Newscast - Africa

Russia says it was suspending United States on-site inspections under a strategic arms control treaty with Washington, pointing to Western sanctions and coronavirus infections, adding that Moscow remains committed to all provisions of the treaty.
The Russian foreign ministry says facilities that are subject to inspections under the New START treaty will be temporarily exempt from such inspections.
Moscow also accused Washington of seeking to create unilateral advantages and deprive Russia of the right to carry out inspections on American soil.

The US secretary of state says Washington will not dictate which choices Africa should make and neither should anyone else.
Antony Blinken says African nations have been treated as instruments of other nations' progress, rather than the authors of their own.
Mr Blinken addressed African reservations that the continent is sometimes used as a pawn in international relations.
He outlined the US's priorities for the continent, which include democracy, investment, security, Covid recovery support and clean energy.

South Africa's minister of international relations has called for more effort to be made to resolve the war in Ukraine through dialogue.
Naledi Pandor says South Africa abhorred war.
She also called for an even-handed approach to international issues - saying the world should be equally concerned about what's happening to the people of Palestine as the people of Ukraine.

Mali has received five military jets and a combat helicopter from Russia - a close ally in its fight against a jihadist insurgency.
Defence Minister Sadio Camara paid tribute to what he called Mali's win-win partnership with Russia.
That second military take-over in just over a year plus Mali's decision to hire Russian mercenaries were key reasons why France chose to pull its troops out of the country.

The high cost and scarcity of aviation fuel, known as Jet A1, has forced Air Peace to suspend its Lagos-Johannesburg flight operations.
The airline explained that due to the turbulent times the aviation industry was experiencing with Jet A1 fuel increases, scarcity of forex and a delay in visa issuance for South African travel passengers, it had to stop the service.
Johannesburg is one of the three international routes Air Peace operates. The others are Dubai and China.

The Nigerian Economic Summit Group has made a passionate appeal to President Muhamadu Buhari to utilise the remaining 10 months in his administration to make tough choices and take decisive actions that would pull Nigeria from the brink of socio-economic collapse.
The NESG says these decisive decisions, should include addressing mounting insecurity challenges in the country and crude oil theft, ending the multiple exchange rate system which, it stated was keeping foreign investment away from Nigeria as well as be decisive in removing petrol subsidy in a manner that would not hurt the vulnerable segment of Nigerians adversely.
It also tasked the government to take necessary steps to restore Nigeria back to fiscal and debt sustainability.

Governor Samuel Ortom has written President Muhammadu Buhari for firearm licensing for the newly established Benue State Community Volunteer Guards inaugurated to provide surveillance and intelligence gathering in the wake of persistent herdsmen attacks.
Ortom says the move became necessary following the legitimated process of establishing the Guards to help restore peace in the troubled parts of the state.
He says the President he knows would approve his request to also empower his people against their transducers or at best, leave room for a fair level of response on the defences of his people.

President Muhammadu Buhari has okayed Seplat Energy Offshore Limited’s acquisition of Exxon Mobil shares.
Buhari considered the extensive benefits of the transaction to the country’s energy sector and the economy in giving consent.
The President granted consent to the Share Sales Agreement, as requested by the parties to the transaction, and directed that the approval be conveyed to all the parties involved.

US public health officials have declared the spread of the monkeypox disease a public health emergency.
The declaration will free up additional government resources to help contain the spread of the virus.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says more than 6,600 cases of the disease had been confirmed in the US.
Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra says they are prepared to take their responsibility to the next level in addressing the virus and urged every American to take monkeypox seriously.

A Kenyan court has ordered the country's electoral body to use a manual register to identify voters in next week's general election.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission had planned to rely solely on the electronic voter register, saying that using printed registers could open the door to electoral malpractice.
The court however says the IEBC's plans would violate the Kenyan constitution. Where electronic voter identification devices fail, a printed register must be used instead, it said.