US President Barack Obama is to make a week-long foreign tour in July that will include Russia, Italy and Ghana, the White House says, according to BBC.

Mr Obama will be in Moscow on 6-8 July for talks that are expected to cover efforts to reduce nuclear stockpiles and non-proliferation.

From Russia he will head to the Group of Eight summit in Italy.

He will then travel to the Ghanaian capital, Accra, on his first trip as president to sub-Saharan Africa.

There had been speculation that Mr Obama's first presidential trip to the continent might be to Kenya, home to the president's late father.

The White House said the visit to Russia would provide the chance to deepen engagement on issues including missile defence and security challenges.