Sanwo-Olu is true child of God we’ve been praying for – Lagos CAN (Nation)
Chairman of of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Lagos state chapter Apostle Alexander Bamgbola on Sunday said Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu is a true child of God. He said: “He is the one we have been praying for.” Read more
Election Tribunal: No plan to lead protest over server –Atiku (Punch)
The Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2019 election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, on Sunday said he has no plan to lead a street protest in the event that the election petition tribunal ruled against him and his party on the issue of the Independent National Electoral Commission’s server. Atiku’s Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, said the statement attributed to Atiku is the handiwork of mischief makers to mar his pro-democratic record, and lay the groundwork on false charges against him. Ibe in a statement issued on Sunday said, “I wish to emphatically state that such a statement did not emanate from Atiku Abubakar or his privies. It is the work of mischief makers who want to mar his spotless pro-democratic record and lay the groundwork for their threatened actions against him on false charges of being a threat to national security. Read more
Buratai to speak at counter terrorism conference in London (Nation)
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt Gen Tukur Buratai is billed to address a global conference on anti-terrorism and counter terrorism in London on Monday, the army’s spokesman Col.Sagir Musa announced on Sunday. Col. Musa said the COAS would deliver a key note address on the topic” Nigeria unique counter insurgency-a working counter terrorism model for replication in Africa”. A statement signed by Col Musa also noted that the Army Chief would be conferred with a strategic leadership award. Read more
Appeal Court strikes out suit against Ihedioha (Punch)
The court of Appeal in Owerri, Imo State, on Sunday, struck out the suit challenging the emergence of the Imo state governor, Emeka Ihedioha, as the Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate in the state. The suit which had earlier been stuck out by the Owerri Federal High Court was filled by senator Samuel Anyanwu, who contested the primary election with Ihedioha. Justice Raphael Chikwe Agbo, who delivered the judgment said that the petitioner did not bring enough evidence to convince the court. Read more
Fayemi promises to re-commence payment of stipend to elders, others (Nation)
Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi has promised that his administration will soon recommence payment of stipends to indigent aged and physically challenged people. This, Fayemi said, would bring succour as well as accelerate the standard of living of Ekiti people and address the trend of poverty. He disclosed that the beneficiaries will be drawn from the Single Register for the Poor and Vulnerable Households in the State. Read more
Gunmen on motorcycles kill 34 villagers in Nigeria: police (Guardian)
Gunmen have killed 34 people in Nigeria’s northern Zamfara state where criminal gangs have been terrorising remote villages, police said Sunday. Armed bandits on motorcycles stormed into neighbouring Tungar Kafau and Gidan Wawa villages in Shinkafi district late Friday and shot dead 34 people, state police spokesman Mohammed Shehu said in a statement. “Normalcy has been restored in Tungar Kafau and Gidan Wawa… following attack by armed bandits… where 34 people were killed,” Shehu said. Read more
Ex-commissioner donates to Cameroonian refugees in Cross River (Nation)
The immediate past Commissioner for Health in Cross River State, Dr Inyang Asibong, on Sunday donated food and other items to Cameroonian refugees in the state to mark the 2019 Day of The African Child. The theme of this year’s is, “Humanitarian Action in Africa: Children’s rights first’’. Asibon, donated food items such as indomie, beverages, rice, toiletries, insecticides nets and drugs to children at the refugee settlement in Ogoja local government area of the state. Read more
Rate of suicide among youth, worrisome – NYCN (Punch)
The National Youth Council of Nigeria has called on the Federal Government to establish a dedicated centre with the sole responsibility of curtailing the prevalence of suicides in the country. Mr Bello Shagari, the Council’s President, made the appeal in a statement issued in Sokoto on Sunday, said that the rate at which Nigerians, especially the youth, were committing suicide in the country was worrisome. “The act of committing suicide is not supported by our culture or various religions and it is unknown to the African tradition. Read more
Police arrest 9 Shilla boys for attacking tricyclist (Nation)
The Adamawa State Police Command has arrested nine youths identified as members of a group called Shilla Boys for attacking a Keke NAPEP and inflicting machete cuts on the rider. The Command’s Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Sulaiman Yahaya, who disclosed this to our correspondent, said the attack was perpetuated shortly after Governor Ahmadu Fintiri visited the major hideout of the boys to fashion out ways against them. Our correspondent gathered the hideout in the state capital, Yola is popularly known as Sambisa by locals in view of its use by Adamawa’s local terror group, the Shilla Boys. Read more
Ethiopia anger over texting and internet blackouts (BBC)
Ethiopians are angry that the country’s text messaging service has been shut down since Thursday without any explanation. Internet blackouts, which began last Tuesday, are also still affecting many areas of the country. The state-run Ethio Telecom, the country’s only telecoms provider, has refused to comment on the outages. Read more
Meghan and Harry release first picture of baby Archie’s face on Father’s Day (Metro)
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have marked Prince Harry’s first Father’s Day with a new image of baby Archie. In the first image to show the royal baby’s face, the little boy can be seen clutching on to his dad’s finger. The post on Instagram was captioned: Happy Father’s Day! And wishing a very special first Father’s Day to The Duke of Sussex.’ Read more
