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List of countries that mandate COVID-19 tests for China travelers

Canada require people flying from China, Hong Kong and Macao to test negative for COVID-19 before leaving for Canada, starting on Thursday, Jan. 5. (AP)
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Updated 06 January 2023
Reuters
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List of countries that mandate COVID-19 tests for China travelers

  • WHO’s latest report showed 22,416 new hospitalizations for mainland China in the week to Jan.1 versus 15,161 the previous week
Updated 06 January 2023
Reuters

BEIJING/SHANGHAI: China defended on Thursday its handling of its raging COVID-19 outbreak after US President Joe Biden voiced concern and the World Health Organization (WHO) said Beijing was under-reporting virus deaths.
The WHO’s emergencies director, Mike Ryan, said on Wednesday in some of the UN health agency’s most critical remarks to date, that Chinese officials were under-representing data on several fronts.
China scrapped its stringent COVID-19 controls last month after protests against them, abandoning a policy that had shielded its 1.4 billion population from the virus for three years.
Authorities around the world are imposing or considering curbs on travelers from China as COVID-19 cases there surged following its relaxation of “zero-COVID” rules. China has rejected criticism of its COVID-19 data.
PLACES IMPOSING CURBS
United states
The United States will impose mandatory COVID-19 tests on travelers from China beginning on Jan. 5. All air passengers aged two and older will require a negative result from a test no more than two days before departure from China, Hong Kong or Macau. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said US citizens should reconsider travel to China, Hong Kong and Macau.
EU
European Union government officials recommended on Wednesday that passengers flying from China to the EU should have a negative COVID-19 test before they board. They also suggested all passenger on flights to and from China should wear face masks, that EU governments introduce random testing of passengers arriving from China and that they test and sequence wastewater in airports with international flights and planes arriving from China.
Sweden
Sweden will require travelers from China to show they have tested negative for COVID before they can enter the country, the government said.
UK
The UK will require a pre-departure negative COVID-19 test for passengers from China as of Jan. 5, the Department of Health said on Friday. However, a report in The Independent on Monday said passengers from China who arrive in the United Kingdom next week will not face compulsory COVID-19 tests on arrival.
France
France will require travelers from China to provide a negative COVID test result less than 48 hours before departure. Starting Jan. 1, France will carry out random PCR COVID tests upon arrival on travelers coming from China, a government official told reporters.
France has urged all 26 other European Union member states to test Chinese travelers for COVID.
Australia
Travelers from China to Australia will need to submit a negative COVID-19 test from Jan. 5, Australian Health Minister Mark Butler said on Sunday.
India
The country has mandated a COVID-19 negative test report for travelers arriving from China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand. Passengers from those countries will be quarantined if they show symptoms or test positive.
Canada
Air travelers to Canada from China must test negative for COVID-19 no more than two days before departure, Ottawa said.
Japan
The country will require negative coronavirus test results within 72 hours of passengers boarding direct flights from China, the prime minister said on Jan 4. That is in addition to an existing regulation that passengers who had been in China in the seven days prior to their flight will be subject to a COVID-19 test on arrival in Japan. Those who test positive will be required to quarantine for seven days.
Italy
Italy has ordered COVID-19 antigen swabs and virus sequencing for all travelers from China. Milan’s main airport, Malpensa, has already started testing passengers arriving from Beijing and Shanghai.
Spain
Spain will require a negative COVID-19 test or a full course of vaccination against the disease upon arrival for travelers from China.
Malaysia
Malaysia will screen all inbound travelers for fever and test wastewater from aircraft arriving from China for COVID-19.
Taiwan
Taiwan’s Central Epidemic Command Center said all passengers on direct flights from China, as well as by boat at two offshore islands, will have to take PCR tests upon arrival, starting on Jan. 1.
South Korea
South Korea will require travelers from China, Macau and Hong Kong to provide negative COVID-19 test results before departure, health authorities said.
Morocco
Morocco will impose a ban on people arriving from China, whatever their nationality, from Jan. 3.
Qatar
Qatar will require travelers arriving from China from Jan. 3 to provide a negative COVID-19 test result taken within 48 hours of departure, state news agency QNA said.
Belguim
Belgium will test wastewater from planes arriving from China for new COVID-19 variants as part of new steps against the spread of the coronavirus, the government announced on Monday.
Israel
Newly appointed Health Minister Aryeh Deri announced new COVID-19 testing requirements for travelers from China, joining other nations imposing restrictions because of a surge of infections, according to the Times of Israel.

