The Life News Singapore. Sept 1, 2021

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Vol. 03 Issue 54 Sep. 01, 2021

Early Human Migrations from Africa Dating Back 400,000 Years Discovered in Saudi Arabia’s Desert of AlNufud, Reported the Heritage Commission TL Bureau, Riyadh

The Heritage Commission today announced the most recent archaeological discoveries made in the north of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, revealing evidence of early human migrations from Africa to Arabia beginning about 400,000 years ago. The migrations were repeated over multiple time periods dating back 300,000, 200,000, 130,000-75,000 and 55,000 years, representing the longest record of early human presence in Arabia, and underlining the significance of the region in the developments of human civilization outside of Africa.

The discoveries were the result of efforts by a Saudi international mission in partnership with specialists from the Heritage Commission, the Max Planck Institute of Germany, King Saud University, and several distinguished international universities and research centers. The archaeological excavation uncovered the remains of stone tools and fossilized animal bones within layers of dry lakes in Al-Nufud desert in the northwest of the Kingdom. At the site of Khall Umayshan, on the outskirts of Tabuk region, artifacts dating back around 400,000 years were found, including Acheulean axes, which are considered the oldest dated archaeological remains in Arabia. Eminent scientific journal Nature has published today, Wednesday, September 1, a study that examined the history of several layers of sediment from the ancient lakes at the sites of Jubbah and Khall Umayshan in the Nufud desert, representing rainy periods experienced by Arabia.

US to host Ukraine at White House

TL Bureau, Washington D.C.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who ended up at the focal point of U.S. governmental issues during previous President Donald Trump’s first arraignment preliminary, will make a hotly anticipated visit to the White House on Wednesday.

Zelensky will look for President Joe Biden’s help as Ukraine is buried in continuous battling with Russian-upheld separatists.The two chiefs are booked to hold reciprocal discussions at the White House at 2 p.m. EDT on Wednesday.

“This visit will avow the United States’ immovable help for Ukraine’s power and regional trustworthiness notwithstanding Russia’s continuous hostility in the Donbas and Crimea, our nearby collaboration on energy security, and our support for President Zelenskyy’s endeavors to handle debasement and execute a change plan dependent on our common popularity based qualities,” the White House said in an articulation.

Battling among Kiev and separatists prompted Russia coercively adding Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, which drew boundless judgment and assents by numerous Western nations, including the United States.

Wednesday’s gathering comes following a finished U.S. withdrawal of powers from Afghanistan following a 20-year presence, which has been politically delicate to Biden’s

Courtesy: Xinhuanet organization.

“We are altogether different from Afghanistan, and we might want to underline this,” Tymofiy Mylovanov, a consultant to Zelensky’s head of staff, said, as per The New York Times. “We are an autonomous country, not a bombed state, and our military has figured out how to oppose the Russians, not the Taliban.”“We accept this gathering comes at an essential second in the reciprocal relationship as we keep on expanding on ties that tight spot our two nations together and sincerely try to take our essential association to a raised level,” a senior organization official said, as indicated by CNN. At the command of partner Germany this

previous spring, Biden’s administration dropped resistance to the Nord Stream 2 flammable gas pipeline from Russia to Germany, permitting Russia to sidestep Ukraine.It was during a phone call in 2019 that Trump pushed Zelensky to explore now-President Joe Biden, who was a Democratic political adversary at that point.

The call detonated into a public embarrassment and prompted Trump’s arraignment, however he was at last absolved in the Republican-held Senate.

Zelensky, a foil to Russian President Vladimir Putin, had looked for a little while to the White House since he was chosen for lead the country in 2019.

7 Hong Kong protesters sentenced to prison TL Bureau, Hong Kong

A Hong Kong region court judge on Wednesday condemned seven favorable to popular government dissidents to as long as 16 months in jail for charges coming from an unapproved showing they coordinated in 2019.

The dissidents had confessed to the charges identifying with getting sorted out an Oct. 20, 2019, exhibition, which was gone to by countless individuals, some of whom conflicted with police.

The dissent was one of many held as a feature of a development that ejected on the previous British province initially against a proposed removal law yet

would develop to wrap more extensive supportive of vote based system objectives in the midst of a police and government crackdown on such occasions.

As indicated by court archives, police had denied the coordinators’ proposition to hold an exhibit over feelings of trepidation of savagery, however they went ahead with the plans at any rate while some of them prompted others to partake during a question and answer session.

Judge Amanda Woodcock condemned Figo Chan, 25; Leung Kwok-hung, 65; and Albert Ho, 69, to 16 months in jail; Cyd Ho, 67; and Raphael Wong, 32, to 14 months in jail; Avery Ng, 44, to a year

in jail and Yeung Sum, 73, to 11 months.

The solitary respondent not at present carrying out a prison punishment was Wong.

Woodcock said those generally in a correctional facility are to carry out their punishments simultaneously.

“As I have said under the steady gaze of, the Basic Law and the Bill of Rights ensures opportunity of gathering, parade and showing for Hong Kong inhabitants,” Woodcock wrote in her condemning archive. “In any case, these rights are not supreme and are dependent upon limitations administered established. Here, limitations were applied in light of a legitimate concern for public security, public request and the

insurance of others’ privileges and opportunities.”

She said the political convictions of the litigants and the reason for the October exhibit were “unimportant to condemning.”

Her decision, she said, depends on the way that a portion of those charged held a question and answer session to impel others to go along with them in resisting the police boycott against holding the exhibit and that they had spoke to people in general to “jam pack” the roads.

She said that while they required a tranquil dissent, doing as such in the midst of “such unstable occasions” was “basically offering empty talk to the articulation.”

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resident Joe Biden credited the U.S. military for completing “one of the greatest transports ever” by emptying in excess of 120,000 individuals from Afghanistan

by Tuesday’s cutoff time.

He addressed the country from the White House to stamp the United States’ takeoff from the country, almost 20 years subsequent to doing battle there.

“The previous evening in Kabul, the United States finished 20 years of battle in Afghanistan. The longest conflict in American history,” Biden said.

“Just the United States had the limit and the will and capacity” to do the clearings, which incorporated around 5,500 Americans. “We did it today. The exceptional accomplishment of this mission was because of the inconceivable expertise, grit and benevolent mental fortitude of the United States military and our representatives and insight experts.”

A besieging close to the air terminal Thursday left 13 U.S. administration individuals dead, and another 20 were harmed.

Biden said the State Department was in continuous contact with Americans in Afghanistan to chip away at emptying them, including by strolling them to the Kabul air terminal. He said somewhere in the range of 100 and 200 Americans actually have “expectation to leave.”

“For the individuals who remain, we will make plans to get them out in the event that they so decide,” he said.

“For those leftover Americans, there is no cutoff time.”

Biden additionally protected decisions his organization made in regards to the course of events of the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan and the departure cycle.

He said knowledge reports didn’t anticipate the Taliban overcoming Afghan security powers as fast as they did.

“Suppose we started clearings in June or July, getting a huge number of American soldiers and emptying in excess of 120,000 individuals in a

US praised army’s efforts for Afghanistan evacuation common conflict,” he said.

“There still would have been a race to the air terminal, a breakdown in certainty and control of the public authority, it actually would have been an undeniably challenging and risky mission.”

The last U.S. troops withdrew late Monday, passing on the country to the Taliban, which currently should administer over an unsteady economy and a developing compassionate emergency.

The fundamentalist Islamist bunch observed Afghanistan’s “freedom” and their “triumph” over the Americans in Kabul on Tuesday, lighting firecrackers and shooting weapons into the air. “What we accomplished today is the consequence of the blood of thousands of [freedom fighters], devotion, persistence and enduring the troubles,” Anas Haqqani, second in charge of the Taliban’s Haqqani Network, disclosed to NBC News. Boss Taliban representative Zabihullah Mujahid complimented Afghans on the triumph at the air terminal in Kabul, which had been in bedlam for about fourteen days and was the location of a ridiculous self destruction assault days prior.

“This triumph has a place with us all of us,” said, as indicated

by The New York Times.

Biden adhered to his Aug. 31 withdrawal cutoff time even after the self destruction bombarding that killed in excess of twelve Marines and just about 200 Afghan regular citizens, advising the American individuals he wouldn’t give the conflict to one more president when he leaves office.

“The crucial commitment of a president, as I would like to

think, is to guard and ensure America,” Biden said Tuesday.

“Not against dangers of 2001, but rather against the dangers of 2021 and tomorrow. That is the core value behind my choices about Afghanistan.

“I essentially don’t accept that the wellbeing and security of America is upgraded by proceeding to convey a huge number of American soldiers and burning through billions of dollars a year in Afghanistan.

“At the point when I was running for president, I made a promise to the American individuals that I would end this conflict. Today, I’ve regarded that responsibility.”

Various Afghan nationals holding departure archives said they were left behind in light of the fact that they couldn’t arrive at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul during the clearing.

“Nobody helps us,” Ali Mohammad, an Afghan public with clearing archives, disclosed to Tolo News. “Right off the bat, we went to the primary

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door. We had to leave there.

Then, at that point we went to another door, and another entryway.”

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday that the United States will proceed to attempt to get displaced people like Mohammad out through strategic channels.

Blinken said less than 200 U.S. residents who need to leave stay in Afghanistan.

“Part of the test with fixing an exact number is that there are long-lasting inhabitants of Afghanistan who have American travel papers, and who were attempting to decide if they needed to leave,” Blinken said in a proclamation. “Many are double resident Americans with profound roots and more distant families in Afghanistan, who have lived there for a long time. For some, it’s an agonizing decision.”

The Taliban currently face emergencies on various fronts in Afghanistan, including a monstrous modifying exertion, food weakness and an arising and wicked fight with the Islamic State-Khorasan, or ISK. “People groups’ assumptions have developed drastically after the previous 20 years of opportunity and freedom, and the aggravation is on the way,” Tolo News proprietor Saad Mohseni said, as per the Times.“Will the Taliban draw on the planet with a more comprehensive methodology?

Or on the other hand will they get back to the methods of the past?”

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world

Department of State Offers Reward for Information Statement by the Global to Bring Chinese Fentanyl Trafficker to Justice Coalition to Defeat Daesh/ISIS

TL Bureau, Washington D.C.

