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News from World, Worldwide readership. Vol. 03 Issue 36 Feb. 16, 2022
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At least 10 dead in a fishing boat of Spain sinks off at Canadian coast
TL Bureau, Ontario
Almost twelve individuals have suffocated in the Atlantic Ocean and a few others are absent after a Spanish fishing boat sank off the eastern Canadian coast, specialists said. The vessel Villa de Pitanxo was around 300 miles off the shoreline of Newfoundland on Tuesday when it upset, oceanic authorities said. The boat had been conveying two dozen individuals. Specialists said something like 10 individuals kicked the bucket. Canadian authorities
Courtesy: Al Arabia
Russian Star Kamila found with three substances in system, Reports
TL Bureau, Beijing
Russian professional skater Kamila Valieva, who has been at the focal point of a doping outrage all through the Beijing Olympics, had three substances used to treat heart conditions in her example, as indicated by a record that was documented in her mediation hearing. The record, which was delivered by the Court of Arbitration for Sport and saw by The New York Times and CNN, said Valieva tried positive for the prohibited medication trimetazidine as well as for Hypoxen and L-carnitine, which are not boycotted. Valieva’s protection group guaranteed that the adolescent skating star might have incidentally ingested hints of trimetazidine by sharing a drinking glass with her
granddad, who takes the heart prescription. The medication, generally used to treat angina, has been precluded by the World Anti-Doping Agency starting around 2014 for its capability to upgrade blood stream and help perseverance. The Russian producer of Hypoxen says the item builds perseverance and diminishes exhaustion during actual work by advancing more proficient oxygen use. L-carnitine is an amino corrosive taken as a dietary enhancement that may likewise expand blood stream and oxygen supply to muscles. It isn’t denied all alone, however mixtures of high portions are not permitted. In 2019, the U.S. Hostile to Doping Agency suspended track mentor Alberto Salazar
for quite a long time - - later stretched out to a lifetime boycott - - for inappropriately utilizing substances including L-carnitine. The top of the USADA, Travis Tygart, let CNN know that the presence of the three medications in Valieva’s framework “seems, by all accounts, to be the situation of a really purposeful endeavor to involve substances to improve execution.” “It’s utilizing the three that showed the purpose of attempting three unique courses that at last give a similar effect on execution: expanded perseverance, diminished windedness, sleepiness,” Tygart said. In any case, he added that he didn’t accept the 15-year-old competitor would have had the information or assets to arrange such a plan all alone.
said that such a long ways there are only three survivors. The 162-foot vessel was conveying 16 individuals from Spain, five from Peru and three from Ghana. “Nothing remains at this point but to ask,” one relative told El Pais. “We learned with regards to the mishap from a companion and the media, on the grounds that the organization didn’t caution us,” said another. Authorities said two helicopters, a plane, fishing boats and a Canadian-based frigate are associated with the inquiry.
2 President Joe Biden said Tuesday evening, the United States is “prepared to react unequivocally to a Russian assault on Ukraine, which is still a lot of a chance.” Biden offered the comments at the White House while refreshing the Ukraine circumstance, later repeating that “an attack (by Russia) remains unmistakably conceivable,” despite the fact that he actually trusts political endeavors will win. Russia has been consistently developing its tactical presence close to its line with Ukraine and has been participating in war practices in Belarus, which is a partner to Moscow. It has likewise drastically expanded its maritime presence in the Black Sea. “From the start of this emergency, I have been clear and steady, the United States is arranged regardless occurs. We are prepared with strategy, to take part in tact with Russia,” said Biden. The president likewise said that, while sanctions are on the table, direct American military intercession in Ukraine isn’t on the table now. “While I won’t send American servicemen to battle in Ukraine, we have provided the Ukrainian military with gear to assist them with shielding themselves,” Biden said. “We have given preparation, and exhortation, and knowledge for a similar reason. No doubt about it, the United States will guard every last trace of NATO region with the entirety of American power. An assault against one NATO nation is an
Chances of ceasefire but still possibilities of Russians to invade
assault against us all. The United States’ obligation to Article 5 is holy.” Biden likewise addressed his new call with Russian president Vladimir Putin. “President Putin and I concurred that our groups should keep on drawing in towards this end, alongside our European partners and accomplices,” said Biden. “We should allow tact each opportunity to succeed. I accept there are genuine ways of tending to our individual security concerns.” This comes as Moscow’s protection service said before Tuesday that some Russian soldiers that have been taking part in war activities would get back to their bases. It didn’t determine the number of troops would return. Biden stayed questionable over the cases. “We have not yet confirmed that Russian military units are getting back to their headquarters. To be sure, our investigators show
that they stay especially in an undermining position,” he said. Once more the president encouraged any Americans in Ukraine to leave before it’s past the time to leave securely. The U.S. State Department as of late given an elevated “don’t travel” warning for Ukraine, refering to “expanded dangers of Russian military activity” and encouraging Americans in the country to leave. He momentarily
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recognized that a potential struggle could have financial repercussions at home, explicitly highlighting the chance of rising U.S. energy costs. Biden additionally had a directive for Russian residents. “We’re not focusing on individuals of Russia. We don’t try to undermine Russia. To the residents of Russia, you are not our adversary and I don’t really accept that you need a horrendous, damaging conflict against Ukraine,” he said. “Assuming Russia continues, we will energize the world to go against its animosity. The United States and our partners and accomplices all over the planet are prepared to force strong assents on trade controls, including activities we didn’t seek after when Russia attacked Crimea in eastern Ukraine in 2014.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday that he’d been told a Russian intrusion could be sent off when Wednesday. He later explained the proclamation, saying he was talking incidentally.
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world
The COVID-19 order on the maximum number of participants in outdoor events taking place in an unrestricted area was clarified TL Bureau, Stenbock House The government clarified the COVID-19 order on outdoor events, stipulating that the limit of 2,000 people does not apply to outdoor events or activities taking place in an unrestricted area. Due to the high infectivity of the omicron strain of COVID-19, it is advisable to wear a mask outdoors in crowded places. A similar procedure applied in the past, but for the sake of legal clarity, the latest version of the COVID-19 order no. 305 needs
to be corrected. The order stipulates that the limit of 2,000 participants does not apply to public meetings, sports competitions, sports and exercise events, and other public events taking place in an unrestricted area. If the event or organised activity takes place outdoors in a restricted area, the limit of 2,000 people still applies. The Government Communication Unit will publish the order and the explanatory memorandum on the website kriis.ee.
Serbia National Day
TL Bureau, Washington D.C.
Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State On behalf of the United States of America, I congratulate the people of Serbia as you celebrate your national day. Our countries have built strong ties over the last 140 years, and the United States looks forward to building an even brighter future together as partners in Europe and on the global stage. We are committed to supporting Serbia’s goal of European integration, and we encourage comprehensive normalization of relations centered on mutual recognition with Kosovo, which will foster greater security and stability in the region. We are proud to partner with Serbia on strengthening our economic ties, security cooperation, and supporting Serbia’s energy
diversification. Our economic partnership with Serbia grew significantly in 2021, with new investments in the infrastructure, technology, and agriculture sectors. We also grew our bilateral defense cooperation, celebrating the 15thanniversary of the State Partnership Program, holding a significant bilateral airborne exercise, and conducting high-level bilateral military consultations. Our strong bonds stem not only from what we accomplish between governments, but also from the shared endeavors and aspirations of everyday Serbian and American citizens, as witnessed by the Fulbright program’s 30th anniversary and the launching of new academic partnerships between U.S. and Serbian universities. As we look ahead to building an even stronger bilateral relationship, I wish peace, prosperity, and good health to the people of Serbia.
Operations at U.S. Embassy Kyiv
TL Bureau, Kyiv
Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State I have no higher priority than the safety and security of Americans around the world, and that, of course, includes our colleagues serving at our posts overseas. My team and I constantly review the security situation to determine when prudence dictates a change in posture. With that in mind, we are in the process of temporarily relocating our Embassy operations in Ukraine from our Embassy in Kyiv to Lviv due to the dramatic acceleration in the buildup of Russian forces. The Embassy will remain engaged with the Ukrainian government, coordinating diplomatic engagement in Ukraine. We are also continuing our intensive diplomatic efforts to deescalate the crisis. These prudent precautions in no way undermine our support for
or our commitment to Ukraine. Our commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity is unwavering. We also continue our sincere efforts to reach a diplomatic solution, and we remain engaged with the Russian government following President Biden’s call with President Putin and my discussion with Foreign Minister Lavrov. The path for diplomacy remains available if Russia chooses to engage in good faith. We look forward to returning our staff to the Embassy as soon as conditions permit. In the meantime, I have ordered these measures for one reason — the safety of our staff — and we strongly urge any remaining U.S. citizens in Ukraine to leave the country immediately. U.S. citizens seeking emergency assistance in Ukraine should complete this online form, and the State Department will followup, as appropriate.
