El-Zakzaky is being poisoned in detention, Shi’ites allege (Nation)
As the Kaduna State High Court on Thursday adjourned hearing in the application for permission to travel to India for medical attention filed by the Shi’ites leader, Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky and his wife, Zinat, to July 29, 2019, his followers have alleged that their leader is being poisoned in detention. The leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) and his wife had applied to the court seeking to travel and seek medical attention in view of their failing health condition while in detention. Read more
Insecurity: We’re discussing with State governments, says Are Gani Adams (Nation)
The Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yoruba land, Gani Adams on Thursday evening said they were having different meetings with different organizations and with state governments in the southwest on how to tackle the security challenges. According to him, since the governors are the chief security officers of their states and in a sensitive security situation like this, there is a need to be very careful not to jump the gun. Read more
EFCC reveals identities of ex-Kwara Gov officials whose passports were seized (Punch)
The list of former Kwara State Government officials whose passport have been seized and under the watch list of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has been obtained by The PUNCH. The officials were all said to have served under the immediate past Governor, Abdulfatai Ahmed, between 2011 and 2019. In a document dated July 17, 2019 with reference number 3000/EFCC/IL/Vol.3 and addressed to the Comptroller, Nigeria Immigration Service and signed by the Zonal Head of the EFCC, Isyaku Isharu, the Commission urged the NIS not to issue new passports to them. Read more
Police say no casualty yet in collapsed popular hotel in Ebonyi (Guardian)
The Ebonyi Police Command has confirmed that so far, there was no casualty in the collapsed popular Metro-View Hotels Ltd in the state capital, Abakaliki on Wednesday. The command’s spokesperson, DSP Loveth Odah, however, said on Thursday that investigation was ongoing to ascertain the cause of the collapse of the hotel, situate at No 2, UNDP Avenue, Ebonyi University Campus, Presco, Abakaliki. Odah told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abakaliki that when the scene of the collapse was visited, a management staff of the hotel revealed that part of the building had cracked, though the renovation was taking place. Read more
Terrorists kill six soldiers in Borno ambush (Punch)
Six soldiers have been killed in an ambush by jihadists in Borno state, two military sources told AFP Thursday. Heavily-armed fighters from the Islamic State West Africa Province group opened fire on a patrol vehicle Wednesday near Jakana, 30 kilometres (18 miles) from the state capital Maiduguri, killing all the soldiers on board. “We lost all six soldiers in the ambush, including a colonel,” said the first of two military sources, who both spoke on condition of anonymity. Read more
Lokpobiri urges APC to conduct indirect primaries in Bayelsa (Nation)
A governorship aspirant under the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State, Sen. Hieneken Lokpobiri, has urged the party to conduct indirect primaries for election of its candidate for the Nov. 16 poll. Lokpobiri, a former Minister of State for Agriculture, gave the advice at a news conference on Thursday shortly after picking his expression of interest and nomination forms at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja. Read more
FG to supply 10% of India crude demands (Guardian)
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) says it will continue to supply 10 percent of India’s crude oil demand in the face of competing for the demand for the product from other countries. The Group Managing Director, Malam Mele Kyari, disclosed this in a statement signed by Mr. Ndu Ughamadu, Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division on Thursday. Kyari gave the assurance when the Indian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Abhay Thakur, paid him a courtesy visit to his office in Abuja. Read more
Nigeria to resume exportation of hibiscus flower to Mexico – NAQS DG (Nation)
Dr Vincent Isegbe, the Director-General, Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine (NAQS), says Nigeria will soon resume the exportation of hibiscus flower to Mexico. Isegbe, who made this known on Thursday in Kano at a stakeholders’ sensitisation workshop, said that the exportation would resume after two-and-a-half years of banning the country from exporting the product. According to him, the ban has consumed over 85 per cent of hibiscus flowers produced in Nigeria. Read more
