We will treat promoters of insurrection in language they understand —Buhari

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June 1, 2021

The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has warned those promoting crime and insurrection in the country, noting that his regime will treat them in the language they understand.

The President also said many of those misbehaving today are too young to be aware of the destruction and loss of lives that occurred during the Nigerian Civil War.

He spoke on Tuesday after meeting with the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Mahmood Yakubu; and other electoral commissioners in Aso Villa, Abuja, over the series of attacks on INEC facilities especially in the South-Eastern part of the country.

Rampaging hoodlums had razed no fewer than 11 INEC offices, 13 vehicles, 429 generators, others in over 41 attacks in the last few month. Scores of police stations have also been burnt in the South-East by the daring gunmen.

Commenting on the situation on Tuesday via his official Twitter handle, Buhari stated, “I receive daily security reports on the attacks on critical national infrastructure, and it is very clear that those behind them want this administration to fail. Whoever wants the destruction of the system will soon have the shock of their lives.

Anthony Joshua to vacate WBO belt

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Henry Williams

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June 1, 2021

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Unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua 24-1 (22) plans to give up his WBO title if his mandatory title defence against Oleksandr Usyk 18-0 (13) is forced to go to purse bid.

The 31-year-old Brit was expected to unify his WBA, WBO and IBF belts with WBC champion Tyson Fury 30-0-1 (21) in Saudi Arabia on August 14.

Those plans were thrown into turmoil when an independent arbitrator ruled in May that Fury must honour his contractual obligation to face Deontay Wilder 42-1-1 (41) for a third time after the 35-year-old American enacted the immediate rematch clause in their contract following his seventh-round knockout loss to the 32-year-old Brit in February last year.

Ukrainian southpaw Usyk, 34, has been listed as the WBO’s leading contender since moving up to heavyweight two years ago.
The former undisputed cruiserweight champion is now pushing for his mandated shot at the title.
Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn has warned that if a deal can’t be reached, they would rather vacate the WBO title than go through the purse bid process.

Michigan High School Reverses Decision On Christian Language In Valedictorian’s Graduation Speech

By

Precious Obazee

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June 1, 2021

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A Michigan high school has changed a decision that would have forbidden a graduating senior from referencing her Christian faith in her valedictorian speech.

According to The Christian Post, Hillsdale High School officials in Michigan said they would allow the speech after the school received a demand letter from the First Liberty Institute.

Initially, school officials told the student, Elizabeth Turner, that her speech was “not appropriate” because it contained Christian references. They asked her to change it before the June 6 graduation ceremony.

“I’m grateful I will be able to share my faith with my classmates, and I pray that God uses this situation to advance His kingdom,” Turner said in a statement Thursday shared by First Liberty Institute, a legal nonprofit that defends First Amendment rights.

Turner’s speech reads, “By trusting him and choosing to live a life dedicated to bringing his kingdom glory, I can be confident that I am living a life filled with purpose and meaning … My identity is found by what God says and who I want to become is laid out in scripture.”

First Liberty Institute reached out to Principal Amy Goldsmith after the religious liberty group heard about the situation.

First Liberty Institute Counsel Keisha Russell said in a statement that graduation is a time for celebration, not censorship.

Russell said students retain their constitutional rights to freedom of expression from elementary school all the way through the graduation ceremony. All public schools should protect the private religious expression of their students.

Goldsmith had initially told Turner after she read a draft of her speech that the school would need to be mindful about the inclusion of religious aspects.

The principal was quoted as saying We need to be mindful about the inclusion of religious aspects. These are your strong beliefs, but they are not appropriate for a speech in a school public setting. I know this will frustrate you, but we have to be mindful of it.”

German Minister Rejects Idea Of Arms Deliveries To Ukraine

By

Zoe Maven

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June 1, 2021

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Germany’s foreign minister on Tuesday rejected the idea of delivering weapons to Ukraine after the country’s president indicated that he would like military help from Berlin.

