JOHANNESBURG, May 2 (Reuters) &#8211; South Africa will clamp down on captive lion breeding after a review panel concluded the industry risked the conservation of wild lions and harmed tourism, the environment minister said on Sunday.
In the nearly 600-page report, the panel appointed by the ministry in 2019 recommended that South Africa end the breeding and keeping of captive lions for economic gain, including hunting them and tourist interactions such as cub petting.
The panel also recommended an immediate moratorium on the trade of lion derivatives such as bones, which they found to pose major risks to wild lion populations in South Africa.
Barbara Creecy, Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, responded to the report by saying the ministry would adopt all recommendations in the report which were supported by the majority of the 26-strong panel.
&#8220;I have requested the department to action this accordingly and ensure that the necessary consultation for implementation is conducted,&#8221; she said at the panel&#8217;s presentation, referring to recommendations on captive lions.
Amongst other measures, the ministry will now embark on a consultation process with various stakeholders and develop a policy on biodiversity conservation for cabinet approval.
The panel could not reach consensus on how to tackle captive lion breeding, and only two thirds of its members supported these recommendations, according to the report.
Creecy stressed the measures were not aimed at the hunting industry.
&#8220;Preventing the hunting of captive lions is in the interests of the authentic wild hunting industry, and will boost the hunting economy and our international reputation, and the jobs that this creates,&#8221; she said.
On rhino horn and elephant ivory stockpiles, the panel recommended that the minister consult other countries in the Southern Africa bloc to determine under what conditions current ivory and rhino horn stockpiles can be disposed of.
Legalising rhino horn trade has been a hot button issue, with conservationist concerned that it could stimulate demand in Asia, while others argue it could raise funds that would help it to protect the species. (Reporting by Nqobile Dludla Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2021. Click For Restrictions &#8211; https://agency.reuters.com/en/copyright.html
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South Africa to clamp down on captive lion breeding, minister says

LALIBELA, May 2 (Reuters) &#8211; As they have done for hundreds of years on the Orthodox Easter weekend, priests wrapped in traditional white robes read the Bible by candlelight on Saturday evening in the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela in northern Ethiopia.
The ancient ritual has been a tourist draw in recent years.
Tens of thousands of visitors from around Ethiopia and abroad usually come to Lalibela, home to a UNESCO World Heritage site of 12th and 13th century monolithic churches, to celebrate and witness the most important holiday in the Orthodox calendar.
But they were missing this year. Even many local worshippers stayed home, reflecting the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and of a war in the Tigray region, further north, that broke out in November. The government declared victory at the end of that month, but since then there has been some low-level fighting in parts of that region, which borders Amhara where Lalibela is.
The lack of tourists has been hard on Lalibela. The town, with a population of 20,000, has become a star attraction for the foreign visitors to Ethiopia whose numbers have steadily grown over the past decade.
&#8220;Back in the good days tourists were flowing, hotels were full,&#8221; Misagnaw Tarekegn, head priest of Saint Mary church, told Reuters, as barefoot worshippers gathered around him in preparation for the night of prayers and chants before Easter morning.
&#8220;Many hotels had 300 to 400 workers. Now they are sitting at home with no income,&#8221; he said, blaming the pandemic and the war in Tigray.
Mesai Mekonnen, owner of the Tukul Village hotel, said that before the pandemic the hotel typically hosted 600 guests a month &#8211; now his rooms are empty and the kitchen is closed.
&#8220;Lalibela depends on tourism: the hotels, the souvenirs, the cafés, the shops, the farmers all directly or indirectly benefit from tourism. Now everything is closed. We have no income,&#8221; he said.
Tourism worldwide collapsed amid pandemic restrictions and travel curbs. In Ethiopia, as part of coronavirus measures, the government ordered the Lalibela churches closed to tourism for the first time from March to September last year.
Fewer than 600 tourists have visited since the churches reopened, according to Haftamu Tesfaw, an official at the Lalibela tourism office.
Ethiopia is currently in the top five countries in Africa in terms of new COVID-19 infections, straining the health system, although new daily cases are falling from a peak in early April.
With a population of over 110 million, the country has recorded a total of more than 258,000 infections and about 3,700 deaths.
Misganaw, the priest, shared his hopes for this year&#8217;s &#8220;Fasika&#8221;, the Amharic word for Easter.
&#8220;We are going to pray about the war in the country, the hunger in the country, the curse from God,&#8221; Misganaw said holding up a large wooden cross.
&#8220;We pray God to bring these things to an end.&#8221;
(Reporting by Giulia Paravicini Editing by Maggie Fick and Frances Kerry)
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Pandemic and war hit tourism in Lalibela, holy Ethiopian site