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State The U.S. Department of State is offering a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of People’s Republic of China (PRC) national Zhang Jian, a key leader of the transnational criminal Zhang Drug Trafficking Organization.

This reward is also offered for information leading to his location. Between 2013 and 2016, with Zhang acting as principal leader and organizer, Zhang’s criminal organization imported and distributed controlled substances and their analogues into the United States that led to the overdose

deaths of four Americans in North Dakota, Oregon, North Carolina, and New Jersey and serious bodily injuries to five other Americans.

Zhang was charged in North Dakota in January 2018 along with several other U.S., Canadian, and PRC nationals.

Several of the U.S. nationals have been convicted and sentenced to penalties ranging from 20 years to life. This investigation led to charges which include drug trafficking, trafficking of illicit drugs which led to death and/or serious bodily injury of Americans, violations of the Continuing Criminal Enterprise statute, and international money laundering.

This reward is offered under the Department of State’s

Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program (TOCRP).

More than 75 transnational criminals and major narcotics traffickers have been brought to justice under the TOCRP and the Narcotics Rewards Program (NRP) since 1986.

The Department has paid more than $135 million in rewards to-date. The State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs manages the TOCRP in close coordination with the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, and other U.S. government agencies.

TL Bureau, Washington D.C.

Office of the Spokesperson The Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh/ISIS strongly condemns the attacks that occurred in Kabul, Afghanistan on August 26, 2021. We grieve for the loss of Afghan and British civilians, and American service members at the hands of Daesh/ISIS terrorists. The tragic loss of life is only compounded by the fact that those killed were endeavoring to evacuate or working to conduct that humanitarian mission.

The Coalition and its partners continue to stand shoulder to shoulder, as we did when we fought to achieve the territorial defeat of Daesh/ISIS in Iraq and Syria. Daesh/ISIS remains a determined enemy and we will

continue to take necessary action to ensure its enduring defeat. To that end, we are focused on leveraging the Coalition’s expertise and the efforts of its working groups to counter Daesh/ISIS’ global branches, including Daesh/ISISKhorasan, and to identify and bring their members to justice.

We will continue working closely together under the auspices of the Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh/ ISIS to effectively counter this dangerous threat. In that effort, we will draw on all elements of national power—military, intelligence, diplomatic, economic, law enforcement—to ensure the defeat of this brutal terrorist organization. We will continue to apply robust counterterrorism pressure against Daesh/ISIS wherever it operates.

Swiss Health security at Finland’s borders: COVID-19: Council removes 5 countries and one entity/ authority from the list of countries for Statistics new decree on exceptions concerning territorial which travel restrictions should be lifted Days 2021 people arriving in Finland from abroad TL Bureau, Brussels of America were removed from the list. Non-essential travel to in Lugano - TL Bureau, Helsinki people arriving in Finland from Following a review under the the EU from countries or entities the following countries or regions recommendation on the gradual not listed in Annex I is subject Data from The Government has adopted will not be required to be tested lifting of the temporary restrictions to temporary travel restriction. decree on the exceptions or show a certificate: Hong on non-essential travel into the This is without prejudice to the everyone for atonew the obligation to present a Kong, China, Macao, Malta, EU, the Council updated the list possibility for member states to lift COVID-19 certificate or undergo Taiwan, Hungary, New Zealand, of countries, special administrative the temporary restriction on noneveryone? a COVID-19 test upon arrival TL Bureau, Neuchâtel

The Swiss Statistics Days (SSS) will be held this year from 6 to 8 September in Lugano, in Ticino, in the presence of Federal Councillor Alain Berset. These are taking place within the scope of the “Road to Bern” programme in preparation for the United Nations World Data Forum in Switzerland. The meeting will therefore focus on the subject of sustainable development, in particular on the 2030 Agenda and its 17 goals, as high-quality statistical data and information are indispensable to measuring the progress made in this respect. A challenge!

in Finland from abroad. The decree will enter into force on 1 September 2021.

People arriving in Finland will be required to have a reliable certificate of recovery from COVID-19 within the past six months, of a full vaccine course or of a negative COVID-19 test taken before arrival in Finland.

The obligation to show proof or be tested for COVID-19 does not apply to people arriving in Finland from countries or regions where the incidence of COVID-19 or the prevalence of virus variants does not pose a particular risk of spreading the epidemic.

Under the government decree,

Poland and the Vatican, and the Norwegian municipalities of Storfjord, Kåfjord, Nordreisa, Kautokeino, Karasjok, Tana, Nesseby and Sør-Varanger and the Swedish municipalities of Haparanda, Kiruna, Pajala and Övertorneå.

Also, people arriving from these countries or regions are not required to take a second COVID-19 test within 72–120 hours of their arrival in Finland.

The current government decree will expire on 31 August, and the new decree will remain in force until 15 October 2021. The list of countries and regions and the epidemiological situation will be reviewed every two weeks.

regions and other entities and territorial authorities for which travel restrictions should be lifted. In particular, Israel, Kosovo, Lebanon, Montenegro, the Republic of North Macedonia and the United States

essential travel to the EU for fully vaccinated travellers. As stipulated in the Council recommendation, this list will continue to be reviewed regularly and, as the case may be, updated.

TL Bureau. Washington D.C

challenges, increase mutual prosperity through trade and investment, and counter transnational organized crime and other threats to regional security.

Our strong collaboration through regional and multilateral institutions like the Caribbean Community and the Organization of American States allows us to strengthen democracy and security throughout the region, benefitting citizens of both our countries.

intensive work is underway to identify targeted solutions for the remaining specific cases of persons at risk in Afghanistan.

As an immediate priority, the EU will continue to coordinate with international partners, in particular the UN and its agencies, on the stabilization of the region and to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches the vulnerable populations, in particular women and children, in Afghanistan and in neighbouring countries. To this end, the EU and its Member States will step up financial support to relevant international organisations.

The EU will engage and strengthen its support to third countries, in particular the neighbouring and transit countries, hosting large

numbers of migrants and refugees, to reinforce their capacities to provide protection, dignified and safe reception conditions and sustainable livelihood for refugees and host communities.

The EU will also cooperate with those countries to prevent illegal migration from the region, reinforce border management capacity and prevent smuggling of migrants and trafficking in human beings. To this effect, the mandates of EU agencies should be used to their full extent.

In particular, the European Asylum Support Office should step up its external operations for asylum capacity building. Furthermore, as part of global efforts, support could be provided in the form of resettlement on a voluntary basis,

prioritising vulnerable persons, such as women and children.

The Action Plan on Afghanistan should be prioritised and revised in light of this statement and changed circumstances to make it more operational.

A Team Europe approach is needed to work with Afghanistan’s neighbours to address the impact of displacement in the region. The Council urges the Commission to assess all options for the necessary financial assistance under the Multiannual Financial Framework, in particular NDICI and asylum, migration and border management instruments.

Based on lessons learned, the EU and its Member States stand determined to act jointly to prevent

Trinidad and Tobago’s National Day

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State On behalf of the Government of the United States of America, I wish to congratulate the people of Trinidad and Tobago as you celebrate your independence on August 31. As close regional partners, our countries are working together to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and other health

Statement on the situation in Afghanistan

TL Bureau, Brussels

The EU Ministers of Home Affairs met today for an extraordinary Council meeting to discuss developments in Afghanistan, more specifically in relation to potential implications in the areas of international protection, migration and security. The seriousness of the evolving situation requires a determined and concerted response to its many dimensions by the EU and the international community.

The evacuation of our citizens and to the extent possible of Afghan nationals who have cooperated with the EU and its Member States and their families, has been conducted as a matter of priority and will be continued. In this regard,

the recurrence of uncontrolled large-scale illegal migration movements faced in the past, by preparing a coordinated and orderly response. Incentives to illegal migration should be avoided.

The EU should also strengthen the support to the countries in Afghanistan’s immediate neighbourhood to ensure that those in need receive adequate protection primarily in the region. The need for unified and coordinated external but also internal communication is key. Targeted information campaigns should be launched to combat the narratives used by smugglers, including in the online environment, which encourage people to embark on dangerous and illegal journeys towards Europe.

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Minister Lintilä to head three meetings of Nordic Council of Ministers on 16–17 September

TL Bureau, Helsinki

As part of its Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers in 2021, Finland will organise the Council’s ministerial meetings.

Minister of Economic Affairs Mika Lintilä will chair three meetings of the Nordic Council of Ministers for Sustainable Growth. The meetings of ministers in charge of economic affairs and regions will take place on 16 September, while energy ministers will convene on 17 September. All meetings will be organised as hybrid meeting from Helsinki.

The joint theme of the meetings is “Nordic strengths in the green recovery – A sustainable and digital future”. Through active cooperation during Finland’s Presidency, the member countries aim to create a greener, more competitive and socially sustainable Nordic region.

Ministers of economic affairs to discuss coronavirus, tourism and minerals. The ministers of economic affairs will meet on Thursday 16 September 2021.

The meeting will discuss the coronavirus pandemic’s effects on business and industry, recoveryrelated cooperation, promotion of sustainable tourism and sustainable production of minerals.

At the beginning of the meeting, General Secretary of the Nordic Council of Ministers Paula Lehtomäki will speak about the current state of the cooperation programme for 2018–2021 and the business initiatives supporting the

common vision for 2030.

Ministers will consider the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on the Nordic community, in particular the post-pandemic situation in the business sector, and the ways in which Nordic cooperation can promote recovery. Risto Siilasmaa, chief executive of F-Secure, will give a speech on the impacts of the pandemic and the opportunities it offers for business. The ministers are expected to adopt a policy on utilising new opportunities offered

by Nordic cooperation.

The ministers will also decide on an initiative aimed at implementing the Nordic cooperation plan on tourism and other priorities of tourism policy in 2021–2024. The initiative aims to strengthen the sustainable development of the tourism sector and to contribute to the sector’s recovery from the pandemic. The ministers will decide on the implementation of the initiative and its funding.

The third issue is sustainable mineral production, where the ministers will decide how the Nordic countries will deal with raw materials issues in the future and which measures will receive earmarked funding. Kimmo Tiilikainen, Director General of the Geological Survey of Finland, will present a report on critical raw materials in the Nordic countries, which will be released during the meeting. The Geological Survey has coordinated the preparation of the report.

