Shiite protest: Adopt carrot- and- stick approach, NLC tells government (Nation)
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has asked the federal government to adopt the carrot- and- stick approach in dealing with continued protest of members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria and avoid further loss of lives. The group, popularly known as Shiites clashed with the Police in Abuja on Monday and Tuesday, leaving several persons, including a Deputy Commissioner of Police, a Corp member dead with several others injured and property burnt. They are demanding release of their leader, Shiekh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky and his wife who have been in detention for about four years with government refusing to release them despite court order to do so. Read more
Nigerians deserve more under Next Level agenda — Omo-Agege (Nation)
Deputy President of the Senate, Sen. Ovie Omo-Agege, has said Nigerians deserve a better deal under the “Next Level” agenda of the current administration. A statement by his Media Office in Abuja on Tuesday said the Deputy President of the Senate disclosed this at the 2019 summit of Association of Professional Bodies in Nigeria(APBN). Omo-Agege, who was represented by his Special Adviser on Legislative and Plenary Matters, Mr Efe Duku, said the 9th National Assembly would evoke legislative interventions to achieve national development as contained in the “Next Level Agenda” of the current administration. Read more
FG sacks over 2,000 N-Power beneficiaries (Guardian)
The Nigerian government has disengaged over 2,000 beneficiaries of one of its National Social Investment Programme (NSIP), N-Power. NSIP spokesman Justice Bibiye said the beneficiaries were dismissed for absconding duties at their places of primary assignment (PPA) for a long time. N-Power was introduced in 2016 by the President Muhammadu Buhari administration “to imbibe the entrepreneurship culture in the Nigerian youth aged between 18 and 35 — both graduates and non-graduates”. Read more
Female politicians fault Buhari’s ministerial list (Guardian)
Some female Nigeria politicians have faulted President Muhammadu Buhari over the ‘marginalisation’ of women in the ministerial nominees’ list sent to the Senate. A former Osun State governorship candidate Mercy Ayodele said the number of women in the nominees’ list shows Buhari regarded women as insignificant in the country. “Women have once again been marginalised,” Ayodele said. Read more
Don’t use pension deductions to finance budget deficit, says Oshiomhole (Punch)
National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Mr Adams Oshiomhole, said on Wednesday that the Federal Government and State Governments should not use pension deductions from workers’ earnings to finance their respective budget deficits. Oshiomhole gave the advice while speaking at the opening of the Presidential Policy Retreat in Abuja. He said the money was meant to address critical issues that affected the lives of the contributors. Read more
Fayemi reinstates ex-TUC boss ‘sacked’ by Fayose (Nation)
Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has reinstated the former Trade Union Congress (TUC) Chairman, Kolawole Olaiya into the civil service. The reinstatement was consequent on the report of the State Committee on the Review of Irregular Appointments chaired by the Deputy Governor, Otunba Bisi Egbeyemi nullifying Olaiya’s disengagement from the civil service. The reinstatement was also in accordance with the order of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN), Akure Division. Read more
Taraba: Bishop begs Jukun, Tiv to end killings (Punch)
The Catholic Bishop of Jalingo Diocese, Most Rev. Charles Hammawa, on Wednesday appealed to Jukun and Tiv people in Wukari Local Government Area of the state to stop the killings and the destruction going on in the area. Hammawa made the appeal during a peace meeting he convened between the Jukun and Tiv stakeholders held at the St. Charles Boromeo Pastoral Centre in Jalingo. In a dramatic move during the meeting, the Bishop knelt down before the delegates begging them to sheath their sword and embrace peace. Read more
‘Acquisition of 9, 000 hectares of land in Cross Rivers not for RUGA (Nation)
The chairman of a committee set up by the Cross River State government to acquire 9000 hectare of land across the state, Mr. Dane Osim-Asu, has dispelled speculations that the project was intended for the Federal Government’s RUGA project. Osim-Asu, chairman of the committee for the central senatorial district, who was summoned to appear before the State House of Assembly, explained that the state Government plans to use the proposed 9000 hectares for agriculture in line with the World Bank’s APPEAL project whose target beneficiaries would be women and youths. Read more
Police charge woman for inserting pepper into 12-year-old home help’s private parts (Punch)
