Africa Business Radio

A plan to tax online content creators in Egypt has sparked mixed reactions.The country's tax authority asked YouTubers and bloggers to register and declare their annual income.The government is targeting those earning more than 500,000 Egyptian pounds annually.The AFP news agency reports that some people on social media have been supporting the new taxation while others are opposed to the move citing high internet costsThe AFP quoted Mohamed al-Gayyar, a senior tax authority official says anyone who makes a profit in Egypt must be fairly taxed whatever their field of work is.

Prime Minister Choguel Kokalla Maïga says Mali's elections meant to usher in a return to democratic rule and set for next February could be postponed by two weeks, two months, a few months. Mr Maïga says it was better to organise peaceful elections, recognised by all, rather than to organise elections that will be disputed.The government could also use the planned withdrawal of French forces from the country to justify an extension of the transition period.Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says the Malian government was turning towards private Russian companies to boost its security, seemingly confirming reports that Bamako may be about to sign a security agreement with the controversial Wagner group.

Sudan's foreign minister says Sudan has not taken any significant steps to normalise relations with Israel since April when its cabinet repealed a decades-long boycott of the country, Mariam Sadiq al-Mahdi says there's not any sign of normalisation with Israel and there are no talks at any official level adding that abolishing a law on boycotting Israel does not mean that they will consider opening an Israeli embassy in Khartoum.She added that improving relations with Israel was necessary to improve relations with the US and said it was tied to support for Sudan joining the World Trade Organization after nearly two decades of failed attempts.

Guinea’s military junta has barred its members from running in the next elections that will mark a return to civilian rule.The charter also provides for a government headed by a civilian prime minister and a national transitional council that will temporarily act as a parliament.The council will have 81 members drawn from society including business leaders, political parties, religious organisations, diplomats and professional organisations. They are also barred from running in the next local or national elections.At least 30% of the council members must be female and will include a president and two vice-presidents.

US President Joe Biden has nominated Dr John Nkengasong to lead a public health programme on combating HIV/Aids, known as the President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief.Dr Nkengasong is currently the head of the Africa CDC - the agency leading the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.The US government initiative has been without a leader since February last year. Its former leader Deborah Birx left to join the US coronavirus task force.Experts say that many people were not getting tested while others were not able to take their medicine due to the interruption of supplies.

The Independent National Electoral Commission has asked the National Assembly to revisit the Electoral Act amendment bill, assuring that it has the capacity and technical know-how to undertake electronic transmission of election results throughout the country. INEC called on the Senate and House of Representatives to quickly amend Sections 63, 65 and other relevant sections of the Electoral Act, which bar the commission from a collation of election results electronically. INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education, Festus Okoye, insisted that the electronic transmission of results in real-time was the best guarantee of transparency.Okoye says for such to become a reality, the National Assembly must show courage by amending the relevant sections of the Electoral Act.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, says in pursuit of a more united and peaceful society, Christian groups and leaders of faith in Nigeria must preach fairness and equity at all times and be relentless advocates of freedom of worship, justice, and the rule of law, The VP says that fairness, equity and respect for the rights of others are fundamental to peace and security hence Christian leaders at all levels must strive to promote those virtues despite the challenges.He says that Christ did not come to establish a religion or to condemn men, but to show all men that his own righteousness is the qualification for eternal life.

The Federal Government says over 3.5 million doses of Pfizer vaccine are expected from the United States, as part of measures to ensure all Nigerians get vaccinated against the virus.Chairman of the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, says notable progress is being made in the area of vaccines.Mustapha says the PSC has taken note of the challenges raised by travellers who visit the National International Travel Portal in compliance with travel protocols.He lamented that some airport staff were not diligent in the discharge of their duties with respect to the quarantine procedure.

The Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, called on journalists to remain steadfast in the rule of law and press freedom in the country.He says it is the duty of the press, as well as politicians and others, to ensure Nigeria remains safe, secure, and united.He thanked journalists for their civic vigilance and appealed for more collaboration with the government to protect the information space.The vice president equally called on stakeholders in Nigeria to replicate such efforts in the interest of security and unity.

Governors of the 19 states in the North have opposed the call by their southern counterparts that the Presidency should be zoned to the South in 2023.Chairman of the Forum and Governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong, says zoning the office of the President as being agitated by southern governors is against the provisions of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.They stated that any president elected must meet the constitutional requirements which include scoring the majority votes, and polling at least 25 per cent of the votes cast in two-thirds of the 36 states of the Federation.Governor Lalong noted that although some northern governors had endorsed power shift to the South, the regional governors collectively condemned such calls.