Finally, Peter Handley, Head of the

Energy-Intensive Industries and Raw Materials in the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Growth will speak about the potential role of the Nordic Countries in raw materials-related issues.

Regional ministers to explore green recovery and multilocality The meeting of regional ministers will take place on Thursday 16 September 2021immediately after the meeting of the ministers of economic affairs. The regional ministers will discuss the green recovery and multilocality.

Following a review by General Secretary Lehtomäki, ministers will discuss multilocality as a means for strengthening the vitality of regions, cities and rural areas.

Rolf Élmer, Director of Nordregio, the Council’s research institute on Nordic regional development, will speak about the perspectives on multilocality in the Nordic countries. The ministers will decide on a launch of a multilocality study project.

The ministers will also hold a roundtable discussion on the regional effects of the coronavirus pandemic, the opportunities for green recovery in different regions, and the measures to support and fund recovery in member countries.

Preliminary remarks will be given

by Jens Suedekum, Professor of Economics at the University of Düsseldorf and an expert on regional economics and development, and Juha-Matti Saksa, Rector of the Lappeenranta

University of Technology, on issues related to regional economics and sustainable growth.

Energy ministers to discuss climate neutrality, electrification, hydrogen and new technologies The meeting of energy ministers will be held on Friday 17 September. The main themes include the adoption of the energy cooperation programme for 2022–2024, cooperation on the electricity market and new energy technologies.

Kaisa Hietala, member of the board of Exxon Mobil, will give an introductory speech on climate neutrality and its promotion.

General Secretary Lehtomäki will also give an update on the current situation at the start of the meeting.

The ministers will approve the electricity market working group’s updated roadmap until 2030. They will also discuss the development of offshore wind power. The discussion will be based on a presentation by researcher Klaus Skytte from Nordisk Energiforskning (a Nordic energy research institute) on the results of a scenario analysis of electrification.

Ministers will also adopt an energy cooperation programme for 2022– 2024 and discuss the “Our vision 2030” action programme in the energy sector.

In addition, ministers will discuss the EU’s green recovery and the Green Deal programme, with the focus on energy efficiency and

renewable energy. The discussion will be based on a recorded speech

by Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson, who will describe the Fit for 55 climate package published by the European Commission on 14 July 2021.

Ministers will also debate sector integration and new technologies, such as Nordic hydrogen and carbon capture, use and storage as well as the first results of the joint Nordic project. Ministers are expected to decide on the next steps in this field.

Finland’s Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers in 2021 Finland holds the Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers in 2021. Finland’s Presidency programme leans strongly on the new vision of the Nordic Council of Ministers: the Nordic region will be the most sustainable and integrated region in the world by 2030. Key themes for the sectors of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment include: lowcarbon economy and digitalisation; bioeconomy and circular economy; sustainable use of natural resources and innovations that meet the new sustainable development criteria; green and digital transition as boosters of sustainable growth and competitiveness; urban cooperation; and security of supply of the economy and society; and the restoration of mobility. Unexpected crises, such as the coronavirus pandemic, show the importance of maintaining resilience and reliability.

The UN Security Council adopted a new Indonesia: call for proposals to enhance cyber security in the health sector resolution on the situation in Afghanistan

TL Bureau, Oslo

Tonight, the UN Security Council adopted a new resolution on the situation in Afghanistan.

‘The Security Council demands full and unhindered access for humanitarian actors in Afghanistan and emphasizes the importance of all parties complying with international humanitarian law’, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ine Eriksen Søreide said. ,The Security Council expects the Taliban to contribute to the safe

exit of Afghans. It is important that Afghanistan does not become a hotbed of terror again, and that all parties contribute to security around the airport in Kabul. At the same time, the Security Council emphasizes the importance of safeguarding human rights, including for women, children and minorities, an encourages all parties to seek an inclusive, negotiated political settlement, with the full, equal and meaningful participation of women’, the Minister said.

TL Bureau, Jakarta/London

and partners of the International Climate Summit for bringing us together here today.

Why? Because climate change knows no borders.

Our common challenge is to cut emissions while ensuring affordable and secure energy for all. That is indeed a tall order, but failure is not an option. There is no doubt that we need to cooperate across

Objective The objective of this project, under the Indonesia Digital Health Programme (Phase 1), is to start the implementation of two of these - to establish a Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) and a multi-agency Health Data Protection and Cyber Security Coordination Group. Related UK funded work is supporting incident simulation training, a security outcomes framework and a privacy impact assessment of electronic medical

record data. The implementer(s) of this project will be expected to maintain close alignment with these activities.

The Ministry of Health has recently created a Data Transformation Office, complementing the Centre for Data and Information. The digital platforms and services, however, are the responsibility of other delivery units. The incident response team will need to bring together resources from across the Ministry. The proposed Coordination Group will also include other ministries and agencies across the government.

The following guidance provides

details of the requirements, the eligibility criteria and how to bid.

Timing and indicative budget £200k from October 2021 to end March 2022 The establishment of health ministry Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) and a multi-agency Health Data Protection and Cyber Security Coordination Group, will act as a focal point for strategic risk management relating to healthcare data and systems, an area which is currently lacking and undermines operational planning and incident response capability.

borders to achieve our goals.

There is another perspective to this endeavour. A perspective of opportunity. The green shift presents opportunities for new industries, jobs and economic growth.

Hydrogen is a good example.

As we all know, Hydrogen has the potential to realize low- to zero emission solutions in sectors like transportation, industry,

and shipping. And thus, to be the foundation for numerous green jobs.

Hydrogen is also a good partner to a energy sector with an expected tremendous growth in variable, renewable energy sources. To achieve that, we need to continue the development of technology with a strong focus on safety aspects. We also need to develop infrastructure and thus functioning markets, both

domestic and overseas. And in June this year, the Norwegian government presented a White Paper: “Energy to Work” - long-term value creation from Norwegian energy resources.

This is the most important energyand industry plan in decades, describing the next chapter in the story of Norway as an energy nation.

Naturally, hydrogen plays an important part in this paper.

International Climate Summit India TL Bureau, Oslo/New Delhi

Minister of Petroleum and Energy Tina Bru held this pre-recorded video speech at the International Climate Summit India on August 30th 2021.

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, On behalf of the Norwegian government, let me thank the host

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Singapore

JTC Launches One Site Under Industrial Government Land Sales (IGLS) Programme TL Bureau, Singapore City

JTC has launched one site at Jalan Papan for tender under the second half of the 2021 IGLS Programme.

Details of the site and location plan can be found in the table below and Appendix A respectively. This information is also available on JTC’s website at http://www.jtc. gov.sg/IGLS. The site is the first of four Confirmed List sites for the second half of the 2021 IGLS Programme.

Interested parties can purchase the Tenderer’s Packets at $107 each (inclusive of GST) at https:// go.gov.sg/jtc-igls-tp.

MPA Academy Relaunches Flagship Port Management Programme Virtually for 29 Maritime and Port Officials

TL Bureau, Singapore City

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA)’s Academy welcomes 29 senior maritime and port officials, including port masters, harbour masters and middle management personnel from maritime and port authorities from 23 countries and the International Maritime Organization, to participate in the seventh Port Management Programme (PMP) from 30 August to 2 September 2021.

The programme was postponed last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2 Organised by MPA Academy,

the four-day virtual PMP will be delivered by industry practitioners and senior officials from the MPA. It will cover essential topics, including port planning, digitalisation and sustainability of the maritime industry, emergency preparedness and crisis communication.

3 The PMP will engage participants through interactive lectures, workshops, networking, and peer sharing sessions. Participants will have opportunities to connect with one another, and exchange ideas and perspectives that help overcome challenges faced in

their work. As the programme is also held in conjunction with the International Safety@Sea Week, participants can attend the International Safety@ Sea Webinar Series and gain insights from practitioners on maritime safety.

4 Tan Suan Jow, Dean, MPA Academy, said, “The pandemic has amplified the importance and vulnerabilities of the maritime industry to the world that is reliant on open trade to sustain their economies. This Port Management Programme aims to share valuable knowledge and best practices in keeping a port operational and safe. It is

hoped that fellow maritime and port professionals will benefit from the programme and be able to apply these learning points back in their respective countries.”

5 Since its inception in 2014, the Port Management Programme has trained over 130 officials from more than 60 countries. In addition, MPA Academy also organises two other leadership programmes – the Advanced Maritime Leaders’ Programme and Maritime Public Leaders’ Programme for the heads and directors respectively of maritime administrations and port authorities.

MINISTER GAN KIM YONG ATTENDS FIFTH MEETING OF THE COMPREHENSIVE AND PROGRESSIVE AGREEMENT FOR TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP (CPTPP) COMMISSION

TL Bureau, Singapore City

Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong represented Singapore at the fifth meeting of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for TransPacific Partnership (CPTPP) Commission earlier today.The Commission noted the steady implementation of the Agreement and the continued importance of the CPTPP in supporting recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The

Commission also reaffirmed CPTPP members’ strong belief in reinforcing an open, effective, fair, inclusive and rules-based trading system to restore economic growth worldwide. The Commission agreed to establish a Committee on Electronic Commerce to facilitate the implementation of the CPTPP’s e-commerce chapter.

The new Committee will promote digitalisation within the region and enable the CPTPP to play a central role in global rule-making in this field.

The Commission also welcomed the upcoming entry into force of the CPTPP for Peru later this month. It expressed hope that the remaining Signatories would complete their domestic procedures, and that the Agreement would enter into force for all as soon as possible.

In addition, CPTPP members are working with the United Kingdom in preparation for the first meeting of the Accession Working Group1.

The Commission looks forward to the UK fully committing to meet

the high standards of the CPTPP. In 2022, Singapore will assume the role of Chair of the CPTPP Commission.

Mr Gan said, “As economies work towards recovering from COVID-19, we must tap on agreements like the CPTPP to address the emerging trade and business challenges and capture opportunities of the post- pandemic era. These include the promotion of supply chain resilience, participation of small and medium enterprises in the global economy and enabling the growth of the digital economy.

Smart Nation Scholarship 2021 Welcomes Most Number Of Female Recipients Since Inception

TL Bureau, Singapore City

With the goal of nurturing our future leaders in technology, the Smart Nation Scholarship was presented to 14 recipients this year. Among them were five female recipients, the largest batch of female Smart Nation Scholarship recipients to date, reflecting an increased interest amongst them to contribute to Singapore’s digital and technology development.