Donald Trump attacks Sadiq Khan over London violence (BBC)
US President Donald Trump has once again criticised London Mayor Sadiq Khan, calling him a “national disgrace” who is destroying the UK’s capital. His comments came after five violent attacks in London in less than 24 hours left three men dead and three injured. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said it was “absolutely awful” Mr Trump was using the “tragedy of people being murdered to attack the mayor”. Read more
Severe heat kills dozens in India (Punch)
Severe heat has left dozens dead over a 24-hour period in India’s Bihar state, as the country enters the third week of searing temperatures, officials said Sunday. The deaths occurred in three districts of the poor northern state, where temperatures have hovered around 45 degrees Celsius (113 Fahrenheit) in recent days, senior health official Vijay Kumar told AFP. Forty-nine people died in three districts of the Magadh region that has been hit by drought, he said. Read more
Hong Kong protest: ‘Nearly two million’ join demonstration (BBC)
Nearly two million people have taken part in a mass protest in Hong Kong against a controversial extradition bill, organisers say. The number has not been independently verified. If confirmed, it would be the largest protest there since 1989. The masses turned out despite the suspension of the bill – which would allow extradition from Hong Kong to mainland China – on Saturday. Read more
Benjamin Netanyahu’s wife Sara admits misusing public funds (BBC)
The wife of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has admitted to misuse of state funds and will have to pay $15,000 (£11,910). Sara Netanyahu was accused of spending $99,300 on outside catering while falsely declaring there were no cooks available at the PM’s residence. She was charged with fraud and breach of trust last year. Read more
Massive power outage hits Argentina, Uruguay: power companies (Guardian)
A massive outage blacked out Argentina and Uruguay on Sunday, leaving both South American countries without electricity, power companies said. By mid-morning, streets were largely empty in a rainy Buenos Aires although some stores were open, operating with generators, while Montevideo, the Uruguayan capital, was almost entirely without power with only some traffic lights working. Uruguay’s system went down at 7:06 am (1006 GMT), according to the Uruguayan power company UTE, which attributed the outage to “a fault in the Argentine network.” Read more
Falcons can beat France if they show the resilient Nigerian spirit, says Assistant coach (Punch)
Mansur Abdullahi, the Super Falconets’ Assistant Coach, on Sunday in Abuja said the Super Falcons needed to go for nothing less than victory over hosts France on Monday. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Nigerian senior women national football team face the hosts in their final Group A match at the ongoing FIFA Women’s World Cup. Abdullahi told NAN that victory was the only guarantee for the team’s qualification for the 24-team competition’s round of 16. Read more
Women’s World Cup: Sweden cruise past Thailand to make last 16 (Punch)
Sweden cruised into the knockout stages of the Women’s World Cup on Sunday after comfortably seeing off Thailand 5-1 to move top of Group F. Peter Gerhardsson’s side are three points ahead of tournament favourites the USA, who take on Chile later on Sunday in Paris, after a routine win that however saw emotional scenes when Kanjana Sung-Ngoen scored a late consolation goal for the Thais. Linda Sembrant and Kosovare Asllani put the Swedes two up after 19 minutes with Fridolina Rolfo rifling a long-range finish three minutes before the break. Read more
Sarri leaves Chelsea for Juventus (Guardian)
Chelsea Sunday officially confirmed that manager Maurizio Sarri is leaving the club to join Italian giants Juventus. ‘Maurizio leaves Chelsea with thanks from us all for the work he and his assistants did during the season he spent as our head coach, and for winning the Europa League, guiding us to another cup final and a third-place finish in the Premier League,” Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia told Chelsea FC website. Granovskaia said Sarri “strongly” desired to return to his native country and wants to move closer to “his family, and for the well-being of his elderly parents he felt he needed to live closer to them at this point.” Read more
Messi ‘bitter’ as Colombia stun Argentina (Punch)
Lionel Messi said his team was feeling bitter after Argentina lost their opening Copa America match 2-0 to Colombia despite dominating the second half. Goals from Roger Martinez and Duvan Zapata in the final 20 minutes gave Colombia their first tournament victory over Argentina in 20 years as Messi’s hopes of finally landing a major international tournament after losing in four finals suffered a serious blow. “We leave here feeling bitter,” said Messi following the Group B clash in Salvador. Read more
Pogba looking for new challenge away from Man Utd (Guardian)
Paul Pogba has given a strong indication that he wants to leave Manchester United this summer to seek a “new challenge”. The French World Cup winner rejoined United from Juventus for a then world record £89 million ($112 million) fee three years ago, but has largely failed to live up to expectations. Pogba has been strongly linked with a move to Real Madrid or even a return to Juventus with United having failed to qualify for the Champions League next season. Read more
Andy Murray reveals changed mindset as he takes first step on road to Wimbledon at Queen’s (Metro)
Five months after his last competitive outing, Andy Murray will return to tennis this week at Queen’s. In that time he has undergone a hip resurfacing operation, which has left him pain-free, and he now harbours ambitions of a return to singles action later this year. A decision was taken about six to eight weeks ago that competitive doubles would be beneficial to his rehab and he will team up with Feliciano Lopez at the Fever-Tree Championships, with a view to competing at Wimbledon next month – although not with the Spaniard. Read more