AGFUND and UNITAR establish a Global Partnership Hub TL Bureau, Geneva
HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Talal bin Abdulaziz, President of the Arab Gulf Programme for Development (AGFUND) and Mr. Nikhil Seth, Executive Director of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) signed an agreement today to announce the establishing of the Global Partnership Hub (GPH). The mission of GPH is to harness education, research, and innovation as tools to support the achievement of all the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their related 169 targets, which are at the heart of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development and provide a new capacity building framework worldwide towards ending all forms of poverty, fighting inequalities and tackling climate change, while ensuring that no one is left behind. Among the attendees of the ceremony were Mr. Nasser Alkahtani, the Executive Director of AGFUND, Ms. Mihoko Kumamoto, the Director for the Division for Prosperity of UNITAR, Mr. Muhammad Alsalim, Director of Projects Department of AGFUND, and Mr. Alexander Mejia, the Director for the Division for People and Social Inclusion of UNITAR. GPH aims to assist all low-resource countries to scale up sustained action on financial inclusion. The priority focus of GPH is initially on the least developed and low-income countries. Moreover, it will play an advisory role in promoting for nominations of projects submitted for Prince Talal International Prize for Human Development.
Technical capacity building support will also be available in the future to other developing countries including replication and scaling up the winning projects. “We are happy that we signed today an agreement with UNITAR that will deepen the strategic partnership between us. This initiative comes in light of our endeavor to reach the underprivileged communities around the world and achieve sustainable development goals 2030”, said HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Talal bin Abdulaziz, President of AGFUND. GPH will also serve as a catalyst for product innovation and promotes accountability for resources and results by driving action across three key areas: 1) Strengthening Education, Research and Innovation with focus on Capacity Building, 2) Supporting Communitybased Financial Inclusion and Empowerment of National Institutions and Champions, and 3) Supporting a Conducive Environment for Achieving the SDGs. “The pandemic has highlighted that a strong international cooperation is needed now more than ever to ensure that we build back better and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. The Global Partnership Hub that we signed today builds upon our long-standing collaboration with AGFUND in promoting inclusive and sustainable economic transformation for the underprivileged communities globally. UNITAR is grateful for AGFUND’s commitment in operationalizing this Hub that will allow us to expand our collaboration with our development partners to accelerate and scale
up our impact on the ground,” UNITAR Executive Director Mr. Nikhil Seth said. AGFUND’s pioneering projects in poverty alleviation and supporting quality education and financial inclusion combined with UNITAR’s convening power in bringing together stakeholders to support action through learning solutions and learning products provide a complimentary and strong foundation to support multidonor action to overcome global challenges. “The agreement signed today between UNITAR and AGFUND draws a roadmap of development work till 2030. This unique Hub is a real testimony on achieving SDG#17: Partnerships for the goals where it addresses and contribute to the 2030 UN Agenda for Sustainable development”, said Mr. Nasser Alkahtani, AGFUND Executive Director. The Hub will facilitate interaction with development partners including think tanks, private sector, philanthropies, and academic institutions to develop platforms and alliances and deliver flagship projects and other high-impact and high-visibility initiatives globally. “The economic impact of COVID-19 pandemic threatens to reverse decades of progress in our fight against poverty and inequality. The global challenges are interconnected so through the Hub, we will be able to find integrated solutions with our partners in unlocking pathways to sustainable prosperity for those most at risk of being left behind,” said Mihoko Kumamoto, Director for the Division for Prosperity of UNITAR.
2nd UK-Philippines Climate Change and Environment Dialogue Joint Press Statement
TL Bureau, Manila
2nd UK-Philippines Climate Change and Environment Dialogue Joint Press Statement The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the British Embassy Manila have agreed on a joint work plan that will serve as a guide in identifying the collaboration areas that should be prioritized by both countries following the conclusion of the 2nd Philippines-United Kingdom Climate Change and Environment Dialogue on February 10. Cabinet Cluster on Climate Change Adaptation, Mitigation and Disaster Risk Reduction (CCAM-DRR) Chair and DENR Secretary Roy A. Cimatu said that the joint work plan will “guide the priority areas of engagement including regional facilities and programs announced at the 26th United Nations Climate
Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland in November 2021.” This dialogue marks another milestone event highlighting the partnership of the Philippines with the government of United Kingdom (UK). It shall also build on the earlier priorities on climate change and the environment, identified by both parties during the 1st Climate Change and Environment Dialogue held in November 2020 as part of the key pillars of the UK-Philippines enhanced partnership which focused on energy transition and naturebased solutions and adaptation, British Ambassador Laure Beaufils underscored the significance of the dialogue as it seeks to address the defining challenges of the current time, which are climate change and environmental degradation. The UK and the Philippines have just launched a new Enhanced Partnership in November 2021.
Climate change and environmental issues constitute a key pillar of this. I’m proud of what the UK and the Philippines have already achieved together on climate-related issues and we committed to building on this success today and in the year to come, According to Beaufils, the dialogue helped both governments agree on “joint actions to build resilience, tackle global emissions, and halt and reverse the loss of biodiversity.” Taking stock of the progress achieved during the first dialogue in November 2020, the 2nd Climate Change and Environment Dialogue highlighted the key elements of the ongoing cooperation such as formulation of the long-term strategy, provision of analytical tools to revisit the Nationally Determined Contribution and develop the National Adaptation Plan, and conservation of critical species and ecosystems across the Philippines.
4 Saudi Arabia Reports 1,982 New COVID-19 Cases, 3,372 Recoveries TL Bureau, Riyadh
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia announced today the registration of 1,982 new COVID-19 cases and 3,372 recoveries in the past 24 hours. The Ministry of Health (MoH) stated that the number of critical cases reached 1,010. The ministry’s statistics showed that the total number of infections in the country reached 732,596, while the recovery tally reached 698,842. MoH reported one new death, bringing the fatalities tally in Saudi Arabia to 8,975. It advised everyone to contact 937-Service Center for consultations and inquiries around the clock, obtaining reliable health information and services, as well as knowing the latest development of COVID-19.
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Assistance abroad – The demand for consular services provided by the Ministry for Foreign affairs
TL Bureau, Helsinki
The second year of the pandemic was busy for the consular assistance services provided by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Finland’s missions abroad, and the number of customers continued to increase. In 2021, the Ministry and the missions abroad provided consular services to a total of 255,000 customers. The number of customers continued to grow, increasing by almost a quarter from the previous year. In particular, the demand for advisory services increased. As in previous years, most of the assistance was needed in the countries to which Finns prefer to travel, i.e., Spain, Germany, Estonia, Sweden and Thailand. The biggest single crisis situation of the year was the crisis in Afghanistan. In August-September 2021, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs helped over 400 people escape the country to safety. There was also a clear increase in contacts to the Ministry’s 24/7 service centre, which received
nearly 19,000 calls or e-mails during the year. The crisis in Afghanistan in particular caused a clear surge in contacts. Half of the contacts made to the 24/7service during the year concerned Afghanistan. In 2021, the Unit for Consular Assistance of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs was involved in managing 550 cases of death abroad. The persons assisted included 75 people fallen victim to a crime, 309 persons who had fallen ill or been in an accident and 175 persons who had been arrested or imprisoned (the number of incarcerated people does not include the Nordic countries, as such cases are handled through direct contacts between the Nordic authorities). The numbers have increased slightly from the previous year 2020. In 2021, 21,443 new passports and 4,013 identity cards were issued by Finland’s missions abroad. Compared to the previous year, these figures have also increased. Many people need to renew their passports after a long period of not having travelled abroad. ”The global demand for consular
services has clearly increased in the past year. The number of registered cases reached one quarter of a million, despite the fact that people travel less than normal. The restrictions related to the pandemic and various crises have increased the demand for consular services provided by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Finnish missions abroad and for advisory services in particular,” says Outi Saarikoski, Director of the Unit for Consular Assistance. In addition to the coronavirus pandemic, the total number of other natural or man-made crises and disasters that were significant from the perspective of protecting Finnish travellers amounted to 118. The emphasis was particularly on internal conflicts and unrest in foreign countries (e.g., Myanmar, Afghanistan, Sudan and Ethiopia). In addition, natural disasters (such as hurricanes, earthquakes, floods and volcanic eruptions) meant work for the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. It is always good to file a travel notification In 2021, almost 78,000 travellers filed a travel notification on their
trips to 199 countries via the Matkustusilmoitus.fi service. The highest number of notifications concerned trips to Spain, Greece, France and Turkey. The number of travel notifications has fallen, which is due to a decrease in the amount of travel, but, in relative terms, the proportion of travellers who have submitted travel notifications has increased. The problems encountered by Finnish travellers and the need for information around the world have not decreased. ”Things happen when travelling the world, and you cannot be prepared for everything. We always recommend that you submit a travel notification, which allows the Ministry for Foreign Affairs to contact travellers in case of a crisis situation. Furthermore, we can never overemphasise the need for a travel insurance. Going to a hospital in a foreign country can become very expensive. Depending on the country, even a small sudden case of illness can cost thousands of euros, and in more serious cases even much more,” Saarikoski says.
