August 11, 2021

Telecom Review finds that 700 MHz 5G network construction drives investment and brings benefits to telecom vendors in China

DUBAI, UAE, Aug. 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Telecom Review finds that Chinese telecom carriers are making significant progress in constructing low-band 5G networks, and much of the attention is drawn to the 700MHz frequency which is part of the wider ultra-high frequency (UHF) band.

At the beginning of 2021, China Mobile and China Broadcasting Network (CBN) had announced a 5G strategic cooperation agreement to construct and share a 700 MHz 5G network. As a combined effort, they have purchased 480,400 700 MHz 5G base stations this year. According to Guang Yang at Strategy Analytics, this increase of base stations in 700 MHz will be a significant boost to the 5G infrastructure market and also a catalyst for the 5G development in China, since most of the 5G base stations in China so far are deployed in the 2.6 GHz or 3.5 GHz band.

China Telecom and China Unicom have also jointly launched the centralized procurement of 242,000 5G base stations and have recently released the announcement on public bidding involving the 2.1 GHz wireless primary device needed in the 5G SA construction project in 2021.

Telecom Review reports the increased 5G activities in 700 MHz band will drive 5G investment in China and benefit domestic equipment vendors like Huawei. In China Mobile and CBN bidding, Huawei, as the major infrastructure vendor in China’s 5G market, has won around 60% of the total share. It is expected that Huawei will continue to be the biggest winner in the Chinese market in 2021 and the main vendor beneficiary of 5G CAPEX spending in China.

With the strength of wider coverage and low propagation loss, Telecom Review expects the low band 5G frequencies will enable a better 5G network experience and help companies like Huawei to demonstrate the true value of 5G, which will keep boosting the confidence of clients in its business continuity under the current circumstances.

About Telecom Review

Telecom Review was founded in 2005 and is today the leading global ICT media platform. With its different editions that cover all the industry’s updates in the Middle East, Asia Pacific, Africa and North America, Telecom Review has gained a stellar reputation for guaranteeing quality content, offering reliable information and addressing the most trending topics. Telecom Review has always been a pioneer in the ICT media industry by launching e-newsletters, digital flipping magazines and most recently, organizing virtual panels and webinars.

August 11, 2021

Lantronix achève l’acquisition du segment d’activité isolable d’électronique et logiciels de Communications Systems, Inc.

IRVINE, Californie, 11 août 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Lantronix, Inc. (« Lantronix ») (NASDAQ : LTRX), fournisseur mondial de logiciels en tant que service (Saas), services de connectivité et d’ingénierie, et solutions matérielles intelligentes et clés en main pour l’Internet des objets (IdO) et la gestion des environnements distants (REM), a annoncé aujourd’hui avoir finalisé son acquisition précédemment annoncée de Transition Networks et Net2Edge, comprenant la majorité du segment d’activité isolable d’électronique et logiciels de Communications Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ : JCS) (« CSI »).La transaction apportera une échelle immédiate à Lantronix, avec des revenus de la société combinée qui devraient totaliser plus de 100 millions de dollars par an. L’acquisition apportera des produits et des capacités de connectivité IdO complémentaires, y compris des produits de commutation, d’alimentation par Ethernet (PoE), des produits de conversion média et des adaptateurs.

Lantronix voit d’importantes synergies d’exploitation et de développement de produits au sein de la société combinée et s’attend à ce que d’importantes synergies au premier jour génèrent une désactualisation immédiate des revenus non conformes aux PCGR à la clôture, et la société prévoit en outre de réaliser 7 millions de dollars de synergies annuelles de taux d’exploitation au cours des 24 premiers mois. Lantronix publiera des directives pour son exercice 2022 lors de sa conférence téléphonique sur les résultats du quatrième trimestre 2021, dont la date sera bientôt fixée.

La Silicon Valley Bank, la banque des sociétés les plus innovantes au monde et leurs investisseurs, ainsi que SVB Capital, ont fourni un financement d’acquisition.

