Ethiopia ministry of foreign affairs has announced the country will reassess its relationship with the US if it continues to meddle in its internal affairs.It was reacting to the US's decision to impose wide-ranging restrictions on economic and security assistance to Ethiopia over the conflict in the Tigray region.The foreign ministry in a statement called the decision, which also involved visa restrictions on unnamed officials, regrettable.The Ethiopian authorities say they have been engaging with international partners, including the US, to improve humanitarian access to the conflict-hit Tigray region.It however says it would not negotiate with Tigray People's Liberation Front.

US President Joe Biden and Egypt's President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi discussed on Monday the Nile dam dispute with Ethiopia.The White House in a statement says that President Biden acknowledged Egypt’s concerns about access to Nile River waters.It says Mr Biden underscored the US interest in achieving a diplomatic resolution that meets the legitimate needs of Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia".A statement from the Egyptian presidency is quoted by Reuters news agency as saying that both presidents agreed to strengthen diplomatic efforts during the coming period in order to reach an agreement that preserves water and developmental rights for all parties.

The World Bank will in the next few weeks make some major announcements concerning its efforts to commence the production of COVID-19 vaccines in some African countries.The bank says it had already begun consultations with some African manufacturing hubs to that end, noting that the move is to ensure that the jabs are available and accessible to poor nations.President of the bank, Mr David Malpass, stated that there is an urgent need to find faster and more effective ways to get vaccines to people in developing countries and to plan for future health emergencies.He also urged countries with excess vaccine supplies to release their surplus doses as soon as possible to developing countries that have vaccination operations already in place as well as increase the transparency of delivery commitments.

Sudan has declared a state of emergency and a night curfew in parts affected by ethnic clashes.Violence was reported in some parts of the coastal Port Sudan city.State Media Suna reports that at least five people were killed and 13 injured.The Red Sea state governor's media office did not give any figures in their statement.Ethnic clashes are common in Sudan among rival groups with some being over shared natural resources.

A member of the House of Representatives from Rivers State, Awaji-Inombek Abiante, is proposing a bill to repeal the National Youth Service Corps Act.He noted that the NYSC was established to encourage and develop common ties among the Nigerian youths, promote national unity, as well as develop the youths and the country into a great and dynamic economy.The lawmaker lamented that the programme has failed to address the essence of its establishment after several decades.He decried that several reform efforts have also not yielded desired results but have continued to be a drain on the nation’s scarce resources and exposed families to several nightmares, and even loss of loved ones after so much investment.

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Professor Itse Sagay has advised the government to scrap the Constitution and adopt the 1963 Republican Constitution.He believes the 1963 Republican Constitution addresses everything that is being agitated for in the country and can help halt the turmoil that has rocked the nation.Sagay, who is also the Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee against Corruption, noted the report of the Nasir El-Rufai led All Progressives Congress Committee on Restructuring.He stated that the committee came up with an excellent report, stressing the need to look at the content of the documents and implement them.

The House of Representatives Special Committee on Constitution Review has fixed Tuesday and Wednesday next week for its zonal public hearing scheduled to take place across the six geopolitical zones of the country.The Deputy Speaker of the House and Chairman of the committee, Ahmed Wase, called Nigerians, including members of the executive and judicial bodies, traditional institutions, political parties, civil society organisations, and professional bodies, among other stakeholders to attend the hearing in their respective zones.He noted that the members of the committee would be posted outside their zones to have a feeling of what was obtainable in other regions.The Deputy Speaker says they have an opportunity to write their names in gold.

President Muhammadu Buhari has lamented the Friday crash that led to the loss of the former Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Ibrahim Attahiru and 10 other military personnel, saying the incident has compounded the nation’s woes.President Buhari told the delegation that he is hoping that God would provide the enablement for the nation to deal with challenges.He says to lose choice officers has increased the problem of the country but they will continue to work hard and pray hard so that God will give them the power to appreciate and apply themselves to the problem.

The Presidency has faulted the recent resolutions of the Southern Governors, including the ban on open grazing in the entire southern part of the country.The President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, believes the Governors have failed to provide any solution to the lingering crisis between farmers and herders in the country.He says the citizens of the Southern States have a right to expect their elected leaders and representatives to find answers to challenges of governance and rights, and not to wash their hands off hard choices by, instead, issuing bans.Shehu explained that the President has expressed a strong resolve to address the conflicts of herders and farmers in a sustained and lasting manner.

A study by Public Health England shows that the Pfizer-BioNTech and Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines have been found to be highly effective against the coronavirus variant that was first identified in India.The Pfizer vaccine was 88-per cent effective and the AstraZeneca jab was 60-per cent effective against the B1617.2 strain after the second dose.Health Secretary Matt Hancock described the outcome as groundbreaking, while PHE says it expects to see even higher levels of effectiveness against hospital admission and death.