Six In The Morning Friday 26 November 2021

 

New Covid-19 variant sparks global travel restrictions

• The European Union and other major destinations have moved to block flights from African countries following the discovery of an aggressive mutation of the Covid-19 virus.
• The new strain, known as B.1.1.529 variant, has been detected in South Africa, Botswana, Belgium, Israel and Hong Kong.
• While only dozens of cases have been identified so far, news of the variant is already sparking fears around the world and rattling global markets.

Myanmar junta accused of forcing people to brink of starvation

Advisory group say military has destroyed supplies, killed livestock and cut off roads used to transport food since February coup

Kaamil Ahmed

Fri 26 Nov 2021 13.58 GMT

Myanmar’s military junta has been accused of forcing people to the brink of starvation with repeated offensives since it seized power in a coup earlier this year. Stefan Weichert

The Special Advisory Council for Myanmar said the junta had destroyed food supplies and killed livestock while cutting off roads used to bring in food and medicine.

The council said military offensives in the country’s north-west and east have prevented farmers from harvesting their crops.

Ukraine president says coup plot uncovered as Russian tensions grow

Zelenskiy did not accuse Russia of involvement but warned of a wider military threat from Moscow

Stefan Weichert

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the country has uncovered a plot for an attempted coup that was due to take place as early as next week and involve people in Russia.

Zelenskiy did not accuse the Russia government of playing a role in the coup attempt but warned of a wider threat of military escalation from Moscow, and said Ukraine would be prepared.

The president did not give more details about the alleged coup, but said Ukrainian intelligence suspected the involvement of Russian citizens and Ukraine’s richest man, Rinat Akhmetov.

Turkish court extends activist's detention despite pressure

Okinawa governor refuses to approve change to U.S. base transfer plan

Okinawa Gov Denny Tamaki said Thursday he will not approve the central government's planned design change for the relocation of a key U.S. military base within the southern island prefecture, a decision that could lead to a legal battle.

Tamaki has been calling for dialogue with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida over the controversial transfer plan for U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, located in a residential area of Ginowan, to the less densely populated coastal area of Henoko in Nago, but the central government has shown no signs of responding.

"It is unacceptable to continue (new base) construction with no prospect of completion, which is effectively meaningless," Tamaki said at a press conference.

Sudan’s PM Hamdok backed military takeover, says general

Deputy head of Sudan’s sovereign council, General Dagalo, tells Al Jazeera that reinstated Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok was part of discussions leading to the military takeover in October.

The deputy head of Sudan’s governing sovereign council, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, has said that Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok was aware of last month’s military takeover before it happened and was “completely agreeable” to it.

Hamdok was deposed by the military on October 25 but reinstated as interim premier after signing a deal on Sunday with Sudan’s top general to restore the transition to civilian rule.