O’Melveny & Myers LLP a occupé le poste de conseiller juridique chez Lantronix.

À propos de Lantronix
Lantronix Inc. est un fournisseur mondial de solutions clés en main sécurisées pour l’Internet des Objets (IdO) et la gestion des environnements distants (REM), proposant des logiciels en tant que services (SaaS), des services de connectivité, des services d’ingénierie et des solutions d’ingénierie et des solutions matérielles intelligentes. Lantronix permet à ses clients de fournir des solutions d’informatique en périphérie pour l’IdO et d’OOBM (gestion hors bande) fiables et sécurisées, tout en raccourcissant les délais de mise sur le marché. Les produits et services de Lantronix simplifient considérablement la création, la mise au point, le déploiement et la gestion de projets IdO, tout en garantissant la qualité, la fiabilité et la sécurité des matériels, logiciels et solutions.

Fort de trois décennies d’expérience éprouvée dans la création de solutions robustes pour les technologies IdO et l’OOBM, Lantronix est un innovateur qui permet à ses clients de construire de nouveaux modèles commerciaux, de tirer parti d’une plus grande efficacité et de réaliser les possibilités offertes par l’Internet des Objets. Les solutions de Lantronix sont déployées à l’intérieur de millions de machines équipant des datacenters, bureaux et sites distants pour le compte d’une large gamme de secteurs, parmi lesquels l’énergie, l’agriculture, la médecine, la sécurité, la fabrication, la distribution, le transport, le commerce de détail, la finance, l’environnement et les services publics.

Lantronix a son siège à Irvine, en Californie. Pour tout complément d’information, veuillez consulter le site www.lantronix.com.

Vous en apprendrez davantage sur le blog de Lantronix, www.lantronix.com/blog, où vous trouverez les discussions et les actualités du secteur. Pour suivre Lantronix sur Twitter, veuillez vous rendre sur le site www.twitter.com/Lantronix. Visionnez notre vidéothèque sur YouTube à l’adresse www.youtube.com/user/LantronixInc ou connectez-vous avec nous sur LinkedIn à l’adresse www.linkedin.com/company/lantronix.

Discussion sur les mesures financières non conformes aux PCGR

Lantronix estime que la présentation d’informations financières non conformes aux PCGR, en conjonction avec les mesures conformes aux PCGR correspondantes, fournit des informations supplémentaires importantes à la direction et aux investisseurs concernant les tendances financières et commerciales liées à la situation financière et aux résultats d’exploitation de la société. La direction utilise les mesures non conformes aux PCGR susmentionnées pour surveiller et évaluer les résultats d’exploitation et les tendances en cours afin de mieux comprendre nos performances d’exploitation comparatives. Les mesures financières non conformes aux PCGR divulguées par la société ne doivent pas être considérées comme un substitut ou comme étant supérieures aux mesures financières calculées conformément aux PCGR, et les résultats financiers calculés conformément aux PCGR et les rapprochements des mesures financières non conformes aux PCGR avec les mesures financières calculées conformément aux PCGR doivent être soigneusement évalués. Il se peut que les mesures non conformes aux PCGR utilisées par la Société soient calculées différemment et qu’elles ne soient par conséquent pas comparables à des mesures similaires utilisées par d’autres sociétés.

Les indications sur la croissance des bénéfices par action sont fournies uniquement sur une base non conforme aux PCGR en raison de la difficulté inhérente à prévoir le calendrier ou le montant de certains éléments qui ont été exclus des mesures prospectives non conformes aux PCGR, et un rapprochement avec les directives conformes aux PCGR comparables n’a pas été fourni parce que certains facteurs qui sont importants pour la capacité de Lantronix à estimer les éléments exclus ne sont ni accessibles ni évaluables sur une base prospective sans effort déraisonnable.

