April 26 (Reuters) &#8211; Australia, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa and England have all qualified for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England as cricket returns to the event next year, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Monday.
Women&#8217;s cricket will feature at the Games for the first time, and cricket for the second time, after a men&#8217;s one-day international (ODI) competition, which was staged in Kuala Lumpur in 1998, was won by South Africa.
Athletes from the Caribbean represent their individual countries at the Games and a qualifying tournament for those nations will decide which team takes West Indies&#8217; spot.
The final place in the tournament will be allocated to the winners of a qualifying event to be held by Jan. 31, 2022.
&#8220;Cricket is a sport that is synonymous with the Commonwealth and we are so excited to have it back in the Games for the first time since the men&#8217;s competition at Kuala Lumpur,&#8221; Commonwealth Games Federation President Dame Louise Martin said.
&#8220;The debut of women&#8217;s T20 cricket will be a historic moment for Commonwealth Sport and a wonderful showcase for women’s sport across the world.&#8221;
The 2022 Commonwealth Games, which will attract 4,500 athletes from 72 nations and territories, is scheduled to run from July 28-Aug. 8 next year. (Reporting by Arvind Sriram in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken Ferris)
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Cricket-ICC names qualified teams for 2022 Commonwealth Games

MAIDUGURI, April 26 (Reuters) &#8211; Militants overrun an army base in northeastern Nigeria, killing more than 30 soldiers before pulling back in the face of air strikes, sources said.
The attackers were believed to belong to the regional offshoot of Islamic State. They hit the base in Mainok town in northeast Borno state on Sunday afternoon, three soldiers and a local resident told Reuters.
Rising insecurity across Nigeria has killed scores of soldiers and civilians this year. Just over a month ago, about 30 soldiers were killed in four attacks by Islamist militants in northeast Nigeria.
A military spokesman reached by phone said they would issue a statement on the incident but declined to comment further.
The sources told Reuters that 33 soldiers were killed in Sunday&#8217;s attack. The militants wore military camouflage and arrived in around 16 gun trucks and six mine-resistant military vehicles, one of the soldiers said. After several hours, they captured the base and soldiers called in airstrikes.
More soldiers were killed when militants ambushed reinforcements sent to help, the soldier sources said. A resident said the attackers also set ablaze the town&#8217;s police headquarters.
&#8220;I saw them while fighting with soldiers,&#8221; resident Ba Umar Abba Tuja told Reuters. &#8220;When the fighter jet started hovering in the air, the (militants) fled to the community and hid in the primary school.&#8221;
Tuja said the militants left around midnight.
Mainok is roughly 55 km (30 miles) from Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state. An Islamist insurgency has plagued northeast Nigeria for more than a decade, killing more than 30,000 people and displacing at least 2 million.
Islamic State West Africa Province, which broke away from Boko Haram several years ago, now stages its own attacks on soldiers and civilians in the region. (Reporting By Maiduguri newsroom, additional reporting by Libby George in Lagos, editing by Angus MacSwan)
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More than 30 Nigerian soldiers killed in militant attack – sources

By Adam Jourdan, Monica Machicao and Herbert Villarraga
BUENOS AIRES/LA PAZ/BOGOTA, April 26 (Reuters) &#8211; Latin Americans, hard-hit by the coronavirus pandemic, are struggling to get vaccinated, a threat to the region&#8217;s fragile economic recovery as lockdowns tighten amid a dangerous surge of infections and rising death tolls.
The region of some 660 million people has recorded almost 30% of the world&#8217;s 3.2 million COVID-19 deaths to date, despite being home to just 8% of the world&#8217;s population. While countries in Africa and Asia also lag behind Europe and North America on inoculations, health experts say Latin America&#8217;s need for vaccines is the most urgent.
The scarcity comes down to a few factors: high income countries snapped up most of the available doses, and Latin American officials have cited difficulties sealing deals for their own people. A plan to manufacture the AstraZeneca vaccine locally has been hit by delays, and suppliers like Russia have faced their own hold-ups.
Meanwhile, the global COVAX program to supply vaccines to poorer countries has been bogged down by production glitches, a lack of support from wealthy nations, and a recent move by India, the biggest vaccine manufacturer, to curb exports.
With vaccine roll-outs lagging behind once ambitious plans, coronavirus cases have soared, with intensive care units from Argentina to Colombia filling up and death tolls hitting record highs.
&#8220;There is a great sense of helplessness,&#8221; said Elkin Gallego, whose wife was waiting for an ICU bed in Colombian capital Bogota, where health authorities say vaccine supplies are running out. &#8220;As a human you just can&#8217;t do anything.&#8221;
Colombia, which has a population of around 50 million, has so far distributed just over 4 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, with some 1.3 million people fully inoculated.
That is still far from the worst in the region. Honduras, Venezuela and Nicaragua have given at least one dose to less than 1% of their populations, a Reuters tally shows. In Peru and elsewhere the scarcity is driving &#8216;vaccine tourism&#8217; overseas.
The International Monetary Fund warned this month https://blogs.imf.org/2021/04/15/short-term-shot-and-long-term-healing-for-latin-america-and-the-caribbean that the slow vaccine roll-out and resurgence of cases &#8220;cast a shadow&#8221; on Latin America&#8217;s near-term economic recovery prospects.
Regional leaders pushed for more vaccines in an Ibero-American summit last week, while the director of the World Health Organization&#8217;s Americas arm, Carissa Etienne, said the regional scarcity posed a global threat.
&#8220;Latin America is the region that currently has greatest need for vaccines, this region should be prioritized for distribution of vaccines,&#8221; she said. &#8220;This is a global epidemic. No one will be safe until we are all safe.&#8221;