May 2 (OPTA) &#8211; Scores from the LPGA Tour HSBC Women&#8217;s World Championship on Saturday -17 Hyo Joo Kim (Korea Republic) 67 68 72 64 -16 Hannah Green (Australia) 71 66 66 69 -15 Xiyu Lin (China PR) 67 68 67 71 Inbee Park (Korea Republic) 64 69 70 70 Patty Tavatanakit (Thailand) 70 70 68 65 -12 So-Yeon Ryu (Korea Republic) 67 69 70 70 -11 In Gee Chun (Korea Republic) 71 69 66 71 Carlota Ciganda (Spain) 69 67 73 68 Lydia Ko (New Zealand) 69 68 69 71 Gaby Lopez (Mexico) 68 71 65 73 -10 Madelene Sagstrom (Sweden) 69 70 68 71 -9 Brittany Altomare (USA) 68 71 72 68 Amy Yang (Korea Republic) 68 69 70 72 -8 Celine Boutier (France) 73 69 69 69 Megan Khang (USA) 72 69 71 68 -7 Moriya Jutanugarn (Thailand) 71 70 69 71 -6 Amy Olson (USA) 71 70 68 73 Gerina Piller (USA) 72 67 70 73 Sophia Popov (Germany) 67 70 71 74 Angela Stanford (USA) 74 70 68 70 -5 Ally Ewing (USA) 72 66 72 73 Jeong-Eun Lee6 (Korea Republic) 68 74 73 68 Pornanong Phatlum (Thailand) 69 71 73 70 -4 Ariya Jutanugarn (Thailand) 74 74 66 70 Minjee Lee (Australia) 69 73 70 72 Su-Hyun Oh (Australia) 68 72 72 72 Jin Young ko (Korea Republic) 71 76 67 70 -3 Marina Alex (USA) 69 72 72 72 Chella Choi (Korea Republic) 71 70 71 73 Katherine Hull-kirk (Australia) 69 71 73 72 Nicole Broch Larsen (Denmark) 72 69 71 73 Azahara Munoz (Spain) 73 71 72 69 Emily K Pedersen (Denmark) 71 70 71 73 Melissa Reid (England) 70 70 75 70 -2 Wei-Ling Hsu (Chinese Taipei) 71 71 71 73 Charley Hull (Great Britain) 69 72 71 74 Yu Liu (China PR) 74 73 72 67 Hee Young Park (Korea Republic) 65 68 79 74 Jodi Ewart Shadoff (England) 70 68 74 74 Jasmine Suwannapura (Thailand) 71 70 72 73 -1 Kim In-Kyung (Korea Republic) 73 72 70 72 Brittany Lincicome (USA) 74 67 72 74 0 Shanshan Feng (China PR) 68 70 76 74 Georgia Hall (England) 73 73 73 69 Sarah Schmelzel (USA) 70 74 75 69 1 Caroline Masson (Germany) 67 70 74 78 Annie Park (USA) 71 68 79 71 Jing Yan (China PR) 72 72 73 72 2 Nasa Hataoka (Japan) 74 72 72 72 Lizette Salas (USA) 73 72 71 74 Alena Sharp (Canada) 73 72 71 74 Jenny Shin (Korea Republic) 76 69 74 71 3 Bronte Law (England) 70 68 75 78 Anna Nordqvist (Sweden) 74 73 73 71 4 A Lim Kim (Korea Republic) 74 70 73 75 Angel Yin (USA) 71 73 72 76 5 Ashleigh Buhai (South Africa) 72 76 74 71 Kristen Gillman (USA) 74 75 74 70 Jaye Marie Green (USA) 75 73 71 74 Danielle Kang (USA) 72 73 76 72 Sung Hyun Park (Korea Republic) 78 71 70 74 6 Cheyenne Knight (USA) 70 74 76 74 7 Cydney Clanton (USA) 75 71 75 74 Nanna Koerstz Madsen (Denmark) 72 74 75 74 8 Mi-Hyang Lee (Korea Republic) 75 71 75 75 9 Eun-Hee Ji (Korea Republic) 73 75 71 78 11 Mirim Lee (Korea Republic) 71 77 74 77 Hinako Shibuno (Japan) 76 73 76 74 18 Amanda Tan (Singapore) 76 76 77 77 
(c) Copyright Opta Sports Data 2021. All Rights Reserved
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LPGA Tour HSBC Women’s World Championship Scores

LONDON, May 2 (Reuters) &#8211; Targets for climate finance and girls&#8217; education will top the agenda at a meeting this week of foreign ministers from the Group of Seven advanced economies, this year&#8217;s chair Britain said on Sunday.
The London summit will be the first attended in person by G7 foreign ministers for two years. Britain has also invited representatives from Australia, India, South Korea and South Africa as guests for some of the meetings.
&#8220;We&#8217;ll be taking action to ensure fair access to vaccines around the world, setting global girls&#8217; education targets, agreeing ambitious action on climate change and developing new measures to prevent famine,&#8221; British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said in a statement.
Raab will meet with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday, when they will talk about trade, China, Afghanistan and Iran, the British government said.
He will also host the Japanese and Indian foreign ministers at his country residence later in the week. (Reporting by Andy Bruce; Editing by Catherine Evans)
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Climate finance targets top agenda for this week’s G7 meetings

NAIROBI, May 1 (Reuters) &#8211; Tanzania&#8217;s new President Samia Suluhu Hassan said on Saturday the government would reduce the income tax rate by 1 percentage point to 8%, in the 2021/22 financial year beginning in July, and also planned to remove &#8220;unfriendly taxes and charges to Tanzanians&#8221;.
Hassan, who took office in March following the death of President John Magufuli, said in a Labour Day speech in the northern Mwanza region that the COVID-19 pandemic had hurt global economic growth, and that Tanzania&#8217;s economy had not been spared.
Her remarks were the latest acknowledgement of the coronavirus, in stark contrast to the denials of her predecessor Magufuli, who was Africa’s most prominent COVID-19 sceptic. Last month, Hassan announced she was forming a committee to research whether Tanzania should follow the course taken by the rest of the world against the pandemic.
&#8220;Due to steps I’m planning to take by removing unfriendly taxes and charges to Tanzanians, tax revenues will decline for a short period and will later increase,&#8221; she said on Saturday.
The new president has indicated in public remarks since she took office on March 19 that she will also seek to improve the investment climate in the country of nearly 60 million people. Under Magufuli, foreign direct investment plunged and investors complained of a difficult business environment. (Reporting by Nairobi newsroom Writing by Maggie Fick)
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Tanzania’s new president plans income tax cut, other economic changes

LISBON, May 1 (Reuters) &#8211; Portugal said on Saturday it was extending until May 16 flight restrictions that stop non-essential travel from countries with high coronavirus incidence rates, including Brazil and India &#8212; a new addition to the list.
Travellers from countries where 500 or more cases per 100,000 people have been reported over a 14-day period &#8212; which also include South Africa, France and the Netherlands, among others &#8212; can only enter Portugal if they have a valid reason, such as for work or healthcare, the government said. They must then quarantine for 14 days.
People from countries where the incidence rate is 150 or more COVID-19 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, such as next-door Spain and Germany, can also travel by plane to Portugal only for essential reasons.
They will have to present proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of departure for Portugal. Those without a test will have to take one upon arrival and wait for the result at the airport.
The extension of air travel restrictions came on the same day most of Portugal moved to the final phase of a gradual easing of rules imposed in January to tackle what was then the world&#8217;s worst COVID-19 surge.
As infections dropped sharply, lockdown restrictions started to be eased in mid-March. Schools, restaurants and cafes, shopping malls, museums and other non-essential services have since reopened, but under strict rules to reduce contagion risk.
Portugal&#8217;s 1,200-km-long land border with Spain also reopened on Saturday after more than three months of restrictions and border checks. (Reporting by Catarina Demony; Editing by Catherine Evans)
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Portugal extends COVID-19 air travel curbs until mid-May

