Newscast - Africa

The Nigerian Railway Corporation has suspended train operations along the Abuja-Kaduna route.
The Corporation stated this via its official Twitter handle on Tuesday.
The statement follows an attack by gunmen on a train conveying passengers from Abuja to Kaduna on Monday night.
The Commissioner, Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Kaduna State, Samuel Aruwan, says that the evacuation of passengers had been concluded by security forces, officials of Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency and the Nigerian Red Cross.
Mr Aruwan noted that the passengers who sustained injuries, and other fatalities, had been moved to hospitals.

The Senate called on President Muhammadu Buhari to declare full war against terrorists in the country.
The lawmakers during plenary discussed the spate of insecurity in the country and the recent attack by bandits on a Kaduna-bound train where travellers were killed, and many others injured.
One of the lawmakers, Senator Gabriel Suswam says the terrorist attack on the train is a pointer to the failure of leadership in the country.
He says it is time for the appropriate authority to take decisive actions to address insecurity in the country.
He noted that terrorists have stepped up attacks in some communities and public facilities in Kaduna State.

President Muhammadu Buhari met with Service Chiefs in Abuja over the Kaduna train incident which occurred on Monday and directed the immediate conclusion of all the processes for the implementation of the integrated security surveillance and monitoring solution for the Abuja to Kaduna railway line.
The President says the solution should be extended to cover the Lagos-Ibadan railway line.
The presidential spokesperson Garba Shehu says the President also directed the Nigerian Railway Corporation management to speedily repair the damaged lines and resume normal service without delay.
He condemned the bombing of the passenger train, describing it as a matter of grave concern.

The European Commission called on EU governments to end national programmes to sell citizenship to investors, also known as golden passports schemes and urged them to suspend the sale of visas to Russians and Belarusians.
The European Commission says some Russian or Belarusian nationals who are subject to sanctions might have acquired EU citizenship or privileged access to the EU, including to travel freely in the Schengen area, under these schemes.
The Commission urged an immediate end to existing national programmes for the sale of passports.
Brussels also said governments should check whether sanctioned people were holding a golden passport or visa they had issued.

El Salvador’s parliament has approved the state of emergency that temporarily suspended some constitutional protections in the Central American country following a wave of killings attributed to criminal gangs.
Police reported a total of 62 homicides making it the most violent day in nearly three decades.
The congress’s president, Ernesto Castro says they approve of the exceptional regime, which will allow their government to protect the lives of Salvadorans and confront criminality head-on.

The Taliban have ordered airlines in Afghanistan to stop women from flying unless accompanied by a male relative, in the latest crackdown on basic human rights by the country’s new rulers since seizing power.
The hardline Islamists also ordered local television channels to stop broadcasting BBC news bulletins.
They also decreed men and women could not visit parks in the capital on the same days.
The Taliban ordered Afghanistan’s Ariana Afghan Airlines and Kam Air to stop women from boarding flights unless they were escorted by a mahram or adult male relative.

The Democratic Republic of Congo's army says Rwandan soldiers backed M23 rebels during an attack on Monday near its border with Rwanda and Uganda.
DR Congo's army says it had captured two Rwandan soldiers involved in the attack and presented them at a press conference.
The governor of Rwanda's Western province however says the Rwandan army was not by any means involved in the belligerent activities in Congo.
Francois Habitegeko also disowned the names of the alleged Rwandan soldiers captured in Congo and said the Congolese army should have used verification mechanisms between the two countries.
The UN has regularly accused Rwanda and Uganda of supporting the M23 although both governments deny the allegation.

Ghana reopened its land and sea borders on Monday after a two-year closure as it lifted some coronavirus restrictions in an attempt to bolster a flagging economy.
President Nana Akufo-Addo also announced in a televised address that the wearing of masks in the country is no longer mandatory as active Covid-19 cases drop below 100.
Afuko-Addo says outdoor functions can resume at full capacity as long as all persons are fully vaccinated.
Ghanaians living in border communities who usually trade with neighbours in Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, and Togo applauded the decision, saying it will bring life back to their areas

The Minister of Information and Culture, Mr Lai Mohammed, says the days of hunger in the land are numbered as Nigerians will soon begin to feel the impact of the Federal Government’s effort to revamp the agricultural sector, even on their dining tables.
He says no government has invested in an agricultural revolution like the Buhari administration.
The minister urged farmers to support the government’s drive in ensuring food sufficiency by shunning unnecessary export of farm produce in illegal manners.
He informed Nigerians that the government was not unmindful of the challenges in the various sectors of the country, including the economy, security, and power.

The Minority group of the House of Representatives is demanding an investigation into the attack on the Kaduna International Airport by terrorists on Saturday.
The group in a statement by its Minority Leader, Ndudi Elumelu, says that the development is another frightening commentary on the apparent collapse of the national security and intelligence gathering coordination.
Hon. Elumelu noted that the attack on the airport as sent a very worrisome signal to the international community regarding the safety of the airports and the worsening insecurity in Nigeria.