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UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday expressed serious concern over reports that Israel was using artificial intelligence to identify targets in Gaza. According to a report in the Israeli magazine +972, Israel has used artificial intelligence to identify targets in Gaza — in some cases with as little as 20 seconds of human oversight. Guterres said that he was “deeply troubled by reports that the Israeli military’s bombing campaign includes Artificial Intelligence as a tool in the identification of targets, particularly in densely populated residential areas, resulting in a high level of civilian casualties.” “No part of life and death…

NEW York City was shaken by a small earthquake on Friday with a 4.8 magnitude and an epicenter in neighboring New Jersey state, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). There were no initial reports of injuries or damage. In Brooklyn buildings shook, rattling cupboard doors and fixtures, an AFP correspondent reported. At the United Nations, which has its headquarters in New York, a Security Council meeting on the situation in Gaza was temporarily paused after the tremor. “Is that an earthquake?” said Save the Children representative Janti Soeripto who was speaking at the time. Social media users reported…

SIERRA Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio said Thursday that drug abuse in the country was a “national emergency”, outlining plans to combat a synthetic drug popular with young people. Kush, a mixture of chemical substances with similar effects to cannabis, has been prevalent in the country for several years. “It is my solemn duty as president… to declare a national emergency on drug abuse,” Bio said in an address to the nation. “Our country is currently facing an existential threat due to the devastating impact of drugs and drug addiction, in particular the devastating synthetic drug kush,” he added. A…

THE head of Niger’s military government on Thursday ordered the dissolution of all local councils and put an army officer in charge of the capital, state media announced. General Abdourahamane Tiani, who ousted the African nation’s elected president in a coup last July, signed an order for the dismantling of municipal and regional councils that were last elected in 2020, Tele Sahel reported. “Municipal councils, town councils and regional councils are dissolved,” the report said without giving any explanation. A second decree reported by state radio named military, police and public officials who will be put in charge of local…

Q – Salaam Ya Sheikh. What are the signs of Laylat Al Qadr (The Night Of Power)? Ummul Aiman Haruna, Abuja. A – The signs by which Laylat al-Qadr is known: The first sign: – It was reported from the hadeeth of Ubayy ibn Ka’b (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) announced that one of its signs was that when the sun rose on the following morning, it had no (visible) rays Muslim # 762. The second sign: it was reported from the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Abbaas narrated by…

RIO Ferdinand believes Marcus Rashford may have to leave Manchester United if the England forward is to revive his faltering career. The 26-year-old has scored just eight goals in 36 appearances for United so far this season — a far cry from last term when he scored a career-best 30 goals for United. Rashford has also faced criticism over his off-field conduct. Reports in late January suggested Rashford had spent an evening at a Belfast nightclub before missing training with United. And United manager Erik ten Hag branded Rashford’s decision to go to a separate nightclub event after October’s 3-0…

THE US has told Israel that its ongoing support on the Gaza war is dependent on “specific, concrete steps” to boost aid and prevent civilian deaths. President Joe Biden spoke to Israel’s PM Benjamin Netanyahu in the wake of the deaths of seven World Central Kitchen (WCK) staff on Monday. Israel apologised for a “grave mistake” but WCK founder José Andrés said his workers were systematically targeted. Mr Biden faces pressure to rein in unconditional military aid for Israel. In a readout of the telephone call between the two leaders, which lasted less than 30 minutes, the White House said…

LOS ANGELES police and the FBI are investigating a daring heist of nearly $30 million in cash after burglars apparently broke through the roof of a money storage facility and cracked a safe. David Cuellar of the Los Angeles Police Department said the robbery — one of the largest cash thefts in the city’s history — took place on Easter Sunday in the northern suburb of Sylmar. The Los Angeles Times, citing a source familiar with the investigation, said burglars busted through a roof to access the building’s vault, somehow evading a sophisticated alarm system. The elaborate and complex theft…

SOUTH Africa’s ex-Speaker of Parliament Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula has been charged with 12 counts of corruption and one count of money laundering. She made her first court appearance after handing herself over to a police station on Thursday morning. The politician is accused of soliciting bribes in return for awarding contracts during her time as defence minister. She denied any wrongdoing in court and said: “I do not have a propensity to commit crime.” But prosecutor Bheki Manyathi told Pretoria Magistrates’ Court there was “ample evidence” against Ms Mapisa-Nqakula. She has been released on bail. After weeks of investigations, Ms Mapisa-Nqakula…

AN 80-year-old US woman has been killed by an “aggressive” elephant, after it charged at a vehicle during a safari drive in Zambia, local officials said. The attack occurred on Saturday at Kafue National Park in the west of the country. In a video circulating online the large elephant could be seen flipping the car carrying six people over several times. Keith Vincent, CEO of the safari group, said the vehicle was “blocked” by the terrain and couldn’t move out. The 80-year-old woman, who has not been named, died of her injuries. Officials said her remains will be repatriated to…