&#8216;BACK OF THE LINE&#8217;
In Paraguay, the scarcity of vaccines has angered locals, especially the perceived slow arrival of doses via the COVAX program, co-led by the WHO, which pulled out its representative in the country this month amid rising criticism.
&#8220;I believe neither we nor much of the world is satisfied with the time and the amount of vaccines that we have been receiving,&#8221; Paraguayan President Mario Abdo said last week.
According to a Reuters data tracker, Paraguay has administered enough inoculations to give two doses to just 0.6% of its population and at its current speed would take 454 days to vaccinate another 10%.
Peru is slightly ahead at 371 days, while Bolivia would take 150 days to reach the same mark. These compare to some 21 days in the United States, 30 days in the United Kingdom and 89 days in India, which is itself now battling a huge wave of cases.
In Brazil, the region&#8217;s largest country and a global epicenter of the virus, the government has been left scrambling to find enough doses and is inoculating at half the speed it had initially predicted.
Argentina has a deal for Russia&#8217;s Sputnik V, though has faced delays receiving doses, while its plan to produce the AstraZeneca vaccine with Mexico has been held up by plant issues.
Not all Latin American countries have struggled. Chile and Uruguay, two of the region&#8217;s most developed, are outliers. Chile has given at least one shot to over 40% of its population after leveraging its strong trade ties to seal vaccine supplies.
In Peru, President Francisco Sagasti apologized to people having difficulty getting vaccines.
&#8220;Peru is at the back of the line in South America,&#8221; said Juan Carvajal, a volunteer with Peru&#8217;s OpenCovid group of scientists and researchers, lamenting that only one in 50 Peruvians had been vaccinated.
Neighboring Bolivia, meanwhile, tied up a deal for 5.2 million doses of Sputnik V but has so far received only 245,000 doses, leaving it well short of its initial plan to cover everyone over 60 by the end of April.
&#8220;I signed up a fortnight ago. Now they tell me that I have to wait all week because the vaccines are finished,&#8221; Marisol Valdez, 82, told Reuters in La Paz.
(Reporting by Adam Jourdan in Buenos Aires, Monica Machicao and Sergio Limachi in La Paz, Herbert Villarraga in Bogota, Carlos Valdez in Lima, Stephen Eisenhammer in Sao Paulo, Aislinn Laing in Santiago, and Daniela Desantis in Asuncion; Writing by Adam Jourdan; Editing by Rosalba O&#8217;Brien)
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Latin America’s vaccine shortage threatens fragile revival as pandemic rages

