Don’t attack President, Pastors, others, Kumuyi tells Christians (Punch)
The General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Pastor William Kumuyi, on Sunday urged Christians not to attack the President of the country through any means. Kumuyi, who gave the admonition during his sermon at the Deeper Life Bible Church headquarters, Gbagada, in Lagos, said that real Christians must obey constituted authorities and shun violence. Delivering his sermon entitled The Believers’ Preservation Until the Day of Visitation, Kumuyi said Christians are strangers and pilgrims in the world and must be Christ-like in their character, conduct and conversations. Read more
Eid-el-Fitri: Don’t be in a hurry to get home – FRSC advises motorists (Guardian)
The Sango-Ota Command of Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Ogun, has advised motorists to exercise patience in trying to get to their various destinations during the Eid-El-Fitr celebrations. Mr Akeem Gainya, the Sango-Ota Unit Commander, gave the advice in an Interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ota, Ogun on Sunday. NAN reports that the Federal Government has declared Tuesday and Wednesday as public holidays for the Muslims faithful to celebrate the Eid-el-Fitr. Read more
Imo Police arrest three over invasion of Okorocha’s bedroom (Punch)
The Police in Imo State said they have arrested three domestic staff of the immediate past governor of the state, Rochas Okorocha, over the invasion of his bedroom in the early hours of Saturday. While Okorocha was in his Spibat House in Owerri, his village House in Ogboko in the Ideato South Local Government Area of the state was invaded by yet to be identified hoodlums. The state Commissioner of Police, Rabiu Ladodo, who gave our Correspondent an update on the incident, said the operatives of his Command had swung into action immediately after the incident. Read more
9th Assembly: TMG backs open ballot voting as lawmaker disagrees (Guardian)
Ahead of the inauguration of the ninth National Assembly, the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) has thrown its weight behind the clamour for adoption of open ballot for election of presiding officers. Chairperson of TMG, a coalition of over 400 civil society organisations, Dr Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, made the remark on Sunday in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja. Read more
New Cabinet List: Fashola, Hameed, Adamu Jostle For Buhari’s CoS Office (Independent)
With the presidential inauguration last week, which ushered in President Buhari into his second tenure in office, all eyes are now set on who gets appointed into his kitchen cabinet and the federal executive council made up of ministers and key appointees. The Office of the CoS and key ministerial appointments have become subject of intense lobbying, intrigues and horse trading among friends and family members of Buhari, it was learnt. This, according to the newspaper findings, became apparent after the president made plain that he intends to effect sweeping changes in the next four years. Read more
Buhari departs Jeddah for Abuja after OIC Summit in Makkah (Punch)
President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday departed the royal terminal of King AbdulAziz International Airport, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for Abuja, after attending the 14th summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in Makkah. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the presidential aircraft conveying the President and members of his entourage left the Jeddah airport for Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, at about 2:45pm local time. Read more
Amnesty International Urges Buhari To End Human Rights Violations, Abuses Buhari (Independent)
Amnesty International has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to use his second term in office to address the growing impunity for human rights violations and abuses. The Country Director, Osai Ojiho disclosed this on Friday in Abuja during the public presentation of ‘Human Rights Agenda’. The group noted that the country has witnessed a series of cases bordering on arbitrary arrest, harassment of human rights defenders, activists, and journalists. Read more
Algeria elections planned for 4 July ‘impossible’, authorities say (BBC)
The body which oversees elections in Algeria says it is not possible to hold presidential elections as planned on 4 July. A statement from the constitutional council said it was up to the president to name a new date for the vote. Algeria has seen months of anti-government protests. Long-time President Abdelaziz Bouteflika resigned in April but demonstrators are pushing for greater change in the country’s ruling elite. Read more
Andrea Nahles: SPD leader and Merkel coalition partner to resign (BBC)
Andrea Nahles has announced she will resign as leader of Germany’s Social Democratic Party (SPD). The politician has said she will quit as party leader on Monday, and as head of its parliamentary group on Tuesday. It comes after the centre-left party came third, behind the Greens and Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU), in the European elections. Read more
Pope Francis apologises to Roma for Catholic discrimination (BBC)
Pope Francis has apologised to the Roma people on behalf of the Catholic Church during his visit to Romania. At a meeting with Roma people on the last day of his visit to the country, the pontiff asked forgiveness for “all those times in history when we have discriminated, mistreated or looked askance at you”. Roma people have faced persecution in Europe for centuries. Read more
Nine French jihadists now on death row in Iraq (Guardian)
