Ekweremadu confirms attack on him by IPOB members in Germany (Guardian)
The immediate past Deputy President of the Senate, Sen. Ike Enweremadu has confirmed a physical assault on him by some members of the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB, in Nuremberg, Germany, on Saturday. Enweremadu confirmed the attack in a statement released by his Media Assistant, Uche Anichukwu in Abuja. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a 64-second video about the attack had gone viral on social media earlier on Saturday. Read more
Insecurity: Miyetti Allah tours Fulani settlements in Enugu (Punch)
The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders’ Association of Nigeria has said that it has begun the sensitisation of its members in the 14 Fulani settlements in Enugu State, in order to check infiltrators. The South-East Chairman of MACBAN, Alhaji Gidado Siddiki, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Saturday in Enugu. Siddiki said that the sensitisation tour had also taken them to the cattle and perishable goods markets in the state. Read more
‘No IPOB member arrested in Ebonyi’ (Nation)
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), on Saturday, said no member of the group was arrested in Ebonyi state. The Ebonyi State Police Command had on Wednesday, confirmed the arrest of 15 members of the Indigenous People of Biafra and the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra. It said the suspects were arrested at a bush at Amasiri in the Afikpo North local government area of the state on Tuesday by men of the Nigeria Police and other security agents while allegedly planning to hold their 2019 summit in the state. Read more
Fish out local kidnappers, Ohanaeze charges monarchs, town unions (Punch)
The Igbo apex socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide on Saturday charged traditional rulers, town unions and local vigilante groups to fish out criminals in Igbo land, who have exploited the insecurity challenge in the country to engage in kidnapping and murder of innocent citizens. A statement by Ohanaeze President General, Chief Nnia Nwodo, said the directive became expedient following the security breaches in Enugu State in the past few months, which he described as unusual. Read more
IBB sues for peaceful co-existence among Nigerians (Nation)
Former military leader, General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd), has sued for peaceful co-existance among Nigerians irrespective of their age and ethno-religious inclination. Babangida, popularly called IBB, made the remark on Saturday at his Hilltop residence in Minna, while entertaining guests during his 78 birthday anniversary. “My prayer is that Nigeria should remain as one indivisible nation. “Therefore, I call on all Nigerians to work for the unity and development of the country as there is no other home like Nigeria,” he said. Read more
Unpaid arrears: Labour suspends strike indefinitely in Abia (Punch)
The organised labour in Abia State on Saturday announced an indefinite suspension of its planned industrial action over state government’s failure to clear the arrears of workers’ salaries and pensions. News Agency of Nigeria reports that the leadership of the organised labour, comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress, Trade Union Congress and Joint Negotiating Council, had on August 8 issued a seven-day ultimatum to the state government to address the problem of unpaid arrears of workers’ salaries and pensions in the state. Read more
Election: Mrs. El-Rufai begins four-day appreciation tour (Guardian)
The Wife of Kaduna State Governor, Mrs. Ummi El-Rufai, on Saturday assured people of the state that they would not regret electing the APC for another four-year term. Mrs. El-Rufai said that the APC-led administration in the state was committed to fulfilling all its campaign promises. She gave the assurance in Igabi Local Government Area at the start of a four-day tour of the state to thank the electorates for re-electing her husband as governor. Read more
Fayemi plans bond to offset pensioners’ gratuities (Punch)
Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has proposed a bond to enable his administration to offset the outstanding arrears of gratuities of pensioners. Fayemi, who harped on the need to address the challenges confronting the state, said the government would soon organize bond to offset the outstanding gratuities of pensioners and later find a way of paying back. Read more
First batch of pilgrims arrive from Saudi Arabia (Nation)
The first batch of this year’s pilgrims have arrived in Lagos after completing the Hajj rites in Saudi Arabia. The 432 male and female pilgrims from Lagos State were on board the Flynas Airbus A330 airline which touched down at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos at exactly 6.08pm. Many of the pilgrims joyfully expressed their appreciation to the Almighty Allah for giving them the strength to embark on the Holy pilgrimage. Read more
Measles kill more people in DR Congo than Ebola (Guardian)