By Kim Harrisberg
JOHANNESBURG, April 26 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) &#8211; Uber South Africa pledged to increase safety campaigns for food delivery drivers and review the insurance they provide following a Thomson Reuters Foundation expose about the mounting risks faced by drivers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The expose published earlier this month found a lack of training and safety equipment as rising numbers of mainly migrant drivers take to the roads to earn a living, and poorly advertised and often insufficient insurance cover.
Figures obtained exclusively by the Thomson Reuters Foundation showed a 30% jump in road accidents involving food couriers in May and June last year as South Africa eased its lockdown and the numbers of drivers rose.
&#8220;As a business we prioritise the safety of everyone who uses our app and we work hard everyday to be the best we can be, but there is always room for improvement,&#8221; said Samantha Fuller, spokeswoman for Uber in sub-Saharan Africa.
&#8220;We will be running more education campaigns in May and June &#8230; we will be looking at the engagement channels we use for this and how we can better make sure key information gets to our delivery-partners,&#8221; she said in emailed comments.
Although these campaigns were already planned, Uber confirmed that they will be increasing the frequency to ensure more drivers know of the safety offerings available to them, such as emergency assistance and injury protection.
Of 27 delivery drivers interviewed by the Thomson Reuters Foundation &#8211; all of whom were migrants and involved in accidents &#8211; only five knew of any insurance scheme by gig platforms, including one who got compensation for lost income.
This compensation was from local grocery delivery company, Checkers Sixty60, but the driver in question said the amount of 5,200 rand ($350) was not enough to cover his medical costs.
Drivers and analysts fear the number of logged accidents was just the tip of the iceberg as many drivers avoid reporting incidents due to their undocumented status in South Africa and concern of losing jobs.
Lawyers and rights groups said insurance policies did not do enough to protect drivers, capping medical coverage to 180 days, and requiring drivers to spend 48 hours in hospital before qualifying for lost wages.
One driver reported feeling &#8220;abandoned&#8221; after he was hit by a car, broke his toe and could not work, or walk, for one month after the accident. Uber told him he did not qualify for compensation as he was in hospital for less than 48 hours.
Uber confirmed that the company was reviewing the time it takes for insurance to kick in for drivers following the story.
&#8220;We hope this is not just talk but also action,&#8221; said Duane Bernard, the head of a national, informal Uber Eats union.
&#8220;It would be great if Uber could also get people on the ground and talk to the drivers face-to-face,&#8221; added Bernard, saying that this would help overcome language barriers rather than &#8220;just sending out an email now and then&#8221;.
About 70% of drivers are migrants, according to the Motorcycle Safety Institute, a local training and research organisation, while Bernard puts the number at 95%.
Two other food delivery companies, Checkers Sixty60 and Mr D Food, also mentioned in the story, did not respond to questions about improving drivers&#8217; safety.
&#8220;We&#8217;re committed to doing the right thing and take on our part of the responsibility to better safety in the industry,&#8221; said Fuller. (Reporting by Kim @KimHarrisberg; Editing by Belinda Goldsmith Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers the lives of people around the world who struggle to live freely or fairly. Visit http://news.trust.org)
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Uber pledges to boost safety for S.Africa drivers as accidents rise

(Adds dropped word in paragraph 2)
NAIROBI, April 26 (Reuters) &#8211; Ethiopia has received two bids for two new telecoms operating licences have advanced to the next stage to secure permission to operate in the Horn of Africa nation, said a senior advisor at the Ministry of Finance of Ethiopia.
The two companies that have submitted bids are South Africa&#8217;s MTN and a consortium of Safaricom, Vodafone and Vodacom, Brook Taye, the senior advisor, told Reuters. (Reporting by Nairobi Newsroom; writing by Omar Mohammed; editing by Louise Heavens)
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REFILE-Ethiopia receives two bids for two telecoms operating licences

JOHANNESBURG, April 26 (Reuters) &#8211; A research study in South Africa further evaluating Johnson &amp; Johnson&#8217;s COVID-19 vaccine in the field will resume on Wednesday, the health ministry said, after the study was paused over rare cases of blood clots in people given the vaccine.
During the pause, it had been established that there is a one in a million chance of getting a clot after the vaccine, so regulators across the world have recommended the continued use of J&amp;J&#8217;s shot, the ministry said.
Local regulator SAHPRA, the South African Medical Research Council and health ministry have worked to ensure there is intensified pre-vaccination assessment and post-vaccination monitoring when the J&amp;J study resumes, it added.

(Reporting by Alexander Winning Editing by Nqobile Dludla)
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J&J vaccine study to resume in South Africa on Wednesday, ministry says

