me!’” Al-`Afuww is a Name of Allaah. It is often translated to mean the One who pardons or forgives. `Afuww comes from `afw. `Afw linguistically means to…
MANCHESTER City will face Liverpool in a blockbuster FA Cup quarter-final, while quadruple-chasing Arsenal travel to Southampton. Monday’s draw for the last eight also handed Chelsea a home tie against League One giant-killers Port Vale, who stunned Sunderland with a 1-0 win in the fifth round on Sunday. West Ham or Brentford, who meet on Monday, will host Leeds in the other quarter-final. But it is City’s latest showdown with rivals Liverpool that is the stand-out tie of the round. Pep Guardiola’s side have already beaten Liverpool twice this season, winning 3-0 in Manchester in November and earning a 2-1…
UNITED States President Donald Trump has said that he expects the war on Iran to be over “very soon” after dubbing the past 10 days of war, which have wrought devastation on Iran, a “short-term excursion”. Addressing the media in Doral, Florida, Trump claimed that the US and Israel had struck 5,000 targets since the war began on February 28, when Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed. Trump spoke as Iran’s hardliners staged a show of loyalty to new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei – the former supreme leader’s son – whose appointment was confirmed on Sunday amid US-Israeli…
WASHINGTON has advised non-essential staff to leave its consulate near the southern Turkish city of Adana near a key NATO base and ordered US citizens to leave “southeast Turkey”, the US embassy to Ankara said Monday. Since the US-Israeli attacks began on February 28, Iran has retaliated with missile and drone strikes across the Middle East in a bid to hit US assets. So far, Turkey appears to have been spared, despite the fact that US troops are stationed at several of its bases. One is Incirlik air base, an important NATO facility that has been used by US troops…
GHANA has called on the Commonwealth to condemn Friday’s missile attack on its United Nations peacekeepers in southern Lebanon which injured four of its soldiers. Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa did not say who was responsible when speaking at a Commonwealth meeting on Sunday but said the bombing was “an attack on every principle that the UN Charter exists to defend”. Israel has been striking Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, after the Iranian-backed Shia group said it launched rockets and drones at the Israeli city of Haifa last week to avenge the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. All…
GUINEA’s main opposition leader Cellou Dalein Diallo has said that “direct resistance” to the country’s coup leader–turned–president is now the only remaining path to change, after the authorities dissolved 40 political parties. The authorities accused the parties of not complying with the law – a charge they have rejected. The move comes two months after former junta head Mamady Doumbouya was sworn-in as president, following an election that saw some key challengers barred from running. Doumbouya, who came to power in 2021 after overthrowing Condé, has been accused of cracking down on democratic freedoms. Among the parties dissolved were the…
Multiple Questions From Our Social Media Pages: QUESTION: Who Must Fast? ANSWER: Fasting is compulsory for those who are mentally and physically fit, past the age of puberty, in a settled situation (not travelling), and are sure fasting is unlikely to cause real physical or mental injury. QUESTION: Why do Muslims fast? ANSWER: Fasting is common in many religions. The Quran, the reveled text in Islam, says in chapter 2 verse 183, “O you who believe, fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those who were before you, in order that you may learn piety and God…
SPANISH football powerhouse FC Barcelona is reportedly preparing a move for Nigerian international striker Victor Osimhen as the Catalan club begins plans to strengthen its attacking line ahead of the next transfer window. The development comes amid growing speculation that the reigning La Liga champions are considering Osimhen as a potential replacement for veteran striker Robert Lewandowski, whose contract with the Spanish giants is expected to expire at the end of the current season. According to reports by The Athletic, Barcelona’s sporting director, Deco, is keen on bringing the prolific Nigerian forward to Camp Nou during the summer transfer window…
AT least two people have been killed after a projectile fell on a residential location in Saudi Arabia‘s Al-Kharj city, Saudi authorities reported, as Iranian counterattacks on Gulf nations hosting US military assets entered a second week. The Saudi civil defence said in a post on X on Sunday, without mentioning Iran, that an unspecified “military projectile” had hit a residential area in Al-Kharj, killing two foreign nationals – one Indian and one Bangladeshi – and injuring 12 people. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had said earlier that it had targeted radar systems in locations including Al-Kharj governorate, which…
UNITED States President Donald Trump has again promised to exert influence over who is selected as Iran’s next Supreme Leader, saying that, without Washington’s approval, whoever is picked for the role is “not going to last long”. The statement on Sunday came hours before Iranian state media reported the Assembly of Experts had selected a new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in the hours after the US and Israel launched the war with Iran on February 28. Trump did not immediately responded to the younger Khamenei’s selection, but broadly said earlier that…
SENEGAL’s former president Macky Sall is seeking one of the most coveted positions on the international scene: Secretary-General of the United Nations. But his opponents at home have started speaking out against his candidacy, accusing his government of repression. Opponents of former Senegalese president Macky Sall, including those who say they are victims of repression by his administration, opposed his UN secretary-general candidacy Friday, accusing him of violence and economic crimes. Sall, who served as president from 2012 to 2024, is accused of having repressed violent political demonstrations that resulted in dozens of deaths during his last years in office.…
SOUTH Africa embarked on a mass vaccination of cattle on Friday to stem an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease that threatens meat, dairy and livestock supplies and exports. The outbreak, which started intensifying late last year and has rapidly spread across the country’s livestock industry, has already affected more than 297,000 cattle and resulted in over 120,000 animals being culled as farmers try to contain the spread. The outbreak threatens mass shortages of meat, job losses and millions of dollars in lost revenue as countries including China and Zambia ban South African meat exports. Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen on Friday launched…
QUESTION: Salamu Alaikum Ya Sheikh. There are clothes which are of a design called “cloche”. Some of them are for women and are very loose, and their sleeves are also long and wide, as in the case of dira‘s and jilbaabs. Is it permissible for women to wear them? Also, is it permissible to wear tight sleeves among other women and mahrams? Suwaiba Nasir, Kaduna – ANSWER: Amin Alaikum Salaam Wa Rahamatullah. It is permissible for a woman to wear whatever clothes she wants so long as that is not imitating men or kaafir women, or uncovering the ‘awrah in…