EgyptAir has announced the resumption of direct flights between Cairo and Toronto after the Canadian government lifted its travel ban on Egypt and several African countries…reports Asian Lite News
“EgyptAir announced the resumption of the flights between Cairo and Toronto – Canada starting next Tuesday, December 21, 2021,” Xinhua news agency quoted the flag carrier as saying in a statement.
EgyptAir to resume direct flights to Toronto
The announcement came a day after Canada’s federal government lifted its travel ban imposed in late November on 10 African countries including Egypt over concerns related to the new Omicron Covid-19 variant.
Canadian Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos said on Friday that the ban announced last month aimed “to slow the arrival of Omicron in Canada and buy us some time”.
Turkey, Africa agrees to boost cooperation in various fields
The Third Turkey-Africa Partnership Summit in Istanbul concluded with the adoption of an action plan for the next five years…reports Asian Lite News
The heads of Turkey and African countries have agreed to boost their partnership and cooperation in a wide range of areas, including the establishment of peace and security, as well as improvement of infrastructure investments in Africa.
The Third Turkey-Africa Partnership Summit in Istanbul concluded with the adoption of an action plan for the next five years, Xinhua news agency reported.
Turkey, Africa agrees to boost cooperation in various fields
Speaking at a press conference after the summit on Saturday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said “we support the efforts to develop intra-African trade, and we will continue to encourage our companies to do business with the continent to get localized.”
He noted that Turkey is also ready to offer support to African states in their fight against terrorism, organised crime and strengthen cooperation in poverty eradication in the continent.
Addressing the summit, Felix Tshisekedi, chairman of the African Union and president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, said Africa needs concrete projects mainly in trade, infrastructure, agricultural development, governance, and health.
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“In some parts of Africa, unfortunately, there is instability and insecurity due to terrorist activities. Therefore, it is a must to ensure peace and security to move forward,” he noted.
The participant leaders also highlighted the importance of a joint struggle against the Covid-19 pandemic.
Over 100 ministers and 16 heads of state and government from Africa attended the three-day summit.
The new measures are intended to contain the spread of the Omicron variant which has been shown to spread rapidly…reports Asian Lite News
Rwanda on Wednesday announced stricter Covid-19 preventive measures, suspending nightclubs and increasing quarantine days for arriving travellers, effective from December 16, following the confirmation of the first six cases of Omicron variant in the country.
“All arriving passengers must be quarantined for three days at a designated hotel at their own cost. A Covid PCR test will be taken upon arrival and an additional test taken on the third day and on the seventh day at own cost from arrival date,” a statement released by the Prime Minister’s office said, following Tuesday’s cabinet meeting.
President Paul Kagame (Twitter image)
The government had reintroduced mandatory 24-hour quarantine for incoming travellers in November following detection of the Omicron variant in South Africa, Xinhua news agency reported.
The government has also suspended nightclubs and live band entertainment in other venues, according to the statement.
It said organised concerts will be approved on a case by case basis.
On Wednesday, the Rwandan Ministry of Health announced that the first six cases of Omicron variant had been confirmed in the country through genomic sequencing of samples collected from travellers and their contacts.
The ministry said the new measures are intended to contain the spread of the Omicron variant which has been shown to spread rapidly.
As of December 15, Rwanda had recorded an accumulated tally of 100,763 Covid cases with 1,344 deaths.
At least 6.9 million people in the east African country have received the first Covid vaccination jab while 4.2 million are fully vaccinated, according to the Ministry of Health.
UNHCR faces funding shortfall to meet needs of refugees, IDPs in Ethiopia
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said it has only received 72 per cent of the $164.5 million it required to meet the needs of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees in Ethiopia…reports Asian Lite News
In its latest situation update report published on Wednesday, the UNHCR said it has only received 72 per cent of the $164.5 million it needs to meet the needs of 96,000 Eritrean refugees in Ethiopia, 650,000 IDPs in Ethiopia as well as 120,000 Ethiopian refugees in eastern Sudan, reports Xinhua news agency.
UNHCR faces funding shortfall to meet needs of refugees, IDPs in Ethiopia
The funds are needed to meet the shelter, education, health as well as water and sanitation needs of refugees and IDPs in Ethiopia as well as Ethiopian refugees in Sudan, the UNHCR disclosed.
Ethiopia is the third largest refugee-hosting country in Africa, sheltering 806,374 registered refugees and asylum-seekers, mostly from South Sudan, Somalia, Eritrea and Sudan, as of October 31, 2021, according to UN figures.
The country also has a large number of IDPs, including 2.2 million who were forced to flee the conflict that broke out in November 2020, in the northern Tigray regional state.
The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has called for calm following a court verdict which said former President Jacob Zuma has to be sent back to jail…reports Asian Lite News
This follows the verdict by the North Gauteng High Court on Wednesday nullifying and setting aside the granting of the medical parole to Zuma, reports Xinhua news agency.
“The Commission also notes that the social media is already abuzz with statements that have the potential to inflame the situation in the country. The Commission calls for calm and appeals to all the people of South Africa to continue being law-abiding members of society and ensure that their actions and statements contribute to nation-building and social harmony, do not heighten tensions and lead to further destruction and violation of people’s rights,” said SAHRC spokesperson Gushwell Brooks.
Zuma was prisoned in July for refusing to appear at the State Capture Inquiry probing corruption during his presidency.
The jailing of Zuma resulted in unrest which claimed over 300 lives and led to the destruction and burning of shopping malls.
He was moved to a hospital prison in August, before being released in September on medical parole.