PM call with President 45 arrests in crackdown on Albanian-speaking criminals flooding Europe with cocaine Biden: 14 February 2022 Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke to the President of the United States of America, Joe Biden, this evening.
TL Bureau, London The Prime Minister spoke to US President Biden this evening about the situation in Ukraine. The Prime Minister and President Biden updated one another on their recent discussions with fellow world leaders. They agreed there remained a crucial window for diplomacy and for Russia to step back from its threats towards Ukraine. The leaders emphasised that any further incursion into Ukraine would result in a protracted crisis for Russia, with far reaching
damage for both Russia and the world. They agreed that western allies must remain united in the face of Russian threats, including imposing a significant package of sanctions should Russian aggression escalate. They also reiterated the need for European countries to reduce their dependence on Russian gas, a move which, more than any other, would strike at the heart of Russia’s strategic interests. The Prime Minister and President Biden agreed to remain in close contact as the situation evolves.
TL Bureau, The Hague
Support to actions across Europe against largescale importers and wholesalers of drugs from Latin America An international operation involving judicial and law enforcement authorities in seven countries has resulted in the takedown of one of Europe’s most active Albanian-speaking cocaine trafficking networks in Europe. Today, Eurojust and Europol supported a series of actions carried out in Belgium and Spain, during which over 80 places were searched and 45 suspects arrested. These include a number of high-value targets, investigated in multiple high-profile cases in different jurisdictions. The suspects allegedly imported cocaine from Latin America to various European ports, organising the transport via planes, vessels, cars and lorries and running the wholesale trade. Spain and other EU Member States were used, to launder the proceedings of their trade. During the Action Day, over 600 law enforcement officers in close cooperation with prosecutors and investigative officers carried out raids against the members of this network in Spain and Belgium. A number of parallel actions also took place in Croatia, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands. Eurojust set up a coordination centre to enable rapid cooperation between the judicial authorities involved. Europol organised the intensive exchange of information and evidence needed to prepare for the final phase of the investigation. Two experts were deployed to facilitate the transnational police operations, using mobile offices on the spot. Today’s operation, coordinated at the international level by Europol and Eurojust, was the culmination of many months of meticulous planning between
law enforcement and judicial authorities in preparation for the action. A joint investigation team (JIT) was set up between Belgium and Spain last year, with active assistance of Eurojust and Europol. Investigations in Spain started in 2018, with the arrest of a high-ranking member of the organised crime group, who is currently in pre-trial detention. In addition, an Operation Taskforce (OTF) was set up at Europol to pool investigative resources and expertise and develop the investigation internationally. In Belgium, investigations commenced following the seizure in September 2020 of drugs and large quantities of chemicals, used to transform and preserve cocaine for trading purposes. Large quantities of cocaine seized during various searches all over Europe over the last years are to be linked to the suspects. This high-level criminal network had set up a string of enterprises in various countries to launder the profits, including Croatia and Spain, often using strawmen.
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No security threat to SA
TL Bureau, Cape Town
Police Minister Bheki Cele has told a joint sitting of Parliament that there is no security threat to the country. He said this when he participated in a debate on the State of the Nation Address on Monday. “Allow me to reiterate and reaffirm our strong position as the security cluster, without fear of contradiction, that there is no threat to the stability of this country. “I repeat, there is no threat to the stability of this country. Some components of the security services of this country may be limping but they are not down and they are certainly not out!” said the Minister. This comes after President Cyril
Ramaphosa said that following the report of the expert panel on the July 2021 unrest, government will begin a process of putting together a response plan to address the weaknesses that the report identified. Participating in the debate, Cele said mopping up a mess that was deliberately created to weaken the country’s security agencies
and law enforcement will take some time. “But, rest assured, the work has started and it will be done. Those criminals who were hell bent on seeing this country go under, during the July attempted insurrection, failed. “They failed because the police acted and did what they could in the most difficult of circumstances. “The men and women in blue of this country, did all they could in the hardest of times. Our “security cluster” is functional; this is why our prisons are full as we speak. [Justice and Constitutional Development] Minister Ronald Lamola can attest to this. Those incarcerated criminals did not walk [in] there on their own free will,” said Cele.
restrictions have been lifted, and civil liberties are unrestricted. “The country and indeed the rest of the world are now entering a new phase of the pandemic that requires us to manage to live with the virus. As we begin this period of readjustment, we should all be guided by the regulations. “Lessons from other countries have taught us that the lifting of all restrictions may lead to an uptick in the number of infections.” To this effect, the Ministry said
the public still needed to continue wearing masks at all times when in public, observe a social distance, wash hands regularly with soap or alcohol-based sanitizer and always ensure that they are in properly ventilated spaces. “We need to remember that not wearing of masks in public places as required remains a criminal offence. “Let’s consolidate the gains we realised thus far by adhering to COVID-19 regulations and protocols. We all have the responsibility to save lives and prevent our health facilities and staff from being overwhelmed by any future variants that can come through. “We, therefore, urge everyone to play their part and join the countrywide drive to encourage our people to get vaccinated so that we can all be safe by protecting ourselves and those around us,” it said.
National State of Disaster on COVID-19 extended
TL Bureau, Cape Town
Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) Minister, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, has gazetted a further extension of the National State of Disaster on COVID-19, until 15 March 2022. The Ministry on Monday said the extension followed a special Cabinet meeting to determine the extent to which the management of the COVID-19 pandemic still requires the existence of the National State of Disaster and the legal framework to manage the virus outside the Disaster Management Act. “This will allow government to establish alternative measures to detect and contain further outbreaks,” CoGTA said in a statement. Under the current regulations, nearly all economic and social
SOUTH AFRICA
Phaahla cautions against rushing to end state of disaster
TL Bureau, Cape Town Health Minister, Dr Joe Phaahla, says before the country ends the National State of Disaster, there is a need to ensure there are enough measures in place to handle future COVID-19 waves. He said this when he participated in a debate on the State of the Nation Address on Monday. “As we are exiting the fourth wave of COVID-19, everyone is eager for this pandemic to come to an end. The reality, however, is that while we have learned more about the virus, we have more weapons and the virus is seemingly getting weaker, the war is far from over,” he said. Phaahla said as the President stated on Thursday in the SONA, the country wants to get out of the disaster situation sooner rather than later. In his speech, the President said the country is now ready to enter a new phase in the management of the pandemic. “It is our intention to end the national state of disaster as soon as we have finalised other measures under the
National Health Act and other legislation to contain the pandemic,” he President said. He also said this was at the back of the fact that nearly 42% of all adults and 60% of everyone over 50 is fully vaccinated. On Monday, Phaahla called for patience and cautioned against rushing to end the State of National Disaster. “The truth, however, is that a rash and precipitate declaration of victory can lead to severe repercussions as we have seen in other countries. “We want to make sure that as we exit the disaster, we have enough cautions and measures to handle the next variant and wave. “Let us all embrace the way forward of the President when he said: ‘If we all get vaccinated, continue to observe basic health measures and remain ever vigilant, we will be able to get on with our lives even with the virus in our midst’. “There can be no better summary, the future is in our hands. Let us not politic about COVID-19, the virus does not differentiate people on party loyalty or ideology.”
less than 100 infections. Meanwhile, the death toll now stands at 97 250 after 257 more people lost their lives to the virus, of which three occurred in the past 24 to 48 hours. In addition, hospital admissions have increased by 47 to 3 967 since the last reporting cycle. The NICD has reminded citizens to continue to adhere to preventative measures to help limit the risk of contracting and spreading COVID-19. According to the Department of Health, South Africa administered 63 764 new COVID-19 vaccine doses, of which 1 389 407 jabs were given
to children aged between 12 and 17. This pushes the total to 30 627 415 vaccine doses since the start of the rollout programme. Also, the country is now home to 16 735 990 fully jabbed adults, while 785 483 booster shots have been distributed. Data shows that of the 3 715 people who are currently in hospital for Coronavirus, 2 676 are unvaccinated, 901 are fully jabbed and 138 are partially vaccinated. Globally, as of 14 February 2022, there have been 410 565 868 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 5 810 880 deaths, reported to the World Health Organisation.
