Africa Business News

Peru has announced a sharp increase in its COVID-19 death toll, giving the South American nation the worst coronavirus-related death rate per capita in the world.The presidential palace in a statement says the country has more than 180,000 people who had died since the start of the pandemic – up from previous data indicating that 69,342 Peruvians had died due to the coronavirus.The new toll includes deaths reported between March 2020 and May 22 of this year.Health Minister Oscar Ugarte says that a significant number of deaths were not classified as caused by COVID-19 adding that the criteria for assigning the novel coronavirus as a cause of death had been changed

The World Health Organization has announced that Coronavirus variants are to be known by letters of the Greek alphabet to avoid misreporting and stigmatising nations where they were first detected.The new system applies to variants of concern – the most troubling of which four are in circulation – and the second-level variants of interest being tracked. The WHO says while they have their advantages, these scientific names can be difficult to say and recall, and are prone to misreporting.It added that people often resort to calling variants by the places where they are detected, which is stigmatising and discriminatory.

Mali’s military rulers are poised to remain firmly in charge of the conflict-hit nation following a feeble response by the West African regional bloc, Ecowas, over its second coup in less than nine months.Ecowas continues to be blindsided by the Sahel nation’s political crisis, underscoring its diminishing political influence in the region.Col Assimi Goita’s ascendancy as Mali’s interim president is the latest demonstration of contempt by the west African nation’s military rulers towards the regional and international community whose influence over the political crisis is quickly waning.The lack of targeted sanctions against Col Goita and Mali’s junta leaders is likely to embolden the military to continue dominating key state institutions in the expected cabinet appointment.

The African Union Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat has appealed to the members of the Pan-African Parliament to "recover their composure after scuffles were reported in Monday's session.He said the violent scenes tarnish the image of this honourable institution.The scuffles were at a session set to elect a new leader for the continental body.Local media in South Africa where the sessions are held reported that blows were exchanged during the scuffles.The Pan-African Parliament, also known as the African Parliament, is the legislative body of the African Union.It has been touted as a political transitory arrangement towards the United States of Africa.

Senate President, Ahmad Lawan has condemned the killing of Ahmed Gulak and urged security operatives to ensure that all those involved are made to pay for their gruesome deed. The President of the Senate described the killing of the former Speaker of the Adamawa House of Assembly and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress as one crime too many.Lawan in a communique noted that there can be no justification for the brutal murder of a human being and fellow citizen.He, however, appealed for restraint on the part of those calling for revenge, saying they should allow the relevant authorities to serve justice on the matter as the injury of the crime was inflicted on Nigeria as a whole.

Economic and commercial activities came to a standstill on Monday in the South-East region of the country.This is in compliance with the sit-at-home order issued by the proscribed group, Indigenous People of Biafra.IPOB, through its spokesperson, Emma Powerful said the human and vehicular movement would be restricted across the South-East on Monday to mark the 54th anniversary of Biafra.Imo State capital was empty. Businesses, schools, and other major economic hubs were shut. Vehicular movements were also grounded.

Information and Culture Minister Lai Mohammed says President Muhammadu Buhari will inaugurate the Lagos-Ibadan Standard Gauge project on June 10.
Mohammed told reporters at the Wole Soyinka Railway Station in Abeokuta that the inspection was meant to ensure that everything is in place ahead of the ceremony. Twenty-six container and cargo ships have arrived at Damietta Port over the past 24 hours.
The Damietta Port Authority says the total trade volume of exported goods handled at the port reached 27,420 tons. It added that the total trade volume of imported goods was 29,788 tons, 178,322 tons of grains are in the silos of the port, while wheat reserves in private warehouses reached 68,625 tons.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has ordered flags flown at half-mast on all federal buildings, including the Peace Tower on Parliament in Ottawa, after the remains of 215 Indigenous children were found at a residential school.Trudeau says the move is to honour the 215 children whose lives were taken at the former Kamloops residential school and all Indigenous children who never made it home, the survivors, and their families”.Indigenous community leaders and many others had called on the government to lower flags across Canada after a First Nation in the province of British Columbia announced that the remains of 215 children had been found on the site of the Kamloops Indian Residential School.

Israeli and Egyptian officials held talks in both countries aimed at bolstering the Cairo-brokered ceasefire that ended the latest deadly flare-up of violence between the Jewish state and Gaza’s Hamas rulers.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel in Jerusalem to discuss strengthening cooperation between their countries.Israel’s Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi tweeted that they would discuss establishing a permanent ceasefire with Hamas, a mechanism for providing humanitarian aid and the reconstruction of Gaza with a pivotal role played by the international community.The Egyptian foreign ministry also tweeted that the ministers’ talks were part of Egypt’s relentless and continued efforts to revive the peace track and to build on the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

Leaders of the West African grouping Ecowas have suspended Mali's membership from the bloc following last week's military coup - the second in nine months.The coup leader and now interim president, Colonel Assimi Goïta, attended the meeting in the Ghanaian capital, Accra.Ghana's Foreign Minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey told reporters that the block has called on Mali to nominate a new civilian prime minister immediately, to adhere to an 18 months transition period and to hold a presidential election next February.Ghana says the stability of Mali was critical if West Africa was to hold back terrorist activities from the region.