Germany, along with France, has led Western diplomatic efforts to resolve the long-running battle between Kyiv and Russia-backed separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine but efforts toward a political settlement are stalled.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was quoted in an interview Tuesday with the German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that Chancellor Angela Merkel has done a lot for Ukraine.

He however added that he had hoped for more from her, particularly in the Normandy format” of four-way talks between Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France.

Also, opposition Green party leader Robert Habeck during a visit to Ukraine said it is hard to deny Ukraine weapons for defense, for self-defense. His comments drew widespread criticism in Germany in an election year, not least from his own party, which has pacifist roots.

But German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas firmly rejected the idea of weapons deliveries, while highlighting Germany’s support for Ukraine in diplomacy and in bilateral aid.

Speaking to reporters in Berlin, he said the conflict can only be solved by political channels, remains the guiding principle of engagement, and which won’t change.

Ukraine also strongly opposes the completion of a new Russian-built natural gas pipeline to Germany under the Baltic Sea.

U.S. Supreme Court Endorses Tribal Police Power In Montana Dispute

By

Zoe Maven

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June 1, 2021

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The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday endorsed Native American tribal police powers, backing the authority of a tribal officer in Montana to stop and search a non-Native American motorist on a public road on reservation land.

The justices ruled 9-0 against Joshua James Cooley in his effort to contest drug and weapons charges brought against him after a Crow tribal police officer found methamphetamine and firearms in his vehicle on a roadside on reservation land in 2016.

The ruling means tribal police have at least some powers to conduct initial investigatory traffic stops involving non-tribe members.

Existing precedent gave tribes criminal jurisdiction over tribe members but not non-tribe members, who instead can be prosecuted by the state or the federal government.

Cooley, with his young son also in the vehicle, was parked by the side of the road on reservation land in the early morning hours when Crow tribal police officer James Saylor spotted the vehicle and stopped to check on Cooley’s welfare.

Saylor noticed there were two rifles and a pistol in the vehicle and drug paraphernalia in plain sight, court papers showed.

Saylor, who correctly believed that Cooley was not Native American, called local and federal law enforcement to the scene. A subsequent vehicle search uncovered more than 50 grams of methamphetamine.

Cooley was charged by the federal government with one count of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.

Israel Will Risk Tensions With Biden To Block Iran – Netanyahu

By

Zoe Maven

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June 1, 2021

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Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel must prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon even at the cost of tensions with the Biden administration.

Netanyahu was speaking Tuesday at a ceremony for the new director of Israel’s Mossad spy agency.

The U.S. is holding indirect talks with Iran on a mutual return to compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal but Netanyahu, contends a U.S. return would take the pressure off the Iranian regime.

Netanyahu has amped up his rhetoric on Iran in recent days, since a ceasefire was reached with Hamas and his rivals moved toward an alternative government that could oust him within a week.

He stressed that he told President Biden Israel would continue its efforts to prevent Iran from obtaining the bomb with or without a nuclear deal, adding that Containment is not an option.

On the other hand, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz attacked Netanyahu for his remarks and claimed he was damaging Israel’s relations with the Biden administration.

Gantz said the Biden administration is a true friend of Israel and Israel will have no better partner than the U.S. and if there are differences they will be solved in direct talks in closed rooms and not through defiant rhetoric that could harm Israel’s security.

Meanwhile, Israeli officials say Gantz is planning to visit Washington later this week and will meet Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Thursday

The talks are expected to focus on emergency U.S. military aid to replenish Israel’s Iron Dome aerial defense system and supply the Israeli Air Force with new munitions.

Federal Polytechnic Ede Governing Council Sets Up Committee For Course Accreditation

By

Precious Obazee

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June 1, 2021

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Chairman of the sixth Governing Council of the Federal Polytechnic, Ede, Osun state, Air Commodore Emmanuel Jekada (retd.), has set up a committee that would ensure that all courses awaiting accreditation in the institution get accredited.

