South Africans feel they are paying the price for their ability to monitor new Covid variants.

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One of the lead investigators of the new variant has told the BBC that the virus is "transmitting at great speed" in parts of South Africa.

Prof Tulio de Oliveira, a virologist and Director of the Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation in South Africa, says that infections in Gauteng province - which contains the country's largest city, Johannesburg - appear to be "amplified".

"We hope that we are wrong on this," he tells the BBC's Newsday programme, adding that teams are trying to establish how transmissible the new variant is.

He says, however, that he expects existing vaccines to continue to provide some protection.

"We hope - and expect - that vaccines will protect against hospitalisations. We still think that, at the moment, vaccines are our best weapon."

The bitter fighting continues between the federal government forces and a coalition of rebels groups who are closing on the capital, Addis Ababa. In a personal reflection about the war in Ethiopia, from someone who wants peace, Newsday heard that even talking about peace or negotiation is seen as treachery in the current climate there. An Ethiopian citizen, a resident of Addis Ababa - we have decided to keep her identity secret to protect her.

“I used to discuss politics with friends prior to this. But as of late I’m afraid because… you don’t feel safe. I feel like I don’t have a shared value with the people I grew up with. People who are pro-peace are pushed to remain silent and to self-censure otherwise you will see it on social media and in real life: people are very much hostile and aggressive to you. The consequences are quite scary, to be honest.”

“I know that I’ve aged. It’s such a scary time to be in because I never thought this would come. I cannot believe the people that I know, that I went to school with, the people that were working with me, are supporting the war today in 2021. I feel guilty for surviving. This was such a wrong decision on the part of the men and the leadership of this country… it really makes me sad, what a horrible year it has been. It will take at least 50 years to get back to the Ethiopia we knew prior to this war. Everyone is paying the price for it.”

(Pic: A tank damaged during the fighting between Ethiopia’s National Defence Force and Tigray Special Forces on the outskirts of Humera town; Credit: Reuters)

Pumza Fihlani
BBC News, Johannesburg

Image source, Reuters

Friday feels like an ordinary day at Johannesburg’s O.R. Tambo International Airport - the arrivals lounge a hive of excitement with people waiting for their loved-ones from various parts of the world.

They arrived to long hugs and some tears of joy.

Among them were travellers from the UK – many of would’ve only found out about the UK’s decision to put South Africa back on the “red list” when they touched down this morning.

Image source, Supplied

One of them is South African Darryl Warren, who works in the UK.

“Of course I’m worried about the costs of having to quarantine when I return to work because it can get quite expensive, but I’ll worry about that in January. For now it’s good to be back,” he says.

Nichola Mandil
BBC News, Juba

Michael Lado Allajabu has been appointed mayor of South Sudan’s capital, Juba, after Kalisto Lado Faustino was sacked last week without any reason given.

The new appointment was announced by the governor.

Mayor Allajabu's welcoming ceremony was attended by Mr Faustino - who said that even though he was not invited, he wanted to demonstrate how leadership should be exercised.

He said he wanted to show Mr Allajabu respect and hand over the office properly.

The new mayor said he would continue with the reform agenda and that he would introduce digital tax collection systems in order to minimise corruption in the city.

Improvement projects by the outgoing mayor had rattled some people as illegal structures were demolished to pave way for roads aimed at minimising traffic.

It is expected that South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa will order a meeting of the country's National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC) this Sunday, according to an announcement on the government news agency's Twitter.

The council will assess developments in the pandemic as well as the new variant that has been discovered locally.

Several countries are restricting travel to parts of southern Africa since the emergence of B.1.1.529.

Outcomes from the NCCC help inform the country's policies on lockdown restrictions, according to the Reuters news agency. , external

The health secretary details travel restrictions brought in amid concern about a new Covid variant.

The UK's decision to impose restrictions on South African travel is "disappointing" and the country remains "open for business and tourism travel" South Africa's minister of tourism says.

In a statement on Twitter, Lindiwe Sisulu says South Africa will continue working with countries who are limiting travel "to ensure that the best possible interventions are put in place".

So far the UK, Israel, Italy, Japan and other countries are placing curbs on travel from southern African countries because of a new Covid-19 variant.

Image source, AFP

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has reduced the prison sentence of Malian jihadist Ahmad al-Faqi al-Mahdi by two years.

He was in 2016 jailed for nine years for destroying ancient mausoleums in Timbuktu but will now serve seven.

In reducing the term, ICC judges said they had considered factors including "his prospect for resocialisation and resettlement and his cooperation since he was surrendered to the Court in September 2015".

"The date for the completion of his sentence is therefore set to 18 September 2022," the ICC said in a statement, external on Thursday.

Al-Madi was found guilty for war crimes for intentionally directing attacks against Unesco world heritage religious and historic buildings in Timbuktu in 2012.

The court found he had not only offered "logistical and moral support" for the attacks, but also took part in the physical destruction of at least five out of the 10 buildings.

He had admitted the charges and was remorseful, the court heard.

In October, he apologised for his role in the destruction as he asked judges to release him from prison.

More on this topic:

• The vandal of Timbuktu
• How Timbuktu's manuscripts were smuggled to safety

France has suspended flights from several southern African nations in response to the discovery of the new Covid variant.

The measure, which is similar to that announced by the UK, applies to South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia and Eswatini.

Flights from these countries are suspended with immediate effect for at least 48 hours, the French prime minister's office says in a statement.

"People who have travelled in the last 14 days in one of these countries are invited to report to the authorities and to perform an RT-PCR screening test as soon as possible," the statement adds, according to Le Figaro.

Eswatini’s Prime Minister says that police fired on civilians during deadly protests this year.

