Former Nigeria president Buhari laid to rest in Katsina with national honours
Buhari ruled Africa's most populous nation between 2015 and 2023 and died in a London hospital on Sunday after an undisclosed illness.
He was one of two former Nigerian military strongmen who returned to power via the ballot box.
In his hometown of Daura, supporters chanted 'Sai Baba', an endearing name used by followers, while they attempted to catch a last glimpse of Buhari's casket as it was lowered into the ground.
The coffin, draped in Nigeria's white and green national colours, had arrived at the airport in Katsina earlier and was received by President Bola Tinubu, government officials and men and women in traditional Muslim attire.
The former president was given a military parade and a 21-gun salute at the airport before his body was transported to Daura, about 80 kilometres away.
Tinubu has declared seven days of national mourning and a public holiday on Tuesday to honour Buhari.
After first rising to power in the early 1980s as a military leader following a coup, Buhari made a comeback as a democratically elected president when he defeated incumbent Goodluck Jonathan in 2015.
Buhari's eight-year rule was marked by economic recession, foreign currency shortages, a slump in oil production and insecurity that spread across the country.
Even so, Buhari continued to enjoy a cult-like following in his home state and across the largely Muslim northern Nigeria.
Many supporters admired his austere lifestyle and anti-corruption crusade, although critics say few public officials were jailed for graft. - Reuters
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The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Enter the kill zone: Ukraine's drone-infested front slows Russian advance
KYIV/BERLIN (Reuters) -"Drones, drones, drones. Only drones. A lot of drones." A weary Ukrainian platoon commander speaks to the transformed nature of modern warfare as he's medically evacuated from the front lines. Kamikaze drones. Surveillance drones. Bomber drones. Drones that kill other drones. These machines swarm the skies in vast numbers. They're cheap, they're deadly and they're among the main reasons Ukraine believes it can hold out against advancing Russian forces this year and even beyond, according to a dozen Ukrainian commanders, officials and arms manufacturers involved in Kyiv's defence. Ukrainian soldiers describe the drone-infested corridor covering about 10 km either side of the line of contact as the "kill zone" because remotely piloted unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) deployed by both sides can swiftly spot and neutralise targets. The war's evolution into the most drone-intensive conflict ever seen has eaten away at Russia's ability to exploit its traditional advantages in troop numbers, artillery and tanks, according to two Ukrainian battlefield commanders interviewed. Any large vehicle operating near the front is now an obvious target, meaning Russian forces can no longer make the kind of rapid advances they did in 2022 with columns of armoured vehicles, according to the commanders as well as the founder of OCHI, a system which centralizes video feeds from over 15,000 Ukrainian military drone crews on the front lines. "The enemy sees you completely," OCHI's Oleksandr Dmitriev added. "No matter where you go or what you are driving." Russia has consequently adapted its tactics, the Ukrainian battlefield commanders said; its forces now typically attack in small groups of five or six - on foot or on motorbikes or quad bikes - in an attempt expose Ukrainian positions by drawing their fire and then launching drone strikes at them, they added. Russia's defence ministry didn't respond to a request for comment on this article. Despite the changes in warfare, Russian forces retain the ascendancy and are making slow but steady advances in the east and north of Ukraine. Russia has also caught up in UAV technology after falling behind early in the war, according to military analysts, and like its enemy is churning out drones domestically at a rate of millions a year. Meanwhile, European leaders are trying to parse President Donald Trump's announcement this week that America would supply arms to Ukraine via NATO, with Europe picking up the bill. Many details remain unclear, including the types and quantity of weapons, how quickly they would be sent and precisely how they would be paid for, U.S. and European officials said this week. The White House didn't respond to queries on the supply plan. Spokeswoman Anna Kelly said the war had gone on too long and Trump wanted to end the killing, and so is selling U.S. arms to NATO for Ukraine and threatening