Newscast - Africa

The US government's aid agency has denied accusations that it has been feeding rebels fighting in Ethiopia's northern region of Tigray.
It follows accusations that humanitarian organisations were giving high-energy foods meant for mothers and children to fighters loyal to the Tigray People's Liberation Front.
US Aid rejected accusations that it had deliberately given food to fighters, saying that its food donations were only meant for those in need.

Former South African President Jacob Zuma is asking the public to donate funds to support his legal battles - he is facing trial for corruption linked to a $5bn arms deal.
A post on his foundation’s official Twitter page asks South Africans and the world to lend a helping hand to cover legal fees.
Zuma has been serving a 15-month sentence since July for contempt of court for failing to appear at a separate inquiry into corruption.
He has pleaded not guilty, saying the trial is politically motivated.

The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission have announced plans to commence the process for a new revenue sharing formula for the federal, state, and local governments.
RMAFC Chairman, Elias Mba reiterated that the commission is highly determined to produce, within the shortest possible time, a new revenue sharing formula that will be fair, just, and equitable to the three tiers of government.
He believes the new sharing formula will help address issues of poor infrastructure, ecological challenges, and the series of agitations for a review.
The new revenue sharing formula is expected to be implemented by the end of 2021, 28 years after the commission conducted a review.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission will hold banks liable where there are established cases of institutional complicity in fraud in the sector from September 1, 2021
The Chairman of EFCC, Mr Abdulrasheed Bawa, says bank auditors must take issues of transparency in their operations serious, adding that starting from the aforementioned day, it would no longer be business as usual as the commission would hold banks responsible for such transactions.
He affirmed the commission’s willingness to partner with the association in tackling financial crimes and related challenges in the banking sector.

A former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria has called on the federal government to stop subsidising power and fuel consumption in order to put the economy on a sustainable fiscal path.
He also warned the government against excessive borrowing, describing it as a time bomb.
Sanusi says Nigerians have to understand that the way they run the state is unsustainable they cannot continue subsidising fuel.
He says It is desirable, but not sustainable and they have to be ready to make certain sacrifices.

The Governor of Borno State, Babangana Zulum says that repentant insurgents should not be rejected in order to avoid worsening the insurgency war.
He believes the price for rejecting the surrendered bandits could be far worse than the current situation.
He says the report of the surrendering of the insurgents is a very welcome development unless they want to continue with an endless war.

Governor Samuel Ortom has described the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari as the worst when it comes to handling security matters.
Governor Ortom says he was disappointed at the way the president has handled certain critical matters in the country, especially insecurity.
The governor was reacting to the president’s open grazing policy.
He says he has achieved some level of development in other sectors but these prominent things that are concerns to Nigerians and they are all worried.

Lawyers for President Joe Biden’s administration have asked the US Supreme Court to keep in place a federal prohibition on evictions, designed to curb the spread of the coronavirus, while justices consider a constitutional challenge by landlord groups to the ban’s legality.
US Justice Department lawyers say the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention acted within its lawful authority earlier this month when it renewed a federal moratorium on kicking people out of their homes during the coronavirus pandemic.
The CDC first issued an eviction moratorium in September 2020, with agency officials saying the policy was needed to combat the spread of COVID-19 and prevent homelessness during the pandemic.

The United States Department of the Treasury sanctioned an Eritrean official it accused of engaging in serious human rights abuses committed during the ongoing conflict in Ethiopia’s Tigray region.
The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control is blacklisting General Filipos Woldeyohannes, the chief of staff of the Eritrean Defense Forces.
The Treasury accuses EDF troops of massacres, looting, rape, torture, executions and purposely shooting civilians in the street.
Director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control Andrea M Gacki says today’s action demonstrates the United States’ commitment to imposing costs on those responsible for these despicable acts, which worsen a conflict that has led to tremendous suffering by Ethiopians.

The US Food and Drug Administration fully approved Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine, a move expected to trigger a new wave of vaccine mandates as the Delta variant batters the country.
Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock in a statement says the FDA’s approval of this vaccine is a milestone as we continue to battle the Covid-19 pandemic.
The decision to award it approval was based on updated data from the drug’s clinical trial, including a longer duration of follow-up, with safety and effectiveness evaluated among more than 40,000 people.