*Powerful blast kills 7, injures 23 near Pakistan's Balochistan Assembly*

*Powerful blast kills 7, injures 23 near Pakistan's Balochistan Assembly*

A bomb went off in the centre of the Pakistani city of Quetta, capital of the province of Balochistan, killing seven people and wounding 23 on Tuesday, police and hospital officials said. The blast targeted a police truck close to a high-security area where the provincial assembly and other government offices are located. A suicide bomber was believed to have walked up to the truck and blown himself up, senior police officer Abdul Razzaq Cheema told Reuters.

The bodies of five policemen and two civilians, as well as the wounded victims, were brought to the Civil Hospital, Dr Waseem Baig told Reuters, adding that death toll could climb as some of the injured were in serious condition.

The attack took place hours after the provincial chief minister, Sanaullah Zehri, resigned, although there was no indication that the blast was connected to provincial politics. Zehri quit after some members of his PML Nawaz party rebelled against him to back a no-confidence motion in the provincial assembly, where he no longer commanded majority support.

*Herdsmen Kill Two Policemen In Benue*

*Herdsmen Kill Two Policemen In Benue*

The Benue State Police Command has confirmed the killing of two mobile policemen deployed to Ashuwa village in Logo local council, by armed Fulani herdsmen who according to them, laid an ambush for the troops on patrol between the Benue and Nasarawa border.

Giving an account of the incident to Channels Television, the Spokesman of the command, ASP Moses Yamu, noted that the corpses have been recovered and additional troops deployed to help track down the suspects.

The police also said it has arraigned 18-year-old Ibrahim Idrisa and Saidu Adamu, a 10-year-old, for the alleged murder of one Queen Wilfred in Logo, while grazing openly in violation of the open grazing prohibition law, along with some fleeing accomplices.

INEC Releases 2019 General Elections Timetable*

*INEC Releases 2019 General Elections Timetable*

The Independent National Electoral Commission has announced the 2019 general elections timetable and schedule of activities. The electoral umpire says Presidential and National Assembly primaries will begin on August 18 while campaigns will commence on November 18, 2018.

Campaigns for the governorship and state assembly are scheduled to commence on December the 1, 2018. Presidential and national assembly elections will hold on February 16th, 2019, while the governorship, state assembly and area council elections in the federal capital territory will take place on March 2, 2019.

*I Warned Nigerians About Buhari- Yakasai*

*I Warned Nigerians About Buhari- Yakasai*

Alhaji Tanko Yakasai, 92, a chip from the old block, served as President Shehu Shagari’s Liaison Officer to the National Assembly. In this interview, he reviews the state of the nation and critically dissects the arguments for restructuring.

He submits that insinuations of northern objection to restructuring are unfounded upon the claim that the blueprint for the process has itself been etched on imaginations that have not been properly articulated. Yakasai also pooh-poohs moves to delineate the Middle Belt from the North saying that the concept of a Middle North toeing a separate political path as unrealistic.

Yakasai who supported President Goodluck Jonathan against Muhammadu Buhari in the 2015 presidential election concludes by saying that his warnings that Buhari lacked five critical elements of leadership have crystallised for all to see.

*Strong Quake in Caribbean Sea Shakes Honduras, Mexico & Belize, Sparks Tsunami Warning*

*Strong Quake in Caribbean Sea Shakes Honduras, Mexico & Belize, Sparks Tsunami Warning*

An earthquake of magnitude 7.6 that struck near remote islands belonging to Honduras on Tuesday was felt across northern Central America, prompting a tsunami warning for parts of the Caribbean. The quake rattled windows in the Honduran capital of Tegucigalpa roughly 323 miles (519 km) to the east and was felt at least as far north as the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, but no damage was immediately reported.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said a tsunami advisory was in effect for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands after the earthquake and warned of possible waves up to 1 meter (3 feet) above tide level. In Honduras, firefighters said some residents in southern neighbourhoods fled their homes after feeling the shaking.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake, initially reported as a magnitude 7.8, was centered 125 miles (202 km)northeast of Barra Patuca in Honduras and 191 miles (307 km)southwest of George Town in the Cayman Islands. The quake was very shallow, at only 6.2 miles (10 km), which would have amplified its effect.

Konta Knocked Out in Sydney 1st Round

Konta Knocked Out in Sydney 1st Round

Defending champion Johanna Konta suffered a reversal of last year’s final when she was bundled out in the first round of the Sydney International by Agnieszka Radwanska on Tuesday.

The Pole had been overpowered in 82-minutes by the Briton in the final last year, but repaid the favour on Ken Rosewall Arena at the Olympic Tennis Centre as she raced to a 6-3 7-5 victory.

The first round loss continues some worrying early season performances for the 26-year-old world number nine Konta.

She struggled to get going in her first two matches last week in Brisbane before she withdrew from her quarter-final with a hip injury.