Italy arrests Nigerian with heroin stash in stomach (Guardian)
Italian police said Thursday they had detected 1.7 kilos (3.8 pounds) of heroin a Nigerian man had stashed in 94 plastic capsules inside his stomach as he tried to exit Rome’s Fiumicino airport. The 39-year-old had disembarked a flight from the Ethiopian capital Addis Abeba but officers picked up on his nervousness as he went through passport control and detained him. They took him for a hospital scan which showed up the drugs. Read more
South Africa military deployed to quell Cape Town gang crime (Guardian)
South African soldiers on Thursday started patrolling Cape Town’s crime-ridden townships under a deployment ordered by the government to counter a surge of shootings, gang violence, and murders. The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) is to be on the streets for at least three months to boost the city’s struggling police force under the order authorised by President Cyril Ramaphosa. The number of soldiers deployed was not revealed. Read more
UN mission in Libya seeks release of abducted female lawmaker (Punch)
The United Nations Stabilisation Mission in Libya on Thursday condemned the disappearance of a female member of the House of Representatives in Benghazi and called on her captors to release her immediately. The mission, which made the call in a statement, said, “UNSMIL is gravely concerned by and is closely following up on media reports about the disappearance of Ms. Siham Sergewa and the injury of her husband. “UNSMIL calls for the immediate release of Ms. Sergewa.” Read more
US shot down Iranian drone in Strait of Hormuz, says Trump (BBC)
President Donald Trump has said the US Navy shot down an Iranian drone in the Strait of Hormuz. He said the USS Boxer amphibious assault ship “took defensive action” on Thursday after the drone came within about 1,000 yards (914m) of the vessel. Iran said it had no information about losing a drone. In June, Iran downed a US military drone in the area. Read more
Trump – I disagree with Omar ‘send her back’ chants (BBC)
President Donald Trump has disavowed the “send her back” chants directed at Democratic congresswoman Ilhan Omar by his supporters at a campaign rally. Ms Omar is a US citizen who emigrated from Somalia with her family after fleeing the country’s civil war. The chants, which came after Mr Trump criticised Ms Omar and three other congresswomen, were widely condemned, including by some Republicans. Read more
Billionaires ‘haven’t paid a cent’ towards Notre Dame despite pledging millions (Metro)
French billionaires who pledged to pay for repairs after the Notre Dame fire are still yet to pay ‘a cent’, a senior press official has said. The huge fire broke out at the cathedral on April 15 earlier this year, destroying the building’s spire and most of the roof. In the weeks after, several high-profile billionaires came forward and vowed to contribute vast sums of money towards the restoring the landmark. Read more
Boeing takes $5bn hit over grounding of 737 Max (BBC)
Boeing is taking a $4.9bn hit to cover the costs of the grounding of its 737 Max aircraft after two deadly crashes. The charge is set to wipe out profits when the world’s biggest planemaker posts quarterly results next week. In a statement, Boeing also said its “best estimate at this time” is that 737 Max will return to service in the last three months of this year. Read more
Mom ‘beat daughter, 1, to death after a failed night of prostitution’ (Metro)
A young mother allegedly beat her one-year-old daughter to death after an unsuccessful night of trying to prostitute herself, prosecutors say. Kahoy Garcia-Velazquez, 21, was charged with first degree murder on Wednesday for killing her daughter, Mila Anderson-Garcia in their home in Chicago last week. According to an autopsy, Mila died of injuries related to child abuse, including a lacerated liver, trauma to the intestines, bruising to the head, cuts on her face, and a bite mark on her buttocks. Read more
Mauna Kea: Hawaii protesters delay giant telescope construction (BBC)
Protesters and authorities in Hawaii are facing off over plans to build a telescope on top of a mountain that some native Hawaiians consider sacred. Demonstrators have been forming a human blockade to prevent access to Hawaii’s tallest mountain, the Mauna Kea. Hawaii Governor David Ige has signed an emergency proclamation, giving law enforcement officers more options to break up the blockade. Read more
James Cameron confirms Edward Furlong will return to Terminator franchise in Dark Fate (Metro)
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton had a hero’s welcome at San Diego Comic Con as they dropped new footage and info about Terminator: Dark Fate. Terminator: Dark Fate is a direct sequel to 1991’s Judgement Day but in Hall H on Thursday, the stars of the film revealed more details with producer James Cameron confirming that Edward Furlong would also be returning to the franchise 28 years after Judgement Day. Read more