Rhoda Odhiambo
BBC health reporter, Nairobi

Image source, Reuters

Travellers to Kenya from southern African nations must show proof of a negative PCR test in advance, then quarantine on arrival and undergo regular testing thereafter, the country's health ministry has announced.

It follows confirmed cases of a new coronavirus variant, known as B.1.1.529, in South Africa, Botswana and Hong Kong.

Kenya has not announced immediate plans to ban flights from South Africa. Its national carrier Kenya Airways currently operates two flights daily to Johannesburg and three to Cape Town.

The country’s Director General of Health Patrick Amoth says that although passenger traffic may not be significant from Namibia, Lesotho, Botswana, Eswatini and Zimbabwe, enhanced surveillance protocols will be introduced.

Travellers at Cape Town airport respond to new UK quarantine measures over Covid variant.

Karen Schoonbee
BBC News, Cape Town

Image source, Getty Images

The morning flight from London to Cape Town had both South Africans returning home and Britons who said they had come to visit friends and enjoy the good weather in the Cape.

Some were unaware of the new travel restrictions imposed back in the UK while they were airborne.

One passenger told the BBC that the atmosphere at the front of the plane was subdued when people heard about the new measures. He said there was no big commotion.

A number of passengers said they had not heard anything about the restrictions.

One distraught Capetonian was at the airport to collect her UK-based sister who flew out for their mother's funeral. She said it was "absolutely ridiculous" that travel restrictions had been imposed "again so quickly".

She was happy her sister was on the flight – which may be the last for a while – but said: "I think she'll be staying here for a long time."

Reactions among the UK-based passengers varied. Some said they would simply stay longer and enjoy the good weather, while others said they were surprised and upset to be caught in a travel ban so recently lifted.

South Africa's official government account has tweeted that it can "crush the power of the new variant by vaccinating to limit the number of mutations".

It says that "working together" the country can win the fight and "save our summer because vaccines can fight variants".

The tweet was accompanied by an infographic that outlines the benefits of getting the jab.

Less than a quarter of South Africans are fully vaccinated at present.

Image source, Getty Images

The new Covid variant detected in South Africa has led to countries restricting travel from the southern Africa region.

Cases of B.1.1.529 have been documented in South Africa, Hong Kong, Botswana and Israel.

So far the following countries have imposed curbs on travel from southern Africa:

• The UK has placed restrictions on six countries including South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho and Eswatini
• Singapore has placed seven countries on its red list despite saying it has no cases of the new variant
• Japan has implemented restrictions from six countries, according to a local news source
• Israel has barred South African travellers and banned its citizens from visiting seven countries in the southern African region
• Germany is banning travel from South Africa allowing only German nationals to enter the country
• Italy has barred entry to anyone who has visited southern African countries in the last two weeks
• The Czech Republic has also put in place a ban which takes effect on Saturday

Ahmed Rouaba
BBC News

Image source, AFP

Militiamen have stormed a Libyan court and prevented judges from looking into Saif al-Islam Gaddafi’s appeal against the decision to exclude him from the presidential race, according to his lawyer.

Khaled Zaidi told reporters in the city of Sebha that the hearing could not take place because "the employees of the court and judges were forced out at gunpoint".

He described the move as "unacceptable and uncivilised" and warned it would have "implications on the election process".

The electoral commission had rejected the candidacy of several applicants for the presidential race including Mr Gaddafi - the son of Libya's late leader Muammar Gaddafi - citing legal reasons.

Mr Gaddafi is wanted by the international criminal court for alleged war crimes during the popular uprising against his late father’s rule.

Libyan military prosecutors had asked the electoral commission to stop processing the paperwork of both Mr Gaddafi and warlord Khalifa Haftar until they are questioned over criminal charges brought against them.

On Thursday, a Misrata court issued a death sentence in absentia against Mr Haftar for bombing Misrata's military college in 2019 and killing Libyan soldiers during his rebellion against the national unity government.

The candidacy of Mr Haftar for the presidential elections seems to have been validated by the electoral commission.

Image source, Getty Images

The head of the agency leading Africa's response to the coronavirus pandemic says imposing restrictions such as banning flights is unlikely to reduce the spread of the new variant.

"The restrictions imposed always make it difficult to co-ordinate a response," Dr John Nkengasong, director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, tells BBC Newsday.

"It doesn't help... it has never helped reduce the spread of any variant across the world," he says, referring to the decision by the UK to suspend flights from six southern African countries.

He suggests abiding by public health measures such as wearing masks, especially at gatherings during the winter festivities, and washing hands.

"Avoid crowds and implement the basic public health and social measures that are effective against all variants. I think that is what we should be promoting."

BBC Monitoring
The world through its media

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Burkina Faso President Roch Kaboré has promised military and cabinet changes in the coming days, amid growing protests over the government’s response to militant attacks in the northern and eastern parts of the country.

President Kaboré said he would soon announce “imminent changes” within the military structure, and ordered the “active and effective” presence of military chiefs on the front line, in a late night state address on Thursday,

"Yes, I have understood your message, which invites us to a paradigm shift," he said in response to the protests.

A political coalition, dubbed 27 November Coalition, has called for mass protests on Saturday to demand that the president steps down for failing to contain deadly militant attacks carried out by affiliates of al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group.

The protests follow an escalation of attacks since the beginning of November, which have killed scores of security officers. The attacks have been blamed on jihadist groups.

On 14 November, 53 paramilitary officers and four civilians were killed during a raid on a camp in Inata in the north.

Mr Kaboré says that a report on the attack will be released on next Tuesday.

Meanwhile, mobile internet services remain disrupted as the authorities try to contain the protests.

New Covid-19 variants keep appearing – and their mutations are very different to the comic book kind.