hefty sanctions on Russia. The people interviewed for this article, who were speaking before Trump's weapons announcement, said they believed Ukraine could fight on and resist Russia even if no more U.S. aid was forthcoming, though they didn't give precise timelines. Many cited the primacy of drones as having levelled the field to some degree and made Ukraine more self-sufficient, and also pointed to growing military supplies from European allies. "We can hold out for months," said Oleksandr Kamyshin, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's arms expert and strategic adviser, when asked about what would happen if U.S. weapons supplies ceased. "In 2023 or 2024, it would have been a lot worse – we would be talking about days or weeks." Polish military analyst Konrad Muzyka, who has made numerous visits to the front lines, said Ukraine's focus was to sap the strength of Russian attacks, adding that Kyiv didn't currently have the capability to launch offensives of its own. He said Ukraine would likely struggle in a long war of attrition due to its manpower shortages and Russia's superior resources. Although drones have changed the battlefield, he cautioned against overstating their ability to make up for an absence of artillery and mortars. "To deliver the amount of damage that an artillery shell does to a target, you would need to launch tens of drones," he added. "Drones can fill in the gaps to some extent and give you some breathing space, but they are not a substitute for artillery." DESTRUCTION RAINS FROM ABOVE Drones are demons, at least for those in the kill zone that straddles the 1,000 km line of contact. Reconnaissance UAVs from both sides - resembling shrunken airplanes, made of plastic or styrofoam and equipped with sophisticated cameras - can spot enemies from several kilometres away. They hover over the front lines, relaying back what they see in real time. They find targets for the fleets of bomber drones - often hexacopters the size of coffee tables that can drop precision grenades with 3D-printed tailfins - as well as kamikaze drones, some with RPG warheads strapped on to pierce armour, which can fly into soldiers, tanks and weapons systems. The platoon commander being evacuated from the front, a 35-year-old called Ivan who goes by the call sign "Atom", said soldiers on both sides now saw UAVs as the biggest threat to their lives, replacing shells, mines and enemy fighters which were the primary perils earlier in the war. A medic with him on the bus, 34-year-old Olga Kozum, concurred: Most of the battlefield injuries she and her colleagues treat are caused by UAVs, she said. According to internal Ukrainian estimates seen by Reuters, drones accounted for 69% of strikes on Russian troops and 75% of strikes on vehicles and equipment in 2024. About 18% of strikes on Russian infantry and 15% of strikes on vehicles and equipment were conducted with artillery, and even less with mortars, according to the same estimates. The wartime UAV arms race has spawned many innovations; both sides are deploying short-range, fibre-optic drones that cannot be electronically jammed, as well as "interceptors" that hunt down and destroy enemy reconnaissance and attack drones. Kyiv's planned production this year of 30,000 long-range UAVs, designed to attack targets deep inside Russia such as arms depots and energy facilities, gives Ukraine an increased offensive threat, according to Vadym Sukharevskyi, commander of the country's drone forces until early June. The average cost of a long-range strike drone ranges from $50,000 to $300,000, about 10 times less than a missile of similar range, although a drone's warhead is smaller, Sukharevskyi said in an interview while still in the post. "This is our asymmetrical answer," he said, adding that Ukraine started developing such drones "precisely because we lack missiles". Kamyshin, President Zelenskiy's adviser, added: "You can't win a big war if you are only defending." Long-range drone strikes are "one of the main cards Ukraine can play against Russia right now". WANTED: U.S. PATRIOTS AND INTEL Ukraine's military-industrial base is expanding rapidly, and now accounts for around 40% of the weapons and equipment used, including drones, according to Zelenskiy, who on Wednesday set out a target to reach 50% in six months. Kyiv has also sought to diversify its supplies and its European allies are providing growing amounts of munitions, potentially making the country more resilient to geopolitical shocks. The Kiel Institute, a German-based economic research group, estimated in a report last month that Europe had surpassed the U.S. in total military aid provided over the course of the war for the