Measles has killed 2,758 people in DR Congo since January, more than the Ebola epidemic in a year, medical NGO Doctors Without Borders said, and called Saturday for a “massive mobilisation of funds.” The disease, preventable with a vaccine, has infected over 145,000 people in the Democratic Republic of Congo between January and early August, it said in a statement. “Since July, the epidemic has worsened, with a rise in new cases reported in several provinces,” said the NGO that goes by its French acronym MSF. Read more
Portland braced for far-right rally and antifa counter-demo (BBC)
Far-right groups are rallying in the north-western US city of Portland, Oregon, amid fears of clashes with left-wing counter-protesters. Police are mounting a major operation to keep the two sides apart. The stated aim of the far-right gathering is to urge that the antifa (anti-fascist) movement be declared a domestic terror organisation. Portland, one of the most liberal cities in the US, is regarded as an antifa stronghold. Read more
Italy’s Salvini lets 27 teenagers off Open Arms migrant ship (BBC)
Italy’s Interior Minister Matteo Salvini has agreed to let 27 unaccompanied teenagers leave a migrant rescue ship amid a row between the far-right leader and his fellow ministers. The minors were allowed to disembark on the Italian island of Lampedusa after more than sixteen days at sea. More than 100 migrants remain on board the Spanish rescue ship Open Arms. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte had called Mr Salvini “obsessed” with keeping migrants out of Italian ports. Read more
Boy, 6, missing after falling into River Stour while fishing with dad (Metro)
A desperate search operation is underway tonight after a six-year-old boy fell into a river during a family fishing trip. Police, paramedics and coast guard officials have been joined by members of the public along the River Stour near Sandwich, Kent. The boy, named locally as Lucas, fell into the water while fishing at around 1.20pm, the Mirror reported. Read more
Kashmir’s communications partially restored, says India (BBC)
Landline telephone services are being restored to parts of Indian-administered Kashmir, India says. Seventeen out of 100 phone exchanges in the Kashmir Valley are operational, officials say. Internet and mobile phone services remain suspended. Most of the area has been in lockdown since Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided to strip the region of its special status earlier this month. Hundreds of people, including local politicians, remain in detention. Read more
PC Andrew Harper: Killed officer ‘died of multiple injuries’ (BBC)
Detectives investigating the death of a police officer have said he died of “multiple injuries”, as they were given more time to question 10 suspects. PC Andrew Harper, 28, was responding to a burglary report on Thursday in Sulhamstead, Berkshire, when he was dragged along the road by a vehicle. Ten males aged between 13 and 30 have been arrested on suspicion of murder. Thames Valley Police said on Saturday it had been granted an extra 36 hours to question the suspects. Read more
Afghanistan: Bomb rips through wedding in Kabul (BBC)
An explosion has ripped through a wedding hall in the Afghan capital, Kabul, and many casualties are feared. Eye witnesses told the BBC a suicide bomber detonated explosives during a wedding ceremony. Witnesses said they had seen bodies. The explosion happened at around 22:40 local time (18.10 GMT) in an area mostly populated by Shia residents. No group said it carried out the attack, which happened in the west of the city. Read more
Mayor of Canadian capital city Ottawa comes out as gay (Punch)
The mayor of Ottawa revealed Saturday that he is gay, an announcement that comes on the eve of gay pride week in the Canadian capital city. “I’m gay. There — I said it; or rather, wrote it. Those two words took me almost four decades to utter, but as they say, ‘Better late than never,’” Jim Watson wrote in a letter published in the Ottawa Citizen newspaper. The 58-year-old, who has served as mayor since 2010, recalled being a shy teen who moved and changed schools frequently, preventing him from making friends. Read more
French waiter shot dead for being ‘too slow with sandwich’ (Guardian)
A customer shot a waiter dead at an eatery on the outskirts of Paris, apparently enraged at being made to wait for a sandwich, a source close to the investigation said Saturday. The waiter’s colleagues called police after he was shot in the shoulder with a handgun in the Noisy-le-Grand suburb east of Paris on Friday night, the source said. Attempts to revive the 28-year-old failed and he died at the scene. Read more
Game Of Thrones’ George RR Martin is ‘liberated’ now the series is over (Metro)
Game Of Thrones’ George RR Martin has admitted that he found the end of the TV show ‘liberating’ – because he found the show was stifling his ability to be creative. The 70-year-old author has two books left of the saga to write by his own admission – but struggled to release any new material in the 10 years the show was on screen. As a result, he was happy to see the show come to an end, finding it ‘freeing’. Read more
