World
Afghan female students not allowed to sit university entrance exam – Taliban ministry

The Taliban-led Ministry of Higher Education has ordered private universities in Afghanistan not to allow female students to take university entrance exams for the next month, underscoring its policy of barring women from higher education.
A letter from the ministry was aimed at institutions in the northern provinces of Afghanistan, including Kabul, where exams are to take place from the end of February. The letter said those institutions that failed to comply with the rules would face legal action.
The Ministry of Higher Education told universities in December that they should not admit female students “until further notice”. Days later, the administration stopped most of the women NGO workers from work. Most of the girls’ secondary schools were also closed by the authorities.
Restrictions on women’s work and education have been internationally condemned. Western diplomats have signaled that to stand a chance of formal international recognition and an easing of their economic isolation, the Taliban must change the course of their policy towards women.
READ | Hundreds protest in Afghan town against burning of the Koran in Sweden
The country is in the midst of an economic crisis, partly due to sanctions on the banking sector and a cut in development funding, with aid organizations warning millions of people in dire need of help.
But a World Bank report this week also said the Taliban government, which has said it is focused on greater economic self-sufficiency, has kept revenue collection strong over the past year and exports have picked up.
We live in a world where fact and fiction blur
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World
5 killed in west Sudan tribal violence, rights group says
CAIRO (AP) — Two days of tribal violence in western Sudan’s long-settled Darfur region killed at least 5 people, tribal leaders and a rights group said on Friday.
Violence between African Masalit tribesmen and Arab herdsmen in west Darfur erupted on Thursday after two gunmen fatally shot a merchant in a remote area, leaders of both groups said.
In a statement, Masalit tribesmen accused Arab militias of being behind the killing. The killing sparked a series of targeted attacks that killed at least four other people, the tribal leaders and rights group said.
Five victims were later identified by the Darfur Bar Association, a Sudanese rights group focused on human rights in the western province. The group urged both sides to de-escalate tensions.
The violence comes as quarrelsome bipartisan talks continue in Khartoum over how the African country will institute civilian rule after 17 months of military rule.
Sudan has descended into chaos after a military coup led by the country’s top general, Abdel-Fattah Burhan, ousted a Western-backed government in October 2021, turning the short-lived transition to democracy on its head.
But last December, the country’s ruling military and various pro-democracy forces signed a tentative agreement in which they pledged to resume the transition.
Last week, signatories to the December accord pledged to begin forming a new civilian-led interim government on April 11. However, many important political forces in the country remain opposed to the agreement.
Since the military takeover, Sudan has also seen a surge in inter-tribal violence in the west and south of the country.
Analysts see the violence and growing insecurity in Sudan’s remote regions as a result of the power vacuum created by the military takeover.
World
I’m a champion bodybuilding goliath – my title-winning workout makes a specific area of your body mega-ripped
ERIN Banks has unveiled his title-winning workout that will transform a specific area of your body into a mega-ripped phenomenon.
The master body builder is one of the biggest names in the lifting world, but his latest fitness regimen has wowed fans.
banks began competing professionally in 2019 and has since won the Men’s Physique Olympia as well as the highly regarded Arnold Classic.
However, his success was not pure luck, but dedication.
Most days, Banks starts his day at 4:30 a.m., where he kicks off fast cardio.
For the rest of the day he balances family life with a strength program and finishes it by 8 p.m. at the latest.


He told BarBend, “If I’m really locked down for these shows and prep, I’ll be in bed by 7pm.
“I don’t like to push beyond that because recovery is key.
“Routine is so important.
“I believe a lot of my success comes from what I do every day – adapt and stay focused.”
However, Banks is most notable for his incredible V-shaped physique, evident through his huge back muscles.
And he has now let fans in on his secret workout, which he does twice a week.
It contains:
- Lat pulldowns with straight arms: 4 x 20 reps (moderate weight to warm up)
- Chest Assisted T-Bar Row: 4 x 12 reps (Hard)
- Seated Lat Pulldown: 4 x 12 reps (hard)
- Rack pulls: 3 x 10 reps (super hard)
- Extended row: 4 x ten reps (super hard)
Before competing professionally, Banks was a gifted athlete in high school and then majored in kinesiology in college.
Despite his inclination towards fitness, he admitted that he never wanted to be a bodybuilder.
But in 2017, trainer Terry Reeves “begged” Banks to try.
Since then, the 33-year-old has perfected his craft to become the best in the world.
He said: “We’ve tried to preserve every other part of the body, but once you start exercising to the extreme, everything grows.
“During these months we became more sophisticated.”
During one cut, Banks burned about 2,700 calories per day.
After a ten-week break from competition, he increased it to 3,200 calories.
Most of its nutrient gains come from chicken breast, rice, and broccoli.
He said, “After 10 to 12 weeks, we push that stuff aside.
“It’s based on being the best.


“I’ve never gotten bored with food, so for the past three years I’ve prepared myself and eaten the same things over and over again.”
After his InstagramBanks teased that he would try the Classic Physique division when he retires.
World
Rodolphe Jaar pleads guilty in Haiti president’s assassination


The late former President of Haiti Jovenel Moise.
Haitian-Chilean national Rodolphe Jaar pleaded guilty before a US judge on Friday to three counts relating to his role in the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise, who was killed at his home in July 2021, court documents showed.
Jaar is one of 11 defendants in the case, including businessmen accused of helping to obtain vehicles and firearms from Florida and former Colombian soldiers accused of gunning down Moise in his bedroom.
According to the US Department of Justice, Jaar had been charged with helping get arms to the Colombians who also lived in a home he controlled and helping them while they were in hiding from Haitian authorities.
He was arrested in January 2022 in the Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti.
Jaar’s sentencing, which could face life imprisonment, was set for June 2 in Miami, according to court documents.
Moise’s murder left a political vacuum in the Caribbean nation and emboldened powerful gangs that now effectively control large parts of the country and whose turf wars are fueling a humanitarian crisis that has displaced at least 160,000 people.
Jaar’s lawyer declined to comment.
We live in a world where fact and fiction blur
In uncertain times, you need journalism you can trust. For 14 free days you have access to a world of in-depth analysis, investigative journalism, top opinions and a range of features. Journalism strengthens democracy. Invest in the future today. After that you will be charged R75 per month. You can cancel at any time and if you cancel within 14 days you will not be charged.
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