Énoncés prospectifs

Le présent communiqué de presse contient des énoncés prospectifs tels que définis par la Section 27A du Securities Act de 1933, tel que modifié, et par la Section 21E du Securities Exchange Act de 1934, tel que modifié. Les déclarations qui ne sont pas strictement historiques constituent des énoncés prospectifs qui peuvent souvent, mais pas toujours, être identifiés à l’aide de termes comme « s’attend à », « croit » ou « a l’intention de », « anticipe », « prévoit », « estime », « potentiel », « possible », ou « probable », ou encore des variantes de ces mots et expressions, ou des indications que certaines actions, certains événements ou certains résultats « peuvent », « pourront », « devraient », ou « pourraient » se réaliser. Les énoncés prospectifs contenus dans le présent communiqué de presse comprennent, entre autres, des déclarations concernant les avantages attendus de l’acquisition de réseaux de Transition et de Net2Edge (la « Transaction »), y compris les synergies attendues dans la société combinée, pour Lantronix et ses actionnaires, le caractère croissant de la Transaction proposée et les résultats d’exploitation futurs prévus de la société fusionnée. Les énoncés prospectifs sont fondés sur les prévisions, hypothèses et analyses actuelles de Lantronix et sa direction à la lumière de notre expérience et de notre perception des tendances historiques, des conditions actuelles et des développements futurs prévus, ainsi que d’autres facteurs qui, selon nous, sont appropriés aux circonstances. Cependant, la question de savoir si les résultats et développements réels seront conformes aux attentes est soumise à un certain nombre de risques et d’incertitudes importants, y compris, mais sans s’y limiter : la capacité de Lantronix à intégrer avec succès les activités acquises après la transaction et à en tirer des avantages anticipés ; les risques liés à tout passif imprévu des entreprises acquises ; l’inexactitude des estimations de réserve ou des hypothèses qui les sous-tendent ; la révision des estimations des réserves en raison de l’évolution des prix des produits de base ; toute perte de direction ou de personnel clé ; l’impact de la pandémie de COVID-19, y compris l’émergence de nouvelles souches plus contagieuses et/ou résistantes aux vaccins du virus et l’impact des efforts de vaccination, y compris l’efficacité et l’acceptation par le public des vaccins, sur les activités des entreprises combinées, les employés, les chaînes d’approvisionnement et de distribution et l’économie mondiale ; et tous les autres facteurs compris dans le rapport de Lantronix sur formulaire 10-K pour l’exercice clos au 30 juin 2020, déposé auprès de la Securities and Exchange Commission (la « SEC ») le 11 septembre 2020, y compris dans la section intitulée « Risk Factors » (Facteurs de risque) du point 1A de la première partie de ce rapport ; son rapport trimestriel sur formulaire 10-Q pour le trimestre clos au 31 mars 2021, déposé auprès de la SEC le 30 avril 2021, y compris dans la section intitulée « Risk Factors » (Facteurs de risque) du point 1A de la deuxième partie de ce rapport ; et dans les autres documents publics déposés par la société auprès de la SEC. En outre, les résultats réels peuvent différer en raison d’autres risques et incertitudes que la direction de Lantronix ignore ou ne considère pas actuellement comme importants pour les activités de la société. Pour ces raisons, les investisseurs sont invités à ne pas se fier indûment aux déclarations de nature prospective. Les énoncés prospectifs de Lantronix ne sont valables qu’à la date à laquelle ils sont formulés. Lantronix décline toute obligation de révision ou de mise à jour de tout énoncé prospectif public, sauf selon la loi ou les règles du marché boursier du Nasdaq Stock Market, LLC.

Contact médias Lantronix :
Gail Kathryn Miller
Responsable du marketing et
des communications d’entreprise
media@lantronix.com
949-453-7158

Contact investisseurs et analystes Lantronix :
Jeremy Whitaker
Directeur financier
investors@lantronix.com
949-450-7241

Ventes Lantronix :
sales@lantronix.com
Amériques +1 (800) 422-7055 (États-Unis et Canada) ou +1 949-453-3990
Europe, Moyen-Orient et Afrique +31 (0)76 52 36 744
Asie/Pacifique + 852 3428-2338
Chine + 86 21-6237-8868
Japon +81 (0) 50-1354-6201
Inde +91 994-551-2488

August 11, 2021

Lantronix Conclui a Aquisição do Segmento da Unidade de Eletrônicos e Softwares Reportáveis da Communications Systems, Inc.

