Newscast - Africa

Lagos Waste Management Authority has commended some markets and business facilities in the state, for supporting its drive to sustain effective waste management across the state, by ensuring their business transactions were carried out in a hygienic environment.
The Managing Director/CEO of LAWMA, Mr Ibrahim Odumboni, eulogised the markets, particularly, Tejuosho Market, Alaba International Market, Ayangburen Market, Sabo Ikorodu; Agege Main Market, Elemoro Market, Bodije; for setting the standard for other markets to emulate, regarding environmental hygiene around their facilities.
Odumboni stated that the task of keeping the city clean was a collective responsibility, where different stakeholders, including markets, were expected to play their parts, by making sure that indiscriminate and reckless disposal of waste, was totally eradicated.
The LAWMA boss called on traders at Mushin Main Market, Jakande Market, Ajah; Irepodun Market, Oko Oba; Ayetoro Market, Epe, and Alaba Arago, to redouble their efforts at restoring cleanliness to their markets, which in recent times had experienced the upsurge of indiscriminate waste disposal, warning that the Authority would not hesitate to shut down markets caught flouting the state’s environmental laws.

Qatar’s foreign minister has reiterated his country’s position on addressing the situation in Afghanistan, saying Doha will continue to work towards enhancing humanitarian and economic efforts in the war-torn country.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani says Qatar will work with ally Turkey and Taliban officials to ensure that Kabul’s international airport, the site of chaotic scenes after the Taliban takeover, continues to function.
Turkey’s FM Mevlut Cavusoglu says Turkey was seeking to work for peace and stability in Afghanistan as he urged the international community to engage in dialogue with the Taliban and called on them to differentiate between the political and humanitarian side of things.

Rohingya refugees have sued the social media giant Facebook for $150bn over claims the social network is failing to stem hate speech on its platform, exacerbating violence against the vulnerable Myanmar minority.
The complaint says the algorithms that power the US-based company promote disinformation and extreme thought that translates into real-world violence.
The court document says Facebook is like a robot programmed with a singular mission: to grow.
It added that the undeniable reality is that Facebook’s growth, fueled by hate, division, and misinformation, has left hundreds of thousands of devastated Rohingya lives in its wake.

The United States announced a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, citing human rights abuses, in a move that will not stop US athletes from competing.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki says the Biden administration will not send any diplomatic or official representation to the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympic Games.
The US government has been trying to find the best way to position itself with regard to the Winter Games, hosted from February 4-20, 2022 by a country it accuses of perpetrating genocide against Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang, northwest China.
Psaki says sending official representation to the Olympics would signal that, despite China’s egregious human rights abuses and atrocities in Xinjiang the Games were business as usual.

Western powers have called on the Ethiopian government to stop detaining people based on their ethnicity.
The US, UK and others cited reports by human rights groups that many Tigrayans were being rounded up, including priests, the elderly and mothers with their children.
They said people were being held without charge in inhumane conditions.
The government denies it is targeting any ethnic group.
It says individuals who are suspected of supporting the Tigray People's Liberation Front and its ally the Oromo Liberation Army have been arrested.
The government says it has made significant gains against Tigrayan forces in recent days.

Algeria's President Abdelmadjid Tebboune says Algeria has agreed to give a grant of $100m to the Palestinian Authority.
Mr Tebboune says Algeria would be hosting a meeting of Palestinian factions in the near future.
The Palestinian Authority has major financial problems, which leaves it struggling to pay public sector employees.
Algeria has increased its activity over the Palestinian issue recently, just as its neighbour Morocco has been building new ties with Israel after signing a normalisation deal last year.

The federal government set to take a decisive step to enhance justice delivery as well as reduce drastically the number of inmates across custodial centres in the country.
Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami stated that the project was initiated to ensure the hearing and determination of urgent and time-bound cases, using the digital platform.
He says the government will no longer be constrained by mobility, space and time in justice delivery on account of accommodation of the virtual court sitting facilities and deployment of incidental technology.
He noted stably the country’s justice system which is founded on the constitutional principle of fundamental rights to a fair hearing requires the court to hear and determine cases in public and in the presence of suspects or parties in court.

Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Ambassador Sarafa Isola, called on the British authorities to review their decision to place Nigeria on the red list.
He believes rescinding its decision does not make the UK authorities weak but true leaders who have the interest of the people at heart.
He says changing decisions with more facts doesn’t portray as weakened but make a good leader who has courage.
UK authorities had over the weekend added Nigeria to the country’s red list category in a bid to contain the spread of the new COVID-19 variant, Omicron.
The British government went on to halt the process of making decisions on visitor visa applications in Nigeria and other countries on its red list.

The President of the African Development Bank Group, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, has condemned travel bans placed on African countries over the latest variant of COVID-19, Omicron.
Adesina in a statement says Global vaccines and travel apartheid against Africa are endangering lives, hurting economies, lives, jobs and livelihoods, from a pandemic Africa did not cause. End the apartheid. Respect Africa!”
UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid said most a significant number of Omicron cases have been linked to travel with Nigeria.

The National Bureau of Statistics says Nigeria’s trade balance in the third quarter of 2021 amounted to a deficit of N3,023.50 billion as the value of imports continued to outpace exports,
The deficit was an increase of 26.53% compared to the same period in 2020.
Total imports in the third quarter grew to N8,153.79 billion, showing an increase of 17.32% quarter on quarter and 51.47% on a year-on-year basis.