LONDON, April 26 (Reuters) &#8211; Citigroup is expanding its commercial banking operations in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), looking to take on local banks serving mid-sized companies as part of a wider bid to capitalise on its global presence.
The U.S. bank will initially hire around 25 staff including bankers and risk &amp; control managers this year as it expands its local presence in the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Spain, Portugal and Italy, Raymond Gatcliffe, head of Citi Commercial Bank in EMEA, told Reuters
That follows on from around 30 hires the bank has already made in Britain in the last year, since Reuters first reported the lender&#8217;s ambitions to grow in the region.
&#8220;The UK commercial bank has seen double digit revenue growth, and has become a very important business for us which has given us confidence to expand further in Europe,&#8221; Gatcliffe said.
The U.S. bank aims to continue that double-digit revenue growth in Europe over the next few years with yet further hiring, he said, with more as-yet undisclosed markets in the bank&#8217;s sights.
The aim is to target subsidiaries of big international companies that Citi already banks; mid-sized companies with annual sales from around $100 million to $3 billion; and fast-growing tech companies that are aiming to achieve global scale.
Tech entrepreneurs in particular are impatient to grow internationally at a rate their more traditional peers would never dream of, Gatcliffe said.
&#8220;Companies go global in a few years rather than a few decades now, and they want a banking service that&#8217;s quick, digital and global,&#8221; he said.
The COVID-19 pandemic, far from slowing the U.S. lender&#8217;s ambitions, has accelerated its investment plans as companies increasingly demand digital services from banks and seek to diversify their revenue streams in multiple markets.
The lender will however face stiff competition from local banks in the markets it is investing in, as well as rivals such as Barclays, which is also hiring in continental Europe, JPMorgan and BNP Paribas. (Reporting By Lawrence White. Editing by Jane Merriman)
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Citigroup steps up Western European corporate banking push

April 26 (Reuters) &#8211; International Netball Federation President Liz Nicholl said on Monday she hoped the decision to give Sydney hosting rights to the 2027 Netball World Cup would not only continue the sport&#8217;s growth but also inspire people around the world.
Australia have won a record 11 World Cup titles, including both times it was held in Sydney previously, in 1991 and 2015.
&#8220;As our sport continues to evolve at an unprecedented rate, we look forward to working &#8230; on netball&#8217;s growth and development, whilst delivering a thrilling world-class event that will no doubt inspire all and work towards creating a better world through netball,&#8221; Nicholl said.
The 2023 World Cup will be held in Cape Town, South Africa.
Sydney was also one of the host cities for last year&#8217;s Women&#8217;s T20 World Cup and will also stage matches in the 2023 women&#8217;s soccer World Cup, including the final at Stadium Australia. (Reporting by Arvind Sriram in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford )
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Netball-World Cup returning to Sydney in 2027

April 25 (Reuters) &#8211; Australian duo Marc Leishman and Cameron Smith harnessed the spirit of Anzac Day to victory at the Zurich Classic on Sunday, bringing pride to family back home they haven&#8217;t seen in over a year.
The duo carded a two-under par 70 to beat South Africa&#8217;s Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel in a playoff at TPC Louisiana in New Orleans in the two-man team event, a win with deeper significance as it coincided with the holiday in Australia and New Zealand.
&#8220;I was actually speaking to my old man last night and he said it&#8217;s a really good omen for us guys being up the top of the leaderboard on Anzac Day,&#8221; Smith, 27, told reporters. &#8220;I know my family went out to a dawn service yesterday morning and paid their respects, so maybe we have got a bit of good karma out there today because of that.&#8221;
Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance commemorating all Australians and New Zealanders who served in conflicts and peackeeping operations. It was originally marked to honour members of the Australia and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) during World War One, and draws large crowds annually at sporting events in Austalia.
&#8220;We have both got family back in Australia too. Probably the hardest thing about it has been last year, not being able to see family,&#8221; said Leishman. &#8220;I haven&#8217;t seen my family for over a year. I think Cam&#8217;s the same.&#8221;
It was the second holiday victory for Leishman, who defeated Spain&#8217;s Jon Rahm to win the Farmers Insurance Open on Australia Day a year ago.
&#8220;I need more Australian holidays,&#8221; said the 37-year-old, six-time PGA Tour winner. &#8220;It&#8217;s nice.&#8221; (Reporting by Amy Tennery; Editing by Karishma Singh)
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Golf-Australian duo Leishman, Smith harness spirit of Anzac Day in Zurich Classic win

