Police hunt for Shiite members, arrest scores (Punch)
The police have arrested scores of members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria for injuring a policeman and an operative of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps at the National Assembly, Abuja, on Tuesday. The force has also launched a manhunt for Shi’ite members across the city centre. The sect members had stormed the NASS complex to protest the continued incarceration of their leader, Ibrahim Zakzaky who had been in custody since December 2015. Read more
Buhari meets outgoing and incoming GMD of NNPC Groups (Guardian)
Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari Tuesday met with the outgoing and incoming Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Maikanti Baru and Mele Kyari respectively, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Bashir Ahmed, a spokesman to the president, who disclosed this, however, did not state the reason for the meeting. Buhari appointed Kyari in place of Baru after his resignation from office of July 7 2019. Read more
How drones helped us raid 18 kidnappers’ camps –Army (Nation)
The 32 Artillery Brigade of the Nigerian Army in Akure says it has raided no fewer than 18 camps of suspected kidnappers in the last one month with the help of its newly acquired drones. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the brigade launched two drones on June 21 to fight kidnappings and other related crimes in Ondo and Ekiti states. Brig.-Gen. Zakari Abubakar, the Commander of the brigade, made this known while speaking with NAN on Tuesday in Akure. Read more
INEC didn’t give us sever name, it gave us confidential code for result transmission – Ad hoc electoral officer (Punch)
An Assistant Presiding Officer 1 during the last presidential election, Mr Ogunsanya Abiola, told the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja on Tuesday, that the Independent National Electoral Commission did not disclose the name of the server into which the results of the poll were said to have been electronically transmitted. Abiola, who appeared before the five-man tribunal led by Justice Mohammed Garba (SAN), at the instance of the Peoples Democratic Party and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, said INEC only gave them a confidential code with which to access the server. Read more
2023: Igbo Presidency not a right, says APC Organising Secretary (Nation)
National Organising Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Hon. Emma Ibediro has said getting an Igbo President in 2023 is not a right but an aspiration which must involve every part of the country. Ibediro told The Nation in an interview in his office at the APC national secretariat the Igbo nation must be ready to work within the APC or any other platform they intend to use to actualise an Igbo Presidency. Read more
Don’t interfere in appointment of my commissioners, Ortom tells PDP (Punch)
Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has called on his party, the Peoples Democratic Party not to interfere in the composition of his cabinet. Ortom stated this during the meeting of PDP caucus held at the new Banquet Hall of the Government House, Makurdi. The governor also sounded notes of warning to potential members of his cabinet. He said that they risked been sacked the next day if they are found wanting in the discharge of their duty. Read more
Nigeria’s democracy embarrassing, insulting —Gov Ishaku (Punch)
Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba State on Tuesday described the democracy being practised in Nigeria as embarrassing and insulting without respect to the Rule of Law. Ishaku stated this in Jalingo while answering questions from journalists shortly after he received the former Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Aisha Alhassan, who paid a congratulatory visit at the Government House. He said the siege on his private residence in Abuja by the Nigeria police was disgraceful. Read more
Egypt to sue Christie’s to retrieve £4.7m Tutankhamun bust (BBC)
Egypt says it will instruct a law firm in the UK to file a civil suit over the sale last week of a Tutankhamun bust. The sculpture of the pharaoh was bought for £4.7m ($6m) at Christie’s auction house in London, despite Egypt warning it was probably stolen in the 1970s. Antiquities Minister Khaled al-Enany told the BBC that he would try to repatriate the artefact. Read more
Brexit: Labour to back Remain as it calls for a new EU referendum (BBC)
Jeremy Corbyn has challenged the next Tory leader to hold another referendum before taking Britain out of the EU, saying Labour will campaign for Remain. Mr Corbyn says the party will take this position to stop “no deal or a damaging Tory Brexit”. But he does not say what he would do if he won a general election and was placed in charge of the Brexit process. Read more
Washington DC hit by torrential rain, flooding (Guardian)
Torrential rain lashed Washington DC and surrounding areas on Monday, flooding many neighbourhoods and hobbling electricity and transportation networks. The National Weather Service issued a Flash Flood Warning as the storm hit, drowning roads and forcing closures of many major arteries. Airports and rail networks were also hit, causing delays. The American capital’s Ronald Reagan airport received 3.3 inches (around 83 millimeters) of rainfall in just one hour, the NWS added in a tweet. Read more
Gang rape in Mülheim ignites German child-crime debate (BBC)