Brooks said statements on the media and social media sparked the July unrest.
“The Commission also calls upon the security cluster to note the developments, including the evolving social media discourse about the recent High Court decision, and to do their best to prevent the repeat of the July 2021 experiences.
“Let us all be calm and exercise restraint and allow the judicial processes to unfold,” he said.
S.African govt welcomes removal of travel curbs by UK
South African Tourism Minister Lindiwe Sisulu welcomed the UK’s decision to lift travel restrictions to the country in the wake of the outbreak of the Omicron Covid variant…reports Asian Lite News
“The announcement by the UK government is a step in the right direction for the South Africa’s tourism sector,” Xinhua news agency reported citing the Minister as saying.
“When South Africa was added to the red list last month, the implementation of the hotel quarantine, instead of home quarantine was a huge deterrent for the Brits who were considering travelling to South Africa at a time when tourism was just beginning to recover,” she added.
S.African govt welcomes removal of travel curbs by UK
The UK imposed travel restrictions when the Omicron Covid-19 variant was detected in South Africa late last month.
The UK government removed 11 countries including South Africa from the red list.
“The UK government has come just in time to allow families and friends to unite over the festive season. We hope to welcome British travellers very soon,” said Sisulu.
“The Omicron variant is something we continue to take seriously and our scientists are monitoring its trajectory, to contain the virus and ensure the appropriate robust safety measures are in place,” she said.
“South African borders remain open and our government and tourism industry has been working extremely hard to implement safety regulations so that we are ready for all inbound visitors.”
The Department of International Relations and Cooperation also welcomed the removal of the restrictions.
Kenyan police foil abduction of 40 civilians in border region
Kenyan police have foiled an attempt by suspected al-Shabab militants to abduct faithful at a mosque in Konton, Wajir County, in the northeastern border region…reports Asian Lite News
Wajir County Police Commander Hilary Toroitich said a gang of about five had raided a local mosque and taken hostage about 40 faithful who were present, Xinhua news agency reported.
Kenyan police foil abduction of 40 civilians in border region
Toroitich added that the militants suspected to have crossed from neighbouring Somalia ordered the faithful out and tried to drive them into a thicket heading to the nearby Kenya-Somalia border.
Their target was the Imam (Islamic preacher), also a police reservist who was leading the prayers then, the Police Commander said.
No military personnel involved in a drone strike that killed 10 civilians, including seven children, in Afghanistan’s Kabul, in August will face punishment…reports Asian Lite news
US Defence Secretary, Lloyd Austin approved recommendations from US Central Command Head, General Kenneth McKenzie and US Special Operations Command leader, General Richard Clarke to not take any administrative action against those involved in the August 29 strike, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby told the media on Monday.
AFGHAN DRONE TRAGEDY: Pentagon Rejects Punishment
The Defence Department admitted in September that the drone strike — which came in the final days of the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan — was a “tragic mistake” that killed civilians, including seven children, Xinhua news agency reported.
UN: Hijackers hold drivers of humanitarian trucks taken in northern Ethiopia
Military groups are holding some drivers of 18 commandeered aid trucks in the Amhara region of northern Ethiopia, a UN spokesman has said…reports Asian Lite News
“The World Food Programme (WFP) and its non-governmental organisation (NGO) partners strongly condemn the commandeering of its trucks and assets, as well as forcible threats to their staff,” added Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres. Some drivers remain detained.
On Friday, “a group of armed individuals — believed to be either from the Ethiopian National Defence Forces or an affiliated allied military force — entered the Disaster Risk Management Committee compound in Kombolcha and took 18 WFP trucks by force,” he said.
UN: Hijackers hold drivers of humanitarian trucks taken in northern Ethiopia
The WFP reported to the UN headquarters in New York earlier Monday that the hijackers returned 15 of the trucks, but the whereabouts of some of the drivers remain unknown, Xinhua news agency reported.
The WFP had informed the Ethiopian federal government of the thefts, and local authorities in Dessie are aiding in recovering the remaining trucks, Haq added. Individuals used the trucks “for their own purposes.”
Haq told Xinhua that while WFP reported drivers missing, he did not know how many.
The spokesman said the drivers were not among the UN staff detained in November by federal authorities in Addis Ababa and the embattled Tigray region, north of Amhara.
While Haq had no information on the truckers, he added, “We still have under detention 10 staffers and two dependents,” referring to the earlier federal detainees.
He said the WFP and partners reiterate that “under international humanitarian law, it is prohibited to attack, destroy, misappropriate or loot relief supplies, installations, material, units, or vehicles.”
Attempts to reach a WFP spokesperson were unsuccessful.
Cambodia has identified the first case of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 in a traveller from the western African country of Ghana, the country’s ministry of health announced in a press statement…reports Asian Lite News
“A 23-year-old Cambodian woman was confirmed positive for the Omicron variant by the Pasteur Institute in Cambodia (on) December 14,” the statement released on Tuesday evening, said.
Cambodia confirm first case of Omicron variant
The woman, who is 15-weeks pregnant, arrived in Cambodia on Sunday from Ghana, with connecting flights in Dubai and Thailand’s Bangkok, it said, adding that she was first rapid-tested positive for Covid upon her arrival at the Phnom Penh International Airport, Xinhua news agency reported.
The patient is currently undergoing treatment at a Covid treatment facility in Phnom Penh, the statement said.
The Omicron variant was first reported to the World Health Organisation (WHO) from South Africa on November 24 and it was classified a “variant of concern” by the WHO.