By Krishna N. Das
NEW DELHI, May 1 (Reuters) &#8211; A forum of scientific advisers set up by the Indian government has told authorities about minor mutations in some samples of the coronavirus that could &#8220;possibly evade immune response&#8221; and require more study, a leader of the forum has told Reuters.
However the advisers said while they were flagging the mutations, there was no reason currently to believe they were expanding or could be dangerous.
Scientists are studying what led to the current surge in cases in India and particularly whether a variant first detected in the country, called B.1.617, is to blame. The World Health Organization has not declared the Indian variant a &#8220;variant of concern,&#8221; as it has done for variants first detected in Britain, Brazil and South Africa. But the WHO said on April 27 that its early modelling, based on genome sequencing, suggested that B.1.617 had a higher growth rate than other variants circulating in India.
The forum of advisers, known as the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genetics Consortium, or INSACOG, has now found more mutations in the coronavirus that it thinks need to be tracked closely.
&#8220;We are seeing some mutation coming up in some samples that could possibly evade immune responses,&#8221; said Shahid Jameel, chair of the scientific advisory group of INSACOG and a top Indian virologist. He did not say if the mutations have been seen in the Indian variant or any other strain.
&#8220;Unless you culture those viruses and test them in the lab, you can&#8217;t say for sure. At this point, there is no reason to believe that they are expanding or if they can be dangerous, but we flagged it so that we keep our eye on the ball,&#8221; he said.
INSACOG brings together 10 national research laboratories.
India reported more than 400,000 new COVID-19 cases for the first time on Saturday. The rampaging infections have collapsed its health system in places including capital New Delhi, with shortages of medical oxygen and hospital beds.
(Reporting by Krishna N. Das Additional reporting by Devjyot Ghoshal Editing by Frances Kerry)
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Indian scientists flag virus mutations that could ‘evade immune response’

(Coronavirus tracker for Africa https://graphics.reuters.com/world-coronavirus-tracker-and-maps/regions/africa/)
NAIROBI, May 1 (Reuters) &#8211; Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on Saturday lifted the COVID-19 lockdown he imposed last month, allowing for a reopening of bars and restaurants, religious services and schools, as the rate of infections eases in the East African country.
Curbs on travel in the capital Nairobi and four surrounding counties would be lifted, schools will be allowed to reopen following an Education Ministry calendar. Religious services will resume with some restrictions, while political gatherings would still be banned, he said in a speech.
An evening curfew that currently starts at 8 p.m. will be revised to 10 p.m.. The changes will be in effect from midnight on Saturday, Kenyatta said.
Under the restrictions now being relaxed, Nairobi and surrounding counties were treated as one zone, with residents barred from traveling to other areas.
Cases in Kenya, the richest country in East Africa, have fallen from last month&#8217;s peak but it is still among the top five nations in Africa reporting new infections and deaths, according to a Reuters tracker.
Kenya reported 497 new infections and 17 deaths within the past 24 hours, according to the latest health ministry data released on Friday. Overall, the country has recorded nearly 159,000 cases and around 2,700 deaths.
Broadly, Africa has not suffered as badly from the pandemic as other parts of the world, but the African Union&#8217;s disease control agency warned the continent&#8217;s governments and citizens on Thursday not to let their guards down. It called the raging state of the pandemic in India a wake-up call for Africa.

(Reporting by Humphrey Malalo Writing by Maggie Fick)
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2021. Click For Restrictions &#8211; https://agency.reuters.com/en/copyright.html
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Kenyan president lifts COVID-19 lockdown imposed last month