The gang rape of an 18-year-old woman in Germany has sparked a dispute about lowering the age of criminal responsibility. Two of the suspects in the western city of Mülheim are aged 12 and the other three are 14. Germany does not prosecute children under 14. All five have been suspended from school and so far one 14-year-old has appeared before an investigating judge. The victim, found in bushes late on Friday, was taken to hospital. Read more
Afghanistan talks agree ‘roadmap to peace’ (BBC)
A landmark peace conference between the Taliban and influential Afghans, including government officials, has agreed a “roadmap for peace” that could hasten the end of the 18-year war. A statement called for an end to civilian casualties and the protection of women’s rights within an “Islamic framework”. The non-binding agreement comes as the US and Taliban continue to negotiate an American withdrawal. Read more
Cocaine bricks keep washing up in the Philippines (BBC)
Over the past few months, bricks of cocaine with a street value of millions have been washing up in eastern coastal provinces in the Philippines. In the latest incident, seven suspected cocaine bricks were found floating near a beach in Quezon province on Sunday. And in May, 39 bricks with an estimated value of more than $4m (£3m) were found by fishermen. Police have said it’s possible the drugs were bound for Australia, where there’s strong demand for cocaine. Read more
Amal Clooney to join legal team of Philippine journalist Ressa (Guardian)
Prominent rights lawyer Amal Clooney says she will join the legal team defending Philippine journalist Maria Ressa, whose news site has repeatedly clashed with President Rodrigo Duterte. Ressa, who was named a Time Magazine “Person of the Year” in 2018 for her journalism, faces several criminal charges along with her website Rappler, in what press freedom advocates have branded an act of “persecution”. Read more
Teens less likely to use cannabis when it’s legal, US study finds (BBC)
Teenagers are less likely to use cannabis in places where the drug has been legalised, a new study suggests. Researchers at Montana State University looked at health surveys of US high school pupils between 1993 and 2017. While overall use of the drug among young people went up in the US, teen use declined by nearly 10% in states where recreational use was legalised. Read more
Nigeria vs South Africa: We are not afraid of Super Eagles, says coach Baxter (Punch)
South Africa coach Stuart Baxter dismissed the assertion from his Nigeria counterpart Gernot Rohr that Bafana Bafana is the favourites heading into Wednesday’s Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final showdown. Baxter’s side shocked tournament hosts Egypt in the last 16 having only scraped through the group stage, but he was quick to temper expectations against a Nigeria team that eliminated defending champions Cameroon in the last round. “Nigeria is absolutely one of the best teams on the continent and have been for a long time. One game doesn’t make us favourites. I don’t think he’s (Rohr) fooling anybody,” Baxter told reporters Tuesday. Read more
Arsenal appoint ex-midfielder Edu as technical director (Punch)
Former Arsenal midfielder Edu returned to the club on Tuesday to take up the role of technical director with the Gunners. “Edu will coordinate the work of our first-team coaching group, the academy and player scouting and recruitment,” Arsenal said in a statement. Edu will leave his role as general coordinator for the Brazilian Football Confederation after the team won the Copa America on home soil. Read more
Agent seeks quick fix for ‘respectful’ Pogba (Guardian)
Paul Pogba’s agent Mino Raiola hopes that a breakthrough in negotiations that benefits “all parties” will soon be made regarding the Manchester United midfielder’s future. The French World Cup winner has stated his desire for a “new challenge”, whilst Raiola said in an interview at the weekend that “everyone knows the willingness of Paul to move on”. Pogba has travelled with the rest of the United squad for the start of their pre-season tour to Australia despite initial claims he could boycott the trip in order to try and force through a move. Read more
Serena Williams survives Wimbledon scare to move one step closer to history (Metro)
Serena Williams is now just two wins away from equalling Margaret Court’s record of 24 Grand Slam victories after a hard-fought victory over fellow American Alison Riske in the quarter-finals of Wimbledon. Riske posed a stern test on paper, having won more games on grass than anyone else in 2019 and already claiming several high-profile scalps at SW19, and that proved to be the case, though Williams showed her mettle to win 6-4 4-6 6-3 out on Centre Court. Read more
Tennis: Halep into second Wimbledon semi-final (Punch)
Simona Halep reached her second Wimbledon semi-final on Tuesday with a 7-6 (7/4), 6-1 victory over China’s Zhang Shuai. Halep, the seventh-seeded former world number one, will face either Elina Svitolina, the eighth seed from Ukraine, or Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic for a place in the final. Zhang, bidding to become just the second Chinese woman to reach the semi-finals, led 4-1 in the first set and held four break points for a 5-1 lead. Read more
Serena Williams reacts to $10,000 fine for damaging Wimbledon court (Metro)
Serena Williams appeared to be a little bit bemused by Wimbledon’s decision to hand her a $10,000 (£8,000) fine for damaging a court during practice before the tournament. The 23-time Grand Slam champion progressed to the semi-finals of the competition on Tuesday after a hard-fought 6-4 4-6 6-3 victory over fellow American Alison Riske out on Centre Court. Read more