IRVINE, Calif., Aug. 11, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — A Lantronix , Inc. (Lantronix) (NASDAQ: LTRX), provedora global de Software as a Service (Saas), serviços de conectividade, serviços de engenharia, hardware inteligente e soluções turnkey para Internet of Things (Internet das Coisas – IoT) e Remote Environment Management (Gerenciamento de Ambiente Remoto – REM), anunciou hoje que concluiu a aquisição anunciada da Transition Networks e Net2Edge, que abrange a maior parte da unidade de Eletrônicos e Software reportáveis da Communications Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: JCS) (“CSI”).

A transação irá ampliar a Lantronix imediatamente, com o aumento da receita combinada da empresa prevista para alcançar mais de US$100 milhões ao ano. A aquisição irá adicionar produtos e recursos complementares de conectividade de IoT, incluindo comutação, Power over Ethernet (PoE) e produtos de conversão de mídia e adaptador.

A Lantronix espera alcançar sinergias significativas de operação e desenvolvimento de produtos na empresa conjunta e que as sinergias significativas já a partir do primeiro dia venham impulsionar a adição de lucros não GAAP no fechamento, e espera ainda alcançar US$7 milhões em sinergias anuais de taxa de execução ao longo dos primeiros 24 meses. A Lantronix divulgará a orientação para o exercício fiscal de 2022 em sua teleconferência de ganhos do quarto trimestre do exercício fiscal de 2021, em data a ser notificada.

O Silicon Valley Bank, o banco das empresas mais inovadoras do mundo, e seus investidores, juntamente com a SVB Capital, forneceram financiamento de aquisição.

O’Melveny & Myers LLP atuou como consultor jurídico da Lantronix.

Sobre a Lantronix
A Lantronix Inc. é provedora global de soluções turnkey seguras para Internet of Things (Internet das Coisas – IoT) e Remote Environment Management (Gerenciamento de Ambiente Remoto – REM), oferecendo Software as a Service (SaaS), serviços de conectividade, serviços de engenharia e hardware inteligente. A Lantronix viabiliza que seus clientes forneçam soluções IoT Intelligent Edge e OOBM confiáveis e seguras, acelerando o tempo de colocação do produto no mercado. Os produtos e serviços da Lantronix simplificam drasticamente a criação, desenvolvimento, implantação e gerenciamento de projetos de IoT, proporcionando qualidade, confiabilidade e segurança em hardware, software e soluções.

Com três décadas de experiência comprovada na criação de tecnologias IoT e soluções OOBM robustas, a Lantronix é uma inovadora ao capacitar seus clientes a construir novos modelos de negócios, utilizar maiores eficiências e entender as possibilidades da Internet das Coisas. As soluções da Lantronix são implantadas dentro de milhões de máquinas em data centers, escritórios e locais remotos que atendem a uma ampla gama de indústrias, incluindo energia, agricultura, medicina, segurança, fabricação, distribuição, transporte, varejo, financeiro, ambiental e governamental.

A sede da Lantronix está localizada em Irvine, Califórnia. Para mais informação, visite www.lantronix.com.

Obtenha mais informações no blog da Lantronix, www.lantronix.com/blog, com discussões e atualizações da indústria. Para seguir a Lantronix no Twitter, visite www.twitter.com/Lantronix. Consulte a nossa biblioteca de vídeos no YouTube em www.youtube.com/user/LantronixInc ou conecte-se conosco no LinkedIn em www.linkedin.com/company/lantronix.

