Newscast - Africa

The National Institute for Communicable Diseases says South African scientists have detected a new coronavirus variant with multiple mutations but are yet to establish whether it is more contagious or able to overcome the immunity provided by vaccines or prior infection.
The variant, known as C.1.2, was flagged last week by the KwaZulu-Natal Research and Innovation and Sequencing Platform in a preprint study that has yet to be peer-reviewed.
NICD scientists say C.1.2 was only present at very low levels and that it was too early to predict how it might evolve.
NICD researcher Penny Moore says they do not have experimental data to confirm how it reacts in terms of sensitivity to antibodies.

The International Committee of the Red Cross says more than 44,000 people, 45% of them children, are currently declared missing across Africa.
The ICRC says about 82% of those missing are from just seven countries with armed conflicts.
Nigeria accounts for more than half of the total number of missing persons in Africa – about 24,000 people have been registered missing in the country.
The ICRC says the continent had seen a rise in the number of missing people in the past year as a result of armed conflicts and other forms of violence.

The United Nations Environment Programme says leaded petrol has been eradicated from the world.
It described the end of its use as a huge milestone. The fuel has contaminated the atmosphere, drinking water and crops for nearly a century.
The UN says its abolition will save 1.2 million premature deaths every year, largely by reducing heart disease and cancer. It also damages the developing brains of children.

The federal government revealed that it spent over N1.5 trillion in managing the effects of COVID-19 in the country.
Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, says the growth rate was an indication that business and commercial activities had fully returned to the pre-pandemic level.
The minister also predicted that if necessary economic measures and policies were put in place and sectors, such as agriculture, were improved upon, the economy would maintain a five per cent growth rate in the third quarter (Q3) of the year.

The Shehu of Borno, Abubakar El-Kanemi, says the people of Borno State were lucky to have President Muhammadu Buhari in government as his reign has changed the tide against insecurity significantly.
The Shehu of Borno says his people had seriously suffered as a result of the Boko Haram crisis but added that they were lucky to have the Buhari government, which eventually changed the tide.
He says all the local government areas in the state, which were under the control of Boko Haram had been taken back by the troops, adding that normal business activities had also returned in the state.

The Central Bank of Nigeria announced the formal engagement of global fintech company, Bitt Inc., as a technical partner for its proposed digital currency, also known as e-Naira.
CBN Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele, says the Central Bank Digital Currency would bring about increased cross-border trade, accelerate financial inclusion, and lead to cheaper and faster remittance inflow.
He says digital money, also known as cryptocurrency, would lead to easier targeted social interventions, as well as improvement in monetary policy effectiveness, payment systems efficiency, and tax collection.

The Chief Justice of Nigeria and Chairman of the National Judicial Council, Justice Tanko Muhammad has summoned the Chief Judges of Rivers, Kebbi, Cross River, Anambra, Jigawa and Imo State to an emergency meeting.
The CJN summoned the head of the concerned courts to the emergency meeting to brief him on the incessant granting of the conflicting orders on suits instituted by different political parties before the various courts.
The Spokesperson of the NJC, Soji Oye confirmed that the letter indeed emanated from the office of the CJN but declined to say on what specific day the meeting has been scheduled for.
He however said that the meeting will hold sometime this week.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has called on leaders to make sacrifices in order to deal with tensions among people of different faiths and ethnicities in the country.
He stated that there is no way that they can deal with the tensions between the faiths and ethnicities in Nigeria today unless those in leadership are prepared to make some important sacrifices.
Osinbajo says those sacrifices are in what they say, how they say it, and then sacrifices also in the acknowledgement of whatever people are saying and the willingness to accept.
Osinbajo also called for interfaith dialogue, emphasizing the importance of language and communication to prevent violence.

A band of veteran Afghan leaders, including two regional commanders, are angling for talks with the Taliban and plan to meet within weeks to form a new front for holding negotiations on the country’s next government.
Khalid Noor, son of Atta Mohammad Noor, the once-powerful governor of northern Afghanistan’s Balkh province, said the group comprises veteran ethnic Uzbek leader Abdul Rashid Dostum and others opposed to the Taliban’s takeover.
He says they prefer to negotiate collectively because it is not that the problem of Afghanistan will be solved just by one person.
He says it is important for the entire political community of the country to be involved, especially the traditional leaders, those with power, with public support.

French President Emmanuel Macron says France, Germany and the United Kingdom are working on a United Nations proposal aimed at establishing a safe zone in Kabul to allow safe passage for people trying to leave Afghanistan.
Macron says France had begun discussions with the Taliban to explore how to further evacuations might proceed.
Macron says what they have proposed is a solution to create a zone allowing people to arrive at the airport.
Macron says it was too early to reach any conclusions, but he said it was worth pursuing.
Macron added says Discussions with the Taliban did not mean France would necessarily recognise Taliban rule officially.