May 1 (OPTA) &#8211; Scores from the LPGA Tour HSBC Women&#8217;s World Championship on Friday -14 Xiyu Lin (China PR) 67 68 67 -13 Hannah Green (Australia) 71 66 66 Inbee Park (Korea Republic) 64 69 70 -12 Gaby Lopez (Mexico) 68 71 65 -10 In Gee Chun (Korea Republic) 71 69 66 Lydia Ko (New Zealand) 69 68 69 So-Yeon Ryu (Korea Republic) 67 69 70 -9 Hyo Joo Kim (Korea Republic) 67 68 72 Madelene Sagstrom (Sweden) 69 70 68 Amy Yang (Korea Republic) 68 69 70 -8 Sophia Popov (Germany) 67 70 71 Patty Tavatanakit (Thailand) 70 70 68 -7 Carlota Ciganda (Spain) 69 67 73 Amy Olson (USA) 71 70 68 Gerina Piller (USA) 72 67 70 -6 Ally Ewing (USA) 72 66 72 Moriya Jutanugarn (Thailand) 71 70 69 -5 Brittany Altomare (USA) 68 71 72 Celine Boutier (France) 73 69 69 Caroline Masson (Germany) 67 70 74 -4 Chella Choi (Korea Republic) 71 70 71 Charley Hull (Great Britain) 69 72 71 Megan Khang (USA) 72 69 71 Nicole Broch Larsen (Denmark) 72 69 71 Minjee Lee (Australia) 69 73 70 Su-Hyun Oh (Australia) 68 72 72 Hee Young Park (Korea Republic) 65 68 79 Emily K Pedersen (Denmark) 71 70 71 Jodi Ewart Shadoff (England) 70 68 74 Angela Stanford (USA) 74 70 68 -3 Marina Alex (USA) 69 72 72 Wei-Ling Hsu (Chinese Taipei) 71 71 71 Katherine Hull-kirk (Australia) 69 71 73 Bronte Law (England) 70 68 75 Brittany Lincicome (USA) 74 67 72 Pornanong Phatlum (Thailand) 69 71 73 Jasmine Suwannapura (Thailand) 71 70 72 -2 Shanshan Feng (China PR) 68 70 76 Ariya Jutanugarn (Thailand) 74 74 66 Jin Young ko (Korea Republic) 71 76 67 -1 Kim In-Kyung (Korea Republic) 73 72 70 Jeong-Eun Lee6 (Korea Republic) 68 74 73 Melissa Reid (England) 70 70 75 0 Azahara Munoz (Spain) 73 71 72 Lizette Salas (USA) 73 72 71 Alena Sharp (Canada) 73 72 71 Angel Yin (USA) 71 73 72 1 A Lim Kim (Korea Republic) 74 70 73 Jing Yan (China PR) 72 72 73 2 Nasa Hataoka (Japan) 74 72 72 Annie Park (USA) 71 68 79 3 Jaye Marie Green (USA) 75 73 71 Georgia Hall (England) 73 73 73 Eun-Hee Ji (Korea Republic) 73 75 71 Yu Liu (China PR) 74 73 72 Sung Hyun Park (Korea Republic) 78 71 70 Sarah Schmelzel (USA) 70 74 75 Jenny Shin (Korea Republic) 76 69 74 4 Cheyenne Knight (USA) 70 74 76 Anna Nordqvist (Sweden) 74 73 73 5 Cydney Clanton (USA) 75 71 75 Danielle Kang (USA) 72 73 76 Mi-Hyang Lee (Korea Republic) 75 71 75 Nanna Koerstz Madsen (Denmark) 72 74 75 6 Ashleigh Buhai (South Africa) 72 76 74 Mirim Lee (Korea Republic) 71 77 74 7 Kristen Gillman (USA) 74 75 74 9 Hinako Shibuno (Japan) 76 73 76 13 Amanda Tan (Singapore) 76 76 77 
(c) Copyright Opta Sports Data 2021. All Rights Reserved
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By Devjyot Ghoshal and Krishna N. Das
NEW DELHI, May 1 (Reuters) &#8211; A forum of scientific advisers set up by the government warned Indian officials in early March of a new and more contagious variant of the coronavirus taking hold in the country, five scientists who are part of the forum told Reuters.
Despite the warning, four of the scientists said the federal government did not seek to impose major restrictions to stop the spread of the virus. Millions of largely unmasked people attended religious festivals and political rallies that were held by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, leaders of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and opposition politicians.
Tens of thousands of farmers, meanwhile, continued to camp on the edge of New Delhi protesting Modi’s agricultural policy changes.
The world’s second-most populous country is now struggling to contain a second wave of infections much more severe than its first last year, which some scientists say is being accelerated by the new variant and another variant first detected in Britain. India reported 386,452 new cases on Friday, a global record.
The spike in infections is India’s biggest crisis since Modi took office in 2014. It remains to be seen how his handling of it might affect Modi or his party politically. The next general election is due in 2024. Voting in the most recent local elections was largely completed before the scale of the new surge in infections became apparent.
The warning about the new variant in early March was issued by the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genetics Consortium, or INSACOG. It was conveyed to a top official who reports directly to the prime minister, according to one of the scientists, the director of a research centre in northern India who spoke on condition of anonymity. Reuters could not determine whether the INSACOG findings were passed on to Modi himself.
Modi’s office did not respond to a request for comment from Reuters.
INSACOG was set up as a forum of scientific advisers by the government in late December specifically to detect genomic variants of the coronavirus that might threaten public health. INSACOG brings together 10 national laboratories capable of studying virus variants.
INSACOG researchers first detected B.1.617, which is now known as the Indian variant of the virus, as early as February, Ajay Parida, director of the state-run Institute of Life Sciences and a member of INSACOG, told Reuters.
INSACOG shared its findings with the health ministry’s National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) before March 10, warning that infections could quickly increase in parts of the country, the director of the northern India research centre told Reuters. The findings were then passed on to the Indian health ministry, this person said. The health ministry did not respond to requests for comment.
Around that date, INSACOG began to prepare a draft media statement for the health ministry. A version of that draft, seen by Reuters, set out the forum’s findings: the new Indian variant had two significant mutations to the portion of the virus that attaches to human cells, and it had been traced in 15% to 20% of samples from Maharashtra, India&#8217;s worst-affected state.
The draft statement said that the mutations, called E484Q and L452R, were of “high concern.” It said “there is data of E484Q mutant viruses escaping highly neutralising antibodies in cultures, and there is data that L452R mutation was responsible for both increased transmissibility and immune escape.&#8221;
In other words, essentially, this meant that mutated versions of the virus could more easily enter a human cell and counter a person’s immune response to it.
The ministry made the findings public about two weeks later, on March 24, when it issued a statement to the media that did not include the words &#8220;high concern.&#8221; The statement said only that more problematic variants required following measures already underway &#8211; increased testing and quarantine. Testing has since nearly doubled to 1.9 million tests a day.
Asked why the government did not respond more forcefully to the findings, for example by restricting large gatherings, Shahid Jameel, chair of the scientific advisory group of INSACOG, said he was concerned that authorities were not paying enough attention to the evidence as they set policy.
&#8220;Policy has to be based on evidence and not the other way around,&#8221; he told Reuters. “I am worried that science was not taken into account to drive policy. But I know where my jurisdiction stops. As scientists we provide the evidence, policymaking is the job of the government.”
The northern India research centre director told Reuters the draft media release was sent to the most senior bureaucrat in the country, Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba, who reports directly to the prime minister. Reuters was unable to learn whether Modi or his office were informed of the findings. Gauba did not respond to a request for comment.
The government took no steps to prevent gatherings that might hasten the spread of the new variant, as new infections quadrupled by April 1 from a month earlier.
Modi, some of his top lieutenants, and dozens of other politicians, including opposition figures, held rallies across the country for local elections throughout March and into April.
The government also allowed the weeks-long Kumbh Mela religious festival, attended by millions of Hindus, to proceed from mid-March. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of farmers were allowed to remain camped on the outskirts of the capital New Delhi to protest against new agriculture laws.
To be sure, some scientists say the surge was much larger than expected and the setback cannot be pinned on political leadership alone. &#8220;There is no point blaming the government,&#8221; Saumitra Das, director of the National Institute of Biomedical Genomics, which is part of INSACOG, told Reuters.