Discussão das Medidas Financeiras Não GAAP

A Lantronix acredita que a divulgação de informações financeiras não GAAP, quando divulgadas em conjunto com as medidas GAAP correspondentes, fornece informações suplementares importantes à administração e aos investidores sobre as tendências financeiras e dos negócios relacionadas à condição financeira e aos resultados das operações da empresa. A Administração usa as medidas não GAAP acima mencionadas para monitorar e avaliar os resultados e tendências operacionais em andamento para obter uma compreensão do nosso desempenho operacional comparativo. As medidas financeiras não GAAP divulgadas pela empresa não têm por objetivo substituir ou serem superiores às medidas financeiras calculadas de acordo com o GAAP, e os resultados financeiros calculados de acordo com o GAAP e as reconciliações das medidas financeiras não GAAP com as medidas financeiras calculadas de acordo com o GAAP devem ser cuidadosamente avaliados. As medidas financeiras não GAAP utilizadas pela empresa podem ser calculadas de forma diferente e, portanto, podem não ser comparáveis às medidas de títulos semelhantes utilizadas por outras empresas.

A orientação quanto ao crescimento do lucro por ação é fornecida apenas em uma base não-GAAP devido à dificuldade inerente da previsão da ocasião ou do valor de certos itens que foram excluídos das medidas não-GAAP prospectivas, e uma reconciliação com as orientações GAAP comparáveis não foi fornecida porque certos fatores que são materialmente significativos para a capacidade da Lantronix de estimar os itens excluídos não estão acessíveis ou não podem ser previstos em uma base prospectiva sem esforço não razoável.

Declarações de Previsão

Este comunicado contém “declarações de previsão” de acordo com a definição do termo estabelecido na Seção 27A da Lei de Valores Mobiliários (Securities Act) de 1933 e suas alterações, e na Seção 21E da Lei de Mercados Mobiliários (Securities Exchange Act) de 1934, e suas emendas. As declarações que não são declarações estritamente históricas constituem declarações prospectivas e muitas vezes, mas nem sempre, podem ser identificadas pelo uso de palavras como “espera”, “acredita”, “pretende”, “antecipa”, “planeja”, “estima”, “potencial”, “possível” ou “provável” ou declarações de que certas ações, eventos ou resultados “possam”, “venham a ser”, “devem” ou “poderiam” ser tomados, ocorrer ou serem alcançados. As declarações prospectivas neste comunicado de imprensa incluem, entre outras coisas, declarações sobre os benefícios esperados da aquisição da Transition Networks e da Net2Edge (a “Transação”), incluindo sinergias esperadas na empresa conjunta, para a Lantronix e seus acionistas, a natureza cumulativa da Transação proposta e os resultados operacionais futuros esperados da empresa combinada. As declarações prospectivas são baseadas em expectativas e suposições atuais e análises feitas pela Lantronix e sua administração em virtude da experiência e percepção das tendências históricas, condições atuais e desenvolvimentos futuros esperados, bem como outros fatores apropriados de acordo com as circunstâncias. No entanto, a ocorrência da conformidade dos resultados e desenvolvimentos reais com as expectativas está sujeita a uma série de riscos e incertezas materiais, incluindo, mas não se limitando a: A capacidade da Lantronix de integrar as empresas adquiridas com sucesso após a Transação e obter benefícios antecipados; riscos relacionados a quaisquer passivos imprevistos das empresas adquiridas; imprecisões das estimativas ou premissas de reserva subjacentes; revisões das estimativas de reserva como resultado das mudanças nos preços das commodities; qualquer perda de gestão ou pessoal-chave; o impacto da pandemia da COVID-19, incluindo o surgimento de novas cepas mais contagiosas e/ou resistentes à vacina do vírus e o impacto dos esforços de vacinação, incluindo a eficácia e aceitação pública das vacinas, pelas empresas, funcionários, cadeias de fornecimento e distribuição das empresas conjuntas, e na economia global; e quaisquer fatores adicionais incluídos no Relatório da Lantronix no Formulário 10-K para o exercício fiscal encerrado em 30 de junho de 2020, arquivado na Comissão de Valores Mobiliários (o “SEC”) em 11 de setembro de 2020, incluindo na seção intitulada “Fatores de Risco” no Item 1A da Parte I de tal relatório; seu Relatório Trimestral no Formulário 10-Q para o trimestre fiscal encerrado em 31 de março de 2021, arquivado no SEC em 30 de abril de 2021, incluindo na seção intitulada “Fatores de Risco” no Item 1A da Parte II de tal relatório; e nos outros registros públicos da Empresa arquivados no SEC. Além disso, os resultados reais podem ser diferentes devido aos riscos e incertezas adicionais dos quais a administração da Lantronix atualmente não tem conhecimento ou não vê como relevantes para os negócios da Empresa. Devido a tudo isso, os investidores não devem depositar confiança indevida em qualquer declaração voltada para o futuro. As declarações prospectivas que a Lantronix faz somente tem validade a partir da data em que são feitas. A Lantronix não se compromete a revisar ou atualizar publicamente quaisquer declarações prospectivas, exceto conforme exigido por lei ou pelas regras da Nasdaq Stock Market, LLC.

