China has donated 100,000 doses of Sinopharm vaccine to the West African state of Equatorial Guinea to help it launch a Covid immunisation campaign.

The vaccines were ceremonially handed over at Malabo airport on Wednesday to Vice President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, the son of head of state Teodoro Obiang Nguema, the presidency said on its website.

On Tuesday, Equatorial Guinea, an oil-rich but widely impoverished nation of 1.3 million people, declared a nightly curfew and reimposed restrictions that had been lifted against the coronavirus.

The Chinese vaccines will be used to provide two doses to 50,000 people in the front line of the pandemic -- health workers, people with serious underlying illnesses and border officials, the presidency said in its statement.

The president's son, who is also chairman of the National Committee to Fight Covid-19, would be the first person in Equatorial Guinea to receive the vaccine, on Thursday evening.

The tiny state has been ruled by Obiang for the past 41 years and his son is widely considered to be lined up as his successor.

Sinopharm, in an announcement on December 31, said its vaccine was 79 per cent effective. The figure is lower than the 95 and 94 per cent effectiveness of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines.

The state has officially recorded 5,614 cases of coronavirus, of which 87 have been fatal.

China has donated 100,000 doses of Sinopharm vaccine to the West African state of Equatorial Guinea to help it launch a Covid immunisation campaign. The vaccines were ceremonially handed over at Malabo airport on Wednesday to Vice President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, the son of head of state Teodoro Obiang Nguema, the presidency said on its website.

China has donated 100,000 doses of Sinopharm vaccine to the West African state of Equatorial Guinea to help it launch a Covid immunisation campaign. The vaccines were ceremonially handed over at Malabo airport on Wednesday to Vice President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, the son of head of state Teodoro Obiang Nguema, the presidency said on its website. On Tuesday, Equatorial Guinea, an oil-rich but widely impoverished nation of 1.3 million people, declared a nightly curfew and reimposed restrictions that had been lifted against the coronavirus. The Chinese vaccines will be used to provide two doses to 50,000 people in the front line of the pandemic -- health workers, people with serious underlying illnesses and border officials, the presidency said in its statement. The president's son, who is also chairman of the National Committee to Fight Covid-19, would be the first person in Equatorial Guinea to receive the vaccine, on Thursday evening. The tiny state has been ruled by Obiang for the past 41 years and his son is widely considered to be lined up as his successor. Sinopharm, in an announcement on December 31, said its vaccine was 79 per cent effective. The figure is lower than the 95 and 94 per cent effectiveness of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines. The state has officially recorded 5,614 cases of coronavirus, of which 87 have been fatal.

China donates 100,000 Covid vaccines to Equatorial Guinea

An Israeli former cabinet minister admitted to spying for Iran on Wednesday in a plea deal in exchange for an 11-year prison sentence, the Israeli Justice Ministry said.

Gonen Segev, energy minister from 1995 to 1996, was indicted in June. The Shin Bet internal security service said at the time he had been recruited by Iranian intelligence while living in Nigeria and had "served as an agent".

Investigators found that Segev made contact with officials at the Iranian embassy in Nigeria in 2012 and that he visited Iran twice for meetings with his handlers, the Shin Bet said.

Segev, it said, received an encrypted communications system from Iranian agents and supplied Iran with "information related to the energy sector, security sites in Israel and officials in political and security institutions".

Israel has long been locked in a shadow war with Iran, which supports Islamist guerrillas in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon. Iran has accused Israel of being behind acts of sabotage and assassinations of scientists involved in its nuclear programme.

The court has yet to formally approve the prison sentence agreed with Segev, a physician, who had been jailed in 2004 for attempting to smuggle "Ecstasy" pills into Israel and left the country in 2007 after his release from prison.

He was arrested in May during a visit to Equatorial Guinea and extradited to Israel, Shin Bet said.

There was no immediate response from Iran to the Justice Ministry statement.

An Israeli former cabinet minister admitted to spying for Iran on Wednesday in a plea deal in exchange for an 11-year prison sentence, the Israeli Justice Ministry said.

An Israeli former cabinet minister admitted to spying for Iran on Wednesday in a plea deal in exchange for an 11-year prison sentence, the Israeli Justice Ministry said. Gonen Segev, energy minister from 1995 to 1996, was indicted in June. The Shin Bet internal security service said at the time he had been recruited by Iranian intelligence while living in Nigeria and had "served as an agent". Investigators found that Segev made contact with officials at the Iranian embassy in Nigeria in 2012 and that he visited Iran twice for meetings with his handlers, the Shin Bet said. Segev, it said, received an encrypted communications system from Iranian agents and supplied Iran with "information related to the energy sector, security sites in Israel and officials in political and security institutions". Israel has long been locked in a shadow war with Iran, which supports Islamist guerrillas in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon. Iran has accused Israel of being behind acts of sabotage and assassinations of scientists involved in its nuclear programme. The court has yet to formally approve the prison sentence agreed with Segev, a physician, who had been jailed in 2004 for attempting to smuggle "Ecstasy" pills into Israel and left the country in 2007 after his release from prison. He was arrested in May during a visit to Equatorial Guinea and extradited to Israel, Shin Bet said. There was no immediate response from Iran to the Justice Ministry statement.