Jekada spoke shortly after the inauguration of the Governing Council in the premises of the polytechnic.

A statement by the Public Relations Officer of the institution, Sola Lawal, further said Jekada in his remarks, assured members of the academic staff union that all disagreements between them and the management would be resolved.

Uganda’s Former Army Chief Survives Gun Attack, Daughter Killed

By

Zoe Maven

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June 1, 2021

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Attackers opened fire at a vehicle on Tuesday morning carrying General Katumba Wamala, Uganda’s former army commander, killing his daughter and driver in Kisaasi, a suburb of the capital, Kampala.

Speaking from, his hospital bed in a video tweeted by government-owned broadcaster, UBC, Wamala who sustained injuries in both his shoulders, said he survived and that God had given him a second chance.

Wamala served as the commander of Uganda’s land forces from 2005 to 2013, overseeing the country’s deployment of troops to Somalia in 2007. He was elevated to Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) in 2013 and is currently the east African country’s minister for transport.

Images circulating on social media showed Wamala with his mouth open, in apparent distress beside the car and his shirt bloodied. Social media images also showed bullet holes in a car window and spent cartridges on the ground.

In a statement, the army said Katumba was attacked by two gunmen riding on motorcycles.

There have been several unresolved murders targeting senior security officials, a legislator, a prosecutor and Muslim clerics in recent years in Uganda.

The gun attacks prompted President Yoweri Museveni to order the installation of surveillance cameras in the capital and in major towns across the country.

Critics however say the cameras are used by security officials to track the opposition and dissenters.

Tesla Prices Increase Due To Supply Chain Pressure – Musk

By

faith Jegede

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June 1, 2021

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After an unverified Twitter account called out Tesla for the increasing prices of their cars while taking away some features, CEO Elon Musk blamed supply chain pressures across the auto industry, particularly for raw materials

The tweet read “I really don’t like the direction @tesla is going raising prices of vehicles but removing features like lumbar for the Model Y..” to which the billionaire replied “Prices increasing due to major supply chain price pressure industry-wide. Raw materials especially,”

During an earnings conference call in April, Musk said Tesla had experienced “some of the most difficult supply chain challenges,” citing a chip shortage. Later on in May,Tesla increased its Model 3 and Model Y prices, the automaker’s fifth incremental price increase for its vehicles in just a few months.

In response to the removal of lumbar support on the passenger side in the Model Y, Musk said, “Moving lumbar was removed only in front passenger seat of 3/Y. He said that Logs showed almost no usage making it wiser to have it removed and save cost of production.

Chaos In Pan-African Parliament Over Body’s Elections

By

Zoe Maven

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June 1, 2021

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Scuffles have broken out during a meeting of the African Union parliament, as a week-long debate over the election of their new president which saw lawmakers seen rushing to the floor and shouting at officials to express their discontent.

In scenes of mayhem broadcasted on South Africa’s national broadcaster SABC, members of Parliament wrestled over a white ballot box located at the front of the room that was meant to hold the votes for the election of the Pan-African Parliament President.

Two women first fought over the box, trying to rip it out of each other’s hands. Then, an enraged male lawmaker ripped off his suit jacket and aimed a kick in the direction of female member Pemmy Majodina of South Africa.

The unidentified lawmaker said he was not trying to kick Majodina but rather trying to kick a cellphone out of the hand of another lawmaker recording the chaos on his phone.

As the mayhem unfolded, other lawmakers shouted into their microphones that there were “armed men in the room” and called repeatedly for police and security.

They claimed that they were being threatened by a group of South Africans with guns but Majodina said there were no guns in the room.

The election had already been postponed last Thursday when a staff member working at the venue near Johannesburg tested positive for the coronavirus.

But that meeting last week also first revealed the tensions when South African lawmaker Julius Malema was heard threatening Malian lawmaker Ali Kone in the midst of the sitting.