SA detects 1 094 new COVID-19 cases TL Bureau, Cape Town
South Africa conducted 15 930 COVID-19 tests in the last 24 hours, with 1 094 new cases, representing a 6.9% positivity rate. According to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), this means the country has now a recorded 3 642 925 laboratory-confirmed infections since the outbreak. The majority of new cases were detected in Gauteng (482), followed by the Western Cape (170), KwaZulu-Natal (138), Mpumalanga (106), while the rest of the provinces recorded
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BUSINESS
Telix Enters Commercial Distribution Agreement for Illuccix® in Australia
TL Bureau, Melbourne
Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited (ASX: TLX, Telix, the Company) today announces that it has entered into a commercial distribution agreement with Global Medical Solutions Australia (GMSA), for Telix’s prostate cancer imaging product Illuccix® (Kit for the preparation of 68Ga-PSMA-11) for the Australian market. GMSA is a global manufacturer and distributor of diagnostic and therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals which owns and operates 16 radiopharmacies through the Asia Pacific region. The distribution agreement significantly expands patient access to Illuccix, which will now be available to every PET/CT1 site across Australia via GSMA, who will distribute Illuccix kits as well as 68Ga-PSMA-11 unit doses from its network of six radiopharmacies across the country. Illuccix is the first regulatory approved PET agent for the diagnostic imaging of men with prostate cancer available
in Australia, having received marketing approval from the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) in November 2021. Australia has one of the highest rates of prostate cancer in the world. In 2020, prostate cancer was the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men in Australia with approximately 18,000 new cases.2 CEO Telix Asia Pacific, Dr. David Cade stated, “We are pleased to have entered this commercial distribution agreement with GMSA, thus delivering a key component of Telix’s supply chain strategy in Australia, our home market. This builds on the clinical supply agreement signed in April last year, which has enabled the manufacturing and supply of finished unit doses for Telix’s CUPID3 and ProstACT4 studies of TLX592 and TLX591, respectively. GMSA has built an extensive nuclear pharmacy distribution network in Australia, through which we will deliver broad equity of access to state-ofthe-art imaging for all Australian men living with prostate cancer.
This includes men living in regional and rural Australia, where access to advanced prostate cancer imaging has traditionally been poor.” GMS Senior Vice President Operations and Business Development, Shahe Bagerdjian added, “We are delighted to be expanding our partnership with Telix and we look forward to bringing Illuccix®and patientspecific 68Ga-PSMA-11 unit doses to Australian men in need through our market-leading radiopharmacy network. This commercial partnership with Telix opens the door to the new standard of care in prostate cancer imaging for the 18,000 men diagnosed with prostate cancer each year in Australia.” The initial term of the Agreement is for a period of five years. The agreement is subject to industrystandard commercial performance and termination conditions. About Global Medical Solutions Australia (GMSA) GMSA has been in operation for over 27 years. Through a network of 6 centralised radiopharmacies, and a TGA cold kit manufacturing
Gas prices increase as supply shortfall emerges for southern states
TL Bureau, Sydney/Canberra
The domestic gas contract prices offered to commercial and industrial users for supply in 2022 increased from $6-8/GJ in late 2020 to about $7-9.50 by mid-2021, and the supply outlook from 2022 onwards looks increasingly tight, the ACCC’s latest gas report reveals. Australia’s east coast spot market prices in recent months have been around $10-11/GJ, as domestic gas users have been somewhat shielded from the record high prices seen internationally. European gas markets have been highly volatile, and as of 28 January the outlook for prices on the Asian LNG spot market in 2022 was over $36/GJ on average. Despite continued high overseas prices, domestic contract offers to commercial and industrial gas users in mid-2021 were below export parity prices. This was likely due to a range of factors, including expectations of relatively stable oil-linked LNG netback prices at the time, short-term domestic market dynamics and concerns over regulatory intervention. Across the east coast gas market, forecasts are that supply should meet demand this year, but there is the risk of a shortfall from 2026. In the southern states, a shortfall of 10 PJ is expected this year and gas will need to be directed from
the north to meet demand. Continued write-downs of proved and probable (2P) reserves, predominantly by LNG producers in Queensland, has contributed to this forecast shortfall. “There is a gas shortage forecast for Australia’s southern states from as soon as this year, which is likely to continue next year and beyond. Southern states will be reliant on gas from Queensland until additional supply from new sources comes on,” ACCC Chair Rod Sims said. The report shows that LNG producers are forecasting to take more gas out of the market in 2022 than they expect to supply in. However, they forecast to produce an additional 122 PJ of gas that could be supplied into the domestic east coast gas market, rather than international LNG spot markets. “We’re extremely concerned that LNG producers are currently forecasting to withdraw 27 PJ more gas than they expect to supply into the domestic market this year,” Mr Sims said. “The uncertain supply situation reinforces the importance of the Australian Government’s Heads of Agreement with LNG producers, which concludes on 1 January 2023.” The Heads of Agreement requires LNG exporters to offer uncontracted gas to the domestic market on internationally competitive terms before it is exported, and to provide
relevant material to the ACCC to demonstrate they are complying with the agreement. “Compliance with the Heads of Agreement by LNG producers is very important, given that Australia’s southern states may depend on their surplus gas in the coming years. LNG producers’ reporting to the ACCC has improved since the July 2021 report, but they can still do more to comply with the Heads of Agreement and make gas available on reasonable terms that users are capable of accepting,” Mr Sims said. The ACCC also recommends that the Australian Government consider extending the Heads of Agreement well before it expires on 1 January 2023. “Additional supply from a southern LNG import terminal from 2023, or more domestic supply from the north, may not be enough to address the projected shortfalls, and it may still be necessary to divert excess gas into the domestic market that would otherwise be exported if new supply can’t be developed rapidly enough,” Mr Sims said. The report also makes findings from the first stage of the ACCC’s examination of competition in markets for the exploration, production and processing of gas for the east coast, including the factors affecting when gas is brought to market.
facility, GMSA supplies timecritical radiopharmaceuticals and related products & services to over 300 hospitals and imaging centres throughout Australia. GMSA is part of Global Medical Solutions (GMS), a leadingedge operator of centralised radiopharmacies, and manufacturer and distributor of diagnostic and therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals and related equipment, accessories, and services. GMS operates businesses in Armenia, Brazil, China, Hong Kong, Macau, Myanmar, New Zealand, Philippines, Russia, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam with a portfolio covering SPECT & PET Cyclotron radiopharmacies; manufacturing centers for radiopharmaceuticals, cold kits, medical devices, CDMO & clinical trial services; and pharmaceutical and radioisotope distribution services. For more information visit www.globalmedicalsolutions. com and follow GMS on LinkedIn. About Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited Telix is a biopharmaceutical
company focused on the development and commercialisation of diagnostic and therapeutic products using Molecularly Targeted Radiation (MTR). Telix is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia with international operations in Belgium, Japan, Switzerland, and the United States. Telix is developing a portfolio of clinical-stage products that address significant unmet medical need in oncology and rare diseases. Telix is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX: TLX). For more information visit www. telixpharma.com and follow Telix on Twitter (@TelixPharma) and LinkedIn. Telix’s lead product, gallium-68 (68Ga) gozetotide (also known as 68Ga PSMA-11) injection for prostate cancer imaging, has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA),5and by the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).6 Telix is also progressing marketing authorisation applications for this investigational candidate in Europe7 and Canada.8
ACCC authorises cooperation in retail goods supply chain to WA and NT
TL Bureau, Sydney
The ACCC has granted an urgent interim authorisation permitting the cooperation and sharing of information by companies in the supply chain to ensure critical retail goods, including food supplies, are able to reach consumer and businesses in Western Australia (WA) and the Northern Territory (NT). The application follows storms and flooding in parts of South Australia which interrupted rail and road networks, limiting the supply of critical goods, including groceries, to WA and the NT. It is anticipated that it will take a number of weeks to clear the backlog of products caused by the supply chain disruptions. “The ACCC’s interim authorisation allows supply chain participants, such as the rail and freight handlers and trucking companies, to co-operate to address the destructive effects of the recent storm on the Trans-Australian railway and potential shortages of both retail and critical products in WA and the NT,” ACCC Deputy Chair Mick Keogh said. Without the Authorisation, such cooperation could constitute a breach of Australian Competition law. The authorisation application was made by Linfox and applies to a number of other participants including Pacific National, One Rail and major grocery retailers. It also could apply to a broader range of
participants including, retailers, wholesalers or other transport services suppliers who follow the notification procedure. With the interim authorisation, the participants will be able to meet to identify which retail products are critically required in WA and NT and prioritise the supply by road, rail, sea or air freight into WA, including the developing of stockpiles if required. The interim authorisation also allows parties to work together to identify and ensure critical products from WA and the NT are supplied to other jurisdictions. The authorised conduct applies to discussions and agreements made at meetings facilitated by government agencies and that the ACCC is invited to. “There is a risk of critical shortages of retail products in WA being compounded by a possible rise of COVID-19 cases that might affect workers in the transport, logistics and retail industries,” Mr Keogh said. “Allowing this authorisation will likely result in public benefits by giving those in the supply chain the opportunity to maximise consumer access to retail groceries, reduce community concerns, and reduce strain on retail supply chains.” “This ACCC decision also helps limit critical shortages and supply chain issues elsewhere in Australia by granting interim authorisation to cooperate on ensuring exports can leave WA,” Mr Keogh said.
