Covid: South Africa 'punished' for detecting new Omicron variant
South Africa has complained it is being punished - instead of applauded - for discovering Omicron, a concerning new variant of Covid-19.
The foreign ministry made the statement as countries around the world restrict travel from southern African countries as details of the spread emerged.
Early evidence suggests Omicron has a higher re-infection risk.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday that the new variant was being considered as "of concern".
‘A core threat to our democracy’: threat of political violence growing across US
Republicans’ muted response to Paul Gosar’s behavior has intensified fears about where incendiary rhetoric may lead
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez stood on the House floor and implored her colleagues to hold Paul Gosar accountable for sharing an altered anime video showing him killing her and attacking Joe Biden.
“Our work here matters. Our example matters. There is meaning in our service,” Ocasio-Cortez said in her speech last week. “And as leaders in this country, when we incite violence with depictions against our colleagues, that trickles down into violence in this country.”
House Republicans heard Ocasio-Cortez’s impassioned plea and responded with a collective shrug. All but three Republican members voted against censuring Gosar and stripping him of his committee assignments, while every House Democrat supported the resolution.
Home Office vows to proceed with migrant pushbacks after boat tragedy – but won’t say if they’ve started
Campaigners preparing to launch legal challenges against policy after Channel’s deadliest small boat disaster
The government has vowed to press ahead with plans to force migrant boats back to France after the English Channel’s deadliest disaster, but is refusing to say whether any pushbacks have happened.
Ministers have repeatedly said that the operations have been “authorised” and claimed they are “safe and legal”, despite concerns raised by the UN Refugee Agency and others.
But Home Office officials have refused to confirm if any pushbacks have yet taken place, claiming that they cannot comment for “operational reasons and to avoid giving an advantage to the serious organised criminal groups facilitating these crossings”.
Ai Weiwei on surviving captivity
The Chinese artist was in Berlin to discuss his new memoir, "1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows," which also vividly depicts his father's 20 years of internment.
Ai Weiwei presented his new memoir, "1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows," published by Penguin Random House in 14 languages, during a book talk held at the Berliner Ensemble theater on Thursday.
The dissident artist and activist, who has been focusing on the plight of refugees since 2015, is renowned for his provocative works and his outspoken remarks.
In joint op-ed, China and Russia decry US democracy summit
A rare joint opinion article by the ambassadors of China and Russia has sharply assailed President Joe Biden's plans for a virtual summit of democratic countries -- from which they were pointedly excluded.
Calling the US plan "an evident product of its Cold-War mentality," ambassadors Anatoly Antonov of Russia and Qin Gang of China said the December 9-10 event would "stoke up ideological confrontation and a rift in the world, creating new 'dividing lines.'"
The summit is meant to fulfill a campaign pledge by Biden to advance the cause of global democracy at a time when autocratic governments have been on the rise.
Turkish lira crisis hits Idlib in Syria
Turkey’s currency crisis spills over into opposition-held Syrian city that adopted the lira more than a year ago.
Jamil Barakat says it was never easy to sustain a living in Syria’s northwestern Idlib town. But the Turkish lira crisis next door and skyrocketing inflation have made running his small business a nightmare.
“Produce prices change every day, and customers are in disbelief,” Barakat tells Al Jazeera. “And of course you have to take into consideration rent and transportation costs.”
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