Annual house price growth at slowest point for two years, says Nationwide

Building society reports weakest growth in prices for two years in August despite 0.3% monthly rise

Nationwide warned the trend might not continue unless the pace at which houses are being built accelerates. Photograph: Bloomberg via Getty Images

The annual rate of house price growth was the weakest for two years in August, said Nationwide, despite a 0.3% monthly rise in prices.
The average house price in the UK is now £195,621, £342 more than in July. However, the annual pace of house price growth edged down to 3.2% from 3.5% the previous month.
“This month’s data provides further evidence that annual house price growth may be stabilising close to the pace of earnings growth, which has historically been around 4%,” said Robert Gardner, Nationwide’s chief economist.
However, he added that this trend might not be maintained unless the pace at which houses are being built accelerates.

Serbia, Macedonia call at Balkans summit for EU action on migrants

The Guardian Nigeria|AFP

Serbia and Macedonia’s foreign ministers called for EU action on Europe’s migrant crisis at a summit Thursday of leaders from the western Balkans, attended by German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Pirates ambush passenger boats, abduct two chiefs, security operative

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Gunmen, suspected to be sea pirates, on Wednesday ambushed two speedboats and abducted three persons along the Ogbia-Brass waterways of Bayelsa State.
Among those abducted were two chiefs from Okpoama in Brass Local Government Area of the state and a security operative.

Racial discrimination made me do it, said suspected killer of two American journalists

The Guardian Nigeria|Reuters

Two television journalists were shot to death during a live broadcast in Virginia on Wednesday, slain by a former employee of the TV station and who called himself a “powder keg” of anger over what he saw as racial discrimination at work and elsewhere in the United States.
The suspect, 41-year-old Vester Flanagan, shot himself as police pursued him on a Virginia highway hours after the shooting. Flanagan, who was African-American, died later at a hospital, police said.

Suspended NIS boss, Plateau gov beg Buhari

The Plateau State Governor, Mr. Simon Lanlong, on Monday led the suspended Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Immigration Service, David Parradang, to the Presidential Villa, Abuja, with the aim of begging President Muhammadu Buhari.

Parradang, who hails from Plateau State, was on Friday suspended from office for embarking on illegal recruitment exercise for the service.

The governor arrived the Presidential Villa with Parradang but did not meet the President.

While Lanlong made his way to the President’s office to meet Buhari, the suspended NIS boss who was decked in a blue kaftan waited patiently for him at the waiting room opposite the Council Chambers.

‘Buhari’s anti-graft war needs global support’

The Nigerian High Commissioner to Ghana, Sir Ademola Onafowokan, and the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Prof. Isaac Adewole, have called on the international community to support the anti-corruption campaign of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Onafowakan and Adewole spoke at the opening ceremony of the yearly 6th Ibadan Sustainable Development Summit, being hosted by the UI in collaboration with the African Sustainable Development Network and the Nigeria Sustainable Development Solutions Network.

At the opening ceremony of the week-long summit, which has the theme, ‘The Post-2015 Sustainable Development Agenda: Whither Africa”, the Director General of the Centre for Sustaining Development, Ibadan, Prof. Labode Popoola, development practitioners, policy makers and politicians from many African countries, were present.

Ban Ki-Moon demands release of Chibok girls

The United Nations Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-Moon, on Monday called for the unconditional release of the abducted pupils of Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State.

The over 200 girls were abducted by Boko Haram insurgents on April 14, 2013. They were seized from the hostel at night and had not been set free since then notwithstanding the global outrage the incident had provoked.

N1tn petition: Senate rumbles, splits over Lamorde probe

A fresh crisis looms in the Senate.

Members on Monday appeared divided over the planned probe of the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Lamorde, over alleged diversion of stolen funds recovered from looters.

While the Senate leadership said the probe would proceed as scheduled on Wednesday (tomorrow), members of the Peoples Democratic Party in the upper federal legislative chamber kicked against the probe.

The EFCC boss, according to a petition before the Senate, has been accused of diverting N1tn said to have been recovered from a former Governor of Bayelsa State, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha; and a former Inspector-General of Police, Tafa Balogun.

Husband-snatching saga: NJC queries Osun judge

The National Judicial Council has issued a query over allegation of amorous scandal against a judge in the Osun State judiciary, Justice Olamide Oloyede, who initiated a petition calling for the removal of the state Governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola.

The NJC issued the query dated July 28, 2015 and with reference number, NJC/S.29/HC.OS/16/1/55, against Justice Oloyede upon a petition by a mother of four, Mrs. Emily Richard-Obire, who accused the judge of cohabiting with her (Richard-Obire’s) husband.

Oloyede came to prominence recently after she submitted a petition to the Osun State House of Assembly calling for the removal of Aregbesola on the grounds of his alleged financial misappropriation.

Arms deals: Buhari probes Yar’Adua, Jonathan’s govts

The National Security Adviser, Maj. Gen. Babagana Monguno (retd.), has set up an investigative committee on the procurement of hardware and ammunition in the Armed Forces from 2007 till now. This action was taken in obedience to an order by President Muhammadu Buhari that all arms’ procurement deals since 2007 should be investigated.

The late President Umar Yar’Adua was in charge from 2007 to 2010 while former President Goodluck Jonathan presided over the affairs of the country between 2010 and 2015.

