In U.S, Wildfire overruns packed California freeway, burns cars

A fast-moving brush fire in the Southern California foothills overran a packed freeway in a mountain pass on Friday, destroying four structures and torching 20 vehicles as drivers abandoned their cars and scrambled to safety.

The wildfire, which broke out Friday afternoon in the drought-parched foothills of San Bernardino County, had grown from 500 acres (200 hectares) to 3,500 acres (1,416 hectares) in a matter of hours, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

The blaze ripped down a portion of the Interstate 15 freeway that links Southern California and Las Vegas, forcing about 60 drivers to flee their cars on Cajon Pass.

There have been no injuries, the U.S. Forest Service said.

Television images showed fire-fighting aircraft dropping water onto burning vehicles. Several cars and two tractor-trailer rigs, one carrying new vehicles, were in flames.

Twenty vehicles were destroyed and 10 were damaged, the Forest Service said.

Four structures have been gutted by flames and several mountain communities were facing possible evacuations as crews battle to contain the blaze, it said.

In Iran; Leader vows opposition to US despite nuclear deal

Iranian opposition to the "arrogant" United States will not change despite a nuclear deal with world powers, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Saturday, addingTehran remains sharply at odds with U.S. policy in the Middle East.

In an address marking the end of the Muslim holy month ofRamadan, Khamenei said he wanted politicians to examine the agreement to ensure national interests were preserved, as Iran would not allow the disruption of its revolutionary principles or defensive abilities.

American leaders sought Iran's "surrender", he said. Iran would not welcome war but if there were one, the United States would be humiliated.

Sacked Service Chiefs given 6 weeks notice to proceed on retirement

About 25 Army Generals have been forced into retirement following the appointment of their juniors as service chiefs on Monday, July 13.

The army tradition stipulates that a General cannot serve under a junior, therefore the Generals are mandatory to voluntarily retire.

The immediate past Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Kenneth Minimah, disclosed this on Friday, July 17, in Abuja while handing over to his successor, Major General Tukur Buratai at the Defence Headquarters.

Speaking at the handing over ceremony, Minimah said some senior unnamed officers have already received notice of retirement.

He stated that the affected officers have been given notice of six weeks to proceed on retirement.

Minimah said: “Today, I am leaving behind an Army that can hold its own against any adversary without batting an eyelid. It is an Army that has vowed never again to concede any inch of Nigeria to terrorists. It is a legacy I am leaving behind and I implore you to sustain it.

“As I hand over today, I am happy to inform you that the Boko Haram terrorists’ insurgency is at a certain defeat.

“During my tenure, we were able to reclaim all territories earlier lost to the terrorists, sufficiently degrade their potency and reduced them to a band of criminals and petty thieves.

“Success did not come cheap. It came with the sweat and blood of all of us. In the face of unusual events, we had to take unusual actions. Some may adjudge us as being too strict especially in dealing with cases of cowardice and indiscipline in the field.But, we had to do what we must to arrest the drift towards chaos that the army was heading. I am happy that the result in the field today justifies our actions.”

However, he explained that he had to take some drastic measures to save the Army from collapse and anarchy, apparently referring to the court-martialling of many officers and men taking part in the ongoing war against terrorists for indiscipline, cowardice and mutiny.

Security Breach : Koyewon Tasks PCRC Members On Useful Information

with  few hours to the end of Ramadan, members of the public has been advised to join hands with government to crush down the insurgence that has now cause mayhem in the country
  The chairman police community relation committee (PCRC) Moniya Division, akinyele local government ; Chief Olaiya Babalola a.k.a Koyewon made the statement in a telephone chat with the Transview magazine crew.
Chief Babalola who is also the war-marshal of man'o war Oyo State chapter said that since federal government is doing its responsibility on security and logistics, all hands must be on deek while members of the public should not be silent in providing useful information to the security operatives. he however laud supports in which his members always gives to Moniya police division and retreated his commitment towards the division crime free agenda.
  While congratulating Muslims worldwide for the successful end of 2015 Ramadan, he enjoin them not to deviate from the lessons of Ramadan and to continue seeking allah's guidance in their daily activities.

Cameroon bans use of Muslim veil after series of Boko Haram attacks

The governor of far north region of Cameroon, Midjiyawa Bakari has banned the use of Burqa, a face covering apparel worn by Muslim women. The Governor said the ban is as a result of last Sunday's suicide attack carried out by two women wearing Burqa.

Announcing the decision yesterday July 15th, the governor said

“I took this measure because of the security situation prevailing in the region. No one suspected them and that is why we have ordered women to stop wearing veils and the police and military to arrest all women wearing veils,” he said.

Last month, Chad banned the use of full-face Muslim veil throughout the country due to increased female suicide bombing attack.

In Yemen Exiled government ministers return to Yemen's Aden

Senior members of Yemen's exiled administration flew intoAden on Thursday to make preparations for the government's return, an official said, three months after being pushed out by the armed Houthi group.

The visit by ministers and intelligence officials follows military setbacks for the Houthis at the hands of Saudi-backed Yemeni fighters which may mark a turning point in the conflict that has killed more than 3,500 people.

The southern port city of Aden has been a focus of fighting since the Houthis first laid siege to it in March when it was home to the government which subsequently fled to Saudi Arabia.