Israeli ex-minister pleads guilty to spying for Iran in exchange for prison sentence

The Gambia&#39;s longtime former ruler Yahya Jammeh stole at least $50 million from the state, the country&#39;s justice minister said Monday, in the first major anti-corruption move by the country&#39;s new president.

It is the first time the new government of the small west African nation&nbsp;has put a figure to the amount it believes Jammeh plundered from state coffers before leaving for exile in Equatorial Guinea in January after 22 years in power.

&quot;President Yahya Jammeh personally or under his instructions directed the unlawful withdrawal of at least $50 million,&quot; said Justice Minister Abubacarr Tambadou, describing withdrawals from The Gambia&#39;s central bank and linked with state-owned Gamtel between 2013 and 2017.

&quot;We have today obtained a court order freezing or placing a temporary hold on the known assets in the country of former President Yahya Jammeh and companies directly associated with him,&quot; Tambadou added.

The court order concerns 88 bank accounts in Jammeh&#39;s name or those of his associates, Tambadou told journalists, along with 14 companies linked with the former strongman.

Jammeh ran everything from bakeries to farms during his tenure and was regularly accused of taking over successful businesses for his own gain.

Monday&#39;s order was designed to prevent Jammeh &quot;liquidating or dissipating assets,&quot; the minister added, confirming the order applied only to the former leader&#39;s assets in The Gambia.

Last Tuesday Gambian police said three cousins of the former president would face theft charges after selling off his cattle, raising suspicions that his contacts still in the country were under scrutiny.

&quot;These discoveries are just a tip of the iceberg,&quot; Tambadou told a press conference.

Interior Minister Mai Fatty accused Jammeh of taking $11 million after leaving in January, adding he also took luxury cars piled onto a Chadian cargo plane, but the claim was not backed up by the rest of the cabinet.

The Gambia&#39;s longtime opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) won an absolute majority in parliamentary elections in April, easily defeating Jammeh&#39;s party which has been cast into the electoral wilderness by his departure.

That came after the stunning ouster of Jammeh by President Adama Barrow in a December presidential election, a result which the defeated leader fought for weeks until the threat of a regional military intervention.

Meanwhile police continue to investigate dozens of forced disappearances under Jammeh&#39;s rule, with victims clamouring for justice.

The Gambia&#39;s National Assembly was long derided for acting as a rubber stamp for Jammeh&#39;s decisions, but hopes are high for a revitalised chamber with a raft of fresh faces elected.

(AFP)

It is the first time the new government of the small west African nation has put a figure to the amount it believes Jammeh plundered from state coffers

The Gambia's longtime former ruler Yahya Jammeh stole at least $50 million from the state, the country's justice minister said Monday, in the first major anti-corruption move by the country's new president. It is the first time the new government of the small west African nation has put a figure to the amount it believes Jammeh plundered from state coffers before leaving for exile in Equatorial Guinea in January after 22 years in power. "President Yahya Jammeh personally or under his instructions directed the unlawful withdrawal of at least $50 million," said Justice Minister Abubacarr Tambadou, describing withdrawals from The Gambia's central bank and linked with state-owned Gamtel between 2013 and 2017. "We have today obtained a court order freezing or placing a temporary hold on the known assets in the country of former President Yahya Jammeh and companies directly associated with him," Tambadou added. The court order concerns 88 bank accounts in Jammeh's name or those of his associates, Tambadou told journalists, along with 14 companies linked with the former strongman. Jammeh ran everything from bakeries to farms during his tenure and was regularly accused of taking over successful businesses for his own gain. Monday's order was designed to prevent Jammeh "liquidating or dissipating assets," the minister added, confirming the order applied only to the former leader's assets in The Gambia. Last Tuesday Gambian police said three cousins of the former president would face theft charges after selling off his cattle, raising suspicions that his contacts still in the country were under scrutiny. "These discoveries are just a tip of the iceberg," Tambadou told a press conference. Interior Minister Mai Fatty accused Jammeh of taking $11 million after leaving in January, adding he also took luxury cars piled onto a Chadian cargo plane, but the claim was not backed up by the rest of the cabinet. The Gambia's longtime opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) won an absolute majority in parliamentary elections in April, easily defeating Jammeh's party which has been cast into the electoral wilderness by his departure. That came after the stunning ouster of Jammeh by President Adama Barrow in a December presidential election, a result which the defeated leader fought for weeks until the threat of a regional military intervention. Meanwhile police continue to investigate dozens of forced disappearances under Jammeh's rule, with victims clamouring for justice. The Gambia's National Assembly was long derided for acting as a rubber stamp for Jammeh's decisions, but hopes are high for a revitalised chamber with a raft of fresh faces elected. (AFP)

Gambia's former ruler Jammeh stole $50 million: Justice minister