Contato de Mídia da Lantronix:
Gail Kathryn Miller
Gerente de Marketing e
Comunicações Corporativas
media@lantronix.com
949-453-7158

Contato para Analista e Investidor da Lantronix:
Jeremy Whitaker
Diretor Financeiro
investors@lantronix.com
949-450-7241

Lantronix Sales:
sales@lantronix.com
Américas +1 (800) 422-7055 (EUA e Canadá) ou +1 949-453-3990
Europa, Oriente Médio e África +31 (0)76 52 36 744
Ásia-Pacífico + 852 3428-2338
China + 86 21-6237-8868
Japão +81 (0) 50-1354-6201
Índia +91 994-551-2488

August 11, 2021

Dozens Die as Fires Rage Across Algeria

Algerian officials are blaming arsonists for setting many of the fires raging in a mountainous region east of the capital Algiers and in more than a dozen other provinces. Algerian state TV says that 65 people have been killed so far.

Fires raged Tuesday and into Wednesday in the mountainous region of Tizi Ouzou as fire crews, soldiers and ordinary residents tried to douse the flames before they spread further. Algerian media reported that at least 79 major fires were burning in at least 17 provinces of the country.

While the fires reportedly began Monday, many more appeared to ignite Tuesday, prompting the country’s Interior Minister Kamel Beldjoud to insist that many had been set by arsonists.

He said that some experts are arguing these fires were deliberately set, what obviously would be criminal in nature because it’s impossible for dozens of fires to ignite at almost the same time without some criminal hand being behind these acts.

At least three arsonists have been captured by Algerian security services during the past several months after several other fires were ignited. Many Western media outlets are downplaying the arson claims and blaming “wildfires,” “excessive heat,” or “global warming.”

Ali Mahmoudy, head of the Algerian Forest Department, told state TV that many of the fires ignited suddenly and about the same time Tuesday, leading to speculation that many were deliberately set.

He said that initially there were five fires in the Tizi Ouzou region and then suddenly after 2 p.m. the number of fires started going up hour after hour and in some cases minute after minute, until there were 58 fires burning.

Canal Algerie, a French Algerian TV network, warned residents of the country “to be vigilant, vigilant, vigilant” and keep an eye out for anyone setting fires. It also thanked the military and fire crews for their “valiant efforts in extinguishing the fires and saving lives.”

An Algerian military commander was shown on amateur video ordering his soldiers into a region engulfed with flames to try and save residents who were trapped in their houses. At least 28 soldiers have been killed in the ongoing fires.

Algerian Prime Minister Ayman Benabderrahmane told Algerians in a televised address Tuesday night that all efforts were being made by the government to compensate those who have lost family members, their homes or livestock.

He said that a government delegation is visiting the regions hit by fire to determine the size of the losses from the disaster.

