Tunisia’s President Kais Saied says there was no turning back from his decision to freeze parliament and assume executive power, moves his opponents have branded a coup.
Saied also rejected calls for talks over the crisis, saying there is no dialogue except with the honest and that no dialogue was possible with cancer cells.
Saied has not named a new prime minister, announced any steps to end the emergency or declared his longer-term intentions.
The powerful labour union, as well as both the United States and France, have called on him to quickly appoint a new government. The union is preparing a roadmap to end the crisis that it says it will present to Saied.

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa reshuffled his cabinet on Thursday with changes including the finance and health ministries.
Former Health Minister Zweli Mkhize resigned hours before Mr Ramaphosa was set to fire him after he was embroiled in a corruption scandal.
Enoch Gondongwana replaces Tito Mboweni who asked to be released from his post.
The president has decided to do away with the state security ministry altogether
Mr Ramaphosa also announced he will appoint an expert panel to review the country’s preparedness for future security responses.

The Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo, has announced that the Nigerian Navy would soon establish two additional operational bases in Cross River State.
Gambo, says one of the bases would be an outpost at Ikang, and the other, a naval security station at Dayspring Island.
Vice Admiral Gambo explained that the move has become necessary because they are aware of the security situation in the state.
He added that it has been part of their strategic plan that they can improve our security architecture in the state and of course, secure our borders and around the Republic of Cameroon.

The Lagos State House of Assembly has slashed pensions of former governors by 50%.
The assembly’s Committee on Establishment expunged the provision of houses in Abuja and Lagos for former governors as stipulated in an earlier law operated by the state.
The report further showed a reduction in the number of vehicles to be made available to former governors and their deputies.
Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, suggested that former governors should get two vehicles (a car and a van) instead of three as recommended by the committee.
Obasa also suggested that the amended bill should provide that the cars be changed every four years instead of the three years recommended by the report.

The Federal Government has asked striking resident doctors to resume work as most of the issues they have raised are state affairs.
Minister of Health Dr Osagie Ehanire says that seven of 12 matters that were raised by the National Association of Resident Doctors were the responsibility of state governments.
He expects the resident doctors to resume work on Friday and take up these issues with the state governments rather than embark on the nationwide strike as they had done.
Dr Ehanire told journalists that the industrial action was crippling the government’s efforts in tackling the resurgence of the pandemic.

The Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva, says that there is currently no set date for petrol subsidy removal.
Mr Sylva adding that the government is being considerate of citizens.
He says the Vice President is actually leading the efforts and they will tell Nigerians what date the removal of subsidy will kick in.
He says the government is also making efforts to put structures in place to cushion the effect of the eventual subsidy removal.

The Federal Government has admitted that it is not in the best position to manage its refineries.
Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, stated that they are going to have professional managers to manage the refineries.
The minister believes it will not be out of place if the government gets the refineries working before taking appropriate decisions.
He explained that the government does not subscribe to the idea of selling off the refineries in their present condition as such action would be widely criticised by citizens.

US President Joe Biden joined leading Democrats in calling on powerful New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to resign after an independent investigation concluded that he sexually harassed multiple women.
Cuomo denied inappropriate conduct and resisted immediate calls to quit after the probe found he harassed current and former New York state employees.
Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the three-term governor should step down and state lawmakers moved to impeach him.
State Attorney General Letitia James says the five-month investigation concluded that Governor Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed multiple women and in doing so violated federal and state law.

Mozambique’s health minister has expressed concern over the issue of African countries receiving Covid vaccines shortly before their expiration date.
Armindo Tiago says this is a problem in the management of health systems as it imposes an urgent need to vaccinate many people in a very short time.
Dr Tiago told a virtual meeting of health ministers of the southern African regional bloc Sadc that the issue also compromises the effectiveness of the vaccination campaigns.
Vaccine availability and the reception of vaccines in minimal quantities also
The minister has called for member countries to act collectively and plan jointly in the fight against Covid-19.

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi of Egypt says that it was time to increase the price of bread, which has been a highly sensitive issue in the past.
Mr Sisi says that there would not be a big jump.
He however suggested it was no longer reasonable to continue subsidising bread to the extent that 20 loaves sell for the price of just a single cigarette.
The International Monetary Fund argues that food subsidies should only benefit those most in need.
A hike in the price of bread in 1977 sparked deadly riots.