The Anambra State Police Command has charged a woman, Charity Effiong, for allegedly manhandling her home help, (name withheld). It was gathered that Effiong allegedly inserted pepper into her home help’s private parts over an allegation that she stole N26,000. The 12-year-old girl was reportedly battered by her mistress in a bid to get information from her over the missing money. Read more
Uganda’s popstar lawmaker Bobi Wine to contest 2021 presidential vote (Guardian)
Ugandan pop star turned leading opposition figure Bobi Wine on Wednesday officially announced he would take on veteran President Yoweri Museveni in 2021 national elections. Wine has long hinted he would throw his hat into the ring and take on Museveni, who has been in power for over three decades, leaving Uganda’s youthful population hungry for change. “On behalf of the people of Uganda I am challenging you (Museveni) to a free and fair election in 2021,” the singer, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, announced at an event at his home in Kampala. Read more
Russia and South Korea spar over airspace ‘intrusion’ (BBC)
Russia has strongly denied ever apologising for violating South Korean airspace, as the fall-out from an incident involving warplanes from four countries continues. South Korea’s presidential office earlier said a Russian official had expressed “deep regret” for Tuesday’s aerial intrusion. It says a Russian aircraft twice violated its territorial airspace during a joint exercise with China. Read more
Four dead in rebel attack on Thai army base (Guardian)
Four people were killed in a late-night attack by Muslim insurgents on a military outpost in Thailand’s violence-wracked south, authorities said Wednesday, as dramatic footage emerged showing security forces diving for cover from a hail of gunfire and a grenade blast. The attack comes as anger snowballs over the case of a Muslim rebel suspect who was left in a critical condition after spending several hours in a notorious army interrogation unit. Read more
Boeing reports $2.9 bn loss in 2Q, biggest quarterly loss ever (Guardian)
Boeing reported a second-quarter loss of $2.9 billion Wednesday as the grounding of 737 MAX following two deadly crashes continues to weigh on the company. The loss, the biggest ever in a single quarter for the aerospace giant, follows last week’s announcement that Boeing would set aside $4.9 billion after taxes to compensate airlines for cancelled flights and the delay in plane deliveries. Revenues tumbled 35.1 percent to $15.8 billion, reflecting the hit from a halt to deliveries of the 737 MAX, a top-selling plane. Read more
Iran tanker seizure: Owner makes first contact with crew (BBC)
The crew of a British-flagged tanker that was seized in the Gulf are “safe”, the vessel’s owner has said after speaking to them for the first time. The British-flagged Stena Impero and its 23 crew were taken by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard on Friday. The owner, Stena Bulk, made contact on Tuesday with the ship’s master who said they were safe and there was good co-operation with the Iranians on board. Read more
Enraged bison launches 9-year-old girl into the air (Metro)
A nine-year-old girl miraculously survived after an enraged bison launched her into the air. The unidentified girl from Florida was targeted by the charging bull bison in the Old Faithful Geyser area in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming on Monday. Haily Dayton, 18, who filmed the video, told NBC News: ‘My brother and I were looking at the hot springs and we saw a bunch of people running down the path to the bridge.’ Read more
Cuba dismisses findings of ‘sonic attack’ study (BBC)
Cuba has dismissed the findings of a US academic study which found brain abnormalities in US diplomats who worked in Cuba. The research follows accusations by the US that Cuba carried out “sonic attacks”, after several diplomats complained of unexplained symptoms including dizziness and hearing loss. The study’s authors said brain scans showed the diplomats’ symptoms were “not imagined”. But Cuba said the results were unclear. Read more
Brad Pitt has no plans to join Instagram as he’s ‘pretty happy with life’ right now (Metro)
Brad Pitt has absolutely no desire to join Instagram at the moment, so we’ll have to find someone else to double tap in the meantime. The Once Upon A Time In Hollywood star is one of the only famous faces who is not active on social media, and he’s completely fine with that. When asked what it would take for him to join the platform and bless us all with arty pictures of his lunch, the 55-year-old insisted it was ‘never gonna happen’. Read more
Caf ExCo member Bility banned by Fifa for 10 years (BBC)
Fifa has banned Confederation of African Football (Caf) executive committee member Musa Bility for 10 years and fined him $500,000 for breaching its code of ethics. Football’s world governing body found the former Liberia FA (LFA) president “guilty of having misappropriated Fifa funds, as well as having received benefits and found himself in situations of conflict of interest”. Fifa said it has been investigating the 52-year-old since May 2018 following a forensic audit of the LFA. Read more