Algerian media reports the government has contacted a number of regional countries to seek help with planes equipped to combat the blazes. Major fires also are raging in Greece, Turkey, Lebanon and Syria.

Source: Voice of America

August 11, 2021

More Ugandans Turn Up for COVID-19 Vaccinations

Uganda has resumed mass vaccinations against COVID-19 after running out of doses in June. But even with less vaccine hesitancy, essential workers say the rate of vaccination is too slow.

Two health workers share a table facing a long line of Ugandans waiting to receive a dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

Many are here for their second shots and the officials have to check the system, to see if they qualify for it.

Seventeen-year-old Kawalya Paul is among those standing in line as he waits for his card to be verified and stamped.

Even though he is not on the priority list of those to be vaccinated, Paul explains to VOA why he decided to come.

“Actually, my mom’s boss, succumbed to Covid. Every time he was all very protective. He could not talk to you in case you’re not putting on a mask. So, I was like, if he was able to get it, yet he‘s a doctor and a big man, I was like, what about me, why shouldn’t I? Because I saw the virus was close,” he said.

The priority list for vaccinations includes teachers, security personnel, health workers, the elderly – who are defined as people over 50 years old – and those between 18 and 50 with underlying health conditions.

At the end of July, Ugandan authorities received 1.72 million doses of vaccine, and are hoping to get another 11 million in September.

The pace of vaccination remains slow. So far only about 1.1 million Ugandans have been inoculated.

But, officials are hopeful that Ugandans are now eager to get the vaccine and have opened up vaccination centers at Kampala’s Capital City grounds and the Namboole National stadium.

Pius Okethwengu, the Namboole hospital administrator, said they are seeing a large turnout of people at the stadium. He predicts the goal of inoculating 10,000 people this week will be surpassed.

“We are having this activity, starting today, in the next five days, to be able to have attended to all these clients that we are looking for. But, with the response that we are seeing, we are estimating that actually we should be able to even exceed that. And the beauty is, the vaccines are there and, we should be able to give the services to the people,” he said.

The vaccination drive is raising hope that authorities will lift the restrictions on schools, public transportation and religious institutions imposed last month amid a new wave of coronavirus cases.

The minister of education said on July 30 that schools could reopen if all children between the ages of 12 and 18 are inoculated.

Othieno Leonard, a secondary school teacher, does not expect to see educational facilities reopen any time soon.

“I don’t think so. I really feel, given the pace at which they are vaccinating, it is going to take us way longer to put us in a situation where we can call it normal. So, for now, I don’t have hope that they can open soon,” said Leonard.

The Ministry of Health says about seven million children would need to be vaccinated before classes can resume.

Source: Voice of America

August 11, 2021

Somalia-born Runners Shine at Tokyo Olympics

Somali-born Dutch runner Abdi Nageeye encouraged his friend to keep up the pace moments before the duo finished second and third in Sunday’s men’s marathon at the Olympics in Tokyo.

“Stay with me, we are going to make history! Don’t fall behind,” Nageeye urged Bashir Abdi, a Somali Belgian.

Somalia sent two athletes to the Tokyo Olympic Games, but it was the Somalis running for their adopted countries who made headlines.

Somali-born Canadian Mohammed Ahmed won silver in the men’s 5,000 meters, the first distance medal for Canada in this race. But the event that captured the attention of global audiences came in the final moments of the 42-kilometer marathon, won by Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya with a time of 2:08:38.

Footage showed Nageeye encouraging his friend Abdi to cross the finish line with him. The two had trained together in France and in Ethiopia in preparation for the Games.

Speaking to VOA’s Somali service by phone Tuesday, Nageeye said he wanted to help Abdi, who suffered a muscle cramp. With 3 kilometers to go, Nageeye said he again shouted at Abdi to keep up.

“‘Bashir, stay with me. We are making history,'” Nageeye repeated in the interview.

