Shiites: NYSC processes N1m insurance for slain Channels TV reporter (Punch)
The National Youth Service Corps has begun the processing of the N1m insurance cover for the family of Precious Owolabi, the Channels Television journalist and serving corps member, who was shot dead last Monday during a bloody protest by the members of Islamic Movement of Nigeria. Our correspondents learnt that an insurance company usually engaged by the NYSC to pay the insurance cover had been notified of Owolabi’s death, and as is the practice, had begun the preparations for the payment of the insurance benefit. Read more
Southern leaders to FG: prosecute Northern Youth leaders over Ruga suspension comment (Nation)
Youth Leaders of Ethnic Nationalities in the Southern Nigeria have called for the arrest and prosecution of leadership of the Coalition of Northern Youths over inciting comment on the suspension of Ruga settlement. The group also called on the federal government to investigative the killing of Afenifere leader’s daughter, Mrs. Funke Olakunrin with a view to bringing the culprits to justice. In a 6-point communique in Awka on Saturday after its meeting by twelve presidents, the group warned that the southern youths have capacity within and outside the country to defend their people. Read more
Lawan may announce Senate committees this week (Punch)
The President of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan, may announce the standing committees of the upper chamber this week following pressure from his colleagues. Investigations by SUNDAY PUNCH revealed that the leaders of the Senate decided to make the announcement before members would proceed on their two-month annual recess to enable them to resolve any issues that might arise from the list during the break. Read more
No comment yet on proscription of Shi’ites —MURIC (Punch)
The Muslim Rights Concern has said it is still studying the situation regarding the proscription of the Shiites’ organisation formally referred to as the Islamic Movement in Nigeria. The Federal Government had obtained a court order on Friday to proscribe the Shiites’ organisation. The Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the proscription of the Shi’ites’ movement as protests by the Islamic organisation rock Abuja. Read more
Minimum wage: Labour, FG resume negotiation, TUC rejects lowered demands (Punch)
The General Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Dr Peter Ozo-Eson, said on Saturday that the Federal Government and labour representatives on the technical committee set up to negotiate consequential increase arising from the new minimum wage would resume negotiation this week. After negotiation broke down between the government and labour on what workers at various grade levels would get as salary increase, the NLC, Trade Union Congress and the Joint National Public Service Negotiation Council wrote separate letters to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, complaining of introduction of new terms of reference by the Federal Government team that were not in the document presented by the SGF when he inaugurated the negotiating committee on May 14, 2019. Read more
Poverty alleviation panacea to insecurity —Amaechi (Punch)
Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, former Minister of Transportation on Saturday described poverty alleviation at all levels of government as a panacea to lingering insecurity in the country. Amaechi who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja stressed that only a viable and productive economy that creates jobs will surmount the spate of insecurity in the country. He commended the APC-led federal government for devising templates aimed at revamping the economy. Read more
Oni’s suspension ploy to stop his ministerial appointment – DG (Punch)
The Director-General of Segun Oni Campaign Organisation, Ife Arowosoge, has said that the alleged suspension of the former Governor Segun Oni from the All Progressives Congress was to ensure that his name did not feature in the ministerial list. Arowosoge, a former House of Representatives member, said the party chieftains in the state had thought Oni would be included in the ministerial list. Read more
Ihedioha vows to make Imo cleanest (Guardian)
Imo Governor, Emeka Ihedioha says his administration will sustain policies and programmes aimed at making the state the cleanest and healthiest in the country. Ihedioha who made the promise while leading sanitation exercise in Owerri on Saturday, urged residents of the state to sustain their commitment to the monthly event. A statement issued on the exercise by the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Chibuike Onyeukwu, was made available to the News Agency of Nigeria, (NAN) in Owerri. Read more
Nine LGs can’t pay salaries without borrowing —Nasarawa Gov (Punch)
Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has said that some of the Local Governments in his state cannot pay salaries without borrowing. “In my state, nine LGs out of the 13, cannot pay salaries with their allocations from the federation account. It means they will have to borrow every month, to meet that obligation,” Sule said on Saturday in Awe. The governor spoke at a ceremony to flag-off the construction of classroom blocks, toilets and solar-powered boreholes at Mahanga community in Awe. Read more
WHO commends Nigeria’s preparedness against ebola, others (Guardian)
The World Health Oganisation (WHO) has commended the efforts made by the Federal Government through the Nigeria Centre of Disease Control (NCDC) to prepare the country for possible Ebola outbreak and other disease epidemics. Director-General of WHO, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, during a meeting with Director-General/Chief Executive Officer of NCDC, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, in Abuja, last Friday, also disclosed plans by the United Nations (UN) apex health body to establish emergency preparedness champions group and strengthen Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). Read more
Outrage as Trump brands mostly-black Baltimore ‘infested mess’ (Guardian)
US President Donald Trump was hit with new accusations of racism Saturday after he attacked a prominent African-American lawmaker and branded the majority-black city of Baltimore an “infested mess.” Trump’s outburst came in a series of sharply worded tweets aimed at Democratic Representative Elijah Cummings — a high-profile critic of Trump’s administration whose district covers much of Baltimore. “Cumming (sic) District is a disgusting, rat and rodent-infested mess,” the president wrote, calling it “the worst run and most dangerous anywhere in the United States.” Read more
France’s Macron to host Putin ahead of G7 summit (Guardian)
