Newscast - Africa

The Federal High Court has issued new practice directions that allow for virtual hearing of cases and electronic service of notices on lawyers.
The new practice directions, which were issued by Chief Judge of the Court, Justice John Tsoho, forbade judges from granting more than two adjournments to any party in an election dispute.
It also provided that interlocutory issues touching on the jurisdiction of the Court, shall be suspended and delivered at the stage of final judgment.
The statement adds that the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court may direct that matters be transferred to the appropriate Division or any other Division as may be reasonably practicable considering the given circumstances.

Nigerian President Appeals To Academic Staff Union Over Prolonged Strike

President Muhammadu Buhari called on ASUU to reconsider their position on the continued strike, expressing worry that the hiatus will have generational consequences on families, the educational system, and the future development of the country.
The President, says the strike had already taken a toll on the psychology of parents, students, and other stakeholders, throwing up many moral issues that already beg for attention.
President Buhari noted that the future of the country rests on the quality of educational institutions and education while assuring that the government understands its position, and negotiations should continue, with students in lecture halls.

The UN Development Programme in a report says soaring inflation rates have seen an increase in the number of poor people in developing countries by 71 million in the three months since March 2022.
The UNDP says an analysis of 159 developing countries globally indicates that price spikes in key commodities are already having immediate and devastating impacts on the poorest households, with clear hotspots in the Balkans, countries in the Caspian Sea region, and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Sri Lanka’s President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has agreed to step down next week, an official said, after protesters stormed the presidential palace and set fire to the prime minister’s home to vent their anger over a worsening economic crisis.
Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena request the public to respect the law and maintain peace.
The news of the president’s decision triggered an eruption of celebratory fireworks in parts of the capital, Colombo.

The 51st Pacific Islands Forum leader's meeting is shaping up to be the most significant regional summit in years.
The forum, which includes 16 small island nations along with Australia and New Zealand, is also breaking with convention and postponing the in-person Dialogue Partners ministerial meeting, a gathering of representatives from its 21 external partners, including the United States and China.

A court in Barcelona has authorized an autopsy to be carried out on the body of the former Angolan president, Jose Eduardo dos Santos.
The autopsy was requested by the late president's daughter, Tchize dos Santos.
She has spoken of a conspiracy to kill her father to prevent him from supporting the opposition in the upcoming Angolan elections.
Lawyers for the Dos Santos family have denounced moves by the Angolan government to return the body to Angola for a state funeral, against the ex-president's expressed wish to be buried privately in Spain.

Doctors without Borders has raised the alarm over the rocketing number of malnourished children in Nigeria's northwest.
The body which provides medical assistance to people affected by conflict, epidemics, and disasters, called on the Nigerian authorities and the United Nations to intervene before the situation becomes uncontainable.
It added that a growing, yet largely ignored, malnutrition crisis was unfolding in the region in Nigeria, which it said threatens the lives of tens of thousands of children.
The organization stated that the hunger gap had begun, and the peak of malaria transmission which would further deteriorate the health and nutritional status of children was even yet to come.

An appeal court in the U.S says ExxonMobil Corp and Royal Dutch Shell Plc affiliates may try to enforce a part of a $1.8 billion arbitration award against the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited in a dispute concerning oil extraction near the African country's coastline.
The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan said a lower court judge erred in rejecting the entire October 2011 award, which by 2018 had grown to $2.67 billion including interest, against NNPC.
It says the judge should have determined which parts of the award had been deemed enforceable by a Nigerian appeals court.

The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, has announced Senator Kashim Shettima as his running mate in the 2023 general elections.
Tinubu briefed reporters about the choice at the end of a closed-door meeting that lasted about an hour with Buhari at the President’s residence.
Shettima was selected because the former Borno State governor is competent, capable, reliable, and able to be picked as a running mate.

Political candidates and their parties will sign a Peace Accord to commit themselves to the smooth conduct of the exercise ahead of the July 16 governorship election in Osun State.
Chairman of the committee and former Head of State, General Abdusalami Abubakar called on the Independent National Electoral Commission and all stakeholders to consolidate on the success of the recently held Ekiti State governorship poll.
He appealed to the electorate to come out en masse, exercising their civic rights to vote, without fear of violence and with the understanding that the structures for growth are dependent on peace, and also expressed concern over the growing trend of vote-buying.