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Ethiopian government says it has recaptured Lalibela, U.N. World Heritage site

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) -Ethiopian government forces and their regional allies have recaptured the town of Lalibela, a United Nations World Heritage Site, from Tigrayan forces, the prime minister’s office said on Wednesday, the latest in a string of towns the military says it has retaken. Also on Wednesday, China’s foreign minister Wang Yi arrived in …

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S.African data suggests Omicron gets around some, not all immunity

By Promit Mukherjee and Estelle Shirbon JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) -The Omicron variant appears able to get around some immunity but vaccines should still offer protection against severe disease, according to the latest data from South Africa where it is fast overtaking Delta to become the dominant variant. Omicron, which has raised global fears of a surge …

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South Africa’s rand, stocks recover on improved risk-taking

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) -The South African rand and stocks continued their recovery on Wednesday from last week’s plunge, as risk appetite returned somewhat to markets, with investors betting that the Omicron COVID-19 variant would not derail the economic recovery. At 1511 GMT, the rand traded at 15.7950 against the dollar, 0.61% firmer than its previous close. …

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Exclusive-U.S. CDC to collect data on southern Africa passengers over COVID variant

By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. officials ordered airlines to disclose passenger names and other information about those who have recently been in eight southern African countries and will give it to local and state public health agencies, according to documents seen by Reuters. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) told airlines in …

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Sudan’s Hamdok would quit if post-coup deal not implemented – source

KHARTOUM (Reuters) -Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok will quit if a political agreement he signed with the military last week is not implemented or fails to receive backing from political factions, a source close to him said on Wednesday. Hamdok was released from house arrest and restored to his job under the deal reached on …

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Nigeria confirms first Omicron cases in airport arrivals in past week

ABUJA (Reuters) -Nigeria on Wednesday confirmed its first cases of the Omicron COVID-19 variant in air passenger arrivals, but amended an earlier statement to say the travellers had arrived in Nigeria only over the past week. Initially, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said that retrospective sequencing of previously confirmed COVID cases among travellers …

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South Africa’s Santam names industry veteran Madzinga as CEO

(Reuters) -South African insurer Santam on Wednesday named industry veteran Tavaziva Madzinga as its chief executive officer, replacing LizĂ© Lambrechts who is set to retire. Madzinga joins Santam from Kenya-listed financial services firm Britam and will take the reins in July next year. His two-decade career includes a 16-year stint at South African insurer Old …

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Ghana says it records first cases of Omicron variant

ACCRA (Reuters) -Ghana’s health ministry detected the country’s first cases of the Omicron COVID-19 variant on passengers who arrived at Accra international airport following sequencing carried out on Nov. 21, the head of the Ghana Health Service said on Wednesday. Officials have so far declined to specify how many positive cases were detected when the …

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Sudan security forces fire tear gas at march against military rule

KHARTOUM (Reuters) -Sudanese security forces fired tear gas as tens of thousands of protesters gathered in central Khartoum on Tuesday to oppose military rule following a coup in October. Neighbourhood resistance committees called the protests, demanding full civilian authority, casting aside an agreement last week that reinstated civilian Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and brought the …

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Uganda and Congo attack Islamist militia in joint operation

By Erikas Mwisi Kambale BENI, Democratic Republic of Congo (Reuters) -Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo carried out joint air and artillery strikes against an Islamic State-linked militia in eastern Congo on Tuesday, both countries said, vowing to continue working together to secure the targeted area. The strikes targeted the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) militia, …

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