Since its launch in 2018, the Smart Nation Scholarship has been awarded to 12 female recipients in total.

The percentage of female Smart Nation scholars has seen steady growth over the years, rising from 22% in 2018 to 36% today. Addressing the 14 scholarship awardees at a virtual awards ceremony held today, Minister for Communications and Information and Minister-in-charge of Smart Nation and Cybersecurity Josephine Teo said, “Grooming a team of Smart Nation Scholars is not unlike assembling a team of Marvel superheroes, each

with their own unique superpower.

By recognising and bringing together more diverse talents, we certainly hope to navigate the complexities ahead with greater confidence.”

The Smart Nation Scholarship seeks to develop and nurture technology talents who are passionate to make a difference to our national digital transformation. Jointly offered by the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA), Government Technology Agency (GovTech), and the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), the Smart Nation Scholarship recipients will be groomed for leadership positions in technology and take on key roles in national projects.

The scholarship is awarded to students who are passionate about technology, dedicated to the public service and distinguished themselves beyond academic merits and leadership qualities. The recipients are selected through a rigorous assessment process comprising aptitude tests, management

interviews and agency-specific assessments such as technical and gamified personality tests.

“I believe it is important to allow girls to be exposed to technology in school and opportunities to further develop this interest. Some girls may find an unexpected passion in this field, and schools can make it more accessible to everyone. More women working in technology can increase diversity in opinions on the development and usage of technology. Through the Smart Nation Scholarship, I hope to step into novel, fast-developing technology fields and create solutions to help solve problems that Singapore faces. I was impressed by the agility GovTech demonstrated in responding to the pandemic, and I hope to contribute towards delivering tech for public good when I join the agency,” said Chen Xinyi, who is among the four scholars joining GovTech this year.

“My personal goal is to use tech to create system architectures that benefit the wider community and I believe

that aligns with what Smart Nation aims to do, to transform Singapore with technology. I was not hesitant to enter tech as I believe that women are as equally capable as men, and will be able to contribute our part. There are currently also more role models and examples of women who have built a successful career in tech. I firmly believe in the work IMDA is doing, spearheading, and regulating the use of tech in Singapore. I saw first-hand the impact that IMDA can bring to our country and I am keen on joining IMDA to contribute to the fast-paced digitalisation of Singapore and showcase the capabilities of women in the tech sector,” said Tan Xin Yen, one of the four IMDA Smart Nation scholars. “I believe technology has tremendous potential to improve lives. As one of CSA’s Smart Nation scholars, I want to ensure that systems and software are more secure so people can embrace technology without fearing the harm that cybercriminals can do.

6

MALAYSIA & NEARBY

EMGS LAUNCHES ITS FIRST 360-DEGREE VIRTUAL FAIR ‘STUDY IN MALAYSIA PREMIER EDUFAIR SHOWCASE 2021’ WITH 26 PRESTIGIOUS MALAYSIAN AND INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITIES REACHING OUT TO POTENTIAL STUDENTS FROM 5 REGIONS TL Bureau, Kuala Lampur Education Malaysia Global Services (EMGS) has launched its first 360-degree virtual fair, Study in Malaysia Premier Edufair Showcase 2021, covering five regions, starting 30th July until 14th August 2021. The virtual fair will kick off with Middle East North Africa (MENA), Central Asia and South Asia, and Southeast Asia and East Asia regions, giving potential international students and parents the opportunity to connect virtually with participating higher education institutions in Malaysia.

Study in Malaysia Premier Edufair Showcase 2021 is participated by 26 esteemed and prestigious Public Universities, Private Higher Education Institutions, and Foreign Branch campuses in Malaysia. This virtual fair will be a one-of-a-kind opportunity for international students to seek exclusive preview by the Higher Educational Institutions (HEI) in Malaysia on all study levels available, from undergraduate to postgraduate, with a one-to-one session with representatives from the institutions. Representatives from Visa Processing and Marketing team from EMGS will also be present to assist the participants.

Study in Malaysia Premier Edufair Showcase 2021 will highlight Malaysia as

an international education hub globally from an official and credible Malaysia’s organisation and source. EMGS have initiated this virtual fair to support and bridge the gap between higher education institutions and potential local and international students and parents seeking information to study in Malaysia.

“We are glad that this virtual fair has managed to gather 26 esteemed Higher Education Institutions (HEI) in Malaysia, for them to join and use this opportunity to connect with potential international Students globally. This is one of many initiatives from EMGS to open the door of opportunity to Study in Malaysia, supported by the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia (MOHE). This is also our effort to give the opportunity for students to study in Malaysia during this pandemic.” EMGS CEO, Mr. Mohd Radzlan bin Jalaludin said.

The Study in Malaysia Premier Edufair Showcase 2021 will start with Middle East North Africa (MENA) on 30th July 2021, Central Asia and South Asia on 7th August 2021, and Southeast Asia and East Asia on 14th August 2021. More information on the virtual fair and the participants’ registration are available at https://emgs.vruniverse. com.my/Edufair2021/ or visit EMGS’s official website at https://educationmalaysia.

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN AFGHANISTAN TL Bureau, Kuala Lampur Malaysia strongly condemns the terror attacks on 26 August 2021, at the vicinity of Hamid Karzai International Airport which resulted in the loss of many innocent lives and injuries to many others.

The Government of Malaysia conveys our deepest condolences and sympathies to the bereaved families, and prays for a speedy recovery for those injured.

The attacks will only further exacerbate the already dire humanitarian situation in Afghanistan. Malaysia calls on all concerned parties to give their utmost priority to the safety as well as protection of all civilians, including those wishing to leave the country.

Malaysia commends the important role played by members of the international community and international organisations in ensuring humanitarian assistance reaches those in need in Afghanistan, including vulnerable groups such as women, children and minorities.

Malaysia will continue to support efforts to find peaceful and lasting settlement in the interest of Afghanistan and her people.

Nation’s Maiden Pre-Budget Statement Enhances Transparency and Inclusivity In Budget Preparation Process

TL Bureau, Kuala Lampur

As part of the effort to improve the annual budget preparation process, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) has agreed to publish a Pre-Budget Statement (PBS) for Budget 2022. This PBS is the first in the nation’s history.

This move is in line with international best practices, whereby a PBS is published to enhance the transparency of the budget process in formulating the annual budget, as well as increase public confidence – particularly among investors – in the country’s fiscal management.

Through the publication of the PBS, the Rakyat can track specific metrics such as: The economic outlook based on global economic scenario, performance review of the Gross Domestic Product and macroeconomic outlook for 2022 as well as fiscal targets for 2021/2022;

The tax revenue performance status and tax measures announced under Budget 2021 and stimulus packages in 2021. The PBS document also covers the management of revenue leakages, Malaysia’s international commitments as well as strategies to increase tax revenue and strengthen the tax system; and The public expenditure status for 2021 and factors in optimising and controlling expenditure. The PBS also provides a preliminary overview on the direction, approach and expected benefits of Budget 2022, which will be crafted based on the following objectives: Protecting and driving recovery of lives and livelihood: Budget 2022 will drive the national recovery process to ensure that the nation successfully exits from the COVID-19 crisis, as well as continue the post-crisis recovery agenda to help lives, livelihoods and badly-affected economic

sectors. Efforts to help vulnerable groups and generate new job opportunities will continue to be prioritised; Rebuilding national resilience: Budget 2022 will emphasise on rebuilding the resilience and capacity of the nation’s public health system, enhancing digital and technological infrastructure, especially within the education sector, and facilitating the nation’s transition to high productivity industrial sectors based on automated technology and high skills; and Catalysing reforms: Budget 2022 will ensure that reform measures are implemented while focusing on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, the Twelfth Malaysia Plan and the Shared Prosperity Vision 2030.

MOF is stakeholders to provide feedback and contribute towards formulating a budget that is well-aligned to the needs of the Rakyat, as well as the country’s policies and national objectives.

7

BUSINESS

SECO: industrial partnership with Olivetti, expected revenues of about €50 million in the three-year period 2022 - 2024

TL Bureau, Ivrea/Arezzo The partnership with Olivetti and TIM Group officially starts and leads us into the next two years with an important mission: to digitalize the country starting from small and medium enterprises.”— Massimo Mauri, CEO of SECOIVREA/AREZZO comOlivetti SpA, (“Olivetti”), the digital farm for IoT solutions of TIM Group, and SECO SpA (“SECO”), a center of excellence in the field of technological innovation and the Internet of Things, presented to the market the details of the agreement signed last August 3, 2021, that anticipates the signing of an important qualified industrial partnership between the two companies.

For SECO, revenues of around €50 million cumulative over the three-year period 2022-2024 are expected from the agreement. On the IoT services front, where growth rates are estimated at around 10%, Olivetti is aiming for a market share of 5%, for a market that will be worth around €4.5 billion in 2024.

The finalization of the partnership provides for a strengthening of industrial collaboration between the two companies. SECO thus becomes Olivetti’s technology partner and preferred supplier of IoT solutions.

Olivetti, for its part, becomes SECO’s reference industrial partner. During the presentation to the market, it has

also been announced that Olivetti holds 9.6% of SECO’s share capital, thus strengthening the financial relationship with the company based in Arezzo. The industrial partnership between SECO and Olivetti involves the supply of hardware devices already included in SECO’s current product catalogue. In addition, hardware and software solutions will be jointly developed specifically for Olivetti and distributed under the ‘Olivetti powered by SECO’ brand.

The partnership is designed to accelerate the digital evolution of the TIM Group’s Corporate Customers in both the Large and Small to Medium Enterprise sectors, as well as the Public Administration. The products created by Olivetti through the industrial partnership with SECO will be sold exclusively by the TIM sales network. These solutions will be applied both in sectors in which Olivetti has already launched specific proposals (smart cities, urban services, industrial automation, smart agriculture, etc.) and in the sector of digital payment systems and, in general, for the world of connected objects. “Today we are presenting to the market an important move for all of us. The partnership with Olivetti and TIM Group officially starts and leads us confidently into the next two years with an important mission: to digitalize the country starting from small and medium enterprises.