Places monitoring situation
Philippines
The Philippines sees a need to intensify monitoring and implementation of border controls for incoming individuals especially from China, Manila’s health ministry said.

Topics: COVID-19 China

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UK to end Afghan refugee schemes 

Updated 4 sec ago
Arab News
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UK to end Afghan refugee schemes 

  • Move is part of plan to clear backlog of asylum seekers in temporary accommodation 
  • No timeline yet in place but defense secretary says schemes cannot be ‘endless’
Updated 4 sec ago
Arab News

LONDON: The UK is to close its resettlement schemes for people fleeing Afghanistan, The Times reported.

Defense Secretary John Healey said the UK’s two programs for Afghans could not be “an endless process” as he laid out plans to move refugees out of temporary accommodation. He added that over 1,000 Afghan families have arrived in the UK in the past 12 months.

Though no time frame has been announced, the government aims to limit the amount of time Afghans can stay in hotels and other temporary housing to nine months.

The two refugee programs — the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme and the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy — were introduced in 2021 after the fall of Kabul to the Taliban following the withdrawal of US-led coalition forces.

Thousands of people were evacuated to the UK during an airlift mission known as Operation Pitting.

UK authorities have struggled to find suitable permanent housing solutions for many Afghan refugees due to the large size of typical Afghan families — more than double that of the average British family.

A total of 30,412 Afghans were eventually taken to the UK under the two schemes. Under ARAP, 2,729 Afghans were placed in temporary Ministry of Defense accommodation and a further 288 in Home Office housing, amid a broader backlog of over 100,000 asylum seekers requiring assistance in the UK — 35,651 of whom were put up in hotels.

Safe Passage International told The Times it is “concerned” by suggestions that the two resettlement schemes are set to close, adding that they have been a “lifeline to safety” for vulnerable Afghans.

The charity said “new safe routes” would need to be opened for Afghan refugees when the two schemes are shuttered.

Its CEO Wanda Wyporska said:  “We’re concerned that the government is thinking about closing the safe pathways for Afghans, given there are no other working safe routes that can bring those fleeing the Taliban to safety here.

“We urgently need more detail on this so Afghans are not left in danger. We know there are many Afghans living in terror and under the threat of increasingly repressive Taliban rules, such as those oppressing women and girls.

“Afghans are already the top nationality crossing the Channel, so we fear without this safe route we will only see more people turning to smugglers to reach protection here.”

Topics: United Kingdom (UK) Afghanistan John Healey Operation Pitting

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Modi to visit Kuwait for the first trip by Indian PM in four decades

Updated 19 December 2024
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Modi to visit Kuwait for the first trip by Indian PM in four decades

  • Indian nationals make up the largest expatriate community in Kuwait
  • Modi’s visit will likely focus on strengthening economic ties, experts say
Updated 19 December 2024
Sanjay Kumar

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Kuwait on Saturday, marking the first trip of an Indian premier to the Gulf state in more than four decades. 

With more than 1 million Indian nationals living and working in Kuwait, they are the largest expatriate community in the country, making up around 21 percent of its 4.3 million population and 30 percent of its workforce.

Modi will be visiting Kuwait for two days at the invitation of the Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. 

“This will be the first visit of an Indian Prime Minister to Kuwait in 43 years,” the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. 

