LONDON: The UAE said it will restrict entry into all government institutions to people vaccinated against coronavirus and those who are exempted from getting the vaccine, state news agency WAM reported on Sunday.
The Ministry of Health and Prevention, in coordination with the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority, made the announcement in line with the UAE’s COVID-19 recovery drive and efforts to ensure public safety.
“All federal government employees and the public seeking federal government services nationwide are required to follow the Green Pass Protocol on Al Hosn app effective Jan. 3, to have access to federal entities,” the statement on WAM said.
Employees and individuals requiring entry into government buildings must take a PCR test every 14 days, to maintain the “green status” in the app. Those who have been exempt from receiving the vaccine must take a PCR test every seven days, while children aged under 16 will not be required to undergo any COVID tests.
The ministry said “unvaccinated individuals and those with ‘grey status’ on the Al Hosn app will not be allowed access to federal government entities.”
It also called on the public to obtain the booster shot to ensure raising societal immunity in light of the spread of new COVID-19 variants.
UAE restricts entry of government buildings to COVID-19 vaccinated from Jan. 3
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UAE restricts entry of government buildings to COVID-19 vaccinated from Jan. 3
- A negative PCR test every 14 days is needed to maintain the green status in Al Hosn app
- Unvaccinated individuals and those with ‘grey status’ on the Al Hosn app will not be allowed access to federal government entities
Nearly 250,000 Syrians in Turkiye returned home after Assad regime collapse
- The fall of Assad allowed for the voluntary return of tens of thousands of Syrian refugees to their homes
- In May, 2,723,421 Syrians were living in Turkiye, compared to 3,737,369 in May 2021
LONDON: Nearly 250,000 Syrian refugees living in Turkiye have returned to Syria since the fall of Bashar Assad’s regime in December, which ended more than a decade of civil strife in the country.
Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced on Sunday that data from the Turkish Immigration Directorate showed a significant decline in the number of Syrians with temporary protection status, with nearly 250,000 making a return journey to Syria.
In May, the directorate recorded 2,723,421 Syrians living in Turkiye, compared to 3,737,369 in May 2021, according to the SANA news agency. It added that the fall of Assad’s regime in December allowed for the voluntary return of tens of thousands of Syrian refugees to their homes.
The civil war in Syria, which began in 2011, has displaced nearly 8.5 million people, almost half of the population. The majority of them have ended up in Turkiye and refugee camps in Jordan and Lebanon.
Arab ministers denounce Israeli ‘arrogance’ over blocking West Bank visit
CAIRO: Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud said the Israeli government's refusal to allow Arab ministers to the occupied West Bank showed its “extremism and rejection of peace.”
His statements came during a joint press conference with counterparts from Jordan, Egypt, and Bahrain in Amman.
The Arab ministers condemned what they described as the “arrogant” Israeli decision to ban them from visiting the West Bank and its rejection of any peace efforts.
Members of the Ministerial Committee assigned by the Joint Extraordinary Arab-Islamic Summit on Gaza met with Jordan's King Abdullah II in Amman earlier today to discuss ceasefire efforts in the Gaza Strip and a post-war plan.
The Ministerial Committee, which consists of the foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, and Bahrain, along with the Secretary-General of the Arab League, held a video conference meeting in Amman on Sunday with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his deputy, Hussein Al-Sheikh, and Mohammad Mustafa, the prime minister and minister of foreign affairs.
Ayman Al-Safadi, Jordan's Foreign Minister, said that the “Israeli government continues to kill all the chances of peace in the region” after the committee visit was blocked on Saturday.
Prince Faisal bin Farhan echoed these sentiments and said Israel's refusal to allow the delegation to visit Ramallah confirmed its extremism, adding that the Palestinian Authority continued to carry out its duties while facing a party that did not want any solutions.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty told Petra news agency that Jordan and Egypt will strongly confront all Israeli plans to displace Palestinians from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
On Saturday, Israel said it will not allow a planned meeting on Sunday in the Palestinian administrative capital of Ramallah to go ahead.
Five dead in Kuwait apartment block fire: official
KUWAIT: A fire in a residential building southwest of Kuwait City killed five people, the Gulf state’s fire brigade said on Sunday.
The blaze broke out in two apartments in the Rigga area, about 10 kilometers (six miles) from the capital, said spokesman Brig. Gen. Mohammed Al-Gharib.
Three bodies were found at the scene and two more people died from their injuries in hospital, he told AFP.
Several others were injured, and Gharib warned the death toll could rise due to the severity of some of the burns.
An investigation has been launched into the cause.
Lebanon says one killed in Israeli strike on south
- The ministry said an ‘Israeli enemy’ strike targeted a motorcycle in the village of Arnoun, in the Nabatieh region
- Israel has continued to strike Lebanon despite the ceasefire that took effect on November 27
BEIRUT: Lebanon’s health ministry said an Israeli strike on the south of the country Sunday killed one person, the third deadly raid in four days despite a ceasefire with Hezbollah.
The ministry said an “Israeli enemy” strike targeted a motorcycle in the village of Arnoun, in the Nabatieh region about five kilometers (three miles) from the Israeli border.
Farther south, another strike hit a car in Beit Lif, in the Bint Jbeil area, wounding one person, the ministry said.
There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.
Israel has continued to strike Lebanon despite the ceasefire that took effect on November 27, ending more than a year of conflict — including two months of open war — with militant group Hezbollah, which emerged severely weakened.
On Thursday, two people were killed in Israeli strikes on the south, and another died in a raid on Saturday.
Under the truce terms, Hezbollah fighters were to withdraw north of the Litani River, about 30 kilometers from the border, and dismantle their military posts to the south.
Israel, for its part, was to pull all its troops out of Lebanon but has maintained five positions it deems “strategic” along the frontier.
The Lebanese army has since deployed in those areas, where it is the only force allowed to operate alongside UN peacekeepers.
Syrian president meets Kuwait emir on official visit
- Al-Sharaa's visit to Kuwait aims to boost bilateral ties between the two countries
- Kuwait has underscored its unwavering support for Syria’s unity and sovereignty
CAIRO: Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa held official talks with Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah on Sunday during a state-visit, according to KUNA News Agency.
The Syrian president arrived earlier in the day accompanied by his Foreign Minister Assad al-Shibani and several high-profile Syrian officials.
Both leaders discussed bilateral ties between the two brotherly countries and ways to enhance them in all fields, the KUNA statement said.
The talks also affirmed Kuwait’s steadfast support for the unity of Syria and its sovereignty, it added. The talks also covered the latest regional and international developments.
Al-Sharaa's visit to Kuwait aims to boost bilateral ties between the two countries.
Ties between Syria and Kuwait resumed last year, witnessing a notable revival when Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Abdullah Al-Yahya visited Damascus on Dec. 30.
Since the visit, Kuwait launched the first flights of a humanitarian air bridge to Syria, to help alleviate the suffering of Syrians, according to KUNA News Agency.
Kuwait, joining other GCC member states, has underscored its unwavering support for Syria’s unity and sovereignty.
Al-Sharaa had previously visited Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates on his Gulf tour.