8
FEATURE
Lack of fuel prevents distribution of criticallyneeded medical supplies in Tigray region
TL Bureau, Geneva
WHO has been permitted to deliver medical supplies to Tigray, Ethiopia, for the first time since July 2021, but there is no fuel to distribute them to health centres. The supplies, which are now in storage until they can be distributed, include essential medical equipment, personal protective equipment, antibiotics, medicines for malaria and diabetes, including insulin, treatment for severe acute malnutrition, and medicines and supplies for reproductive health. Our partner, the World Food Programme (WFP), began airlifting them to Mekelle, in Tigray, on 11 February. More shipments are planned this week. Fuel for humanitarian operations has not
been allowed into Tigray since August 2021, except for two WFP trucks in November. The lack of fuel, cash and supplies has caused humanitarian operations in Tigray to be reduced or suspended altogether, as highlighted in OCHA’s humanitarian update for Northern Ethiopia last week. The WHO shipments, which are part of 33.5 metric tonnes of planned deliveries, still represent a small portion of what is needed. Without access to supplies, health workers are trying to continue to provide health services with almost no medicines or functioning equipment. According to OCHA, health partners estimate the following supplies are required to meet the urgent nutrition and health needs of the people in Tigray: 2,200 metric tonnes of
emergency health kits; 1.5 million doses of cholera vaccine; polio oral vaccination for 888,000 children under five years; more than 30,000 metric tonnes of nutrition supplies for the treatment of severe acute malnutrition in outpatient clinics and 100 metric tonnes for children hospitalized at stabilization centres; about 830 metric tonnes of nutrient supplements to fortify the nutrition of 1.4 million people, mainly women and children; and 15,000 metric tonnes of Vitamin A supplements. Malnutrition rates among children and pregnant and breastfeeding women in Tigray, as well as in Amhara and Afar, remain alarmingly high. For example, nutrition screening campaigns conducted in recent months found that 71% of pregnant
and breastfeeding women in Tigray were acutely malnourished. The figure in Afar was 45%, and in Amhara was 14%. Access has been relatively easier in Amhara and Afar regions with WHO shipping 84 metric tonnes of supplies in late December 2021. WHO is planning to ship an additional 15-20 metric tonnes to Afar to meet the health needs of people recently displaced as a result of the ongoing fighting on the Tigray-Afar border. WHO calls again for unfettered access to provide humanitarian aid in Tigray. We call for fuel to be allowed into Tigray urgently, with the support from national authorities and international partners, so that WHO and partners can meet the humanitarian needs of all Ethiopians.
Speed and surprises: Decline and recovery of global electricity use in COVID’s first seven months BY CLAUDIA I. MOSES CALIFORNIA
Global electricity consumption plummeted an unprecedented amount during the first six weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic. Just six months later it had recovered fully. Moreover, factors that were strongly associated with initial declines in electricity use were not tightly linked to its rebound. An empty railway station in Osaka, Japan, in 2020. The unprecedented plunge in electricity use around the world at the beginning of the global pandemic was tied to shutdown policies and other factors. Surprisingly, the recovery to preCOVID levels was quite fast and not linked to those same factors. (Image credit: Ryutaro Tsukata) That’s what a team of Stanford University and Oregon State University researchers found in a study published online by the journal iScience in January. In April 2020, at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, electricity consumption had declined by 7.6 percent across the globe, which was larger and much more rapid than the 7 percent drop seen during the 2008 global financial crisis. Apparent causes of early consumption reductions – like government restrictions on inperson work, schooling, travel and social interaction, as well as declines in personal mobility and economic production – were much less correlated with recovery times. In general, the larger a country’s initial decrease in consumption, the slower it recovered, with the extreme examples being India and Italy. “Our question was: How is the global electricity system responding to the pandemic?” said Ram Rajagopal, senior co-author of the study and an associate professor
The unprecedented plunge in electricity use around the world at the beginning of the global pandemic was tied to shutdown policies and other factors. Surprisingly, the recovery to preCOVID levels was quite fast and not linked to those same factors.
in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering at Stanford. “We focused specifically on electricity consumption due to changes in habits and behavior throughout the pandemic.” A global scale The team of researchers drew their conclusions from a pool of data encompassing 58 countries and regions within countries, 60 percent of the world’s population and 75 percent of global electricity use. The initial decline was usually heavily correlated with the stringency of a government’s lockdown. Due to stay-at-home orders and consequential reduced mobility, residential consumption increased, while commercial and industrial consumption decreased, leading to a net reduction in usage. Other factors, like geography, were not so strongly correlated. Declines varied among countries in the same continent and among regions in the same country. Nearly every continent saw at
least one country’s electricity use decline dramatically and at least one country’s use remain nearly unaffected. In South America, Argentina took a big hit while Chile’s consumption was about the same. In the United States, the Carolinas saw a severe drop, while declines were mild in New England and the Northeast. Researchers did not expect electricity use to rebound so quickly. Nor did they expect that factors associated strongly with decline would delink from patterns of recovery. “By September or October 2020, global consumption had recovered. This was surprising, especially because a lot of countries still had restrictions in place. It seems as though changes in electricity use were most tightly linked to restriction levels early in the pandemic, but they decoupled as consumption recovered,” said Lily Buechler, a PhD candidate and one of two lead student researchers of the study. People likely began to deviate from habits initially adopted by returning to work and school, shopping and socializing more regardless of changes in government restrictions, the researchers think. Searching for an explanation The study considered several factors
that could have contributed to the recovery of consumption rates. “The magnitude of change was not necessarily related to the magnitude of restrictions or mobility changes. That’s what people had expected before, but it turned out those were not the best predictors,” said Rajagopal. Lower gross domestic product (GDP) seemed to be linked to initial reductions in power use, but not to the rebounds in countries’ power use. “I think the pattern reflects that the world has changed,” said Siobhan Powell, co-lead author of the study with Buechler. “The pandemic affected the connection between economic activity and electricity use as many people shifted to new ways of working. The different world we found ourselves in during the second half of 2020 was reflected in the relationships in this study.” India and Italy stood out in their respective regions as having the most severe declines in electricity use, averaging 26 percent at their lowest point in late March. They were also among the countries with the slowest return to pre-pandemic consumption levels. Their average consumption returned to within 5 percent of forecasted use in July. In contrast, power consumption
in quick-recovering countries, which usually had a less severe initial drop, recovered before the end of May. In terms of geographic scope, the study was the largest to examine pandemic electricity patterns. While several previous studies attempted to estimate the effects of the pandemic, most of their data had been limited to countries where data was the most readily available, primarily in the United States and Europe. Moving forward The team sees many future applications for their research. “It’s actually unusual to have an event like the pandemic that affects so many different countries at the same time. It gave us an interesting opportunity to compare responses among countries that experienced very different COVID-related policies,” said Buechler. “One of the applications of our study is in preparing for future shocks to electricity systems,” said Powell. As climate change causes more and more unpredictable phenomena across the globe, it is important that power systems can handle the shock of sudden, sweeping changes in electricity consumption. In order to build resilience to events that may affect grid operation and forecasting, electricity system operators need to understand and anticipate the effects of such events, “If utilities could make use of what we’ve uncovered here about how electricity consumption changes when things are shut down, they could be better informed about what will happen when things may shut down in the future because of the pandemic or other crises,” said Hilary Boudet, PhD ’10, senior co-author, and associate professor of sociology and public policy at Oregon State.