World Bank Group and Australian Government Partner to Help Strengthen Vietnam’s Capital Market, Mobilize Foreign Investors

TL Bureau, Hanoi

As Vietnam seeks increased capital to sustain economic activities to continue growing strongly in the wake of COVID-19 impacts, IFC, the World Bank, and the Australian government have partnered to promote the development of the country’s equity capital market. The aim is to improve stock market operations to attract investors and diversify funding sources for the growth of domestic enterprises, supporting sustainable economic development.

A conference jointly held by the World Bank Group (WBG) and the State Securities Commission (SSC) discussed the Draft Securities Market Development Strategy 20212030 prepared by the SSC and a multi-phased roadmap proposed by the WBG for equity capital market development with a focus on improving investor accessibility.

Regulators from the Ministry of Finance, the State Bank of Vietnam, the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the National Finance Supervisory Commission, development partners including Australia and Switzerland, and market stakeholders also discussed the regulatory implementation progress and proposed cross-work among multiple ministries and government agencies to facilitate

market development.

“The aim of the strategy is to build capital market into an important medium and long-term capital conduit for the economy, unlocking the market’s potential to effectively serve the economic growth and opening up reasonable and well-balanced sources of capital to the economy and enterprises. The plan is developed to be in line with international best practices and standards, ensuring investor protection and market confidence,” said Vu Chi Dzung, Director General of International Cooperation Department, State Securities Commission.

The proposed roadmap addressed key constraints to foreign investor accessibility by including new mechanisms to ease the pre-funding requirement for securities trades, solutions to address limitation of foreign ownership of stocks, and improvements in disclosures in English.

“Deep, efficient, and well-regulated local capital markets create access to long-term, local-currency finance necessary for the development of a thriving private sector—the key driver of jobs and sustainable growth,” said Lam Bao Quang, IFC Acting Country Manager for Vietnam, Cambodia, and Lao PDR. “Accelerated reforms are urgent and more critical than ever to enable a broad and diversified

investor base for Vietnam’s capital market as public resources become scarce and the country will need large volumes of long-term, local currency financing to recover and continue investing in sustainable growth given the impact of COVID-19.”

IFC and the World Bank, in partnership with the Australian government, are implementing a multi-year advisory program to facilitate Vietnam’s stock market development by improving the regulatory framework, market infrastructure, capacity of regulators, and new product development. This program is part of the Joint Capital Market Development Program (J-CAP)—a WBG initiative working on local debt and equity capital market development in selected countries worldwide, including Vietnam. The J-CAP initiative was established in 2017 to help developing countries realize the benefits of strong local capital markets.

“Mature, well-regulated capital markets that meet international standards are critical for diversifying financing options and will be pivotal for Vietnam’s next development phase. More sophisticated capital markets will be a crucial source of domestic financing and also support higher levels of higher quality foreign investment,” said Mark Tattersall, Deputy Head of Mission of the Australia Embassy in Vietnam.

“Latin America is a big player in the food supply chain and despite the challenges imposed by the pandemic, its enthusiasm and efforts to continue providing its share to feed some of the world population has not decreased.

As the population grows, so will food demand. LAAD has been committed to adopting and adapting climate-smart agriculture practices to assist agribusinesses and farmers in producing more sustainable agriculture. This loan focused on green finance is evidence of our commitment.”

This investment follows IFC’s Green Framework and is the first green loan provided to a Non-Bank Financial Institution (NBFI) for Climate-Smart Agriculture in the world. The use of proceeds will be exclusively focused on financing eligible green agribusinesses, the promotion of climate-resilient practices and boosting an inclusive economic recovery.

IFC has made agribusiness a priority because of its potential for broad development impact

and especially strong role in poverty reduction. We combine investments and advisory services to help the sector address higher demand and escalating food prices in an environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive way. IFC invests across the agribusiness supply chain—from farm to retail— to help boost production, increase liquidity, improve logistics and distribution, and expand access to credit for small farmers.

About IFC The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member organization of the World Bank Group, is the leading international development institution dedicated to the private sector in emerging markets. It works in more than 100 countries and uses its capital, expertise, and influence to create markets and opportunities in developing countries. In the fiscal year 2020, it invested US $22 billion in private companies and financial institutions in this group of

countries, leveraging the capacity of the private sector to help end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity.

For more information, visit www.ifc.org About LAAD Latin American Agribusiness Development Corporation S.A. (“LAAD”) is a private investment and development company that finances and develops private agribusiness projects across Latin America and the Caribbean involving all phases of production, processing, storage, services, technology and marketing in the fields of agriculture, livestock, forestry and fishing. Since its founding in 1969, LAAD Company has disbursed over $3.2 billion, financed over 5,400 projects across 26 countries.

LAAD provides medium to long-term loans (3 to 7 years) and revolving lines of credit for the purpose of starting or expanding agribusiness and specializes in funding companies that export products to international markets.

IFC announces US$80 million green loan to LAAD to support SME´s and agribusiness development in Latin America

TL Bureau, Washington D.C.

The International Finance Corporation (IFC), member of the World Bank Group, announced a green loan of US$80 million to Latin American Agribusiness Development Corporation (LAAD), a private investment and development company oriented to finance agribusiness projects in Latin America and the Caribbean, to support Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the adoption and improvement of water use efficiency projects, sustainable practices and renewable energy generation.

IFC’s financing package to LAAD includes a seven-year US$50 million loan from IFC’s own account and a seven-year $30 million loan mobilized from Symbiotics S.A. The loan will help LAAD to improve access to finance to SMEs and reinforce LAC’s agricultural supply chains, which have been weakened in the context of COVID-19.

Farmers are often the smaller

players in a value-added chain that includes larger manufacturers, distributors, and retailers of crop inputs.

Improving access to finance for agribusiness SMEs is an important way to address bottlenecks to the sector’s growth.

Martin Spicer, director of IFC in Latin America and the Caribbean, said: “The COVID-19 pandemic has put huge stress on the entire agribusiness supply chain. While global food stocks remain sufficient, local risks to food security have increased on the back of supply chain disruptions and rising prices. With this investment, IFC is looking to support and enhance its on-lending activities toward climate-smart assets to a category of borrowers historically underserved by the banking sector. We´re happy to be a part of LAAD´s efforts to improve the lives and economic conditions of Latin American farmers”.

Gustavo Martinez, LAAD’s Chief Executive Officer, said:

8

FEATURE

HIGH-INCOME COUNTRIES CALLED ON TO SHARE COVID-19 VACCINES QUICKLY

TL Bureau, New York

The former Co-Chairs of the Independent Panel on Pandemic Preparedness and Response (IPPPR), Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former President of Liberia, and Helen Clark, former Prime Minister of New Zealand, have expressed their deep concern at the slow pace of redistribution of COVID-19 vaccines from high income to low-income countries.

“The Independent Panel report recommended that high-income countries ensure that at least one billion doses of vaccines available to them were redistributed to 92 low- and middle-income countries by 1 September, and a further one billion doses by mid2022”, President Sirleaf and Helen Clark said.

“Ensuring that all those around the world most vulnerable to the impact of the virus, including healthcare workers, older people and those with significant comorbidities, can be vaccinated quickly is a critical step towards curbing the pandemic.”

The Co-Chairs noted that, to date, 99 million dose donations have been shipped via COVAX, out of which only 89 million have been shipped to the 92 Advance Market Commitment countries – far short of the one billion doses the Independent Panel has called for. “High-income countries have ordered

over twice as many doses as are needed for their populations. Now is the time to show solidarity with those who have not yet been able to vaccinate their frontline health workers and most vulnerable populations.

Reaching the goal of redistributing one billion doses by 1 September would be a vital step in protecting the five billion people aged 15 and over who live in low- and middle-income countries. The 600 million doses which have already been pledged now need to be delivered with urgency”, the Co-Chairs said.

The Co-Chairs also noted that there needs to be much more rapid action on increasing vaccine production in low- and middleincome countries. “Manufacturing capacity has to be increased and knowledge and technology shared in order to scale up production quickly. This pandemic has shown the global risks of locating the know-how and manufacturing facilities in just a handful of countries.”

“We welcome the announcement that a COVID mRNA vaccine technology transfer hub has been established in South Africa.

More such announcements are needed. Lowand middle-income countries must be able to produce more of their own vaccines and thereby help increase in general the amount of vaccine available to the world”, the CoChairs said.

WHO releases new compendium of innovative health technologies for COVID-19 and other priority diseases

TL Bureau, Geneva

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for innovative health technologies that can help countries improve health outcomes by providing shortcuts to solutions despite lack of infrastructure and resources.

However, many of the new technologies that have come to market are unaffordable or unsuitable for low- and middle-income countries.

To ensure that all countries benefit from health innovation, WHO has compiled a compendium of 24 new technologies that can be used in low-resource settings.

“Innovative technologies are accelerating access to healthcare everywhere, but we must ensure that they are readily available in all health facilities, fairly priced and quality-assured,” said Dr Mariângela Simão, WHO Assistant Director General for Access to Health Products. “WHO will continue to work with governments, funders and manufacturers to promote sustainable supplies of these tools during and beyond the COVID emergency.”

The compendium’s main objective was to select and assess technologies that can have an immediate and future impact on COVID-19 preparedness and response, potentially improve health outcomes and quality of life, and/or offer a solution to an unmet medical need. 15 of these technologies are already commercially available in countries, while the rest are still at the prototype stage.

The compendium includes simple items ranging from a colourized bleach additive, which allows the naked eye to identify nonsterilized surfaces and objects, to more complex though easy-to-use equipment such as a portable respiratory monitoring system and ventilators with an extended

battery that can be used where electricity is not available or unstable. The list also includes a deployable health facility for emergencies decked out in a shipping container.

Some of these technologies are already in use and have proven their value through pilot programmes. For example, the solar powered oxygen concentrator has been highly effective in treating pneumonia, which kills 900,000 children a year, in a regional children’s hospital in Somalia’s Galmudug state.

Studies have demonstrated that reliable access to oxygen can reduce child deaths due to pneumonia by 35%. Given the shortage of oxygen in numerous countries, the concentrator is a critical tool in the treatment of hospitalized COVID patients.

WHO has been assessing innovative technologies for the last 10 years, some of the selected products are now addressing priority health problems in low-resource settings. A critical example is a smartphone application that allows the user to instantly record accurate blood pressure measurements.

