Teacher in Saudi Arabia shoots dead 6 colleagues, wounds 2 more at education building

                                                                                KIRKLANDPHOTOS/GETTY IMAGES

The massacre happened in the city of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

A teacher in southern Saudi Arabia opened fire on colleagues Thursday, killing at least six people and wounding two, state television reported.

The brief reports on the state television channel’s website and Twitter account did not elaborate or offer a reason for the shooting at an education department building. It quoted an unnamed police spokesman for the information and said the suspected shooter was in custody.

The state-run Saudi Press Agency did not immediately report the shooting.

State TV posted a still photograph that showed ambulances gathered outside the building where the shooting took place in Jazan province.

Mass shootings are rare in the kingdom. Saudi Arabia has faced a series of recent attacks by Islamic State militants.

Saudi Arabia is leading a coalition of countries conducting airstrikes and ground operations in neighboring Yemen in support of the deeply impoverished country’s internationally recognized government. It is fighting against Iranian-backed Shiite rebels and supporters of a former president, who control the capital and other parts of the country.

Jazan, on the kingdom’s southern border with Yemen, has been targeted by missiles and cross-border fire since Saudi Arabia intervened in the conflict. On Tuesday, authorities said they shot down a ballistic missile targeting the city and that a police officer in the surrounding province was killed in a separate shooting incident.

In October, two people were killed and another two were wounded when a gunman opened fire inside a bank in the city of Jazan.

'We are all Africans really': Meryl Streep comes under fire for her response to film festival diversity

Meryl Streep's comments have caused controversy Photo: AFP

Meryl Streep has added to the recent Oscars diversity race row after"dismissing" a race issue by saying "we are all Africans really".

She made these comments at The Berlin International Film Festival, where she was asked about the fact she was chairing an all-white panel.

She added that the festival is determined to include "all genders, races, ethnicities, religions." Its 2016 jury is made up of seven white people: actor Lars Eidinger, British film critic Nick James, French photographer Brigitte Lacombe, British actor Clive Owen, Italian actress Alba Rohrwacher and Polish director Malgorzata Szumowska.

The actor was also asked by an Egyptian reporter if she "understood films from the Arab world and North Africa," according to AP.

Meryl Streep responded by saying: "I've played a lot of different people from a lot of different cultures."

"There is a core of humanity that travels right through every culture, and after all we're all from Africa originally," she said. "Berliners, we're all Africans, really."

The actor also pointed out the panel is female-dominated: "This jury is evidence that at least women are included and in fact dominate this jury, and that's an unusual situation in bodies of people who make decisions," Streep said. "So I think the Berlinale is ahead of the game."

After these comments, she faced backlash on Twitter, where people aired their grievances about the issue.

This comes as celebrities boycott the Oscars for the lack of racial diversity in the nominations.

Only white actors were nominated for Oscars, with mostly white nominees in other categories as well.

Jada Pinkett Smith, Spike Lee, Will Smith, Mark Ruffalo, Tyrese Gibson and Snoop Dogg are among those supporting the boycott.

Others have said they are not going to do so - Charlotte Rampling came under fire for saying the boycott was "racist to white people", Helen Mirrendefended The Academy and Kate Winslet has claimed she is attending to see Leonardo Di Caprio win his first Oscar.

German President Pledges $50 Million To Fight Boko Haram

German President, Joachim Gauck, has pledged $50 million to fight Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria.

Mr Gauck made the pledge after a closed-door meeting with President Buhari at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

The German President commiserated with Nigerians on the recent attacks by the Boko Haram in Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps and promised to do all it can to ensure that the IDPs are returned to their homes and rehabilitated.

During a visit to Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, Mr Gauck had pledged that Germany would assist Nigeria with the technical know-how to successfully fight terrorism, Channel News reported.

The German President, however, called for good governance and development if Nigeria must conquer terrorism on the long term.

President Buhari met with President Gauck a day after he returned from his 6-day vacation in London.

The Nigerian President returned to the country on Wednesday night and was received at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja by top government officials.

Nigerian Army To Partner With EFCC In Curbing Oil Theft And Pipe-line Vandalism

Nigeria Army with EFCC officials at PH Zonal Office during a courtesy visit

Brig Gen S. O. Olabanji, Commander, 2 Brigade Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has said that the Economic and Financial

Crimes Commission, EFCC, remains pivotal in the military’s efforts to check oil theft and pipe-line vandalism in the country.

He also pledged the army’s support to the EFCC in carrying out the onerous task of sanitizing the oil industry.

He gave the assurance during a courtesy visit to the EFCC’s zonal office in Port Harcourt on February 10, 2016.

Noting that oil theft contributed to the sabotage of the Nigerian economy, he said, “I am aware that part of the mandates of the EFCC is to prosecute any person or group that is involved in any form of economic sabotage.”

He stated that the Nigerian Army would assist the EFCC in the area of information gathering.

“There should be a synergy of government agencies in Port Harcourt, particularly the South-south zone so that we can find a lasting solution to the issue of oil theft, and tackle the issue of vandalism,” he said.

On his part, the Zonal Head, Ishaq Salihu, appreciated the Brigade Commander for his kind words, and promises.

“Your presence will go a long way in not only solidifying an already existing relationship between the EFCC and the Nigerian Army, but will go a long way in the joint fight against oil theft/bunkering,” he said.

He added that the agency had hope and confidence in the Army to partner the agency in the fight against the menace of pipeline vandalism, oil theft and other economic and financial crimes.

With NTA

Court nullifies Nyako’s impeachment

Murtala Nyako

The Court of Appeal on Thursday declared null and void the impeachment of the former governor of Adamawa State, Murtala Nyako.

The court sitting in Yola ruled that the July 15, 2014 impeachment of the former governor was not constitutional.

Nyako was impeached on allegations of corruption by 17 out 25 members of Adamawa State House of Assembly after a panel set up to investigate allegations submitted a report which indicted him.

The judges on Thursday unanimously held that Nyako was not given fair trial and that his rights were violated by the state assembly.

They noted that the House proceeded to impeach the former governor in spite of a subsisting court order against such move.

Though the court rule that Nyako be accorded all rights dues to him, including the payment of his entitlements, it however rejected his appeal to be returned as governor of the state.

With The Guardian