9
life and real estate
UNWTO MAKING COMMUNITIES CENTRAL PART OF TOURISM’S FUTURE
TL Bureau, Brussels
UNWTO is supporting communities as they prepare to welcome visitors back and realize the potential of tourism to kickstart recovery and drive sustainable and inclusive growth. As restrictions on travel continue to be steadily eased or lifted, UNWTO is shifting its focus from supporting its Members as they mitigate the impacts of the historic crisis to rethinking tourism’s longer-term role in building resilience and providing opportunity. Through Technical Assistance packages, UNWTO is on the ground in every global region. On the ground in Greece Illustrating UNWTO’s commitment to working with communities themselves torethink and restart tourism, a new partnership with the Municipality of Skiathos is advancing people-first policies. For decades, tourism has been a pillar ofeconomic growth and opportunity for the residents of the island, one of Europe’s leading destinations. Now, as the sector restarts and recovers from the impacts of the pandemic, UNWTO is working alongside
local authorities on a package of technical advice and practical assistance.In the immediate term, UNWTO experts will work with the Municipality to assess the marketing strategy of the island and recommend adaptations and necessary improvements, with a particular emphasis on the destination’s commitment to using tourism as a driver of sustainable development. At the same time, and in order to ensure the sector works for everyone on Skiathos, UNWTO will also study local residents’ views on tourism and assess how they can be more involved in tourism planning and development.This represents the first Technical Assistance package developed by UNWTO in Greece. The Mayor of Skiathos Thodoris Tzoumas welcomed the initiative as a “significant collaboration regarding tourism recovery in Skiathos following pandemic. At present, we are waiting for the initiation of the collaboration. With the synergy and support from the leading bodies of the world and our country when it comes to tourism, we are certain that we will manage to achieve the best results to everyone’s benefit”.
Harcourts Connections goes big, with even bigger growth plans TL Bureau, Brisbane Harcourts Connections has relocated from their original office to a location fit for the ever-growing office. Harcourts Connections-new location Harcourts Queensland CEO, Mitch Peereboom, said “the energy in the Harcourts Connections business is super exciting and it is our pleasure to support them as they continue to propel forward. “Anna, Jonathan, and Robbie have an insatiable appetite for growth, and were determined to find a location that provided a world-class environment for their rapidly expanding team of real estate professionals.” “This new office is a statement of their ambitions for the future and to see their vision come to life is exhilarating. Their connection with their people is their greatest strength.” Robbie Lofaro, owner of Harcourts Connections, said in the second half of 2021, the business had tripled in size, to the point where they no longer fit in their office. “We looked for a new location and found several locations that would have been suitable, but
we have very big plans for our business growth and for the growth of our team, so we decided to pick a location that was a lot bigger than we needed”, added Mr Lofaro. “This new location was chosen so that we could support the team and create a fun and exciting place for them to come to work every day.” “Our team is our business, and we want them to be excited to
come to work every day.” “That’s why we have the largest Harcourts office in Australia. It’s why we have the giant training room, the auction events room, the games room, the lounge, and an egg chair area.”11721848_5328-16_photo_web “The team culture is the most important thing to us and it’s why we chose to go with an open plan layout. Our team enjoys working together and
they learn and help each other, so we wanted to support and encourage that by putting them all together, instead of separating them. “Our plans for the future are to continue growing and to increase our market share in the area, so we are doing everything we can to help them grow and to get their names and faces out there.” “We love being a part of the Harcourts group because of the
culture. That’s really the main reason. “Everyone promises support, training, money, etc. but it’s the culture that starts at the very top and flows down to the entire corporate team and then to the businesses. “Our team loves the support and training they get directly from head office, and we align with the vision that Harcourts have which is People First!”
10
SPORTS
FINALISTS NAMED FOR FOURTH ANNUAL NFL BIG DATA BOWL POWERED BY AWS
TL Bureau, New York
The National Football League announced today the finalists of the fourth annual Big Data Bowl powered by Amazon Web Services (AWS). The Big Data Bowl is designed to engage the data and analytics community and rethink player performance. The theme of this year’s competition centers on Special Teams. Participants were given access to the NFL’s Next Gen Stats, including the speed, direction, and location information of all 22 players on the field, as well as the football, from Special Teams plays from 2018 to 2020. More than 200 submissions reviewed punt, field goal, and kickoff strategies from both team and player perspectives. Participants also received Special Teams data from PFF, allowing entrants to blend tracking and scouting metrics together. Five open entry and three college entry finalists were selected and will share a prize pool of $90,000. An additional $10,000 will be awarded to the winning group of the upcoming Big Data Bowl virtual show, bringing their competition total to $100,000. This year’s Big Data Bowl virtual show will showcase each of the eight finalist presentations with a focus on how teams could use each approach to improve performance. “The Big Data Bowl continues to push the envelope for integrating modern analytical tools with creative football ideas,” said Michael Lopez, Senior Director of Football Data and Analytics at the NFL. “We are amazed at the growth of our contest and the passion of participants, and we look forward to the upcoming Big Data Bowl virtual show.” In addition to innovation, the competition also helps the League identify and develop future industry leaders. Since the Big Data Bowl launched in 2018, this competition has served as a pipeline for NFL teams and vendors, as well as other leagues. To date, more than 30 Big Data Bowl participants have been hired to work in data and analytics roles in sports, including 22 that were hired in football. In addition, the winning algorithm from the 2020 Big Data Bowl – expected rush yards – has been adopted into the Next Gen Stats suite of metrics. For the second consecutive year, the Big Data Bowl also features a mentorship program where a dozen junior data scientists from diverse backgrounds are paired with experienced NFL analytics experts to help curate a Big Data Bowl submission. Below are the eight Big Data Bowl finalists for 2022, as well as the ten honorable mention entrants along with summaries
of their submissions. College Finalists: Jack Lichtenstein, Duke University, https://www.kaggle. com/jacklichtenstein/expectedfield-position-on-punts Jay Li, & Rahul Kasar, MIT, https://www.kaggle.com/ wonkydiamond/firetimeevaluating-gunners-and-vises Robyn Ritchie, Brendan Kumagai, Ryker Moreau, & Elijah Cavan, Simon Fraser University, https://www.kaggle. com/robynritchie/punt-returnsusing-the-math-to-find-the-path Open Finalists: Ian Barnett, https://www.kaggle. com/ianjamesbarnett/nfl-bigdata-bowl-2022-introducingcoyote John Miller, & Uri Smashnov, https://www.kaggle.com/ jpmiller/augmented-reality-forkickoffs-and-punts Joseph Rudoler, Tai Nguyen, Ryan Brill, & Ryan Gross, https:// www.kaggle.com/jrudoler56/ optimal-run-path-for-kickreturners Marc Richards, Wei Peng, Jack Werner & Sam Walczak, https:// www.kaggle.com/model284/ where-should-punters-aim Robert Sims, https://www.kaggle. com/rxsims/evaluating-puntersrelative-to-optimal-punting Honorable Mention: Andrew Akers, https://www. kaggle.com/andrewakers9/netpunt-yards-gained Charles Giess, https://www. kaggle.com/charlesgiess/ optimising-gunner-and-visetactics-and-techniques Conor Malone, https://www. kaggle.com/connyfromtheblock/ valuing-blocking-on-kick-returnplays Jesse Fischer, https://www. kaggle.com/jessefis/nfl-bigdata-bowl-2022 Maxwell St. John, & Nicholas Mills, University of Virginia, https://www.kaggle.com/ maxwellstjohn/expected-kickoffreturn-yards Nate Hawkins, & Jacob Mark Miller, Brigham Young University, https://www.kaggle. com/jacobmarkmiller/improvingpunt-returner-decision-making Quinn MacLean, https:// www.kaggle.com/qmaclean/ evaluating-gunner-s-performance Sarah Hu, Zach Bradlow, & Zach Drapkin, University of Pennsylvania, https://www. kaggle.com/husarah/deeps-divea-process-oriented-approach-toreturns Scott Maran, Stanford University, https://www.kaggle.com/ smaran2430/big-data-bowl Zac Rogers, https://www.kaggle. com/zacrogersuk/playertv-byzacrogers-excluding-appendix For a complete view of this year’s competition, visit the NFL’s Kaggle competition page. To learn more about the Big Data Bowl and this year’s virtual show, click here.