STRICT MEASURES NOT TAKEN
INSACOG reports to the National Centre for Disease Control in New Delhi. NCDC director Sujeet Kumar Singh recently told a private online gathering that strict lockdown measures had been needed in early April, according to a recording of the meeting reviewed by Reuters.
&#8220;The exact time, as per our thinking, was 15 days before,&#8221; Singh said in the April 19 meeting, referring to the need for stricter lockdown measures.
Singh did not say during the meeting whether he warned the government directly of the need for action at that time. Singh declined to comment to Reuters.
Singh told the April 19 gathering that more recently, he had relayed the urgency of the matter to government officials.
&#8220;It was highlighted very, very clearly that unless drastic measures are taken now, it will be too late to prevent the mortality which we are going to see,&#8221; said Singh, referring to a meeting which took place on April 18. He did not identify which government officials were in the meeting or describe their seniority.
Singh said some government officials in the meeting worried that mid-sized towns could see law and order problems as essential medical supplies like oxygen ran out, a scenario that has already begun to play out in parts of India.
The need for urgent action was also expressed the week before by the National Task Force for COVID-19, a group of 21 experts and government officials set up last April to provide scientific and technical guidance to the health ministry on the pandemic. It is chaired by V.K. Paul, Modi’s top coronavirus adviser.
The group had a discussion on April 15 and “unanimously agreed that the situation is serious and that we should not hesitate in imposing lockdowns,” said one scientist who took part.
Paul was present at the discussion, according to the scientist. Reuters could not determine if Paul relayed the group’s conclusion to Modi. Paul did not respond to a request for comment from Reuters.
Two days after Singh’s April 18 warning to government officials, Modi addressed the nation on April 20, arguing against lockdowns. He said a lockdown should be the last resort in fighting the virus. India’s two-month-long national lockdown a year ago put millions out of work and devastated the economy.
“We have to save the country from lockdowns. I would also request the states to use lockdowns as the last option,” Modi said. “We have to try our best to avoid lockdowns and focus on micro-containment zones,” he said, referring to small, localised lockdowns imposed by authorities to control outbreaks.
India’s state governments have wide latitude in setting health policy for their regions, and some have acted independently to try to control the spread of the virus.
Maharashtra, the country’s second-most populous state, which includes Mumbai, imposed tough restrictions such as office and store closures early in April as hospitals ran out of beds, oxygen and medicines. It imposed a full lockdown on April 14.

‘TICKING TIME BOMB’
The Indian variant has now reached at least 17 countries including Britain, Switzerland and Iran, leading several governments to close their borders to people travelling from India.
The World Health Organization has not declared the India mutant a &#8220;variant of concern,&#8221; as it has done for variants first detected in Britain, Brazil, and South Africa. But the WHO said on April 27 that its early modelling, based on genome sequencing, suggested that B.1.617 had a higher growth rate than other variants circulating in India.
The UK variant, called B.1.1.7, was also detected in India by January, including in the northern state of Punjab, a major epicentre for the farmers’ protests, Anurag Agrawal, a senior INSACOG scientist, told Reuters.
The NCDC and some INSACOG laboratories determined that a massive spike in cases in Punjab was caused by the UK variant, according to a statement issued by Punjab’s state government on March 23.
Punjab imposed a lockdown from March 23. But thousands of farmers from the state remained at protest camps on the outskirts of Delhi, many moving back and forth between the two places before the restrictions began.
&#8220;It was a ticking time bomb,&#8221; said Agrawal, who is director of the Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, which has studied some samples from Punjab. &#8220;It was a matter of an explosion, and public gatherings is a huge problem in a time of pandemic. And B.1.1.7 is a really bad variant in terms of spreading potential.&#8221;
By April 7, more than two weeks after Punjab&#8217;s announcement on the UK variant, cases of coronavirus began rising sharply in Delhi. Within days, hospital beds, critical care facilities, and medical oxygen began running out in the city. At some hospitals, patients died gasping for air before they could be treated. The city&#8217;s crematoriums overflowed with dead bodies.
Delhi is now suffering one of the worst infection rates in the country, with more than three out of every 10 tests positive for the virus.
India overall has reported more than 300,000 infections a day for the past nine days, the worst streak anywhere in the world since the pandemic began. Deaths have surged, too, with the total exceeding 200,000 this week.
Agrawal and two other senior government scientists told Reuters that federal health authorities and local Delhi officials should have been better prepared after seeing what the variants had done in Maharashtra and Punjab. Reuters could not determine what specific warnings were issued to whom about preparing for a huge surge.
“We are in a very grave situation,” said Shanta Dutta, a medical research scientist at the state-run National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases. “People listen to politicians more than scientists.”
Rakesh Mishra, director of the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, which is part of INSACOG, said the country’s scientific community was dejected.
&#8220;We could have done better, our science could have been given more significance,” he told Reuters. &#8220;What we observed in whatever little way, that should have been used better.&#8221;
(Reporting by Devjyot Ghoshal and Krishna N. Das in New Delhi Additional reporting by Rajendra Jadhav, Aditya Kalra, Jatindra Dash and Zeba Siddiqui Editing by Bill Rigby)
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2021. Click For Restrictions &#8211; https://agency.reuters.com/en/copyright.html
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EXCLUSIVE-Scientists say India government ignored warnings amid coronavirus surge

Sam Burns produced a stretch of five birdies in six holes Friday, and he is tied with Keegan Bradley for the lead at the midpoint of the Valspar Championship in Palm Harbor, Fla.
Burns produced the best score of the week so far, an 8-under-par 63, to sit at 12-under 130 through two rounds. Bradley, the first-round leader, was 5 under on Friday, leaving him at 12 under as well.
They both set the event&#8217;s 36-hole scoring record, topping the mark of 131 set in 2002 by South Korea&#8217;s K.J. Choi.
The pair have a four-shot cushion over the next contenders, Lucas Glover (6 under on Friday), Charley Hoffman (5 under) and Max Homa (3 under), all at 8 under overall.
South Africa&#8217;s Charl Schwartzel (6 under), England&#8217;s Tom Lewis (6 under), South Korea&#8217;s Sungjae Im (4 under), Zach Johnson (4 under) and Hank Lebioda (2 under) share sixth place at 7 under.
Burns has at least a share of the lead in a PGA Tour event for the fourth time this season, the top mark on the circuit, after tying the lowest round of his career at 63. He also had a 63 in the final round of the 2020 American Express event.
The 24-year-old former LSU All-American is still seeking his first PGA Tour victory. His best result was third place at the Genesis Invitational near Los Angeles in February.
Burns played a bogey-free round Friday, carding three birdies on the front nine before his hot streak to open the back nine.
Looking ahead to trying to maintain his form for two more rounds, Burns said, &#8220;I think for me it&#8217;s just sticking to what I&#8217;ve been doing, having a good game plan going into the day. And then there&#8217;s going to be times in the rounds where it gets tough, and I think in those moments just hanging in there mentally and just being ready for when it turns.
&#8220;So I know over the weekend there will be some challenges, and I&#8217;m excited for the opportunity.&#8221;
Bradley, who started play Friday on the back nine, had four birdies and a bogey on the day before closing with an eagle on the par-4 ninth hole.
His 115-yard chip shot landed a few feet above the pin, the spun back into the cup.
&#8220;I turned a good day into a great day,&#8221; Bradley said. &#8220;Man, it was a fun day, and what a way to finish. It was a blast.&#8221;
England&#8217;s Paul Casey, the event&#8217;s two-time defending champion, shot even par on Friday and dropped to a tie for 33rd at 3 under.
&#8211;Field Level Media
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Sam Burns ties Keegan Bradley for Valspar lead

