RWANDA on Sunday paid solemn tribute to genocide victims, 30 years after a vicious campaign orchestrated by Hutu extremists tore apart the country, as neighbours turned on each other in one of the bloodiest massacres of the 20th century. The killing spree, which lasted 100 days before the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) rebel militia took Kigali in July 1994, claimed the lives of 800,000 people, largely Tutsis but also moderate Hutus. The tiny nation has since found its footing under the iron-fisted rule of President Paul Kagame, who led the RPF, but the scars of the violence remain, leaving a…
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SUDANESE paramilitary forces have killed at least 20 people in an attack on a village south of the capital Khartoum, a local activists’ committee said on Sunday. The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) “attacked the village of Um Adam” 150 kilometres (93 miles) south of the city on Saturday, said a statement from the local resistance committee, one of many pro-democracy groups that coordinate aid. Sudan’s war between the military, under army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF, commanded by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, began last April 15. Many thousands of people have been killed, including up to…
Q: Salaam Ya Sheikh, people often say, ‘Ramadan Kareem’. So what is the ruling concerning this phrase? Saminu Labaran Inuwa, Gombe A: Shaykh Uthaymeen [rahimahullaah] said : The ruling concerning this is, this phrase Ramadan Kareem is not correct, and the only phrase that should be said is Ramadan Mubarak or what resembles that. Because Ramadan is not the one that gives such that it can be called generous (Kareem), rather it is only Allah the Exalted that put virtue in it and made it a virtuous month and made the time period for performing (the fasting) a pillar from…
ATHLETIC Bilbao ended a 40-year wait to win the Copa del Rey by beating Real Mallorca 4-2 on penalties on Saturday following a 1-1 draw after extra time. The Basque side lifted the trophy for the 24th time, behind only 31-time winners Barcelona, as they edged underdogs Mallorca at La Cartuja stadium in Seville. Dani Rodriguez sent Mallorca ahead in the first half but Oihan Sancet levelled soon after the break and the sides could not be separated until penalties. Athletic goalkeeper Julen Agirrezabala saved Manu Morlanes’ penalty and Mallorca’s Nemanja Radonjic lashed another spot kick over the bar, with…
ISRAELI forces and Palestinian fighters are engaged in intense combat around Gaza’s Khan Younis, with Hamas claiming it killed 14 Israeli soldiers during an ambush in the southern city. Mediators are expected to resume ceasefire talks in Egypt’s capital, Cairo, on Sunday. Hamas is sending a delegation and the Israeli war cabinet is expected to meet on Sunday to decide if it will also participate in the talks. Meanwhile, the Reuters news agency is reporting fresh Israeli air raids in Lebanon, this time on the Bekaa Valley in the east of the country. Citing two Lebanese security sources, the agency…
REPUBLICAN White House hopeful Donald Trump on Saturday compared himself to South African anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela, sparking quick and virulent criticism from President Joe Biden’s campaign team. The 77-year-old Trump has been indicted in four different criminal cases, all of which could end in jail time for the billionaire real estate mogul. In one of those cases, he stands accused of paying hush money to a onetime porn star before the 2016 presidential election, which he won over Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. That trial is set to begin on April 15, and Judge Juan Merchan has imposed a partial…
SENEGAL’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye named a “breakaway” government on Friday, appointing a host of fresh faces to top roles following his landslide election win last month. The 44-year-old, who has never before held elected office, swept to a first-round victory on a promise of radical reform, becoming the country’s youngest president. Faye looks set to share responsibilities with his appointed prime minister and former mentor Ousmane Sonko, who helped propel the political newcomer’s rise to power. Sonko unveiled on Friday a cabinet of 25 ministers, hailing it as a break from the past. “The government set up here on…
ZIMBABWE has introduced a new gold-backed currency called ZiG – the name stands for “Zimbabwe Gold”. It is the latest attempt to stabilise an economy that has lurched from crisis to crisis for the past 25 years. Unveiling the new notes, central bank governor John Mushayavanhu said the ZiG would be structured, and set at a market-determined exchange rate. The ZiG replaces a Zimbabwean dollar, the RTGS, that had lost three-quarters of its value so far this year. Annual inflation in March reached 55% – a seven-month high. Zimbabweans have 21 days to exchange old, inflation-hit notes for the new…
AT least six soldiers have lost their lives in an ambush along Biu-Buni Yadi road, Borno state. The soldiers died exactly a week after the military personnel who were murdered while on a peace mission in Delta State were laid to rest at National Military Cemetery in Abuja. This newspaper gathered that Boko Haram insurgent ambushed the soldiers at Kamuya, a village close to Buratai, home town of former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen Tukur Buratai (rtd). A security source said the soldiers paid a supreme price on their way to Damaturu to buy fuel. “It’s very sad; they…
Q: Salaam Ya Sheikh, is it true that giving charity purifies the soul? I give a lot of sadaqah but I don’t seem to feel that. Ahmad Ali Maina, Damaturu A: One cannot attain piety unless he regularly spends his wealth in good causes according to his capacity. Qur’an reminds about charity and alms giving in so many places that it won’t be an exaggeration to say that it is one of the basic elements of belief. In surah Aal Imran, Allah says, “By no means shall you attain righteousness unless you give (freely) of that which you love. And…
FRENCH President Emmanuel Macron said Friday he remained hopeful national team captain Kylian Mbappe would be able to play for his country at the upcoming Paris Olympics. “I hope he will be able to play at the Olympic Games,” Macron said when asked by pupils during a visit to a school in the French capital. Mbappe has previously made clear his desire to represent France at the Games. Still, that possibility dissipated when Real Madrid recently warned they would not release any of their players to take part in the Olympics. The 25-year-old World Cup-winning forward is currently at Paris…
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…