IOC EB decides no medal ceremonies following CAS decision on the case of ROC skater
TL Bureau, Moscow
The Executive Board (EB) of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) takes note of the decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to allow figure skater Kamila Valieva (Russian Olympic Committee) to continue to compete at the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022. The IOC has to follow the rule of law and will therefore have to allow her to compete in the Women’s Single Skating competition on Tuesday, 15 February 2022 and, if qualified, on 17 February 2022. The CAS has clearly expressed that the decision taken by the Ad-hoc Division today is not a decision on whether Ms Valieva violated the anti-doping rules. It was limited to the sole question of whether Ms Valieva could be provisionally suspended from the Olympic competition following a positive A-sample taken on 25 December 2021. The management of the case after
this positive A-sample has not yet been concluded. Only after due process has been followed can it be established whether Ms Valieva infringed the World Anti-Doping Code (WADC) and would have to be sanctioned. This inconclusive situation led the IOC EB to the following decisions, after having had initial consultations with the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) concerned: In the interest of fairness to all athletes and the NOCs concerned, it would not be appropriate to
hold the medal ceremony for the figure skating team event during the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 as it would include an athlete who on the one hand has a positive A-sample, but whose violation of the anti-doping rules has not yet been established on the other hand. Should Ms Valieva finish amongst the top three competitors in the Women’s Single Skating competition, no flower ceremony and no medal ceremony will take place during the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022. The IOC requests the International Skating Union (ISU), for reasons of fairness, to allow a 25th competitor to participate in the Free Skating part of the competition on 17 February, in case Ms Valieva is ranked in the first 24 of the short programme on 15 February. The IOC will, in consultation with the athletes and NOCs concerned, organise dignified medal ceremonies once the case of Ms Valieva has been concluded.
FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2022 field set following end of Qualifying Tournaments
TL Bureau, MIES (Switzerland) The playing field is now set for the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2022, with the completion of the Qualifying Tournaments. The following twelve countries will compete in Sydney, Australia at the Women’s Basketball World Cup: Australia Belgium Bosnia and Herzegovina Canada China France Japan Korea Nigeria Russia Serbia USA
The four FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2022 Qualifying Tournaments tipped off in Osaka, Washington DC, and Belgrade on February 10, with five days of oncourt action and some incredibly close games. While both teams participated in the tournaments, the USA automatically qualified as Tokyo Olympics gold medalists, while Australia received automatic qualification as hosts of the event. The qualified teams’ performances were powered by inspiring individual performances that earned one player from each tournament the TISSOT Most Valuable Player awards. Here are the winners: FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2022 Qualifying Tournament Osaka: Jonquel Jones (BIH)
FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2022 Qualifying Tournament Washington DC: Emma Meesseman (BEL) FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2022 Qualifying Tournament Belgrade A: Yvonne Anderson (SRB) FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2022 Qualifying Tournament Belgrade B: Sijing Huang (CHN) The FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2022 will take place from September 22 to October This will be Australia’s second time hosting the event, with the last time being in 1994. The Draw for the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2022 will take place on Thursday, March 3, 2022, in Sydney, Australia.
11 Empa - Aircraft security: Diagnosis during flight TL Bureau, Bern
Dübendorf, St. Gallen und Thun Together with teams from England and Germany, Empa researchers developed a monitoring system for aircraft components. In the future, minor damage could be detected and monitored during flight without the aircraft having to go into the hangar for maintenance. This will reduce operating costs and increase safety at the same time.
Air2030: National Armaments Director discusses possible production of Swiss F-35A in Italy TL Bureau, Bern
- A delegation from armasuisse led by National Armaments Director Martin Sonderegger is visiting the Italian National Armaments Director today in Cameri, Italy for bilateral talks in connection with the Air2030 programme. They will be discussing whether a part of the future Swiss F-3A fighter jets can be manufactured in Italy.
tech/auto
Eight Years in a Row: BMW Manufacturing is Largest Automotive Exporter in the United States.
TL Bureau, Munich / Spartanburg.
BMW Manufacturing led the nation in automotive exports by value for the eighth consecutive year, according to data released by the U.S. Department of Commerce. During 2021, BMW Plant Spartanburg exported 257,876 BMWs with a total export value of more than $10.1 billion. The BMWs produced in Spartanburg, South Carolina, were exported to about 120 countries primarily through the Port of Charleston, SC (nearly 219,000 units), through five additional southeastern ports and by rail to Canada. The top five export countries from BMW Manufacturing were China (24.1% of export volume), Germany (12.3%), South Korea (9.4%), Canada (5.6%), and Great Britain (5.4%). “Free trade and open markets are essential for global businesses and economies to grow. It is the reason BMW and South Carolina have been successful,” said Milan Nedeljković, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG
responsible for Production. “Plant Spartanburg contributes greatly to the success of the BMW Group. They are the center of competence for our X family of vehicles. They have world-class people who build world-class products. I congratulate our 11,000 associates for this achievement, and I thank our partners throughout South Carolina for their outstanding support.” “Claiming the top spot for U.S. automobile exports by value rounds out a very successful year
for BMW Plant Spartanburg. I’m incredibly proud of our associates and the resilience they have shown the past year,” said Dr. Robert Engelhorn, president and CEO of BMW Manufacturing. “This achievement demonstrates BMW’s trusted partnership with this state and its continued commitment to the United States.” In 2021, BMW Manufacturing set a new production record with 433,810 BMW X vehicles produced. From that number, 179,840 X vehicles were
sold in the United States, making up 53.4% of all BMW brand sales. The top two BMW models sold in America were the BMW X3 and BMW X5. Since 1992, the BMW Group has invested nearly $12 billion in its South Carolina factory. BMW Manufacturing is the largest BMW Group plant in the world, producing more than 1,500 vehicles each day. The model portfolio includes five top-selling BMW X models, four Motorsport X models, and two plugin hybrid electric vehicle X models.
to a cardiac emergency more effective. Clinicians must act swiftly to ensure imaging does not interrupt or delay compressions, so having the right equipment and cardiac views can be critical.1,2 FUJIFILM Sonosite developed its new cardiac resuscitation exam type to address this need, leveraging insights from physician-leaders in POCUS and the strength of Sonosite as the company that launched the point of care ultrasound category. FUJIFILM Sonosite T8-3 Transesophageal Ultrasound (TEU): Responding to expressed customer need, Sonosite developed the T8-3 transducer, enabling clinicians to provide TEU at the point of care by: Enabling repeatable cardiac imaging regardless of patient condition or body habitus. Providing a lightweight handle and flexible shaft for easy manipulation and a small tip for ease of insertion. Enabling low power consumption to maintain temperature while monitoring over time. Delivering FUJIFILM Sonosite’s most advanced image clarity. Abbott Northwestern in Minneapolis recently purchased six T8-3 transducers to aid in cardiac resuscitation throughout
their hospital. “We want to provide our physicians with the tool that ensures real-time heart and lung visualization during patient resuscitation when transcutaneous imaging windows are inadequate and a patient, regardless of location in the hospital, might benefit,” said Dr. David Tierney, Program Director, Abbott Northwestern Hospital Internal Medicine Residency Program, part of Allina Health. “This information helps our resuscitation team make rapid and potentially life-saving decisions at the bedside and further improve shock and arrest outcomes for our patients.” The Sonosite LX, T8-3 Transducer, and Cardiac Resuscitation exam type are now commercially available in the United States, Australia and New Zealand, with plans to launch in Canada, Europe, China and Japan in the future. To learn more about the Fujifilm’s portfolio of POCUS solutions, visit this webpage. As with all Sonosite point of care ultrasound systems, Sonosite LX is built to legendary durability, reliability, and ease of use standards. The ultrasound transducers are drop-tested to one meter and the work surface is sealed to the edge for simplified cleaning and disinfection.
FUJIFILM Sonosite launches Sonosite LX, the industry leader’s latest premium point-of-care ultrasound system
TL Bureau, Bothell
– FUJIFILM Sonosite, Inc. – the world leader in pointof-care ultrasound (POCUS) solutions – has added to its nextgeneration POCUS portfolio with the launch of its new, premium Sonosite LX system, featuring the company’s largest clinical image and a monitor that extends, rotates and tilts to enable enhanced, realtime provider collaboration. The clinical display features touchscreen controls to enable an optimized heads-up workflow, allowing clinicians to keep their eyes on the image while making adjustments. Designed to be used with the Sonosite LX and Sonosite PX, the company has also launched a new T8-3 transesophageal transducer and Cardiac Resuscitation exam type, to assist clinicians in using transesophageal ultrasound (TEU) at the point of care. “Sonosite LX was inspired by and designed with clinician partners, focusing on the evolving ways ultrasound can support the quadruple aim at the point of care, wherever that may be,” said Rich Fabian, president and COO, FUJIFILM Sonosite. “This launch reflects an ongoing commitment to delivering leading edge technology for clinicians and their patients, technology that’s backed up
Sonosite LX combines the company’s largest clinical image yet with proprietary advanced image clarity to deliver greater diagnostic and procedural confidence, along with an adjustable monitor and touchscreen interface to improve collaboration
by a world-class ecosystem of services, support and education.” Sonosite LX Point of Care Ultrasound System Sonosite LX has a large, adaptable 21.3” clinical display that extends, rotates and tilts to accommodate the varied clinical environments at the bedside. The system’s small footprint and adjustable display foster collaboration, allowing for realtime image and information sharing with the patient, other clinicians, residents and other hospital staff. The system was engineered to include primary and secondary study controls on the clinical touchscreen display – including quick access to the most-used optimizations such as depth, gain, and measurements - to deliver an optimized heads-up workflow for clinicians. The
Sonosite LX is compatible with the redesigned family of transducers launched with Sonosite PX that have dedicated exam types for studyspecific imaging and workflow optimization. Cardiac Resuscitation Exam Type: Sudden cardiac arrest is the leading cause of natural death in the U.S. according to American College of Emergency Physician guidelines transesophageal echocardiogram allows the emergency physician to maintain the standard of an ultrasoundinformed resuscitation in the scenario of cardiac arrest, where transthoracic echocardiogram is significantly limited. With TEU patients can benefit from more accurate and efficient chest compressions while being evaluated with ultrasound, potentially making the response
12 Palestine Records 3,648 New COVID-19 Cases TL Bureau, Ramallah Palestine recorded 3,648 new cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), 24 new deaths and 4,073 recoveries in all Palestinian governorates, in the past 24 hours. The Palestinian Ministry of Health stated today that the rate of recovery reached 90.5%, while the rate of active cases reached 8.6%, adding that the death rate is 0.9%.