By Mahamat Ramadane
N&#8217;DJAMENA, April 30 (Reuters) &#8211; Chad&#8217;s ruling military council said on Friday that six of its soldiers had been killed in a battle near the northern town of Nokou that resulted in several hundred killed on the rebel side and 60 captured.
The two sides were fighting on Thursday near Nokou, which is about 20 km (12 miles) from where former president Idriss Deby was fatally wounded earlier in April, plunging the country into crisis.
The council said it had successfully repelled a rebel incursion towards Nokou, and that an additional 22 of its own soldiers were wounded in the encounter.
&#8220;The search for the final fugitives continues,&#8221; it said in a statement.
There was no immediate comment from the rebels.
The military council run by Deby&#8217;s son, Mahamat Idriss Deby, seized power after the former&#8217;s death on April 19 and promised to hold elections within 18 months. The northern rebels have rejected that and are continuing to fight the army in the desert.
The transition and the wrangling around it is being closely watched in a country that is a power in central Africa and a longtime Western ally against Islamist militants across the Sahel.
On Thursday, a group describing itself as a coalition of the rebels said they had routed Chadian army forces in the northwestern Tibesti region bordering Niger.
Military spokesman Azem Bermendao Agouna later said this was not correct and that there was no rebel coalition operating in that area.
Deby was killed as he visited troops fighting Libya-based rebels from the Front for Change and Concord in Chad (FACT), which opposed his 30-year rule. Opposition politicians have condemned the council&#8217;s assumption of power since his death as a coup. (Writing by Alessandra Prentice; Editing by Daniel Wallis)
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Chadian army says it repelled rebels in battle near northern town

Apr 30 (OPTA) &#8211; Scores from the PGA Tour Valspar Championship on Friday -12 Keegan Bradley (USA) 64 66 Sam Burns (USA) 67 63 -8 Lucas Glover (USA) 69 65 Charley Hoffman (USA) 68 66 Max Homa (USA) 66 68 -7 Zach Harris Johnson (USA) 68 67 Sungjae Im (Korea Republic) 68 67 Hank Lebioda (USA) 66 69 Tom Lewis (England) 70 65 Charl Schwartzel (South Africa) 70 65 -6 Jason Kokrak (USA) 67 69 Joaquin Niemann (Chile) 68 68 Pat Perez (USA) 68 68 Scott Stallings (USA) 67 69 Cameron Tringale (USA) 69 67 -5 Abraham Ancer (Mexico) 67 70 Michael Gligic (Canada) 69 68 Branden Grace (South Africa) 69 68 Danny Lee (New Zealand) 70 67 Troy Merritt (USA) 68 69 Kevin Na (USA) 68 69 Vaughn Taylor (USA) 70 67 Bubba Watson (USA) 70 67 -4 Corey Conners (Canada) 67 68 Viktor Hovland (Norway) 69 69 Charles Howell III (USA) 70 68 Chase Koepka (USA) 68 70 Kyoung-Hoon Lee (Korea Republic) 69 69 Henrik Norlander (Sweden) 69 69 Brandt Snedeker (USA) 69 69 Kyle Stanley (USA) 68 70 Bo Van Pelt (USA) 71 67 -3 Scott Brown (USA) 67 72 Bronson Burgoon (USA) 71 68 Paul Casey (England) 68 71 Dustin Johnson (USA) 71 68 Russell Knox (Scotland) 69 70 Matthew NeSmith (USA) 70 69 Jhonattan Vegas (Venezuela) 66 69 Camilo Villegas (Colombia) 71 68 -2 Wesley Bryan (USA) 69 71 Beau Hossler (USA) 68 72 Keith Mitchell (USA) 70 70 Ryan Moore (USA) 66 74 Louis Oosthuizen (South Africa) 73 67 Ryan Palmer (USA) 70 70 Ted Potter Jr (USA) 67 73 Ian Poulter (England) 69 71 Doc Redman (USA) 68 72 Scottie Scheffler (USA) 73 67 Adam Schenk (USA) 71 69 Justin Thomas (USA) 69 71 Vincent Whaley (USA) 69 71 -1 Byeong Hun An (Korea Republic) 70 71 Joseph Bramlett (USA) 71 70 Wyndham Clark (USA) 69 72 Luke Donald (England) 69 72 Jason Dufner (USA) 70 71 Tyler Duncan (USA) 70 71 Kramer Hickok (USA) 67 74 J.B. Holmes (USA) 70 71 Patton Kizzire (USA) 66 75 Denny McCarthy (USA) 72 69 Alex Noren (Sweden) 73 68 J.T. Poston (USA) 68 73 Henrik Stenson (Sweden) 71 70 Peter Uihlein (USA) 73 68 Jimmy Walker (USA) 72 69 0 Jonas Blixt (Sweden) 72 70 Austin Cook (USA) 72 70 Doug Ghim (USA) 72 70 Emiliano Grillo (Argentina) 66 76 Brandon Hagy (USA) 74 68 Bo Hoag (USA) 72 70 Rasmus Hojgaard (Denmark) 73 69 Sam Horsfield (England) 71 71 Mark Hubbard (USA) 74 68 Kevin Kisner (USA) 68 74 Luke List (USA) 72 70 Jamie Lovemark (USA) 72 70 William McGirt (USA) 70 72 Phil Mickelson (USA) 73 69 Sean O&#8217;Hair (USA) 71 71 Patrick Reed (USA) 70 72 Patrick Rodgers (USA) 70 72 Tim Wilkinson (New Zealand) 71 71 Xinjun Zhang (China PR) 72 70 1 Aaron Baddeley (Australia) 72 71 Ryan Brehm (USA) 72 71 Rafael Campos (Puerto Rico) 73 70 James Hahn (USA) 75 68 David Hearn (Canada) 70 73 Satoshi Kodaira (Japan) 71 72 Peter Malnati (USA) 71 72 Robby Shelton (USA) 74 69 Nick Watney (USA) 72 71 Danny Willett (England) 71 72 2 Brian Gay (USA) 73 71 Lanto Griffin (USA) 73 71 Tom Hoge (USA) 72 72 Sung-hoon Kang (Korea Republic) 71 73 Michael Kim (USA) 73 71 Chris Kirk (USA) 70 74 Adam Long (USA) 72 72 D.A. Points (USA) 71 73 Andrew Putnam (USA) 71 73 Sam Ryder (USA) 72 72 Rory Sabbatini (South Africa) 71 73 Roger Sloan (Canada) 73 71 Kevin Streelman (USA) 72 72 Brian Stuard (USA) 71 73 Nick Taylor (Canada) 69 75 Erik Van Rooyen (South Africa) 74 70 3 Kiradech Aphibarnrat (Thailand) 70 75 K.J. Choi (Korea Republic) 71 74 Chesson Hadley (USA) 73 72 Adam Hadwin (Canada) 73 72 Andrew Landry (USA) 72 73 Rob Oppenheim (USA) 72 73 J.J. Spaun (USA) 69 76 Hudson Swafford (USA) 71 74 Kevin Tway (USA) 74 71 Kristoffer Ventura (Norway) 72 73 Michael Visacki (USA) 74 71 4 Cameron Davis (Australia) 74 72 Russell Henley (USA) 74 72 Mackenzie Hughes (Canada) 75 71 Kelly Kraft (USA) 71 75 Martin Laird (Scotland) 73 73 Grayson Murray (USA) 75 71 Cameron Percy (Australia) 74 72 Chez Reavie (USA) 75 71 D.J. Trahan (USA) 72 74 5 Rafa Cabrera Bello (Spain) 73 74 Sebastian Cappelen (Denmark) 74 73 Talor Gooch (USA) 73 74 Hunter Mahan (USA) 71 76 Graeme McDowell (Northern Ireland) 74 73 Justin Rose (England) 74 73 Chase Seiffert (USA) 73 74 Richy Werenski (USA) 77 70 6 Ryan Armour (USA) 76 72 John Augenstein (USA) 74 74 Daniel Chopra (Sweden) 73 75 Rhein Gibson (Australia) 72 76 John Huh (USA) 77 71 Kevin Stadler (USA) 75 73 Martin Trainer (USA) 73 75 Gary Woodland (USA) 77 71 7 Jordan Hahn (USA) 78 71 8 Brad Adamonis (USA) 72 78 Scott Piercy (USA) 76 74 9 Jim Herman (USA) 79 72 10 Nelson Ledesma (Argentina) 77 75 14 Rod Perry (USA) 77 79 33 Scott Harrington (USA) 75 
(c) Copyright Opta Sports Data 2021. All Rights Reserved
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PGA Tour Valspar Championship Scores