Russia’s foreign minister says Russia, China, Pakistan, and the United States are working together to ensure Afghanistan’s new Taliban rulers keep their promises, especially to form a genuinely representative government and prevent violence from spreading.Sergey Lavrov says representatives from Russia, China, and Pakistan recently travelled to Qatar and then to Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, to engage with the Taliban and representatives of secular authorities.Lavrov says the interim government announced by the Taliban does not reflect the whole gamut of Afghan society ethnoreligious and political forces so they are engaging in contacts.

Italian Foreign Affairs Minister Luigi Di Maio says the Taliban government in Afghanistan could not be recognised but said Afghans should start receiving the financial support that was frozen after the armed group took power last month.He urged foreign governments to prevent a financial collapse there that would result in a massive flow of migrants.He says the recognition of the Taliban government is impossible since there are 17 terrorists among the ministers, and the human rights of women and girls are continuously violated.He says they must prevent Afghanistan from implosion and from an uncontrolled flow of migration that could destabilise neighbouring countries.

A top foreign ministry official says India will export eight million coronavirus vaccine jabs by the end of October after ending its ban on sending doses abroad. Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised to resume exports at a meeting of leaders from the so-called Quad in Washington as India, Japan, Australia, and the US try to counter growing Chinese influence across the Asia-Pacific region.Foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla says that most of the eight million doses of the Johnson & Johnson single-shot vaccine will be sent to Asia-Pacific countries.

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has expressed confidence that an infrastructure bill will pass this week but acknowledged it might not get a Monday vote as planned, with fellow Democrats warning critical work remains to meet the party’s deadlines.Democrats have been planning to upgrade the nation’s roads and bridges, but are also under immense pressure to finalize a $3.5 trillion public investment package.Pelosi hinted at potential delay ahead despite her confidence that the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill that has already cleared the Senate with support to pass the House of Representatives this week.

The Egyptian education ministry has barred teachers and other staff from entering schools and universities unless they have been either vaccinated or fully tested for Covid.Education Minister Tariq Shawqi says unvaccinated staff must pay for two PCR tests a week - at the prohibitive rate of almost $100 each.Official figures show that 40% of Egyptian teachers have yet to be vaccinated against coronavirus.

The UN panel of experts on Human Rights in South Sudan says that political elites are responsible for the ongoing deadly conflict in Tambura County in Western Equatoria State.The UN experts say nine of the 10 states in South Sudan are engulfed in violence with recent violence between the Azande and the Balanda communities in Tambura resulting in the massacre of more than 100 civilians.Chair of the UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan, Yasmin Sooka says the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army/In Opposition are responsible for arming the Azande and Balanda communities. The South African human rights lawyer said the failure to establish a joint army command structure had heightened tensions in the country.

A Ugandan government official has been sentenced to 40 years in prison and ordered to pay $5.4m in compensation.Godfrey Kazinda had looted money from a programme funded by foreign donors to assist communities in the north of the country who have been devastated by the Lord's Resistance Army.AFP news agency reports that the total amount he was accused of embezzling was $26.4m.

Mali's interim prime minister, Choguel Maïga, has accused France of abandoning the nation "mid-flight" after the European country decided to reduce its troops thereby up to half.Mr Maïga criticised the unilateral announcement adding that it leads them to explore pathways and means to better ensure their security autonomously, or with other partners.This has been interpreted as a reference to Mali reportedly asking Russian mercenaries to train its military and boost national security, despite recent reports of abuses by Russian mercenaries elsewhere in the continent.

Sudanese transitional authorities have reached an agreement with protesters who had blocked two crucial pipelines in the east and disrupted the flow of oil in and out of the country.The demonstrators from the Beja community have been protesting for weeks, blocking the pipeline transporting oil exports from landlocked South Sudan and the other handling crude imports into Sudan.A delegation from the transitional authorities on Sunday held talks with the protesters.It was followed by a tentative agreement with Beja community elders to allow passage of oil exports through Bashayer port, the main terminal close to Port Sudan where exports from South Sudan are shipped from.The Beja elders have said they will need a week, after the tentative agreement, to further discuss the matter.

The British High Commission announced that the United Kingdom is collaborating with the Nigeria National Primary Health Care Development Agency towards recognising Nigeria vaccines certificate.It says with effect from October 4, 2021, all Nigerian travellers to the UK from the majority of countries that are on the amber list, including Nigeria would be required to take a pre-departure COVID-19 test three days before travelling before they would be eligible for admission into the UK.The statement also noted that from the aforementioned date, the rules for international travel to the UK would change from the red, amber, green light system to a single red list of countries and simplified travel measures from arrivals from the rest of the world.