US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will lead a delegation to three African nations next month as Washington boosts diplomatic efforts to counter Russia's charm offensive on the continent.
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador to the UN, will also also visit Ghana and Uganda in August. USAID chief Samantha Power, in a recent trip to Kenya and Somalia, underscored the rise in malnutrition exacerbated by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The diplomatic push from Washington comes as Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov embarks on his own tour of Africa, during which he has sought to blame western sanctions for soaring food prices. The US has strongly rejected this, saying that Russia is blocking Ukraine's ports, causing prices to skyrocket.
"It's the height of irony for him to go down there and and blame the West for the hunger that is caused by the food insecurity throughout the continent," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Friday.
"It would be laughable if it wasn't so tragic.
"We're not fooled and we suspect that many African nations are also not fooled by the Russian narrative here and the rewriting of recent history that they're attempting to do."
Mr Blinken said he had spoken with Mr Lavrov and reminded his Russian counterpart of the country's pledge to restart grain exports.
"I ... emphasised that the world expects Russia to fulfil its commitments under the deal it reached with Ukraine, Turkey and the United Nations on grain shipments from Ukraine," Mr Blinken said during a news conference.
During Mr Blinken's trip to Africa, he will stress that African countries are "geostrategic players" in tackling the effects of climate change, food insecurity and global pandemics, the State Department said.
South Africa has become a key diplomatic battleground as it has remained neutral on the Ukraine war, refusing to join the West's calls to condemn Moscow. The US secretary of state will visit Johannesburg and the capital Pretoria from August 7-9.
From there, he will head to Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to show support as the country looks to move on from decades of conflict.
He will complete his trip in Rwanda, which has experienced a flare-up in tension with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which has accused its neighbour of backing the rebel movement M23 - a charge Kigali denies.
The State Department said that Mr Blinken will also press for Kigali's release of Paul Rusesabagina, who is credited with saving scores of lives during the 1994 genocide and is the subject of the film Hotel Rwanda. Mr Rusesabagina was jailed on terrorism charges last year.
Agence France-Presse contributed to this report
Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
Brief scores:
Toss: Pakhtunkhwa Zalmi, chose to field
Environment Agency: 193-3 (20 ov)
Ikhlaq 76 not out, Khaliya 58, Ahsan 55
Pakhtunkhwa Zalmi: 194-2 (18.3 ov)
Afridi 95 not out, Sajid 55, Rizwan 36 not out
Result: Pakhtunkhwa won by 8 wickets
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
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Liverpool 3
Sadio Man 28'
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Things Heard & Seen
Directed by: Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini
Starring: Amanda Seyfried, James Norton
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The nine articles of the 50-Year Charter
1. Dubai silk road
2. A geo-economic map for Dubai
3. First virtual commercial city
4. A central education file for every citizen
5. A doctor to every citizen
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7. Self-sufficiency in Dubai homes
8. Co-operative companies in various sectors
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Heather, the Totality
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Favourite car: Ferrari
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Academic qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in media production from the Higher Colleges of Technology and diploma in production from the New York Film Academy
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Changing visa rules
For decades the UAE has granted two and three year visas to foreign workers, tied to their current employer. Now that's changing.
Last year, the UAE cabinet also approved providing 10-year visas to foreigners with investments in the UAE of at least Dh10 million, if non-real estate assets account for at least 60 per cent of the total. Investors can bring their spouses and children into the country.
It also approved five-year residency to owners of UAE real estate worth at least 5 million dirhams.
The government also said that leading academics, medical doctors, scientists, engineers and star students would be eligible for similar long-term visas, without the need for financial investments in the country.
The first batch - 20 finalists for the Mohammed bin Rashid Medal for Scientific Distinction.- were awarded in January and more are expected to follow.