By Nancy Lapid
April 30 (Reuters) &#8211; The following is a roundup of some of the latest scientific studies on the novel coronavirus and efforts to find treatments and vaccines for COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus.

Vaccine protects COVID-19 survivors against variants
In COVID-19 survivors, the Pfizer/BioNTech mRNA vaccine protects not only against the original virus strain but also against worrisome variants, two studies show. UK researchers analyzed immune responses after a single dose of the vaccine in 51 people, including 25 people previously infected with an early version of the novel coronavirus. Survivors showed enhanced antibody responses against the newer, more infectious variants first seen in the UK and South Africa, whereas people who had not previously been infected did not produce antibodies that could neutralize the variants, according to a report on Friday in Science. Separately, U.S researchers studied 30 people after two doses of the vaccine. Immune responses were 3.4 times better at neutralizing the coronavirus in the 10 COVID-19 survivors than in the 20 who were not previously infected, they reported on medRxiv on Thursday ahead of peer review. The difference was even greater when looking at neutralization of new variants from the UK, South Africa and Brazil, said coauthor Fikadu Tafesse of Oregon Health &amp; Science University. &#8220;For example, the South African variant, which is the best at evading neutralizing antibodies, was 6.5 times better blocked,&#8221; or neutralized, in blood samples from people who were vaccinated after infection, he said. &#8220;Our findings give people another reason to go out and get vaccinated even if they have already had COVID-19.&#8221; (https://bit.ly/3xvw4ke; https://bit.ly/3xE8fHa)
COVID-19 spike protein damages blood vessels
The &#8220;spike&#8221; proteins that the coronavirus uses to help it break into cells inflicts other damage as well, according to a new study that shines a spotlight on the many ways COVID-19 attacks organs other than the lungs. The spike proteins themselves cause direct damage to the cells that line the blood vessels, scientists found in test tube experiments using an engineered version of the spike and artery-lining cells obtained from mice. After attaching itself to the ACE2 protein on healthy cells, the spike disrupts signaling from ACE2 to the mitochondria &#8211; the cell&#8217;s energy-generating structures &#8211; causing the mitochondria to become damaged, researchers reported on Friday in Circulation Research. COVID-19 is really a disease of the blood vessels, coauthor Uri Manor of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, California said in a statement. The new findings could help explain the blood clots associated with COVID-19. They could also explain &#8220;why some people have strokes, and why some people have issues in other parts of the body,&#8221; Manor said. &#8220;The commonality between them is that they all have vascular underpinnings.&#8221; (https://bit.ly/3eIhuNF)
Cancer screenings in U.S. plummeted during pandemic
Nearly 10 million screenings for three common cancers were missed in the U.S. because of the COVID-19 pandemic, a new study suggests. Researchers who compared monthly spring and summer screening rates in 2020 to rates in 2018 and 2019 found a 90.8% decline in breast cancer screening, a 79.3% decline in colorectal cancer screening and a 63.4% decline in prostate cancer screening just in the month of April 2020, researchers reported on Thursday in JAMA Oncology. &#8220;There was a deficit of 9.4 million in screening for the three major cancers across the United States that was most likely related to the COVID-19 pandemic,&#8221; said coauthor Dr. Ronald Chen of the University of Kansas Cancer Center in Kansas City. &#8220;This is a deficit we have to make up for in 2021.&#8221; One bit of good news from the study: telehealth visits seemed to be associated with getting cancer screenings back on track. Healthcare teams that could reach patients through telehealth &#8220;were able to come up with a plan for screening,&#8221; Chen said. &#8220;This emphasizes the importance of telehealth and the importance of continuing it after the pandemic is over.&#8221; (https://bit.ly/3e3yTS7)
Open https://tmsnrt.rs/3c7R3Bl in an external browser for a Reuters graphic on vaccines in development.
(Reporting by Nancy Lapid and Linda Carroll; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2021. Click For Restrictions &#8211; https://agency.reuters.com/en/copyright.html
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COVID SCIENCE-Vaccine protects COVID-19 survivors against variants; virus’ spike protein damages blood vessels

