Newscast - Africa

The Airline Operators of Nigeria have threatened to sue the Federal Government over continued multiple entries granted to foreign airlines.
The body also declared that for any foreign airline or investor to invest in the new national carrier, it must deposit at least $200 billion with the Central Bank of Nigeria to be sure of its seriousness.
President of AON, Alhaji Yunusa Abdulmunaf says that the body has decided to challenge the government in a court of law of the current policy on multiple entries to airlines is not addressed.
The AON President lamented that billions of naira are being lost annually to multiple designations granted to the foreign carriers and warned that if the policy continued unabated the domestic airlines would die, while the foreign airlines would eventually take over the domestic market.

The Nigeria Football Federation has sacked the Super Eagles’ technical crew.
The NFF in a statement says it has withdrawn the two-and-half years’ contract offered to the coaches and terminated the appointment of the entire technical crew of the team with immediate effect.
The NFF says a new crew will be announced after a proper review to lead the new charge of reinvigorating the Super Eagles to face future challenges appropriately.
It also confirmed that Austine Eguavoen had earlier resigned as the team’s technical director.

Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Ado Doguwa, says Nigerians should be allowed to bear arms in self-defence considering the deteriorating security situation in the country.
Doguwa is of the opinion that the security agencies have failed and citizens should not be at the mercy of terrorists or bandits.
Another lawmaker, Honourable Aminu Suleiman questioned the effectiveness of the House regarding the resolutions passed on security-related matters and urged the lawmakers to embark on a strike until the security situation is handled.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has unveiled a $7.3bn plan to help the country meet its carbon emissions target, including significant reductions in the oil-and-gas sector.
Trudeau linked Europe’s effort to move away from Russian oil and natural gas after the country’s invasion of Ukraine to a broader, global push towards renewable energy.
He says Europe Leaders don’t just want to end their dependence on Russian oil and gas but want to accelerate the energy transformation to clean and green power.
The plan announced on Tuesday includes a $2.3bn investment in zero-emission vehicles and related infrastructure, as well as $800m to green Canadian homes and buildings

President Joe Biden’s administration on Friday plans to unveil tougher fuel economy standards for vehicles that would reverse his predecessor Donald Trump’s rollback of U.S. regulations aimed at improving gas mileage and cutting tailpipe pollution.
The Transportation Department says Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Deputy Administrator Steven Cliff will make a major announcement on fuel economy standards on Friday.
Biden’s administration asked on Monday in its federal budget proposal to Congress for $27.5 million to support the next phase of NHTSA fuel economy regulations for light vehicles and maximum fuel efficiency standards for medium and heavy-duty trucks and represents meaningful progress toward achieving the administration’s climate agenda.

Russian communications regulator Roskomnadzor says it had drawn up two administrative cases against Alphabet Inc’s Google for failing to remove banned information, accusing it of blatantly promoting false content.
Roskomnadzor says Google could be fined up to 8 million roubles or as much as 20% of the company’s annual revenue in Russia for repeat offences.
It says YouTube had become one of the key platforms involved in the information war against Russia.

Head of the finance committee in Russia’s lower house of parliament, Anatoly Aksakov says foreign consumers of Russian natural gas should simply acquire roubles to pay at the Moscow Exchange and no change in the law is required.
Putin’s order last week has boosted the currency after it fell to all-time lows when the West imposed sweeping sanctions against Moscow over its military operation in Ukraine, which also sent European gas prices higher.
Aksakov says they can buy it on forex, wherever also they can buy the roubles wherever.
The Russian central bank, the government and Kremlin-controlled energy company Gazprom, which accounts for 40% of European gas imports, have been asked to present their proposals for rouble gas payments to Putin by March 31.

The Democratic Republic of Congo has officially been admitted to the East African Community trade bloc.
Kenya's President Kenyatta says the moment was significant
He says the community will grow significantly as there will be expanded market opportunities.
DR Congo's parliament will still have to ratify the EAC laws and regulations, as well as deposit the instruments of acceptance with the secretariat before they come into effect.
The EAC is also expected to consider a proposal for the simultaneous translation of French and Swahili during the community’s meetings.

Botswana is the latest country to approve the use of the Corbevax coronavirus vaccine - and also plans to produce it locally by 2026.
The South African-born biotech billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong made the announcement on a visit to Botswana on Monday.
Dr Soon-Shiong says he had organised for Botswana to immediately get access to 100 million doses of the Corbevax vaccine currently in production elsewhere.
He says the protein-based vaccine had been declared safe, worked against every variant and 10 million doses had already been administered, mainly in India and Bangladesh.

Rebels in Ethiopia’s northern region of Tigray say no food aid has reached the area despite the government announcing a unilateral truce last week to allow humanitarian assistance to millions facing starvation.
They say convoys of trucks carrying food and medicine are still waiting for clearance to Tigray, which has received no deliveries since mid-December.
The UN chief has also urged the authorities to restore public services in Tigray, including banking, electricity and telecommunications that have been cut off since the conflict began in November 2020.
The government has been accused of imposing a blockade, which it has denied. U