French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed Saturday he had invited his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin for talks on August 19, days before hosting a G7 summit. Macron said the meeting with Putin would take place at his summer retreat, the medieval fort of Bregancon near the village of Bormes-Les-Mimosas on France’s Mediterranean coast. Speaking in Bormes-Les-Mimosas, he said the fort was chosen because it offers the possibility “to work in isolation… and receive foreign leaders, which I will do with Vladimir Putin in a few weeks’ time”. Read more
Two dead and 17 injured as balcony collapses at nightclub (Metro)
Two people have died and 17 others were left injured after a balcony collapsed in South Korea. There were thought to be around 370 inside the Coyote Ugly nightclub, in Gwangju, when the balcony gave way at around 2.29am on July 27. The two men killed in the collapse are said to both be South Korean. Read more
Journalists investigating Russia targeted by cyberattacks (Guardian)
Reporters investigating Russian military intelligence have been targeted by highly sophisticated cyberattacks through their encrypted email accounts, with evidence suggesting Moscow was responsible, the email service provider ProtonMail and journalists said Saturday.The phishing attack, which sought to dupe users into sharing their ProtonMail passwords, was aimed at journalists from the award-winning website Bellingcat, which helped identify the agents who poisoned former Russian spy Sergei Skripal in Britain. Read more
Inmate’s girlfriend tried to smuggle £33,000 of cocaine into prison by hugging him (Metro)
A woman who tried to smuggle £33,000 worth of cocaine to her boyfriend when she visited him in jail has been sentenced to 18 months behind bars. Samantha Turner tried to hand over the package, which also included mobile phones and drug Spice, when she hugged Stephen Benson at HMP Forest Bank in Salford. Read more
Tui flight makes emergency landing after man unleashed tirade of abuse at wife (Metro)
A Tui flight was forced to make an emergency landing after an enraged passenger spat in his wife’s face during a row. Edward Mongan, 42, has now been fined more than £5,000 for causing the Mexico-bound flight to land on the island of Bermuda. He had previously been warned by cabin crew over the use of his strong language towards his partner on July 21. Read more
Minnie Mouse voice actress Russi Taylor dies aged 75 (Metro)
Russi Taylor, the woman behind iconic Disney character Minnie Mouse, has died aged 75. The voice actress played Minnie, Mickey Mouse’s wife, for more than 30 years, and passed away in her home in Glendale on Saturday. The Walt Disney Company confirmed her passing, with Disney CEO Bob Iger saying in a statement: ‘Minnie Mouse lost her voice with the passing of Russi Taylor. Read more
Local coaches need self-training –Eguavoen (Punch)
Former Super Eagles coach, Austin Eguavoen, has called on indigenous coaches to keep acquiring knowledge, which would aid them in managing the national team. AFCON champions Algeria and runners up Senegal both reached the finals of the tournament with local coaches and Eguavoen insists Nigeria can also do the same if home-grown coaches can get things right in terms of updating themselves on a regular basis. Read more
Kaduna on fire as Pillars battle Tornadoes for Aiteo Cup’s N25M (Guardian)
It is nothing but the trophy this term. That is the assurance players and officials of Kano Pillars have given their supporters, who watched agonisingly last year as their darling team squandered a 3-0 lead to lose the Aiteo Cup to Enugu Rangers at the Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba. That miss affected the Sai Masu Gida so much that it took the Kano team a long while to get back their rhythm in the 2018/2019 season. Read more
Siovas wants Omeruo to seal permanent Leganes deal (Punch)
La Liga side Leganes on Thursday made permanent the loan deal of Middlesbrough striker Martin Braithwaite for an undisclosed fee, which sparked a call for Kenneth Omeruo’s permanent stay by defender DimitrisSiovas. Like Omeruo, the Dane Braithwaite had impressed while on loan at the club in the second half of the 2018/19 season scoring, four goals and seven assists in 19 La Liga appearances. Read more
Iheanacho on target again (Punch)
Kelechi Iheanacho scored both goals for Leicester City in their 2-2 stalemate with League One side Rotherham United in a pre-season game on Saturday. After ending his 10-month goal drought against Cambridge United on Tuesday, the forward continued with a brilliant performance at the New York Stadium. The 22-year-old Nigeria international put the Premier League side in front with his well-taken effort inside the area in the 11th minute. Read more
Bilic praises “excellent” Ajayi after Bournemouth draw (Punch)
West Brom coach Slaven Bilic has praised the impact of Nigeria international Semi Ajayi since joining the club from Rotherham United as the Baggies played a goalless draw against Premier League side Bournemouth in a pre-season friendly on Friday. Bilic, who has been saddled with the job of returning the team back to the elite division, was happy with his team’s performance on his first home game against a more illustrious side. Read more
Benjamin Mendy targeting September return after successful knee procedure (Metro)
Manchester City defender Benjamin Mendy hopes to return in time for the start of the club’s Champions League campaign in September after a successful procedure on his knee. The Frenchman missed City’s tour of the far-east after undergoing a small operation on a troublesome knee problem in May. Mendy has sustained two serious knee injuries since his £50m move to the Eithad two years ago and his return to the side last season was littered with a number of injury setbacks. Read more
Wimbledon teen star Coco wins in Washington qualifying (Guardian)
Coco Gauff, the 15-year-old American who breezed into the Wimbledon last 16 earlier this month, returned Saturday with a qualifying victory at the WTA Washington Open. Gauff defeated compatriot Maegan Manasse 6-4, 6-2 in 68 minutes to advance within one match of making the main draw of next week’s US Open hardcourt tuneup in the US capital. Next up for 143rd-ranked Gauff will be a match to decide one of four available qualifier berths in the main draw. She will face either Japan’s Hiroko Kuwata or American Maria Sanchez. Read more
Lewis Hamilton determined to contest German Grand Prix despite illness (BBC)
At one point on Saturday morning, Lewis Hamilton was not even sure he would be able to race in the German Grand Prix, so bad did he feel with an illness that has been bothering him this weekend at Hockenheim and which took a turn for the worse overnight. His Mercedes team had prepared the car for the possibility that they might have to sub the world champion out of qualifying and replace him with reserve driver Esteban Ocon. Read more