Pakistani schoolgirl attacked by Taliban sent to UK for treatment
The Pakistani schoolgirl who was shot by Taliban gunmen for pushing for girls to be educated has been sent to the United Kingdom for medical treatment, a military spokesman confirms.
14 year old Malala Yousufzai was shot and seriously wounded on Tuesday as she was leaving her school in her hometown in the Swat valley, northwest of the capital, Islamabad. A gunman arrived at her school, asking for her by name. He opened fire on her and two classmates on a bus.
The Taliban claimed responsibility, saying her promotion of education for girls was pro-Western and she had opposed them. In the Swat valley, a one-time tourist spot infiltrated by militants from Afghan border bases more than five years ago, her family and community are praying for her survival.
Her father, Ziauddin Yousufzai, who ran a girls' school, said his daughter had wanted to go into politics. He said that of all the things he loved about her, it was her fairness - her democratic ideals - that he loved the most.
Malala, then a dimpled 11-year-old with dark eyes, shot to fame when she wrote a blog under a pen name for the BBC about living under the rule of the Pakistani Taliban. After which she continually campaigned for education for girls and later received Pakistan's highest civilian prize.
What courage lies in the heart of this 14-year-old?
Kidnapped Osun speaker’s wife freed, Abductors killed in gun battle
Muibat, wife of the Speaker, Osun State House of Assembly, Mr. Najeem Salaam, was, Saturday, rescued from her abductors along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, at Ogunmakin village in Obafemi-Owode local government area of Ogun State by security operatives who acted on tip-off.
Mrs. Salam was rescued by members of the Ogun State Vigilante Service on Saturday at about 5.30p.m. Two of her abductors were also killed while three others were abducted by the vigilance group. The rescue operation is said to have occurred around Ogunmakin on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, located in Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State. Mrs. Salam was kidnapped in Osun State as she left her goods store on Tuesday . The kidnappers then transferred her to Ogun where she was rescued.
The vigilance group, established by the Ogun State Government, reportedly worked on a tip-off by residents of the area, so individuals are please encouraged to report any criminal activities taking place within their neighborhood to the nearest and appropriate security operatives. It could actually save a life.
Nigerian Idol announce Femi Kuti as judge for third season
The producers of Nigerian idol, have announced afrobeat maestro, Femi Kuti, as a judge for the third season of the high flying music reality show. It is not clear if the three-time Grammy Award nominee, has been brought on board to replace Charly Boy, whose presence on the show has not been confirmed. Femi Kuti will join Yinka Davies and Jeffery Daniels on the show.
“We keep bringing in new twists and turns to make the show more interesting, two brand new cities made the audition train and most exciting is our own living legend, three-time Grammy nominee and Afrobeat king Femi Kuti as one of our judges,” Tiwa Medubi said in a statement.
Femi Kuti, expressed his happiness, at being chosen. “An opportunity to be able to impart on the lives of the future of Nigerian music is one I will never say no to,” he said.
Unknown gunmen kill 20 worshippers at Kaduna Mosque
Unknown gunmen earlier today invaded Dogon Daji community in Birnin Gwari local government area of Kaduna state murdering twenty villagers. Those killed included Muslims faithful who were leaving a mosque after morning prayers.The assailants embarked on a house to house search, shooting and killing anyone on sight. Some of the victims were reportedly stabbed to death by the marauders.
While some say the attacks might be a reprisal as the community vigilance group these days capture armed robbers who attack passengers and motorists, others see it as another attack by a yet to be identified sect.
An armed robbery gang, it was learnt wrote a letter to the community, insisting they will revenge and warning of the impending attack.
Already, troops have been deployed to the area as residents flee for fear of further attacks.
Cambodia's former king Sihanouk dies in Beijing
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| Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni (R) and his father, former King Norodom Sihanouk |
Cambodia's former king Norodom Sihanouk, once an absolute ruler who freed Cambodia from colonialism before becoming a tragic pawn through decades of turmoil, died on Monday in a Beijing hospital. He was 89.
A pre-eminent figure in Cambodia's history for seven decades, Sihanouk however will also be remembered as a puppet kept by the Khmer Rouge during their 1970s reign of terror that killed almost a quarter of the Cambodian population.
The quixotic ruler held considerable power in the 1950s and 1960s when, as a young, flamboyant leader, he came to symbolise Cambodia's liberation from French rule in what is now seen as a golden age for an impoverished country long scarred by war.
Skydiver safely jumps from stratosphere over New Mexico
An Austrian daredevil leapt into the stratosphere from a balloon near the edge of space 24 miles above Earth on Sunday and safely landed, setting a record for the highest skydive and breaking the sound barrier in the process.
Cheers broke out as Felix Baumgartner, 43, jumped from a skateboard-sized shelf outside the 11-by-8-foot (3.3-by-2.4 meter) fiberglass and acrylic capsule that was carried higher than 128,000 feet by an enormous balloon.
Baumgartner's body pierced the atmosphere at 833.9 miles per hour, according to preliminary numbers released by Brian Utley, the certification official for the Federation Aeronautic International, at a press conference afterward. Utley said preliminary figures indicate Baumgartner broke a total of three established world records, including the highest altitude skydive, longest freefall without a parachute and fastest fall achieved during a skydive.
Baumgartner landed safely on the ground and raised his arms in a victory salute just 10 minutes after he stepped into the air. Soon he was hugged by his mother and father, who took their first trip outside Europe to see his historic plunge, and his girlfriend jumped up and wrapped her legs around him.
"It was way harder than I expected," Baumgartner said. Recalling his final words before he stepped into the stratosphere, he said, "Sometimes you have to get up really high to know how small you are."
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