Kuwait Records 2,166 New Cases of COVID-19 TL Bureau, Kuwait
Kuwait recorded 2,166 new infections with the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), in the past 24 hours, bringing the total infections to 606,035. The Kuwaiti Ministry of Health said, in a statement, that it reported 5,239 recoveries, pushing the recovery tally to 571,142, while the death tally to 2,522, following reporting one death.
Jordan Records 18,477 New Cases of Coronavirus TL Bureau, Amman The Jordanian Ministry of Health announced the registration of 18,477 new infections of the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of infections to 1,508,950. It said in a press statement that the total number of recovery cases rose to 1,306,415, after 15,864 additional cases were recorded, and 22 deaths were recorded, bringing the deaths to 13,554.
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Informal Meeting of Ministers for Employment and Social Policy: Driving forward support for reskilling in light of the digital and ecological transitions TL Bureau, Paris Under the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union, Élisabeth Borne, the French Minister of Labour, Employment and Economic Inclusion,
was joined in Bordeaux by the European labour and social affairs ministers and Nicolas Schmit, the European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, for an informal Employment, Social Policy, Health and
The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement to mark National Flag of Canada Day: “Today, I join Canadians across the country and around the world to celebrate the 57th anniversary of the National Flag of Canada. “On February 15, 1965, the National Flag of Canada was flown for the very first time on Parliament Hill. Ever since, the Maple Leaf, has been proudly raised in communities across the country – at schools,
organisations in attendance, the European ministers agreed on the importance of investing in skills, supporting career transitions and strengthening social dialogue in light of these changes.
Secretary Blinken’s Call with COVID - 19 Vaccination Transatlantic Quad Foreign Ministers Update - Day 395
TL Bureau, Washington D.C.
Office of the Spokesperson The below is attributable to Spokesperson Ned Price: Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, and UK Foreign Secretary Elizabeth
Truss to further coordinate implementation of the massive consequences and severe costs to be imposed if Russia invades Ukraine. All parties expressed resolute support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and commitment to strong transatlantic coordination to counter Russia’s threats against Ukraine and European security.
SFD Opens Public School in Kyrgyzstan
TL Bureau, Bishkek
The Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) has inaugurated a project of public school in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, with USD30 million of funding, as part of its efforts to support development projects in the Republic of Kyrgyzstan, to construct 30 public schools in various regions of the country, with more than 50,000 beneficiaries annually. The opening ceremony
was attended by Dr. Saud AlShammari, Director of Asia Operations at SFD; Deputy Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan Edil Baisalov; a number of officials, and representatives of the Saudi Embassy in the Kyrgyzstan. On the other hand, the fund signed a bilateral agreement to postpone the debt owed to the development projects funded by the SFD in Kyrgyzstan, with Kyrgyz Finance Minister Almaz Baketayev.
Presidency event: informal meeting of transport ministers, 21 - 22 February 2022 TL Bureau, Brussels As part of the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union, Jean-Baptiste Djebbari, Minister Delegate in charge of transport, welcomes his European counterparts from 21 to 22 February 2022 in Le Bourget
for an informal meeting of the transport ministers. Traditionally organised by the countries in charge of the presidency of the Council of the European Union, the informal ministerial meetings are intended to advance the joint European reflections and work of the invited ministers.
Statement by the Prime Minister on National Flag of Canada Day TL Bureau, Ottawa, Ontario
Consumer Affairs (EPSCO) Council meeting dedicated to the impact of the digital and ecological transitions on the labour market. With European social partners, MEPs and representatives of civil society and international
libraries, and hockey arenas – and at Canada’s diplomatic missions around the world. “Wherever the Maple Leaf flies, it is a symbol of the shared values that unite us as Canadians – freedom, peace, justice, equality, openness, diversity, and generosity. Despite our differences, we come together to have each others’ backs and support one another when we need it most. “Getting through the COVID-19 pandemic is a Team Canada effort. Canadians have been helping and relying on their families, friends, and neighbours to get through these
challenging times. This is not the time to give up – we will remain united in our battle to get Canadians back to the things we love, and in support of our front-line health care providers and essential workers. “On this National Flag of Canada Day, we are also cheering for all Canadians wearing the Maple Leaf at the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Hailing from across the country, these athletes are making us proud with their hard work and determination. “On behalf of the Government of Canada, I wish all Canadians a happy National Flag of Canada Day.”
TL Bureau, New Delhi
India’s COVID-19 vaccination coverage has crossed 173.38 Crore (1,73,38,16,302) today. More than 40 lakh (40,40,596) Vaccine Doses have been administered till 7 pm today. More than 1.72 Crore (1,76,27,475) Precaution Doses for the identified categories of beneficiaries (HCWs, FLWs and Over 60 years) for COVID vaccination have been administered so far. The daily vaccination tally is expected to increase with the compilation of the final reports for the day by late tonight. The cumulative coverage of vaccine doses, segregated based on population priority groups, is as follows: Cumulative Vaccine Dose Coverage HCWs 1st Dose 10399674 2nd Dose 9935775 Precaution Dose 3913679 FLWs 1st Dose 18405717 2nd Dose 17385031 Precaution Dose 5466554 Age Group 15-18 years 1st Dose 52401155 2nd Dose 16310368 Age Group 18-44 years 1st Dose 548609814 2nd Dose 428258342 Age Group 45-59 years 1st Dose 201733070 2nd Dose 176695778 Over 60 years 1st Dose 125968073 2nd Dose 110086030 Precaution Dose 8247242 Cumulative 1st dose administered 957517503
Cumulative 2nd dose administered 758671324 Precaution Dose 17627475 Total 1733816302 Today’s achievement in the vaccination exercise, segregated by population priority groups, is as follows: Date: 14th February, 2022 (395th Day) HCWs 1st Dose 132 2nd Dose 2810 Precaution Dose 26333 FLWs 1st Dose 300 2nd Dose 5297 Precaution Dose 50035 Age Group 15-18 years 1st Dose 257207 2nd Dose 1260679 Age Group 18-44 years 1st Dose 336822 2nd Dose 1341503 Age Group 45-59 years 1st Dose 60197 2nd Dose 275743 Over 60 years 1st Dose 45449 2nd Dose 168330 Precaution Dose 209759 Cumulative 1st dose administered 700107 Cumulative 2nd dose administered 3054362 Precaution Dose 286127 Total 4040596 The vaccination exercise as a tool to protect the most vulnerable population groups in the country from COVID-19 continues to be regularly reviewed and monitored at the highest level.
Ann Linde to present the 2022 Statement of Foreign Policy TL Bureau, Helsinki The Statement, which summarises the Government’s foreign policy priorities for 2022, contains a number of focus areas. “The security situation has deteriorated. Russia’s increasingly confrontational rhetoric and military activities are unacceptable. Standing up for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity is essential for the security of Europe as a whole,” says Minister for Foreign Affairs Ann Linde. During Sweden’s term as Chair of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe last
year, important results were achieved, including through the decision concerning the climate and security. “The climate is of critical importance to our security. We must take climaterelated security threats extremely seriously,” says Ann Linde. Ms Linde will deliver the Statement of Foreign Policy in the Riksdag at 09.00 on 16 February, and she will be available to the media in the Riksdag at 13.30. Please contact her press secretary for further information.