Kidnappers of Siasia’s mother demand N70m ransom (Punch)
The abductors of Mrs. Beauty Siasia, mother of ex-Super Eagles coach and striker, Samson Siasia, has reportedly demanded N70 million for her release. It was gathered that Samson Siasia, has spoken to his mother and two others abducted from their homes in Odoni community in Sagbama Local Government Area Bayelsa State by unknown gunmen. One of the gunmen was said to have reportedly called Siasia with a foreign number, demanded N70m for the release of his 76-year-old mother. Read more
Nigeria to play Benin, Sierra Leone in 2021 AFCON qualifiers (Punch)
The Confederation of Africa Football has announced the group stage draw for AFCON 2021 qualifiers. CAF held the draw in Cairo, Egypt, on Thursday. The 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (also referred to as AFCON 2021 or CAN 2021) is scheduled to be the 33rd edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the biennial international men’s football championship of Africa organized by the Confederation of African Football. Read more
CAF to wait for court ruling on abandoned Champions League final (Guardian)
African football chief Ahmad Ahmad said on Thursday he would wait on a decision from the Court of Arbitration for Sport before deciding the outcome of the abandoned Champions League final between Esperance and Wydad Casablanca. CAF last month ordered the second leg to be replayed at a neutral venue following the Africa Cup of Nations after the Moroccan side Wydad walked off an hour into the return fixture in Tunis when a VAR malfunction meant a disallowed equaliser could not be reviewed. Read more
Matthijs de Ligt explains decision to choose Juventus over Man Utd, Liverpool, Barcelona and PSG (Metro)
Matthijs de Ligt signed for Juventus this summer after seemingly having his pick of Europe’s top clubs to choose from. The former Ajax captain was being tracked by the likes of Manchester United, Barcelona, Liverpool, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich but plumped for the Serie A champions. Having sealed the £67.5m switch to Turin, the 19-year-old surprisingly suggested that a part of the decision was that Juve promised him regular first-team football, suggesting other clubs had not. Read more
ICC suspend Zimbabwe Cricket for political interference (BBC)
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has suspended Zimbabwe for failing to ensure there is no government interference in its running of the sport. ICC funding has been withdrawn and the country will be barred from participating at ICC events. Zimbabwe are due to take part in a T20 World Cup qualifier in October. Read more
Tiger Woods gives update on back injury after calamitous Open first round (Metro)
Tiger Woods confirmed that he was struggling with his nagging back injury as he shot a 7-over round of 78 in the first round of The Open on Thursday. The Masters champion managed just one birdie in his round which included six bogeys and one double-bogey to leave him 12 shots off the lead. Woods had insisted that he was not suffering with ‘anything outside the norm’ ahead of the tournament at Portrush, but now admits that his back has been a problem. Read more
Women’s Ashes: England’s hopes of winning the series look bleak (BBC)
England’s chances of regaining the Women’s Ashes are even slimmer after having to toil on the opening day of the Test match at Taunton. Needing to win this game to keep the series alive, they watched as Australia racked up a formidable-looking 265-3. Ellyse Perry top scored with 84, as she shared an unbroken partnership of 105 with Rachael Haynes, who is on 54. Read more
Mayweather is ‘begging’ to fight Khabib because he is ‘running out of money’ (Metro)
UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov’s manager believes Floyd Mayweather is ‘begging’ to fight his client because he is ‘running out of money.’ A boxing match between the two men has been talked about since Khabib beat Conor McGregor at UFC 229 last October. However, the bout seemed extremely unlikely with Mayweather back into retirement and Khabib signed to defend his UFC title against Dustin Poirier in September. Read more
Formula 1: Melbourne to host Australian Grand Prix until 2025 (BBC)
The Australian Grand Prix will continue to be held at Melbourne’s Albert Park until at least 2025. The circuit has been the home of the race since 1996 and has become the sport’s traditional curtain raiser. “This is proof that more and more promoters share our long-term vision for the future of F1,” said Chase Carey, the sport’s chief executive. Read more