Roger Rabbit animator Richard Williams dies at 86 (BBC)
Richard Williams, the Oscar-winning animator who worked on the hit film Who Framed Roger Rabbit, has died aged 86. Williams, who was born in Toronto but moved to the UK in the 1950s, won two Oscars and a Bafta for his work as animation director on the 1988 film, which starred Bob Hoskins. The triple Oscar and triple Bafta winner also worked on two of the Pink Panther films and Casino Royale. Williams died at his home in Bristol on Friday, his family announced. Read more
FIFA ban: Legal team preparing defence, Siasia says (Punch)
Former Super Eagles coach Samson Siasia on Saturday appealed for calm over the news of his life ban from the game by world football governing body FIFA on Friday. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Siasia was banned for life from the game following a match-fixing probe by FIFA. Siasia, who spoke to newsmen in Abuja through an associate, Prince Opukiri Jones-Ere at the main bowl of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, said the matter was currently being looked into by his lawyer. Read more
Mane, Firmino shoot Liverpool to victory at Southampton (Guardian)
Roberto Firmino clinched a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Southampton on Saturday. Jurgen Klopp’s tired team were ragged in their passing and lacked organisation in defence, but still showed enough mental strength to come away with three points. It was completely against the run of play when Senegal winger Mane put Liverpool ahead against his former club just before half time at St Mary’s. Read more
Pep Guardiola mocks VAR after Gabriel Jesus’ goal is disallowed in injury time (Metro)
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola says his side should have had a penalty against Tottenham but VAR was ‘on a coffee break’. City thought they’d scored an injury time winner against Tottenham when Gabriel Jesus smashed home in injury time. However, the goal was disallowed after replays showed Aymeric Laporte handled the ball in the build-up and the game finished 2-2. Read more
Sergio Aguero and Pep Guardiola involved in blazing row on sideline during Tottenham clash (Metro)
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola clashed with Sergio Aguero following the striker’s removal in the second half of his side’s clash with Tottenham at the Etihad. The hosts took the lead through Raheem Sterling and were in cruise control until Erik Lamela scored a surprise equaliser. City regained the lead through Aguero, who converted Kevin De Bruyne’s cross to put his side back in control. Read more
Pukki hat-trick gives Norwich comfortable win over Newcastle (BBC)
Teemu Pukki admitted he “wouldn’t have even dreamt of a day like this” after his impressive hat-trick gave Norwich City their first win back in the Premier League against a laboured Newcastle United. The 29-year-old’s previously unremarkable career took in spells at Schalke, Celtic and Brondby before he hit 29 goals for Norwich as they won the Championship last season. Read more
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s plan to turn Marcus Rashford into Cristiano Ronaldo (Metro)
Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been putting Marcus Rashford through the same finishing drills that turned Cristiano Ronaldo into an Old Trafford legend in a bid to emulate the Portuguese superstar. The Norwegian decided to sell Romelu Lukaku to Inter Milan this summer and has told Rashford he wants him to step up to fill the void left by the Belgian. Read more
Marseille get point with goalless draw in Nantes (Punch)
Marseille wasted a penalty on Saturday before finishing the match clinging to a 0-0 Ligue 1 draw at Nantes. For both teams the stalemate yielded a first point of the young season. Marseille had a chance to score their first goal of the campaign after VAR detected a handball in the home box in the 31st minute. But Argentine striker Dario Benedetto, Marseille’s marquee summer signing, smashed the penalty kick high over the bar. Read more
Zidane indicates Bale will stay after Madrid put three past Celta (Guardian)
Zinedine Zidane indicated Gareth Bale will stay at Real Madrid after the Welshman led the way in a 3-1 victory over Celta Vigo on Saturday. Bale was back in the team and back in form at Balaidos, with Zidane’s eagerness to sell him this summer perhaps fresh in his mind as he teed up Karim Benzema’s opening goal. After the match, Zidane said he believes Bale will now stay, with the Spanish transfer window closing on September 2. Read more
Murray and Skupski lose Cincinnati Masters semi (BBC)
Britain’s Jamie Murray and Neal Skupski lost their Cincinnati Masters semi-final in straight sets. Murray and Skupski were defeated 6-1 6-4 by Ivan Dodig and Filip Polasek in the rain-hit match. A torrential downpour stopped the game for more than an hour at 4-3 in the second set, but the delay did not effect the winning duo’s dominance. Murray, 33, and his partner reached the semis by beating his brother Andy and Feliciano Lopez in the previous round. Read more