INTERNATIONAL

The Ethiopian military has regained control of the historic town of Lalibela from Tigrayan rebels.The move came amid an announcement by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) that it is withdrawing from all areas in the Amhara and Afar regions. The TPLF said it took the decision to clear the way for a peaceful resolution to its conflict with the ...

The new coronavirus variant omicron is spreading across the globe at an unprecedented rate, the world health organization (WHO) has warned. Cases of the heavily mutated variant have been confirmed in 77 countries. But at a press conference, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said it was probably in many others that had yet to detect it. Dr Tedros said he ...

A South African court has ruled that the country’s former president Jacob Zuma should be returned to prison, saying his medical parole was “unlawful”. The time he has spent out of prison should not be counted in his 15-month sentence, the pretoria court ruled. Mr Zuma was released on 5 September for an undisclosed medical condition. He had been jailed ...

Amazon is facing questions over health and safety policies at a warehouse in the US state of Illinois after six workers died when the building was destroyed by a tornado. “This never would have happened if they cared about lives over productivity,” the sister of one of the victims commented on social media. The company says its team had “worked ...

South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa is receiving treatment after testing positive for Covid-19, his office says. The 69-year-old has mild symptoms and is isolating in Cape Town, the statement added. Mr Ramapahosa started feeling unwell on Sunday after attending the funeral of former President FW de Klerk. Mr Ramaphosa has delegated all responsibilities to Deputy President David Mabuza “for the ...

The World Food Programme (WFP) has suspended distribution of food aid in two northern Ethiopian towns after gunmen looted its warehouses. Looters from rebel Tigrayan forces held aid staff at gunpoint in the town of Kombolcha, the United Nations said. They stole large quantities of essential food supplies – including some for malnourished children. Northern Ethiopia is facing mass starvation ...

Existing vaccines should still protect people who contract the Omicron variant from severe Covid cases, a World Health Organization (WHO) official says. It comes as the first lab tests of the new variant in South Africa suggest it can partially evade the Pfizer jab. Researchers say there was a “very large drop” in how well the vaccine’s antibodies neutralised the ...

South Africa’s president has condemned travel bans enacted against his country and its neighbours over the new coronavirus variant Omicron. Cyril Ramaphosa said he was “deeply disappointed” by the action, which he described as unjustified, and called for the bans to be urgently lifted. The UK, EU and US are among those who have imposed travel bans. Omicron has been ...

A man accused of ramming a car into Christmas parade-goers in Wisconsin on Sunday is to be charged with six deaths after another victim – a child – died. Darrell Brooks, 39, wept as he was arraigned in court with five counts of intentional homicide. Prosecutors said further charges would be filed. Police say Brooks drove in a “zig-zag pattern” ...

Five people have been killed and more than 40 injured after a car ploughed into a parade in the US state of Wisconsin, police say. Footage shows a red SUV driving through a Christmas parade in the city of Waukesha, west of Milwaukee, at around 16:40 local time (22:40 GMT). Police chief Dan Thompson said it hit dozens of people, ...