PRESIDENT BUHARI ARRIVES MAURITANIA

President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday arrived Mauritania for the 31st Session of the African Union; he had departed Katsina State for Nouakchott, Mauritania earlier today.

According to the Twitter handle of the President, Buhari was welcomed by the President of Mauritania, Mohammed Ould Abdel Aziz at the airport.

President Muhammadu Buhari recently mettbehind closed doors with visiting Togolese President Faure Gnassingbe Eyadema at the Presidential, Lodge Katsina.

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2018 WORLD CUP: MBAPPE’S DOUBLE FIRE FRANCE INTO QUARTER FINALS

Kylian Mbappe scored twice as France dumped Lionel Messi and Argentina out of the World Cup with a 4-3 win in an outstanding round-of-16 tie in Kazan.

Argentina had come from 1-0 down to lead 2-1 in a match illuminated by outstanding goals from Angel Di Maria and Benjamin Pavard, but a quickfire second-half double from Mbappe put France firmly in the driving seat before Argentina struck again in added time.

Seven minutes in came the first indication of the havoc Mbappe was to wreak when he turned and ran at the heart of the Argentina defence, Javier Mascherano bringing him down 25 yards out.

Antoine Griezmann and Paul Pogba stood over the ball and, when the former unleashed a strike, the ball crashed off the bar with Franco Armani beaten before Argentina scrambled it away.

After 11 minutes, Mbappe's brilliance engineered the breakthrough for France as he embarking on a scorching run from deep inside his own half all the way into the Argentina box, where he was brought down by Marcos Rojo.

After a VAR check had been carried out to confirm the decision, Rojo was booked and Griezmann sent Armani the wrong way to give Didier Dechamps' side the lead after 13 minutes.

But out of nothing, Argentina were level thanks to a moment of brilliance from Di Maria who, 30 yards out and central, sent a sublime left-footed strike past Hugo Lloris and into the top corner with 41 minutes gone.

Federico Fazio replaced Rojo as Argentina made a change, and within moments of the restart the revitalised Di Maria won the dangerous free kick on the left from which his side turned the game around.

The ball was floated in and half-cleared to Messi, who turned and hit a low shot that deflected off Gabriel Mercado's foot and bounced beyond Lloris.

But Deschamps' side had to wait only moment longer before the second brilliant goal of the game brought them level, Pavard thundering home a wonderful angled half-volley from the edge of the box after 57 minutes.

Seven minutes later, France were ahead as a pulsating game took yet another twist and Mbappe got the goal he richly deserved, Pogba's blocked shot falling to him inside the area and his low shot, after he had made space brilliantly, going in off Armani.

Argentina responded by bringing on Sergio Aguero for Enzo Perez, but they were in desperate trouble after 68 minutes as France opened up a two-goal lead and Mbappe got his second, latching on to Giroud's beautiful touch and burying the finish.

With minutes left, the brilliant Mbappe was substituted to a huge ovation, Florian Thauvin coming on  but they were made to sweat at the end when, with two of four added minutes player, Aguero nodded home Messi's pass to give his side a glimmer of hope.

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SAUDI KING AGREES TO RAMP UP OIL PRODUCTION - TRUMP

US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that Saudi Arabia’s King Salman had agreed to his request to ramp up oil production, a week after OPEC already announced an output rise.

Trump has repeatedly lashed out at OPEC on Twitter in recent months, piling pressure on Riyadh, a major ally, to boost output as he hopes for lower pump prices before midterm congressional elections in November.

His latest comments come a week after ministers from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries — of which Saudi Arabia is the major member — had already agreed to raise output from July.

Non-OPEC member Russia on June 23 also backed the effort, capping a week of tense diplomacy for the grouping that averted a damaging rift between arch foes Iran and Saudi Arabia.

The ministers announced they would ramp up oil production by around one million barrels a day from July.

The talks had centered on whether to amend an 18-month-old supply-cut deal between OPEC members and allied countries, including Russia, that has cleared a global oil glut and lifted crude prices.

Saudi Arabia, backed by non-member Russia, had argued strongly in favor of increasing production as grumbles in major consumer countries like the United States, India and China have grown about high prices.

Iran opposed any changes to the original production-cut deal at a time when its oil industry is facing renewed sanctions over Trump’s decision to quit the international nuclear deal with Tehran.

In the end, both sides were able to save face.

The current production curb pact calls for participating countries to trim output by 1.8 million barrels a day.

But production constraints and geopolitical factors have seen several nations exceed their restriction quotas, keeping about 2.8 million barrels off the market, according to OPEC.

By agreeing to collectively raise output by a million barrels, member countries are simply committing to comply fully with the deal struck in late 2016.

Iran has accused Trump of trying to politicize OPEC and said it was US sanctions on Iran and Venezuela that had helped push up prices.

Saudi Arabia was producing more than 9.9 million barrels a day in May, according to OPEC, citing secondary sources.

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SGF CHARGE SECURITY PERSONNEL TO COLLABORATE IN CRIME FIGHTING

Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Boss Mustapha has called on the armed forces and other security agencies to collaborate and tackle the security challenges in the country.

Speaking at the second edition of the Armed Forces and Security Agencies Half Marathon Championship on Saturday in Abuja, the SGF said that the synergy and friendship he witnessed at the event gladdened his heart, urging the participants to continue in the spirit of the games entitled: “Racing to Bond’’. 

“If armed forces collaborate and synergise such as I have seen today, the security challenges of the country will be a foregone conclusion’’, he said.

The SGF commended the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Abayomi Olonisakin, for his initiative to forge a better understanding among the armed forces.

He said that such understanding and relationship among the armed forces and security agencies would bring about an effective and efficient synergy.

He also commended the athletes for the determination, physical and mental fitness they displayed at the event.

Meanwhile in his remarks, Olonisakin expressed happiness that he was able to witness the event, advising that it ought to continue to be an annual event.

He noted that they had been a lot of improvement in the competition since the maiden edition in 2017 and the armed forces and other security agencies should focus on quality above quantity.

He said that the bond and friendship formed during the event would lead to improved synergy among all the security agencies for an efficient, effective and cohesion in tackling security challenges.

Furthermore, the President of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, Mr Ibrahim Gusau said that sports remained the best development to sustain peace and unity in the country. 

He said that there would be an international event in the United Kingdom in 2019 and called on all stakeholders for support.

More than 180 officers from different armed forces and security agencies participated in the competition.

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