“During the visit, the Prime Minister will hold discussions with the leadership of Kuwait. Prime Minister will also interact with the Indian community in Kuwait.”

India is among Kuwait’s top trade partners, with bilateral trade valued at around $10.4 billion in 2023-24.

Experts expect the visit to focus on strengthening economic ties between the two countries. 

“Kuwait has a strong Indian expatriate community who have contributed to the economic development of the country,” Muddassir Quamar, associate professor at the Center for West Asian Studies in Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University, told Arab News. 

“In my view, the focus would be on the economy. Politically, it underlines that Kuwait is an important regional country and remains an important partner of India.” 

Quamar said that trade and economic ties will likely get a boost from the visit, as well as cooperation in energy, infrastructure, financial technology, education and culture. 

Modi’s visit reflects how India’s engagement with Arab states has increasingly focused on the economy, said Kabir Taneja, a deputy director with the Strategic Studies program at the Observer Research Foundation. 

“India’s engagement with Arab states is increasingly rooted in a ‘new’ Middle East, that is, it is economy-led,” he told Arab News. 

“This visit is a good opportunity for India to expand beyond its good relations with UAE and Saudi Arabia and explore opportunities with the smaller Arab states which includes Kuwait.”

Topics: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi India Kuwait ties crown prince Kuwait

Modi to visit Kuwait for first trip by Indian PM in four decades

Updated 19 December 2024
Follow

Modi to visit Kuwait for first trip by Indian PM in four decades

  • Indian nationals make up the largest expatriate community in Kuwait 
  • Modi’s visit will likely focus on strengthening economic ties, say experts
Updated 19 December 2024
Sanjay Kumar

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Kuwait on Saturday, marking the first trip to the Gulf state by an Indian premier in more than four decades.

With more than 1 million Indian nationals living and working in Kuwait they are the largest expatriate community in the country, making up around 21 percent of its 4.3 million population and 30 percent of its workforce.

Modi’s two-day visit is at the invitation of the Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.

“This will be the first visit of an Indian prime minister to Kuwait in 43 years,” the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

“During the visit, the prime minister will hold discussions with the leadership of Kuwait. (The) prime minister will also interact with the Indian community in Kuwait.”

India is among Kuwait’s top trade partners, with bilateral trade valued at around $10.4 billion in 2023-24.

Experts expect the visit to focus on strengthening economic ties between the two countries.

“Kuwait has a strong Indian expatriate community who have contributed to the economic development of the country,” Muddassir Quamar, associate professor at the Center for West Asian Studies in Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University, told Arab News.

“In my view, the focus would be on the economy. Politically, it underlines that Kuwait is an important regional country and remains an important partner of India.”

Quamar said that trade and economic ties will likely get a boost from the visit, as well as cooperation in energy, infrastructure, financial technology, education and culture.

Modi’s visit reflects how India’s engagement with Arab states has increasingly focused on the economy, said Kabir Taneja, a deputy director with the Strategic Studies program at the Observer Research Foundation.

“India’s engagement with Arab states is increasingly rooted in a ‘new’ Middle East, that is, it is economy-led,” he told Arab News.

“This visit is a good opportunity for India to expand beyond its good relations with UAE and Saudi Arabia and explore opportunities with the smaller Arab states, which includes Kuwait.”

Topics: Narendra Modi India Kuwait

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Putin says fall of Assad not a ‘defeat’ for Russia

Updated 19 December 2024
AFP
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Putin says fall of Assad not a ‘defeat’ for Russia

  • Bashar Assad fled to Moscow earlier this month after a shock militant advance ended half a century of rule by the Assad family
Updated 19 December 2024
AFP

MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that the fall of ex-Syrian leader Bashar Assad was not a “defeat” for Russia, claiming Moscow had achieved its goals in the country.
Assad fled to Moscow earlier this month after a shock militant advance ended half a century of rule by the Assad family, marked by repression and allegations of vast human rights abuses and civil war.
His departure came more than 13 years after his crackdown on democracy protests precipitated a civil war.
Russia was Assad’s key backer and had swept to his aid in 2015, turning the tide of the conflict.
“You want to present what is happening in Syria as a defeat for Russia,” Putin said at his annual end-of-year press conference.
“I assure you it is not,” he said, responding to a question from an American journalist.
“We came to Syria 10 years ago so that a terrorist enclave would not be created there like in Afghanistan. On the whole, we have achieved our goal,” Putin said.
The Kremlin leader said he had yet to meet with Assad in Moscow, but planned to do so soon.
“I haven’t yet seen president Assad since his arrival in Moscow but I plan to, I will definitely speak with him,” he said.
Putin was addressing the situation in Syria publicly for the first time since Assad’s fall.
Moscow is keen to secure the fate of two military bases in the country.
The Tartus naval base and Hmeimim air base are Russia’s only military outposts outside the former Soviet Union and have been key to the Kremlin’s activities in Africa and the Middle East.
Putin said there was support for Russia keeping hold of the bases.
“We maintain contacts with all those who control the situation there, with all the countries of the region. An overwhelming majority of them say they are interested in our military bases staying there,” Putin said.
He also said Russia had evacuated 4,000 Iranian soldiers from the country at the request from Tehran.

Topics: Fall of Assad Bashar Assad Syria Russia Vladimir Putin

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Saudi tourist swims for 5 hours to help his wife stranded in Pattaya waters

Updated 19 December 2024
Jitsiree Thongnoi
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Saudi tourist swims for 5 hours to help his wife stranded in Pattaya waters

  • Saudi tourists stranded in the dark for hours before rescuers reached them
  • About 188,000 Saudi tourists visited Thailand between January and October this year
Updated 19 December 2024
Jitsiree Thongnoi

BANGKOK: A Saudi tourist swam for more than five hours to reach shore and find help for his wife after their jet ski capsized in Pattaya Bay, Thailand, local authorities said on Thursday.

On Saturday, Abdulrahman Mahdi M. Al-Amri and his wife, Atheer Saeed A. Al-Amri, were reported missing at 6:30 p.m., prompting an immediate search and rescue operation by Pattaya City authorities.

“We received a call at 6:30 p.m. from a jet ski operator that one of their jet skis and the clients were missing. So, we set out on a search operation,” Pattaya City Sea Rescue’s Nattanon Chamnankul, who led the search and rescue mission, told Arab News.

The rescue team had been searching for more than five hours and was navigating the dark seas, strong winds and drizzle to no avail. But as their boat returned to Pattaya’s Jomtien beach, authorities found Abdulrahman swimming toward the shore.

“The husband had swum for five hours to reach the shore and was worried about his wife. He used the lights on the beach as a guide,” Chamnankul said, adding that the 26-year-old man was in a state of extreme fatigue when he was rescued.

The rescue boat then took him on board and continued the search for his wife.

“We found his wife at 2 a.m., six hours after the search began,” Chamnankul said. “At first the sea was dark, but we heard a small voice in the sea and it was her.”

Their jet ski had capsized in the middle of the ocean and its engine was damaged by seawater, according to Nipon, an officer at the Pattaya Tourist Police.

After the jet ski ran out of fuel, Abdulrahman decided to swim to shore to get help.

Although Atheer had a minor injury to her left leg, Nipon said the couple had no serious medical issues and had since returned to their home country after settling a damage cost with the jet ski operator for 50,000 Thai baht ($1,400).

Thailand has become an increasingly popular destination for Saudi travelers since the normalization of ties between the Southeast Asian country and Saudi Arabia in 2022.

The Gulf state is considered a high-potential market by Thai tourism experts, with about 178,000 Saudi tourists visiting in 2023, and another 188,000 between January and October this year, the highest number among visitors from that region.

The latest data shows that the number of Saudi tourists has almost doubled compared with 2022, when the number was about 96,000.

Topics: Thailand

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