Nigerians and the failed Coup in Turkey by Reuben Abati

Turkey is about five hours away from Nigeria by air, about 2, 634 miles from here, but the night there was a coup attempt in Turkey, July 15, with soldiers shutting down parts of Ankara and Istanbul, you'd think Ankara is a city somewhere in Nigeria and Istanbul is an extension of our country. Commentaries kept flying up and down on Nigeria social media space, with the coup attempt in Turkey becoming a trending topic. And yet the strongest connection between Nigeria and Turkey is probably trade, tourism, socio-cultural affinities, and the fact that many Nigerian travellers now find it easier and cheaper to travel through Turkey to other European capitals, with Turkish Airlines making all the profit and no Nigerian airline on that route! Still, if Turkey finds itself in a bad shape, as it has, that is not likely to affect the already sorry fortunes of the Naira or the forbidding cost of food items in Nigerian markets. On Friday, many Nigerians stayed awake and projected their own worst fears unto the Turkish situation. 

Insurgents suffer heavy losses in Syria

The Syrian army has attacked armed groups’ positions across the country, inflicting heavy losses on insurgents fighting against the government.
According to Syrian authorities, the army has inflicted huge losses on armed groups in Aleppo's al-Eda'a and Saif al-Dawla districts on Friday as heavy fighting between government forces and armed groups continues in several other neighborhoods, including Bustan al-Qasr, Halak, Bab al-Hadid and Darat Azzeh.