Nageeye said his friend kept pace but fell behind again. He said television viewers only saw the race’s final moments, but he said he encouraged Abdi three times late in the race.

Nageeye said he wanted to sprint for the last 800 meters but held off, waiting for Abdi, until the final 400 meters. Cameras captured Nageeye gesturing toward Abdi to keep up. Nageeye came in second, winning a silver medal with a time of 2:09:58. Abdi came in next, at 2:10:00, earning bronze.

“I was not doing it to be famous but was doing it for my friend and brother,” Nageeye said.

“I risked my position,” he said. “Even Bashir could have overtaken me or the Kenyan” — Lawrence Cherono, who finished fourth — “could have taken advantage of it. But I had that feeling; I did not want to leave him behind.”

Helping his friend and competitor was instinctive, Nageeye said. “I knew something was wrong because he was also a little stronger than me in training, and he is a good athlete. Amazing that I did that. It was a natural reaction from me toward him because of our brotherhood, our heritage. We are both Somali. We are both friends. We train together.”

The public’s response left him happily surprised, Nageeye said.

“After one day, it was crazy. The whole world is talking about it. I just came from the king of the Netherlands — he was talking about it,” Nageeye said of Willem-Alexander. “Every person is talking about that moment and not about my medal. I’m very happy for that.”

Source: Voice of America

August 11, 2021

Sudan Appears Ready to Hand Over Ex-leader to ICC

Sudan’s civilian Cabinet has resolved to turn former President Omar al-Bashir and other ex-officials over to the International Criminal Court to face multiple charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, according to a statement obtained by VOA from the Sudan News Agency.

Sudan Foreign Affairs Minister Mariam Sadiq al-Mahdi made the commitment to ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan during her meeting with him in Khartoum on Tuesday, according to the statement.

The “cabinet decided to hand over wanted officials to the ICC,” Mahdi was quoted as saying by the state-run media.

Several news organizations, including AFP and CNN, reported that the handover to the court will take place, but no timetable was reported.

Reuters reported that the ICC’s Khan held talks with Sudanese officials on accelerating practical steps to hand over those wanted by the court because of alleged atrocities committed in Darfur in the early 2000s, according to two senior Sudanese government sources.

Former President Bashir, who ruled the country for 30 years until he was ousted in 2019, is among those sought by the ICC.

The ICC issued arrest warrants in 2009 and 2010 for Bashir, accusing him of masterminding atrocities in his campaign to crush a revolt in the western region of Darfur.

On August 3, Sudan’s civilian Cabinet passed a bill for the country to join the Rome Statute — the founding treaty of the ICC — pending a joint meeting of Sudan’s ruling Sovereign Council and the civilian Cabinet.

The joint meeting must then pass the bill into law. While passage of the bill allows Sudan to become party to the ICC process, it remained unclear Wednesday when the handover of Bashir to the court would take place.

Sudan Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok tweeted on his official page after the August 3 meeting that “justice and accountability are a solid foundation of the new rule of law-based Sudan,” assuring his followers that the bill would be passed into law.

ICC chief prosecutor Khan met in recent days with senior officials on Sudan’s Sovereign Council and Council of Ministers to seek cooperation in achieving justice for Darfur war victims.

The Sudan News Agency reported Wednesday that Khan urged Sudan’s transitional government to speed up the process of setting up an ICC office in Sudan to facilitate the gathering of evidence for the trials of the indicted individuals.

A former Sudanese militia commander, Ali Kushayb, is already in The Hague to stand trial on dozens of charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Darfur.

Ahmed Haroun, another key person accused of war crimes and genocide in Darfur, said in May he would prefer to be tried by the ICC rather than by what he said were biased Sudanese courts.

Abdel Raheem Muhammad Hussein, a former defense minister, is also wanted by the ICC on charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes.

Abdallah Banda Abakaer Nourain, former leader of the Justice and Equality Movement, one of two significant armed groups in Darfur that signed a peace deal with the transitional authorities last year, also faces war crimes charges.

Source: Voice of America