ABIDJAN, April 30 (Reuters) &#8211; A May 18 summit in France will tackle how developing countries, particularly in Africa, can avoid falling further behind as the global economy rebounds after the coronavirus pandemic, French economy minister Bruno Le Maire said on Friday.
The International Monetary Fund has allocated $23 billion in direct financing to countries in sub-Saharan Africa, whose combined economy shrank 1.9% in 2020 &#8211; its worst contraction on record. Its recovery is forecast to trail the rest of the world&#8217;s in 2020-25.
The IMF cash &#8220;will go directly to African economies so you also can revive your economies and participate in the great global recovery,&#8221; Le Maire told reporters during a two-day visit to Ivory Coast.
He said the summit would look at ways to support the region&#8217;s small and medium-sized firms including through loan guarantees. These businesses have struggled to get financing amid the downturn, which pushed employment down 8.5% and left 17 countries on the continent in or close to debt distress last year, according to the IMF. (Reporting by Ange Aboa Writing by Alessandra Prentice; Editing by Toby Chopra)
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2021. Click For Restrictions &#8211; https://agency.reuters.com/en/copyright.html
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France summit will address how to spur economic recovery in Africa, says minister

By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON, April 30 (Reuters) &#8211; U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to impose new travel restrictions on India starting Tuesday in light of the COVID-19 epidemic, barring most non-U.S. citizens from entering the United States, a White House official told Reuters.
The new restrictions are on the advice of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and are imposed &#8220;in light of extraordinarily high COVID-19 case loads and multiple variants circulating in India,&#8221; the official said. A formal announcement is expected on Friday and the policy will take effect on Tuesday, May 4 at 12:01 am ET (0401 GMT).
Biden in January issued a similar ban on most non-U.S. citizens entering the country who have recently been in South Africa. He also reimposed an entry ban on nearly all non-U.S. travelers who have been in Brazil, the United Kingdom, Ireland and 26 countries in Europe that allow travel across open borders.
The policy means most non-U.S. citizens who have been in one of those countries &#8211; and now India &#8211; within the last 14 days are not eligible to travel to the United States. China and Iran are also both covered by the policy.
Second only to the United States in total infections, India has reported more than 300,000 new cases daily for nine days in a row, hitting another global record of 386,452 on Friday.
Total deaths have surpassed 200,000 and cases are nearing 19 million &#8211; nearly 8 million since February alone &#8211; as virulent new strains have combined with &#8220;super-spreader&#8221; events such as political rallies and religious festivals.
Medical experts say real numbers may be five to 10 times higher than the official tally.
Other countries have imposed similar travel restrictions on India, including the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy and Singapore, while Canada, Hong Kong and New Zealand have suspended all commercial travel with India.
Permanent U.S. residents and family members and some other non-U.S. citizens are permitted to return to the United States under the order. (Reporting by David Shepardson, Editing by Rosalba O&#8217;Brien)
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2021. Click For Restrictions &#8211; https://agency.reuters.com/en/copyright.html
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EXCLUSIVE-Biden set to ban most travel to U.S. from India to limit COVID-19 spread

By Umar Farooq and Syed Raza Hassan
KARACHI/ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN, April 30 (Reuters) &#8211; Health officials in the Pakistani province of Sindh said they have detected two coronavirus variants first identified in Brazil and South Africa.
It would be the first detection of those variants in Pakistan confirmed by officials.
&#8220;Yesterday 13 samples underwent genomic study at the Agha Khan University Hospital, of these 10 were of the UK variant, and 2 were of the Africa and Brazil variants&#8221;, Minister for Health &amp; Population Welfare, Dr. Azra Fazal Pechuho said on Friday.
The highly contagious variants were discovered at a hospital in Karachi, Pakistan&#8217;s largest city, which has also reported the most deaths in any city, accounting for 3,903 of the country&#8217;s 17,811 deaths. Some 820,823 cases have been detected in the country, with 5,112 in the last 24 hours, according to the National Command Operation Center (NCOC), which oversees the government&#8217;s pandemic response.
&#8220;You can see these strains and the kind of pressure that can be put on our health facilities,&#8221; Pechuho said.
&#8220;If you contract the Brazilian or South African variants, you can become extremely ill.
Pakistan has seen record deaths in recent days from the coronavirus, and stricter restrictions on movement and gathering in public are planned for the upcoming Eid holiday. Officials are worried the country&#8217;s health care system, already under strain, could reach breaking point if more contagious variants of the virus begin to spread, as has happened in neighboring India.
&#8220;This should be an alarm bell for our health system,&#8221; Pechucho said. &#8220;Our hospitals can be overwhelmed, our ventilators and beds will not be enough, and you have alrady seen this happen in India.&#8221; (Reporting by Umar Farooq in Islamabad and Syed Raza Hassan in Karachi; editing by Louise Heavens)
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2021. Click For Restrictions &#8211; https://agency.reuters.com/en/copyright.html
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PGA Tour Valspar Championship Scores

COVID SCIENCE-Vaccine protects COVID-19 survivors against variants; virus’ spike protein damages blood vessels

France summit will address how to spur economic recovery in Africa, says minister

EXCLUSIVE-Biden set to ban most travel to U.S. from India to limit COVID-19 spread

Pakistan’s Sindh province detects Brazil, South African coronavirus variants

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South Africa to clamp down on captive lion breeding, minister says

Pandemic and war hit tourism in Lalibela, holy Ethiopian site

LPGA Tour HSBC Women’s World Championship Scores

Climate finance targets top agenda for this week’s G7 meetings

Tanzania’s new president plans income tax cut, other economic changes

Portugal extends COVID-19 air travel curbs until mid-May

Indian scientists flag virus mutations that could ‘evade immune response’

Kenyan president lifts COVID-19 lockdown imposed last month

LPGA Tour HSBC Women’s World Championship Scores

EXCLUSIVE-Scientists say India government ignored warnings amid coronavirus surge

Sam Burns ties Keegan Bradley for Valspar lead

Chadian army says it repelled rebels in battle near northern town

PGA Tour Valspar Championship Scores

COVID SCIENCE-Vaccine protects COVID-19 survivors against variants; virus’ spike protein damages blood vessels

France summit will address how to spur economic recovery in Africa, says minister

EXCLUSIVE-Biden set to ban most travel to U.S. from India to limit COVID-19 spread

Pakistan’s Sindh province detects Brazil, South African coronavirus variants

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