Q – A person owns a piece of land and one year has passed since he acquired it. Zakaah is due because it comes under the heading of trade goods (i.e., he bought it in order to sell it). How should he pay zakaah on it? Please note that he only has a little cash, very little? Shaheed Ahmad, Borno A – Zakkaah is due on trade goods according to the Qur’aan and Sunnah. In the Qur’aan this is indicated by the general meaning of the verse in which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “O you who believe! Spend…

RANGERS maintained top position on the Nigeria Premier Football League table courtesy of a 2-0 home win over Sunshine Stars at the Nnamdi Azikwe Stadium, Enugu on Wednesday. Kalu Nweke and Emmanuel Onyebuchi were the goal scorers for the Flying Antelopes. Title holders Enyimba were in devastating form as they pulverised Kano Pillars 5-0 in Aba. Joseph Atule bagged a brace, with Chijioke Mbaoma, Eze Ekwutoziam and Alade Balogun scoring the other goals. At the Mobolaji Johnson Arena Stadium, Onikan, Lobi Stars held Sporting Lagos to a 1-1 draw. Junior Lokosa opened scoring for Sporting Lagos in the 33rd minute,…

PHIL Foden struck a stunning hat-trick as Manchester City continued to apply pressure to Premier League title rivals Arsenal and Liverpool with a commanding win over Aston Villa at Etihad Stadium. Manager Pep Guardiola left key men Erling Haaland and Kevin de Bruyne on the bench after Sunday’s drab draw with Arsenal, but the reigning champions still had too much for injury-hit Villa, who also lost goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez to illness just before kick-off. In their absence, Foden produced a masterclass to take his tally to 21 goals this season. But it was Rodri who struck first for City after…

MULTIPLE aid organisations, including the UN in recent hours, have said that they will be pausing operations in Gaza after an attack on a charity convoy killed seven aid workers. This includes the World Central Kitchen, which had 68 kitchens across the enclave, along with the American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA) and Project Hope, which provides healthcare aid. These announcements have sparked increasing concern about the disruption of aid in Gaza, which is on the brink of a famine. This is coming after the World Central Kitchen founder Jose Andres accused Israeli forces in Gaza of targeting the aid…

HAITI’s National Library was looted Wednesday by armed gangs terrorizing the Caribbean nation’s capital Port-au-Prince amid extended political paralysis, its director told AFP. Dangelo Neard said the history of Haiti — the Western Hemisphere’s second-oldest republic — was being threatened. “I was told that the thugs are taking away the institution’s furniture. They also ransacked the building’s generator,” Neard said. “Our documentary collections are in danger. We have rare documents over 200 years old, with importance to our heritage, which risk being burned or damaged by bandits,” he added. Armed groups control most of Port-au-Prince and swaths of the countryside…

LEFT-WING pan-Africanist Bassirou Diomaye Faye on Tuesday became Senegal’s youngest president, pledging systemic change after years of deadly turmoil and announcing his mentor, opposition figure Ousmane Sonko, as prime minister. Faye, 44, has never previously held an elected office. He swept to a first-round victory on a promise of radical reform just 10 days after being released from prison. He took the presidential oath in front of hundreds of officials and several African heads of state at an exhibition centre in the new town of Diamniadio, near Dakar. He then returned to the capital, with his motorcade greeted by hundreds…

ZIMBABWE declared drought a national disaster on Wednesday, with President Emmerson Mnangagwa saying the country needs $2 billion in aid to help millions of people who are going hungry. A severe dry spell induced by the El Nino weather pattern is wreaking havoc across southern Africa. “No Zimbabwean must succumb or die from hunger,” Mnangagwa told a press conference. “To that end, I do hereby declare a nationwide State of Disaster, due to the El Nino-induced drought.” Due to poor rains, more than 2.7 million people will not have enough food to put on the table this year, he warned.…

Q  –  What is the food that is permissible to give for Zakatul-Fitr? Nura Jamilu, Hadejia A  –  It is reported in the hadith that it is to be given from five things. They are wheat, barley, dried dates , raisins and cottage cheese. However, some of the research scholars have mentioned that specifying these five things was done because they were used at that time. Therefore, they permit giving it from whatever is the common food of the land like rice for example, and corn in the land where it is used as food and so forth. Q  -…

MANCHESTER United defenders Lisandro Martinez and Victor Lindelof have both picked up muscle injuries and will be ruled out for at least a month. Martinez has sustained a calf strain in training, having only returned from a seven-week absence with a knee injury in Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Brentford. Lindelof suffered a hamstring injury in that game and was replaced by Martinez. Erik ten Hag’s side are already without left-backs Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia through injury. Both Martinez and Lindelof are hoping to return this season but a month-long absence would see them miss five Premier League, starting with…

DESPITE a week of tensions with Israel over its conduct of the Gaza War, Washington is reported to have authorised arms transfers to its ally worth billions of dollars. These include more than 1,800 MK84 2,000lb (900kg) bombs and 500 MK82 500lb bombs, as well as 25 F35A fighter jets, The Washington Post and Reuters news agency have said. The larger bombs have previously been linked to air strikes in Gaza causing mass casualties. Washington gives $3.8bn (£3bn) in annual military assistance to Israel. But the latest package comes as the Biden administration has been raising concerns about rising civilian…