"(Exiled President) Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi delegated this group to return to Aden to work to prepare the security situation and ensure stability ahead of a revival of the institutions of state in Aden," a local officials told Reuters after the group arrived by helicopter at a military air base.

The delgation included the ministers of the interior and transport, a former interior minister, the intelligence chief and the deputy head of the house of representatives.

Local fighters have wrested Yemen's airport and main seaport from the northern militia group in the past two days, in fighting that killed dozens of people, according to medics.

The Shi'ite Muslim Houthis seized Sanaa in September and pushed into Yemen's south and east in March and April in what they say is a revolution against a corrupt government and hardline Sunni Muslim militants.

In a statement posted on Houthi-controlled state media, the group said it was weathering the Aden offensive, which has been supported by air strikes by a Saudi-led coalition which seeks to return exiled President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi to power.

"Over 150 air strikes did not deter the advance of the army and popular committees in achieving victories against the elements of extremism, al Qaeda terrorism, Hadi militias and Saudi mercenaries," news agency Saba quoted a pro-Houthi military official saying.

Houthi forces fired Katyusha rockets at the Aden oil refinery west of the city, detonating an oil tank and causing a huge blaze, witnesses and officials said.

Arab coalition ships and warplanes bombed trucks carrying Houthi reinforcements towards the city, local fighters said.

Residents said they were starting to clear rubble and piles of trash in the districts won from Houthi fighters which were being spared street battles for the first time in over three months.

The local fighters said they had put under siege the two main districts still under Houthi control, and that Arab coalition ships had shelled a main checkpoint outside the city.

Arab countries, particularly the United Arab Emirates, have shipped around 100 armoured vehicles to the war effort, they said.

Militia officials said they were advancing, backed up by Saudi-led air strikes, toward one of Yemen's most important air bases about 50 km (30 miles) north of Aden.

Brigadier General Ahmed Asseri, spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition, said the gains were a joint effort between local fighters, army units, the exiled government and the alliance.

"There is daily, ongoing coordination to push the operations forward ... on the level of information, military training and especially supporting the air operations to achieve results on the ground," Asseri told Saudi Ekhbariya TV.

Iran 'Seals' Nuclear Deal With World Powers

Six major powers have reached an agreement with Iran on the country's nuclear programme, an Iranian diplomat has said.

Tehran has been granted sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear programme, the source told Reuters.

"All the hard work has paid off and we sealed a deal. God bless our people," he said.

The deal has also been confirmed by a Western diplomat to AP.Foreign ministers of Iran and the six powers, including ministers from Britain and the US, are due to meet at 9.30am UK time in Vienna to ratify the deal which has taken months to finalise.

They are then expected to hold a press conference in the Austrian capital at which the details will be released.

:: Sources are saying that the deal includes a compromise between Washington and Tehran that will allow UN inspectors to request visits to Iranian military sites as part of their monitoring duties, but not have an automatic right to visit whenever they choose.

:: In the event that Iran refuses a request to visit, an arbitration board composed of Iran and the six world powers will have to decide on whether a visit should go ahead.

:: Analysts say that the lack of an automatic right to visit is likely to be seized upon by critics, as it could give Tehran time to cover up any non-compliance by the time a visit takes place.

:: A concession by Iran is that missile sanctions will not be lifted for another eight years and a general weapons embargo will remain in place for another five years.

:: In the event that Iran breaches the agreement, a 'snapback' clause is in place that will allow sanctions to be reinstated within 65 days of Iranian non-compliance, Reuters reported.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been a long-standing critic of the talks, described the deal as a bad mistake of historic proportions.

He said: "Iran is going to receive a sure path to nuclear weapons. Many of the restrictions that were supposed to prevent it from getting there will be lifted.

"Iran will get a jackpot, a cash bonanza of hundreds of billions of dollars, which will enable it to continue to pursue its aggression and terror in the region and in the world."

Iranian state television reported that a joint statement will be read around midday by European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

Tehran and the six world powers have been holding marathon negotiations at the ministerial level for more than a fortnight to resolve a 12-year stand-off over Iran's nuclear ambitions.

The six countries are Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States.

The West has long been concerned that Iran holds ambitions to build a nuclear bomb. Tehran says its nuclear programme is purely to generate energy for civilian purposes.

Sanctions imposed upon Iran by the West, including restrictions on the sale of oil, have been harmful to Iran's economy and the country has been keen to see them lifted.

President Buhari rejects idea of oil subsidy removal

President Muhammadu Buhari’s recent stance on the controversial issue of oil subsidy removal has sent shock waves in the spines of its advocates.

Speaking after a briefing with staff of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and other parastatals in the oil industry, Buhari said the arguments for subsidy removal had no depth.Adding that the poor will bear the brunt if the subsidy is removed.

Speaking to the media, Mallam Garba Shehu, Special Assistant on Media and Publicity said “President Buhari directed  the NNPC to review existing  agreements for the swapping of crude oil for refined products with a view to injecting more honesty and transparency into the process to reduce costs.”President Buhari said “When you touch the price of petroleum products, that has the effect of triggering price rises on transportation, food and rents.  That is for those who earn salaries, but there are many who are jobless and will be affected by it.”

Adding that “I have received many literature on the need to remove subsidies, but much of it has no depth.”