first time since June 2022, reaching 72 billion euros compared with 65 billion euros from Washington. The institute said aid flows to Ukraine shifted significantly in March and April as no new U.S. aid was allocated and European countries upped support. While the U.S. has been - and remains - the largest sole supplier of artillery shells to Ukraine during the war, Europe is expanding capacity and has purchased hundreds of thousands of munitions from within and outside the continent. Of around 420,000 artillery shells received by Ukraine from the start of this year until around mid-May, only 160,000 were from the United States, according to a European security source who requested anonymity to discuss confidential matters. Kamyshin said Ukraine made around 2.4 million of its own shells in 2024, although these were mostly for mortars, which are shorter range. Ukraine is nonetheless particularly reliant on the U.S. in the areas of air defences and intelligence sharing, military analysts said. Kyiv particularly covets U.S. Patriot air defence systems, capable of intercepting ballistic missiles that Russia is firing with increasing frequency. As of April this year, Ukraine had seven fully operational systems, well short of the 25 that Zelenskiy has requested, according to analysts at Ukrainian publication Defence Express. Long-range drone and missile attacks often rely on U.S. satellite intelligence. European countries can only go a small way to replacing were the United States to stop sharing it, the European Union Institute for Security Studies said. (Reporting by Max Hunder in Kyiv, Sabine Siebold in Berlin and Manuel Ausloos in Dnipropetrovsk, eastern Ukraine; Additional reporting by Olena Harmash in Kyiv, Mike Collett-White in London and Trevor Hunnicutt in Washington; Editing by Mike Collett-White and Pravin Char)
Focus Malaysia
5 hours ago
- Focus Malaysia
Madani gov't snubbed for harbouring Zakir Naik who sanctions rape of 'not fully covered' women
A HUMAN rights activist has hit out at the Madani administration for its hesitation to deport global celebrity preacher Zakir Naik who has seemingly accorded green light to the rape of women are not 'fully covered up' or in Islamic term, failed to don the hijab or perhaps purdah. Azira Aziz who is also a corporate and commercial lawyer claimed that 'it boggles my mind why the Madani government protects problematic religious preachers like this man'. 'People like him is why survivors find it difficult to access justice. My heart breaks whenever a survivor asks me, 'Pn Azira salah saya ke saya dirogol? (Mdm Azira, is it my fault that I was raped)?' she penned on X. 'Just deport him.' It boggles my mind why the Madani government protects problematic religious preachers like this man. People like him is why survivors find it difficult to access justice. My heart breaks whenever a survivor asks me, 'Pn Azira salah saya ke saya dirogol?' Just deport him… — Azira 🇲🇾 🌺 (@ladymissazira) July 14, 2025 Azira was alluding to a statement made by the controversial Muslim scholar that 'if the girl wasn't fully covered up, she is to blame' for the rape herself and 'if she was covered up, then the rape and murder that befall her is a test from God''. The fugitive Indian national preacher was answering the question if an individual who has committed a rape accidentally killed the girl, would be forgiven by Allah if he has repented and what justice would be accorded to the victim in this instance. Setting the record straight, a commenter stated recounted that although Zakir Naik has been around in Malaysia long before the Madani government existence, it was nevertheless guilty of harbouring him. 'In fact, the government should have prevented him from coming here. Anyway, the Madani government is at fault for not deporting him,' she berated as a fellow commenter revealed that it was the Barisan Nasional (BN) government prior to Pakatan Harapan taking over that granted Zakir Naik's PR (permanent resident) status. In fact, the approval came from current Deputy Prime Minister and UMNO president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi who was then the home minister. Another commenter asked Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri and Religious Affairs Minister Datuk Dr Mohd Na'im Mokhtar 'if such view can be accepted as part of the Malaysian culture'. While many men and women netizens supported Zakir Naik's deportation, a few argued that the latter is an asset 'to maintain the conservative votes'. As one commenter bluntly put it, 'with many Malays worshipping Zakir Naik, the opposition is bound to cook up a storm for the ruling government should he be deported'. Moreover, DAP of today is unlike the party of yesteryears for it 'no longer dare to touch Zakir Naik unlike the time of PH1.0'. Whatever the case is, there are always two sides to the coin as a handful of commenters concur with his seemingly narrow view for 'Zakir Naik is merely highlighting how women can prevent rape'. – July 17, 2025