According to a report released by WHO last week, the number of adults aged 30–79 years with hypertension has increased from 650 million to 1.28 billion in the last thirty years and almost half these people do not know they have hypertension.

Smartphones are widely available, even in the most remote areas or low-resource settings. The software-based platform transforms existing smartphones into a medical device capable of measuring blood pressure accurately, with no need to add any other devices or accessories.

The other advantage of the app is that even in the absence of a trained health worker, patients can self-test and better manage their blood pressure.

Monitoring Toolkit to Help Sustainable Reintegration of Child Returnees

Children colouring at IOM’s Multi-Purpose Community Hall in Yola, Adamawa state, Nigeria. Photo: Natalie Oren/IOM TL Bureau, Geneva The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said a toolkit it published today closes a gap in monitoring the sustainable reintegration of child returnees.

The development of the toolkit and the identification of good practices were coordinated by the EU-IOM Knowledge Management Hub (KMH) with the financial support of the European Union (EU), in collaboration with Samuel Hall, the European Commission’s DirectorateGeneral for International Partnerships and Save the Children.

Despite major efforts to address the unique challenges children face in their return and reintegration, until now monitoring of key indicators and frameworks had mostly focused on the adult or household level, rather than on children themselves.

According to data provided by IOM in its Return and Reintegration Key Highlights 2020, 15 per cent of the 42,181 migrants the Organization helped through Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration, Voluntary Humanitarian Return, or in conjunction with the COVID-19 Return Task Force, were children.

During the past year, return assistance was also provided to 2,386 migrants in vulnerable situations, and 16 per cent of them were unaccompanied or separated children.

The Monitoring Toolkit and Good Practices for the Sustainable Reintegration of Child Returnees – developed and field-tested by Samuel Hall in Ethiopia, Georgia, Honduras, Iraq and Nigeria – offers a set of practical tools, including quantitative surveys, case studies, focus group discussions and key informant interviews, that consider the diverse experiences faced by child returnees in their reintegration process.

“The research results in standards and tools for effective and appropriate child reintegration monitoring,” said

Nassim Majidi, co-director of Samuel Hall. “This includes understanding the full ecosystem of stakeholders involved in children’s reintegration and increasing their participation in the process.”

Monica Goracci, IOM Migration Management Department Director, said the toolkit will contribute to improving child-sensitive programmes and policies, especially from a protection perspective. “It provides all reintegration practitioners with a unique tool to monitor children’s reintegration sustainability, strengthen protection and ensure that the best interest of the child is at the core of all interventions.”

This research study integrates the extensive work by IOM and partners on the return and reintegration of child returnees, comprising, among others, the Reintegration Handbook’s Module 6 jointly developed by IOM and UNICEF, A Child Rights Approach to The Sustainable Reintegration of Migrant Children and Families, and the Cross-regional Seminaron the same topic organized by the KMH earlier this year. It builds on Save the Children’s Durable Solutions for Children Toolkit and IOM’s Reintegration Sustainability Survey.

The study was undertaken under the KMH’s Research Fund set up to address knowledge gaps in the field of migrant return and reintegration.

Beyond this research, two other studies will be published shortly with a focus on reintegration outcomes following forced and voluntary return, and the gender dimension of reintegration.

The KMH was established in September 2017 in the framework of the Pilot Action on Voluntary Return and Sustainable, Community-Based Reintegration funded by the European Union to support the harmonization of approaches, processes and tools, and strengthen learning across the EU-IOM Actions in support of migrant protection and sustainable reintegration and beyond.

9

life and real estate

UK-Russia Arctic WHO health supplies land in Afghanistan Science Links webinar series 2020-2021 TL Bureau, Kabul/Cairo

Between September 2020 and March 2021, SIN Russia in partnership with the NERC Arctic Office designed, developed and delivered the UK-Russia Arctic Science Links webinar series.

TL Bureau, London/Moscow The UK-Russia Arctic Science webinar series was aimed at facilitating practical links between UK-based Arctic researchers and Russia’s leading research institutions and connecting the UK Arctic science community to collaborative opportunities for future joint work across Russia despite the challenges of the pandemic. The webinar series is part of a long-standing programme of SIN-supported scientific exchanges and activities between UK and Russian Arctic research communities. Delivered jointly with multiple UK and Russian partners over the past three years, the programme has generated long-term collaborative projects, bilateral research networks, institutional partnerships involving top

universities and institutes, an increase in joint publications and bespoke training opportunities for UK and Russian early career researchers.

The webinar series comprised four online events organised jointly with our partners: Yugra State University (Khanty-Mansiisk, Siberia), Tomsk State University (Tomsk, Siberia), Kola Science Centre (Apatity, the Murmansk region), and the Open Ocean Project & Association Maritime Heritage (St. Petersburg).

Each webinar was a unique opportunity to hear directly from leading researchers about ongoing and upcoming Arcticrelated science projects, discover a new research institution, hear about local research facilities and opportunities for fieldwork, and learn more about Russia’s Arctic regions and what makes

each of them a unique research environment.

The webinars were well-received by the research community and attracted a large audience, including early career scientists. In total around 320 people registered for the four events. A dedicated webpage was set up for each of the events with background info on the institutions and speakers and the recordings were made available online afterwards.

The webinars created time and space for UK and Russian researchers to explore opportunities for practical connections with new partners, participate in dynamic scientific discussions and engage in quality networking for future Arctic science cooperation.

Discussions during the webinars demonstrated a clear mutual interest in strengthening science links further and helped research groups and institutions from both countries to establish direct channels of communication and map matching research priorities.

A plane carrying WHO medicines and health supplies landed in Afghanistan on 30 August, at 12:25 pm local time.

This is the first shipment of medical supplies to land in Afghanistan since the country came under control of the Taliban authorities.

“After days of non-stop work to find a solution, I am very pleased to say that we have now been able to partially replenish stocks of health facilities in Afghanistan and ensure that — for now – WHO-supported health services can continue,” said Dr Ahmed Al Mandhari, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean.

The 12.5 metric tonnes supplies delivered consist of trauma kits and interagency emergency health kits, and are enough to cover the basic health needs of more than 200 000 people, as well as provide 3500 surgical procedures and treat 6500 trauma patients.

They will be immediately delivered to 40 health facilities in 29 provinces across Afghanistan.

The plane, which was provided by the Government of Pakistan, was loaded with the supplies earlier today by WHO’s logistics team at the International Humanitarian City in Dubai, United Arab

Emirates, and flown directly to Mazar-i-Sharif airport in Afghanistan.

This is the first of 3 flights planned with Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) to fill urgent shortages in medicines and medical supplies in Afghanistan.

“I would like to thank the Government of Pakistan and PIA for their efforts to support WHO and the people of Afghanistan. Humanitarian agencies such as WHO have faced enormous challenges in sending life-saving supplies to Afghanistan in recent weeks due to security and logistics constraints. The support of the Pakistani people has been timely and life-saving,” added Dr Al-Mandhari.

WHO is working with partners to ensure that this week’s shipment is the first of many to follow. A reliable humanitarian air bridge is urgently required to scale up the collective humanitarian effort.The world’s attention over the past 2 weeks has been focused on the air evacuation from Kabul airport. But the demanding humanitarian work of meeting the needs of tens of millions of vulnerable Afghans who remain in the country is now beginning; the world cannot now divert its attention from the people of Afghanistan at this critical time.

WHO, GERMANY OPEN HUB FOR PANDEMIC AND EPIDEMIC INTELLIGENCE IN BERLIN New hub’s mission is to provide the world with better data, analytics and decisions to detect and respond to health emergencies

TL Bureau, Berlin To better prepare and protect the world from global disease threats, H.E. German Federal Chancellor Dr Angela Merkel and Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, World Health Organization Director-General, will today inaugurate the new WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence, based in Berlin.“The world needs to be able to detect new events with pandemic potential and to monitor disease control measures on a real-time basis to create effective pandemic and epidemic risk management,” said Dr Tedros.

“This Hub will be key to that effort, leveraging innovations in data science for public health surveillance and response, and creating systems whereby we can share and expand expertise in this area globally.”

The WHO Hub, which is receiving an initial investment of US$ 100 million from the Federal Republic of Germany, will harness broad and diverse partnerships across many professional disciplines, and the latest technology, to link the data, tools and communities of practice so that actionable data and intelligence are shared for the common good.

The WHO Hub is part of WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme and will be a new collaboration of countries and partners worldwide, driving innovations to increase availability of key data; develop state of the art analytic tools and predictive models for risk analysis; and link communities of practice around the world. Critically, the WHO Hub will support the work of public health experts and policymakers in all countries with the tools

needed to forecast, detect and assess epidemic and pandemic risks so they can take rapid decisions to prevent and respond to future public health emergencies. “Despite decades of investment, COVID-19 has revealed the great gaps that exist in the world’s ability to forecast, detect, assess and respond to outbreaks that threaten people worldwide,” said Dr Michael Ryan, Executive Director of WHO’s Health Emergency Programme.

“The WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence is designed to develop the data access, analytic tools and communities of practice to fill these very gaps, promote collaboration and sharing, and protect the world from such crises in the future.”

The Hub will work to: Enhance methods for access to multiple data sources vital to generating signals and insights on

disease emergence, evolution and impact; Develop state of the art tools to process, analyze and model data for detection, assessment and response; Provide WHO, our Member States, and partners with these tools to underpin better, faster decisions on how to address outbreak signals and events; and Connect and catalyze institutions and networks developing disease outbreak solutions for the present and future. Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, currently DirectorGeneral of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, has been appointed to lead the WHO Hub. WHO would like to acknowledge the Nigerian government for its support, which ensures strong leadership for this important initiative. The WHO Hub is currently operating from a centre provided by the Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin.

10

SPORTS

Innovative partnership between FIBA and Bitci set to elevate fan experience

TL Bureau, MIES

FIBA, the International Basketball Federation, and Bitci have announced an innovative new global partnership for the period 2021-2023.

Bitci will serve as a new Global Partner offering innovative products to the global basketball community.

FIBA has identified blockchain technology as a new and unique way for fans to interact and engage with the sport. This technology also aligns perfectly with one of FIBA’s strategic priorities for 2019-2023, which is to enlarge the FIBA family by expanding its partners and embracing new ideas.