According to a statement on Monday by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, the President directed the NSA to set up the committee with the mandate of identifying irregularities and making recommendations for streamlining the procurement process in the Armed Forces.

LASG removes Fashola’s budget spending from website

The Lagos State Government has removed the list of contracts awarded under the administration of former Governor Babatunde Fashola.

The list which was published on the website of the state’s Public Procurement Agency, www.lagosppa.gov.ng, stated that Fashola’s administration spent N78.3m on his personal website,www.tundefashola.com, in 2014.

The list further stated that Fashola spent N139m on the drilling of two boreholes at the Lagos House, Ikeja.

However, checks by our correspondent on Monday showed that the section which lists all the contracts awarded under Fashola’s administration between 2013 and 2014 could no longer be accessed.

80,000 sign UK petition for Netanyahu arrest

Almost 80,000 people had by Monday signed a petition urging the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for war crimes when he visits London next month.
The petition was launched earlier this month by British citizen Damian Moran and is posted on the government’s website.
“Under international law he (Netanyahu) should be arrested for war crimes upon arrival in the UK for the massacre of over 2,000 civilians in 2014,” Moran said, referring to the 51-day offensive by Israeli forces in Gaza last year.

Two soldiers, six rebels killed in Pakistan

Two Pakistani soldiers including a senior officer were killed Monday in an exchange of fire with Islamist militants in a restive tribal district along the Afghan border, where the army last week began a ground offensive.
The firefight occurred in the Shawal valley of North Waziristan where the military has been battling Taliban and other insurgents since June last year.

Eight feared dead in Indonesia landslide

Eight people are missing and feared dead after a major landslide hit a road in remote eastern Indonesia, an official said Tuesday.
Heavy downpours in an isolated mountainous region of Papua province triggered the landslide Sunday, burying six construction workers and two bystanders under rock and rubble.
Papua police spokesman Patridge Renwarin said news of the incident did not reach local authorities until Monday, when a rescue team was quickly assembled.

Six dead, twelve injured in Damaturu twin explosions

At least six people have been reported dead and 12 others injured as twin explosions rock Damaturu, Yobe State capital.

11 killed in W’Afghanistan explosion

An Afghan health official says 11 people, mostly children, died when a truck transporting gas canisters exploded outside the western city of Herat.
Rafiq Sherzai, spokesman for the Herat Regional Hospital, said on Tuesday that 18 people were also wounded in the blast late Monday.

Lagos police arrest 14 suspected cult members

The Police Command in Lagos State on Tuesday said it arrested 14 suspected cult members for allegedly terrorising Mushin residence.

This is contained in a statement signed by the command’s spokesperson in Lagos, DSP Patricia Amadin, .

Amadin said the suspects were arrested on August 24 at Mushin Area of Lagos.

“The Lagos State Police Command has recorded yet another success in its fight against Cultism and Armed Robbery in the state.

Anti-Corruption Commission Work and NBA’s Effort At Ridding Corruption in the Practice of Law

Legal Eagle By May Agbamuche-Mbu, Email: may.mbu@thisdaylive.com

I know that this is a topic close to each and every person in this room, and one that provokes strong passions and ideas of how to overcome this great challenge of our time. The NBA has made great strides in this area, and indeed will do more in the coming years. So here I will take this opportunity to highlight the work the NBA is doing in this area.

Tinubu asks editors to support anti-corruption fight

Former Governor of Lagos State and National leader,  All progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has challenged  editors in the country to support the fight against corruption in the country.
He also called on them to support the presidential media aides so as to make their jobs less challenging.
Tinubu, who was represented by Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomole, said this during the Nigerian Guild of Editors’ reception for Femi Adesina and Garba Shehu in Abuja on Friday night.
Adesina and Shehu, who are both former presidents of the NGE, were recently appointed special adviser and senior special assistant, media and publicity respectively to President Muhammadu Buhari.

Neymar back in training but misses trip to Bilbao

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Brazilian star Neymar will miss Barcelona’s first La Liga game of the season despite returning to training for the first time in two weeks on Saturday.
The 23-year-old has been suffering from mumps and Barca boss Luis Enrique believes it could be some time until he is fully up to speed having missed the majority of pre-season.
“It is his first day. It is like he is starting pre-season now, so his development will decide when he is available.”
The European champions return to San Mames on Sunday just over a week after being thrashed there by Athletic Bilbao 4-0 in the Spanish Super Cup.
Barca also conceded four times in winning the UEFA Super Cup 5-4 over Sevilla days earlier.
Enrique’s defensive problems were added to when Gerard Pique was handed a four-game ban to start the league campaign after being sent-off in the return leg of the Spanish Super Cup.
However, Barca did receive a boost on Saturday as Jordi Alba will be fit to play some part in Bilbao after recovering from a hamstring injury.
And despite a tough start to the season, Enrique acknowledged the defending champions remain the favourites to win the title.
“We are the favourites at the moment because we are the reigning champions,” he added.
“But I think it will be a very disputed league with three or four teams that could challenge for the crown.”
Barca’s preparations for the new campaign have been hampered by a ban on registering new players so signings Arda Turan and Aleix Vidal will not be free to play until January.
The squad was also depleted this week by the departure of Pedro Rodriguez to Chelsea and Enrique admitted the club may look to sign a replacement for the Spanish international come January.
“Pedro said that he wanted to leave, it was something we could see coming. All that is left now is to wish him luck.
“We are working on replacements.”

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