Nine French jihadists are now on death row in Iraq after a court sentenced two more to death on Sunday for joining the Islamic State group, rejecting a claim of torture. Fodil Tahar Aouidate and Vianney Ouraghi were among 11 French citizens and one Tunisian handed over to Iraqi authorities in January by a US-backed force fighting the jihadist group in Syria. Read more
Man stabbed to death in Liverpool city centre hours after Champions League win (Metro)
A man has died after being stabbed when a fight broke out in a city centre in the early hours of this morning. Merseyside Police confirmed they were called to Wild Cat and Ink bars on Back Colquitt Street in Liverpool at around 3am. Officers found two men who had received knife wounds and were taken to hospital for treatment. Read more
Nanda Devi: Hopes fading for eight missing climbers (BBC)
Indian rescuers say the chances of finding eight climbers missing in the Himalayas are “bleak”. Two Indian air force helicopters were searching the mountains, but officials said the operation had to be suspended due to unfavourable conditions. The missing group, including four Britons, two Americans, an Australian and an Indian, began climbing Nanda Devi on 13 May. Read more
Trump denies calling Meghan ‘nasty’ despite audio recording (BBC)
US President Donald Trump has denied calling the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, “nasty” despite the comments being recorded. “I never called Meghan Markle ‘nasty’,” he tweeted on Sunday, adding: “Made up by the Fake News Media, and they got caught cold!” Mr Trump made his remarks about the duchess in a Sun newspaper interview ahead of his state visit to the UK. Read more
Priyanka Chopra feels attention on Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle is ‘to do with racism’ (Metro)
Priyanka Chopra believes racism has a part in the intense attention of the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle. Since she began dating Prince Harry Meghan has had plenty of media focus as everyone tried to find out everything could about her, from her choice of clothes to her family background. Priyanka, who has been friends with Meghan for years, says that her close pal is able to handle all the scrutiny. Read more
2019 AFCON Preparations: Mikel, Five Others Arrive Asaba (Independent)
Super Eagles Captain, Mikel Obi and five other players have arrived in Asaba, Delta capital, for preparations for the 2019 AFCON tournament holding in Egypt between June 21 and July 19. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that other players that arrived with Mikel are Leon Balogun, Moses Simon, Jamilu Collins and Ola Aina. The Super Eagles are billed to play a friendly with the Zimbabwean national side on Saturday at the Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba. Zimbabwe will also feature at the tournament. Read more
I can do better for Super Eagles, Norway-based James tells Rohr (Guardian)
Leke James, a forward with Molde FK in Norway, says he can perform better for the Super Eagles if given the opportunity by the senior male national football team handlers. James who plays in the Norwegian top-flight “Eliteserien’’ told newsmen on Sunday in Abuja that the opportunity to show what he can do is all he needs now. “I have more than what it takes to break into the Super Eagles team, and to play regularly as part of the team’s striking force. It’s just the opportunity. Read more
Virgil van Dijk and Alisson ‘made the difference’ for Liverpool in Champions League final, says Jamie Carragher (Metro)
Jamie Carragher has heaped praise on Virgil van Dijk and Alisson and says the pair ‘made the difference’ for Liverpool in the Champions League final victory over Tottenham. An early Mohamed Salah penalty and a late Divock Origi strike saw Liverpool clinch their sixth victory in the competition in Madrid on Saturday night. Liverpool, who finished second in the Premier League on 96 points, were far from at their best against Spurs but came out on top to secure Jurgen Klopp’s first trophy as Reds boss. Read more
Roger Federer sets quarter-final showdown with Wawrinka or Tsitsipas after routine win (Metro)
Roger Federer can expect a serious step up in quality in the quarter-finals of the French Open, having strolled into the last eight without dropping a set. The Swiss great spanked Argentina’s Leonardo Mayer in straight sets on Philippe-Chatrier, keeping his time on court to a minimum in another swelteringly hot day at Roland Garros. Read more
Shamed footballer Adam Johnson ‘twists ankle after chatting to girl, 18, in pub’ (Metro)
Paedophile footballer Adam Johnson was pictured stumbling out of a pub after an evening chatting to an 18-year-old. The ex-England winger had been buying £125 bottles of the vodka during the evening, according to the Sun. Johnson, a former Sunderland star, appeared to be shouting in agony as he left the pub and was helped to a £75,000 Mercedes 4×4. Read more
Deontay Wilder launches brutal rant against Anthony Joshua (Metro)
Deontay Wilder doubled down on his claim Anthony Joshua quit against Andy Ruiz Jr, launching an incredible rant against his fellow heavyweight. Ruiz Jr stripped Joshua of his world titles at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night and Wilder immediately tweeted after the fight accusing AJ of lacking heart. Joshua got off the canvas four times during the fight, but in an interview with 78 Sports TV, Wilder opened fire on AJ and his performance. Read more
Rest up, recover, regroup and come again, Tyson Fury tells Anthony Joshua (Punch)
British Boxer Tyson Fury has told Nigerian-born boxer Anthony Joshua, that his defeat by underdog Andy Ruiz at Madison Square Garden, USA, on Saturday, was not a strange phenomenon. Fury noted that, as professional boxers, they each have their “back and forth,” arguing that in heavyweight boxing, experiencing defeat is not strange. Ruiz knocked down Joshua four times to take the World Boxing Association, International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Organization titles hitherto held by Joshua. Read more