The global partnership will provide Bitci with key commercial rights across all FIBA competitions, including the FIBA Continental Cups for both men and women, FIBA Youth World Cups, the

FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2022 and FIBA’s pinnacle event, the FIBA Basketball World Cup in 2023. Specific rights for these events include premium brand visibility on the court and exclusive Presenting Sponsorship Rights for selected FIBA qualifying competitions. The

partnership goes beyond branding elements and will allow Bitci to develop and launch a dedicated FIBA fan token for FIBA’s global fan community. The aim is to provide fans with a voice, giving them the opportunity to vote on various competitions, participate in polls,

Lamborghini claims sixth GT World Challenge America win of the year at Road America

TL Bureau, Sant’Agata Bolognese/ Elkhart Lake Lamborghini Factory Driver Andrea Caldarelli and K-PAX Racing team-mate Jordan Pepper recorded their fifth GT World Challenge America victory of the season, the sixth seasonal win for the Italian brand, at the iconic Road America circuit in Wisconsin. The latest success ensured the pairing in the #3 Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo extended their points advantage in the drivers’ and teams’ standings.

Coming into the weekend, Caldarellli and Pepper held a 39-point lead in the overall standings over the sister #6 K-PAX Racing Huracán duo of Giovanni Venturini and increased the margin following a hard-fought win in the opening race from pole position.

The weekend had started inconspicuously for Caldarelli

and Pepper, setting the sixth and 10th quickest times in free practice before Caldarelli put in a stunning qualifying time of 2:07.102 to take pole position. From there, Caldarelli consolidated the lead at the start of the 90-minute race before handing over to Pepper during the mandatory pit-stop window.

Pepper continued Caldarelli’s work in the second stint but began to fall into the clutches of the second-placed Mercedes of Philip Ellis, who started to close in on the lead. But Pepper kept his cool impressively and came home to clinch another race win, just under half a second ahead of Ellis at the flag, the gap reduced even further thanks to a full course yellow which bunched the field up in the closing laps.

The #6 of Venturini and Corey Lewis finished fourth in the opening race, while Lamborghini

have access to promotional licensing products, and get special access to tickets and behind the scenes activities.

In addition to the FIBA fan token, both parties will also explore the opportunity to develop specific Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs), a digital collectible for fans, which will comprise of memorable moments from the FIBA archive.

Collecting such special moments securely and exclusively will give fans a unique opportunity to be part of basketball’s history. Andreas Zagklis, FIBA Secretary General, said: “We are excited to enter this new partnership with Bitci. FIBA is committed to enlarging the basketball family and offering innovative opportunities to our members and fans. We are confident that Bitci will deliver first-class products through the blockchain, with a dedicated FIBA fan token and the joint development of NFTs.

Factory Driver Giacomo Altoè and Martin Fuentes brought the TR3 Racing Huracán home fourth in the Pro-Am class and eighth overall.

Race 2 was a more complicated affair for the points-leading #3 car, which started sixth on the grid.

Pepper took the start but made slight contact with the Mercedes of Michael Cooper at Turn 6, forcing the South African to take to the grass to avoid more drama.

Caldarelli and Pepper eventually recovered to fourth overall by the end following a late pit-stop for erstwhile leader Russell Ward for fuel. Ward’s stop with five minutes remaining elevated Venturini and Lewis to an inherited second place, while Altoè and Fuentes set the fastest lap of the race to finish fifth overall, and second in Pro-Am. The next round in the 2021 GT World Challenge America season takes place at Watkins Glen on the weekend of 17-19th September.

USA retain men and women’s titles at FIBA 3x3 U18 World Cup 2021

TL Bureau, Debrecen

USA made history again by successfully defending their FIBA 3x3 U18 World Cup titles in both the men and the women’s categories in Debrecen, Hungary on August 24-29, 2021.

Two years after completing the historic double for the first time in Mongolia, the United States repeated after going undefeated with the men and 6-1 with the women (their only loss coming against Russia in the pool stage).

At just 16 years old, Mikaylah Williams was sensational for the women’s team, comfortably leading the scoring charts (with 56 points overall, the second had just 36) and winning MVP. She had a game-high 10 points and buried a shot from the 3x3 logo for the win against Spain in the final (21-14).

Spain’s Elena Buenavida and Zita Szabo - who led Hungary to bronze in front of the huge home crowd - joined Williams on the team of the tournament.

In the men’s category, the United States won every single game before the 10-minute limit. Estonia were the only Men 1. USA 2. Estonia 3. Belarus 4. Egypt 5. Ukraine 6. Lithuania 7.

Dominican Republic 8. Kazakhstan 9. Russia 10. Slovenia 11. Brazil 12. Mongolia

team that tested the high-flying American team, in their opener (21-17) and in the final (21-14).

After a slow U.S. start, Kyle Filipowski controlled the paint like Picasso in the final (gamehigh 9 points in the final). His teammate Keyonte George added 7 to move up to second overall in scoring on the entire tournament. George scored in all positions in Hungary and received the MVP trophy from Russian basketball legend and FIBA 3x3 Commission Chairman Andrei Kirilenko.

Top scorer Illia Milasheuski - who took home bronze with Belarus - and Estonia star Markus Heinakroon shared team of the tournament honors with George. Egypt finished fourth in the men’s category, the best-ever performance by an African team in the competition.

George’s teammate Eric Dailey Jr won the dunk contest, Paula Cirsa (Latvia’s women) dominated the skills contest while Marta Morales (Spain’s women) earned gold at the mixed shoot-out contest.

Final Standings of the FIBA 3x3 U18 World Cup 2021

13. Israel 14. Hungary 15. Germany 16. Romania 17. Latvia 18. Indonesia Women 1. USA 2. Spain 3. Hungary 4. Germany 5. Russia 6. Latvia

7. Ukraine 8. Estonia 9. Belarus 10. Netherlands 11. Israel 12. Slovenia 13. Romania 14. Egypt 15. Mongolia 16. Switzerland 17. Indonesia

11

tech/auto

Resumption of Services of the Toyota e-Palette Vehicle and Additional Safety Measures at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Athletes’ Village

TL Bureau, Toyota City

Having taken steps to ensure greater safety and security, Toyota today announces that The Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games has decided to resume operations of the e-Palette mobility vehicle within the Athletes’ Village.

Operations of mobility services were suspended in response to an incident that occurred at the Athletes’ Village on Thursday, August 26, 2021, when the e-Palette collided with a visually impaired pedestrian. To ensure safe and secure traffic flow at the Athletes’ Village, there are three crucial elements: pedestrians, vehicles, and infrastructure including guides. By analyzing this incident from the perspective of these three elements, together with the Organising Committee, Toyota has determined additional safety measures Incident Analysis The Pedestrian

The pedestrian was a visually impaired person who was walking alone. When the pedestrian tried to cross the intersection, the individual came into contact with a vehicle passing through the intersection.

The Vehicle When the vehicle was turning right, upon entering the intersection, it detected a person in the intersection and stopped. Then, after the operator confirmed conditions were safe, the operator started the vehicle, moving again towards the intersection. The operator checked the situation around the intersection and manually started to decelerate.

The vehicle’s sensor detected a pedestrian coming towards the intersection and activated the automatic brakes. The operator also applied the emergency brakes.

However, a collision occurred with the vehicle and the pedestrian before the vehicle managed to come to a complete stop.

The Infrastructure Including Guides At the time of the collision, there were only two guide persons at the

intersection. Given that there were no traffic signals, and especially in a situation like the Paralympics where there are a diverse range of people, it was not possible for guide persons to check the movements of all pedestrians and vehicles moving in multiple directions. In addition, there was not a sufficient mechanism for coordination between guides and vehicle operators.

As a result, the pedestrian entering the intersection came into contact with the vehicle.

Based on the thorough verification of these facts, Toyota, together with the Organising Committee, has determined that ensuring safety at an intersection without signals is not something that can be handled by pedestrians, operators, or guides alone. It is necessary for all three parties to work together.

Therefore, the following measures are to be implemented, which will be continuously improved on a daily basis: Improved Safety Measures

The Pedestrians The Organizing Committee will reiterate the specifics of the walking environment in the Athletes’ Village and the rules for moving around in the Village at the Athletes’ Team Leaders’ Meeting and will do so at other opportunities.

The Vehicles Toyota will increase the volume of the vehicles’ approach-warning sounds, improve system for manual driving, and educate operators in order to respond to the safety needs of the diverse range of people unique to the Paralympics. These include: Automatic driving – implement a change to manual acceleration/ deceleration and stopping Increase the volume of the approach-warning sounds Increase the number of crew members The Infrastructure Including Guides Increasing the number of guides and enhancing the capacity. Specifically, for operations that appear to be the same as for the Olympic Games,

guides should receive training to meet the diverse needs of pedestrians which are unique to the Paralympics. Examples include: Establish a system that can work instead of traffic signals to safely guide vehicles and pedestrians.

Increase the number of guides at intersections (from the current 6 to over 20) Segregate guides into two groups, one specifically for vehicles and the other specifically for pedestrians. After taking these measures, ensuring time for the training of on-site personnel, and conducting test runs, the Organising Committee determined mobility operations to be resumed from 3:00 pm on Tuesday, August 31, 2021.

Toyota will continue to make improvements on a daily basis, even after the resumption of operations, until the closing of the Athletes’ Village for the Paralympic Games and will continue to cooperate with the Organizing Committee to ensure the safety and security of the athletes and other people involved in the Village.

BUGATTI CENTODIECI SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETES WIND TUNNEL TESTS

TL Bureau, Molshem

Even few-offs like the Centodieci, which is limited to ten units only, are elaborately developed and fine-tuned by the French luxury brand – in this case, using a state-of-the-art wind tunnel.

Bugatti Centodieci Successfully Completes Wind Tunnel Tests Not even the strongest hurricane comes close to the wind which the Centodieci1 is subjected to aerodynamic testing in the wind tunnel. It envelops the elegant bodywork at up to 300 km/h before slipping off at the rear. A 9,300 PS engine drives an eight-meter propeller, generating a permanent intensive airflow – powerful enough for an airplane to take off.

But not the Bugatti Centodieci. The prototype of the French luxury manufacturer’s new fewoff hyper sports car remains firmly on the ground. Five bands simultaneously simulate high speeds of up to 300 km/h – one under each tire and the fifth under the vehicle floor.