Manchester City stroll to Hong Kong friendly win against Kitchee (BBC)
Leroy Sane scored twice and David Silva and Raheem Sterling one apiece as Manchester City strolled to a 6-1 tour victory against local league side Kitchee in Hong Kong. Sane, who put in an upbeat performance, has been the subject of interest from Bayern Munich, but City are confident the Germany winger will remain at the club. Teenage Spain youth international Nabil Touaizi scored his first goal for the senior side near the end, as did former Real Madrid youth player Iker Pozo. Read more
Buffon the Juventus hero after De Ligt own goal in Inter ‘friendly’ (Guardian)
Matthijs de Ligt scored an own goal on his first start before veteran goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon rescued Juventus in a 4-3 penalty shootout win over Inter Milan on Wednesday. It may only have been a friendly between the Italian arch-rivals, but tempers threatened to boil over at times, especially in a feisty second half in stifling Nanjing. The game ended 1-1 after 90 minutes, with Cristiano Ronaldo drawing Juventus level with a deflected second-half free-kick following De Ligt’s own goal on 10 minutes. Read more
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will be like a ‘new signing’ for Liverpool this season, says Jurgen Klopp (Metro)
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp believes Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will be like a ‘new signing’ this season after the midfielder’s return from a serious knee injury. Oxlade-Chamberlain, 25, will be relieved to have got through pre-season unscathed so far, making four starts in Liverpool’s last four games against Tranmere, Bradford, Borussia Dortmund and Sevilla. Read more
Antoine Griezmann: La Liga could block Barcelona move from Atletico Madrid (BBC)
Antoine Griezmann’s move to Barcelona could be blocked in a row over the fee, La Liga president Javier Tebas says. Atletico Madrid complained after Barca announced they had signed the France forward, having activated his 120m euro (£107m) release clause on 12 July. The clause dropped from 200m to 120m euros on 1 July, but Atleti claim the deal was done before then and that they are due the larger amount. Read more
PSG snatch Dutch wonderkid from Barcelona (Punch)
Paris Saint-Germain has signed 16-year-old Xavi Simons on a three-year contract, the club announced on Twitter after the Dutch wonderkid reportedly turned his back on Barcelona. “The Dutch midfielder has signed a contract lasting until June 2022,” PSG tweeted on Tuesday. Simons refused a contract worth 200,000 euros ($222,000) a year from Barcelona, a huge amount for a prospect from the club’s training centre La Masia, according to Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo. Read more
Victor Lindelof reacts to Manchester United’s £80m transfer move for Harry Maguire (Metro)
Victor Lindelof has welcomed the potential arrival of Harry Maguire at Manchester United. The Red Devils have made Leicester City and England defender Maguire their top target this summer and are ready to pay a world-record £80million to secure his services. Maguire’s arrival at Old Trafford could spell bad news for a number of the club’s current defenders but Lindelof is not concerned and says he ‘loves’ the competition that new signings bring. Read more
Messi given one-match ban for Copa America red card (Punch)
Argentina star Lionel Messi was hit with a one-game suspension by South American football bosses over his dismissal during the Copa America third-place play-off against Chile earlier this month. However, CONMEBOL made no mention of Messi’s “corruption” accusation against the regional governing body that he made after receiving his red card. Messi was harshly dismissed in the first half of Argentina’s 2-1 win over Chile after a clash with defender Gary Medel. Read more
Fight me, Pacquiao tells Mayweather (Guardian)
Manny Pacquiao challenged Floyd Mayweather to face him again in the ring on Wednesday as the retired American star taunted the Filipino great about fighting on into his forties. Pacquiao, 40, who beat Keith Thurman on a split decision at the weekend, bit back at Mayweather on social media after the American accused him of trading on his name. “You come to my fight and then use my name in a post but I’m the one that is trying to stay relevant? if you want to be relevant again… #MayPac2,” Pacquiao tweeted. Read more
Artur Taymazov stripped of London 2012 gold for doping offence (BBC)
Uzbek freestyle wrestler Artur Taymazov has become the 60th athlete and seventh gold medallist disqualified from London 2012 under a doping re-test programme. Taymazov had already lost his 2008 Olympic gold in 2016 after a positive test for an oral steroid in the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) reanalysis programme. Now a politician in Russia, his only remaining gold is from Athens 2004. Read more