New Straits Times
5 hours ago
- New Straits Times
'Japanese First' party shakes up election with alarm over foreigners
TOKYO: An upstart party is gaining support ahead of elections in Japan by railing against a 'silent invasion' of immigrants, pushing the government to address fears about foreigners as it brings into the mainstream rhetoric once confined to the political fringe. Born on YouTube during the Covid-19 pandemic spreading conspiracy theories about vaccinations and a cabal of global elites, the party, Sanseito, is broadening its appeal with a 'Japanese First' campaign ahead of Sunday's upper house vote. And while polls show it may only secure 10 to 15 of the 125 seats up for grabs, it is further eroding support for Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's shaky minority government, which is increasingly beholden to opposition parties as it clings to power. "In the past, anyone who brought up immigration would be attacked by the left. We are getting bashed too, but are also gaining support," Sohei Kamiya, the party's 47-year-old charismatic leader, told Reuters in an interview. "The LDP and Komeito can't stay silent if they want to keep their support," Kamiya added, referring to Ishiba's Liberal Democratic Party, which has ruled Japan for most of the past seven decades, and its junior coalition partner. Kamiya's message has resonated with voters frustrated by a weak economy and a currency that has lured tourists in record numbers in recent years, further driving up prices that Japanese citizens can ill afford, political analysts say. The fast-ageing society has also seen foreign-born residents reach a record of about 3.8 million last year, although that is still just 3 per cent of the total population — a tiny fraction compared to numbers in the US and Europe. Kamiya, a former supermarket manager and English teacher, says he has drawn inspiration from US President Donald Trump's "bold political style." It remains to be seen whether he can follow the path of other far-right parties with which he has drawn comparisons, such as Germany's AfD and Reform UK. Yet the ingredients are there, said Jeffrey Hall, a lecturer at Tokyo's Kanda University who has studied Japan's right-wing politics, pointing to their online following, appeal among young men, and warnings about immigration eroding indigenous cultures. "Anti-foreign sentiment that was considered maybe taboo to talk about so openly is now out of the box," he added. With immigration emerging as a top election issue, Ishiba this week unveiled a new government taskforce to fight "crimes and disorderly conduct" by foreign nationals, and his party has promised to pursue "zero illegal foreigners." Polls show Ishiba's ruling coalition is likely to lose its majority in the upper house vote — a repeat of elections last year in the more powerful lower house. While he is expected to limp on, his government may have to broaden its coalition or strike deals with other parties on policy matters, analysts say. 'HOT-BLOODED' Kamiya, who won the party's first seat in 2022 after gaining notoriety for appearing to call for Japan's emperor to take concubines, has tried to tone down some controversial ideas formerly embraced by the party. His election manifesto, for example, includes plans to cut taxes and increase child benefits — policies promoted by a raft of opposition parties that have led investors to fret about Japan's fiscal health and massive debt pile. While Sanseito is the latest in a string of small far-right parties that have struggled for a foothold in Japan's staid politics, its online support suggests it may have staying power. Its YouTube channel has 400,000 followers — more than any other party on the platform and three times that of the LDP, according to There are still hurdles. Like right-wing parties in the US and Europe, Sanseito's support skews heavily toward men in their twenties and thirties. Kamiya is trying to widen the party's appeal by fielding several female candidates, such as the single-named singer Saya, seen as likely to clinch a seat in Tokyo. Earlier in the campaign, Kamiya faced a backlash for branding gender equality policies a mistake, claiming they encourage women to work and prevent them from having children. "Maybe because I am hot-blooded, that resonates more with men," Kamiya said in response to a question on the party's greater appeal to men.