“We use this to simulate the airflows under the vehicle and in the wheel wells, and then precisely tune the Centodieci,” explains André Kullig, Technical Project Manager for one and few-off projects at Bugatti.

The driveshafts are dismantled ahead of testing in order to prevent the external drive of the wheels from transferring any forces into the vehicle. The vehicle is then fixed with nothing but four small pins in the underbody and its

height is varied according to the testing plan.

Independently of the number of units, every new Bugatti model goes through the complete development process, be it a one-off like the La Voiture Noire2 or the limited run of ten Centodieci vehicles – both with tailored bodyworks. “It makes no difference to us engineers whether we are developing a hyper sports car for one, ten or 500 units – the effort is the same, as we have and want to meet, even exceed the quality and safety standards applicable to mass production,” explains André Kullig. The flat front construction

with the smaller horseshoe shape means the wind flows around the vehicle differently than it does around a Chiron3 or Divo4. With a hyper sports car that drives at well above 350 km/h, the aerodynamics and downthrust have to be one hundred percent right. The particular challenge lies in achieving the target value pre-calculated by the developers. Following computer simulation and the first prototype rollout, additional wind tunnel tests are performed before a vehicle undergoes highspeed testing on test tracks and proving grounds.

Elaborate testing for optimum handling

With the prototype in the wind tunnel, the developers make slight changes in the invisible range to edge closer to the desired values. The front diffuser flaps can be adjusted by minute angles for this, and the rear wing, which will ultimately be in a fixed position, can likewise be modified by just a few degrees. “Even once we have identified the ideal settings, we continue to try others in order to see how the Centodieci responds,” says André Kullig.

In the wind tunnel tests, Bugatti’s engineers check the airflow on and around the Centodieci at a variety of speeds. Starting at 140 km/h, they use a standard setup to determine a benchmark figure for comparison with other Bugatti hyper sports cars. They then run various tests up to the test bench’s maximum speed. “What’s important are the data for downthrust at the front and rear axles. These have to be perfect because they are crucial to the vehicle’s handling at high speeds,” explains André Kullig. The aim is handling that’s as balanced as possible at all speeds from 0 to over 300 km/h. The temperature of the 8.0-liter W16 engine with 1,600 PS also very much depends on the side airflow, as this is how the engine and gearbox oil coolers are supplied with air. Using special fog images, the engineers also check the highperformance system’s brake cooling in the wind tunnel. In further tests, the wind hits the bodywork at various sideways angles to simulate the vehicle’s handling when taking corners quickly with shifting loads.

12 India Reports 41,965 New COVID-19 Cases TL Bureau, New Delhi

India reported 41,965 new COVID-19 infections in the past 24 hours, the health ministry said in a statement on Wednesday, according to Reuters.

Germany Reports 13,531 New COVID-19 Cases, 23 Deaths TL Bureau, Berlin

Germany reported 13,531 new COVID-19 cases and 23 deaths in the last 24 hours.

The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases said that the total confirmed cases rose to 3,956,387, and the death toll reached 92,223, while about 3,744,600 cases have recovered.

Russia Reports 18,368 New COVID-19 Cases and 790 Deaths TL Bureau, Moscow

Russia reported 18,368 new coronavirus (COVID-19) cases, and 790 deaths in the past 24 hours.

The Russian coronavirus task force said today that the total number of infections has risen to 6,937,333 since the beginning of the pandemic, while the total number of deaths has reached 184,014.

European Union Condemns Houthi Militia’s Attacks against Saudi Arabia TL Bureau, Brussels

The European Union condemned the Houthi militia’s attacks against civilian facilities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.The Spokesperson for the External Affairs of the European Union Peter Stano said in a statement that the European Union condemns these attacks that lead to instability and exacerbate the conflict in Yemen, adding that it is a must to put an immediate end to these attacks and stop them.The European Union called for a political solution to the crisis in Yemen, a ceasefire, and all parties’ involvement with the efforts of the United Nations envoy.

world

Speech by Federal Chancellor Dr Angela Merkel at the G20 Investment Summit – German Business and the Compact with African Countries on Friday, 27 August 2021 Ministers, Excellencies, Professor Große, Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to extend a very warm welcome to all of you, particularly those of you from the Sub‑Saharan Africa Initiative of German Business and, of course, our guests. I am delighted you are taking part in this conference whether digitally or in person. On my many trips, I have got to know Africa as a continent of opportunities and ideas, as a continent with promising growth markets and many, many committed young people. That is why the G20 Compact with Africa, created during Germany’s G20 Presidency in 2017, was and remains particularly important to the Federal Government and to me personally. I am pleased that this Investment Summit is now being held for the third time and that we as partner countries can inject further impetus into our economic relations. There is a good chance of success and I want to outline three reasons why. Firstly, the Compact with Africa is working. In most Compact countries, reforms have improved the business environment.

Compared to Africa as a whole in the period up to and including 2019, they were able to attract above-average investment levels, also from German companies. Furthermore, in 2020 the Compact countries did actually chalk up 0.1% growth while other African economies were struggling with negative

growth. This shows that the reforms that the Compact countries have launched are paying off. In these times of the pandemic, this is not something we can take for granted, even though of course the pandemic has made its presence felt. Above all this year, many companies were not able to launch or extend their investment as originally planned.

Yet a survey of more than a hundred German companies revealed that almost all those questioned were sticking to their plans even though implementation of course now has a question mark attached.In Africa and in every other continent, keeping the pandemic under control and if possible overcoming it is crucial for economic recovery. For this, we need above all to increase global production of the vaccines and ensure they are distributed fairly. That is why Germany supported the G20 initiatives ACT Accelerator and COVAX from the outset. Having earmarked 2.2 billion euro, we are the world’s second-largest donor after the United States. We are also involved in sharing vaccine doses.

As part of COVAX and as Co-Chair together with South Africa, Germany is committed to increasing global vaccine production. We are also providing concrete support to set up production in Africa.However, we do of course need to think beyond this time of the pandemic. It is thus right for the Federal Government to continue supporting both Compact countries and reform, as well as

businesses and investment. And that brings me to my second point: the Compact creates new opportunities. I would like to draw your attention to the three pillars of the development investment funds. We are using them to support the plans of businesses to engage more on the African market. The first pillar of this fund is AfricaConnect which provides financing on attractive terms. The green light has now been given for 22 local business projects.

With the second pillar, AfricaGrow, we are focusing on the financing needs of small and medium-sized businesses and for start-ups in Africa. The Federal Government is supporting AfricaGrow with more than 500 million euro. Companies wanting to branch out can only do so if they know about the market.

This is where the third pillar, Africa Business Network, comes into play.

It offers as it were tailor-made advice and mentoring both in Germany as well as through the chambers of commerce abroad or in digital form through the Africa Business Guide.

The latest instrument to be added is the fixed-rate programme AfricaCIRR. CIRR stands for Commercial Interest Reference Rate. With this instrument we are thus mitigating the risk of interest rate fluctuation for financing German exports to Africa.

As you can see, there are various support mechanisms in place and it is up to businesses to use them. I want to encourage you to reach out to the Business Network and find out

Aid Airplane Laden with Medical Oxygen Leaves to Tunisia to Contribute to Meeting Needs of Tunisian Health Sector

TL Bureau, Riyadh

An aid airplane today left the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh laden with 2,000 medical oxygen cylinders, representing the first batch of oxygen and its supplies.

The aid comes in implementation of orders by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

The first batch was secured by King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) to contribute to meeting the needs

of the Tunisian health sector and helping it overcome the impacts of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

This contribution stresses the deeprooted brotherly ties between the leaderships of the two brotherly countries

more about the various instruments.

The reform partnerships are also all about creating new opportunities and are now helping seven Compact countries to improve the conditions for private-sector involvement. Also when it comes to emergency aid to tackle the repercussions of the pandemic, our close cooperation has paid off.All this shows – and this brings me to my third point –: the Compact has a future. This is a view shared by many, as also shown by the many participants in this conference.

We are still thinking about how we can use the Compact to lower the remaining hurdles to trade and investment. Africa has vast potential as a market but this is a potential we need to tap more successfully.

We have every reason to look to the future with confidence. Take for example the G7 Infrastructure Initiative which I hope will create fresh impetus for new investment, also in African countries. Investment in renewable energies is a particular priority. It is hugely important to invest here so that we can actually achieve our global climate targets.

Furthermore, as a result of the launch of the African Continental Free Trade Area, the discussion on an EU-Africa agreement has also gained momentum. The Compact with Africa is certainly helping pave the way here. So I am looking forward to a lively dialogue both on progress made in the Compact process and also on creating fresh impetus for this multilateral initiative.

Tunisia Records 2,131 New COVID-19 Cases, 26 Deaths TL Bureau, Tunis

Tunisia recorded 2,131 new infections with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and 26 deaths in the past 24 hours.The Tunisian Ministry of Health announced that the total cases of coronavirus amounted to 666,168, while the total number of deaths reached 23,538.

Municipalities to take over TE services Switzerland proposes Geneva UAE Announces in 2024 – ministerial working group as headquarters for planned 985 New International Sustainability COVID-19 Cases, decides on principles of reform TL Bureau, Helsinki In its mid-term policy review in spring 2021, the Government decided to continue preparations for the transfer of employment and economic development services (TE services) to municipalities. The services will be transferred to municipalities in 2024. At its meeting of 31 August 2021, the Ministerial Working Group

on Promoting Employment decided on the principles that relate to the employment base of municipalities providing services, cooperation between municipalities and the transfer of staff.“Transferring TE services to municipalities is a major and historic reform, which aims to strengthen employment through services that are better targeted and tailored to meet the needs of local labour markets.

Standards Board (ISSB)

TL Bureau, Bern

Switzerland would like to provide the headquarters for the planned International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB). On 31 August 2021, the Federal Department of Finance (FDF) submitted the associated candidature for the city of Geneva and informed the Federal Council. As a location for international organisations, Switzerland would be able to further consolidate its position as a relevant player for financial and economic sustainability.

Two Deaths

TL Bureau, Abu Dhabi The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP), in a statement, announced 985 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total number of recorded cases to 719,355, Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported. MoHAP also announced two deaths due to COVID-19 complications, bringing the total number of deaths in the country to 2,043.