In the only team event on the PGA Tour, Sunday&#8217;s final round became a battle between Australia and South Africa and required more than 72 holes to decide a winner.
Cameron Smith sank a par putt on the first playoff hole and he and teammate Marc Leishman clinched victory at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, besting 54-hole leaders Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel.
Both teams finished the final round at 20 under, with each side missing a birdie putt on the 18th green. They headed back up to the 18th tee to begin the playoff, where Oosthuizen, playing first, watched his tee shot take a right turn into the water.
The Oosthuizen-Schwartzel team took a penalty stroke and left the door wide open for Leishman and Smith, who went on to win with a two-putt par.
It was Smith&#8217;s second win at the Zurich Classic; in 2017, he and Jonas Blixt won the first edition of the tournament in the team format. All three of Smith&#8217;s career wins on the PGA Tour have come in playoffs.
&#8220;Cam played unbelievably well,&#8221; Leishman said. &#8220;I was saying to him when we finished if that had been an individual tournament, I think he would have won by a fair few shots. But I managed to not hold him back too much. But, no, it was a fun week.&#8221;
The Australians entered Sunday one stroke behind Oosthuizen and Schwartzel and played alongside them in the final group of the day. Leishman-Smith jumped out to a two-stroke lead on the back nine on their way to carding a 2-under 70. Oosthuizen-Schwartzel posted a 71.
A bogey on No. 10 for the South Africans and a birdie by the Australians the following hole shook up the leaderboard, with Leishman-Smith moving to 22 under and a two-shot advantage.
Leishman&#8217;s tee shot on No. 13 nestled under the famous cypress in the middle of the fairway. Smith took a drop and later sank a 7-foot, 9-inch bogey putt to limit the damage. At the same time, Schwartzel missed a makeable birdie opportunity that would have drawn the teams even.
But a two-stroke swing eventually occurred on No. 15. Schwartzel redeemed himself by making a birdie of nearly 15 feet while Smith missed a par, and the teams switched places on the leaderboard, with the South Africans returning to 21 under.
&#8220;We played well. When they had the unplayable and I had the birdie putt and then it switches from two behind to one ahead, which was difficult,&#8221; Schwartzel said. &#8220;But in this game, we have been around long enough to know it&#8217;s not over until it&#8217;s over at the end. It was a roller coaster of emotions, though.&#8221;
Leishman and Smith birdied No. 16 to tie the lead again and both teams made bogey on the tough par-3 17th, eventually leading to the playoff.
Richy Werenski and Peter Uihlein of the U.S., the only team to score in the 60s all four rounds, finished 19 under for third place. Three more teams of Americans tied for fourth at 18 under: Billy Horschel-Sam Burns, Keith Mitchell-Brandt Snedeker and Keegan Bradley-Brendan Steele.
The teams played best ball in the first and third rounds and alternate-shot foursomes in the second and fourth rounds.
&#8220;I think that&#8217;s great thing about the format, having alternate shot on Sunday,&#8221; Leishman said. &#8220;There&#8217;s so much volatility. No lead is really safe, as we showed. I think we only got to 2-up, but it can turn really quickly and especially when the course is firm like it was. You don&#8217;t even have to hit a bad shot to get put into a bad position. I think that was awesome. You had to really think your way around the golf course.&#8221;
Leishman and Smith had some fun on the first tee Saturday, when Leishman donned a mullet wig for his player introduction to match Smith&#8217;s blonde mullet. Smith said at the start of the week that he promised his girlfriend he&#8217;d cut his hair once he won a tournament again.
But the way he&#8217;s been playing and finishing tournaments &#8212; including back-to-back top 10s at the Masters and the RBC Heritage before this week &#8212; it&#8217;s understandable that he wants to renege on his promise.
&#8220;I would have to apologize to my girlfriend. It&#8217;s not going away,&#8221; Smith said. &#8220;I mean, it&#8217;s &#8212; I feel like it&#8217;s part of me now.&#8221;
&#8211;Field Level Media
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Marc Leishman, Cameron Smith team up for playoff win at Zurich Classic

In the only team event on the PGA Tour, Sunday&#8217;s final round became a battle between Australia and South Africa and required more than 72 holes to decide a winner.
Cameron Smith sank a par putt on the first playoff hole and he and teammate Marc Leishman clinched victory at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, besting 54-hole leaders Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel.
Both teams finished the final round at 20 under, with each side missing a birdie putt on the 18th green. They headed back up to the 18th tee to begin the playoff, where Oosthuizen, playing first, watched his tee shot take a right turn into the water.
The Oosthuizen-Schwartzel team took a penalty stroke and left the door wide open for Leishman and Smith, who went on to win with a two-putt par.
It was Smith&#8217;s second win at the Zurich Classic; in 2017, he and Jonas Blixt won the first edition of the tournament in the team format. All three of Smith&#8217;s career wins on the PGA Tour have come in playoffs.
The Australians entered Sunday one stroke behind Oosthuizen and Schwartzel and played alongside them in the final group of the day. Leishman-Smith jumped out to a two-stroke lead on the back nine on their way to carding a 2-under 70. Oosthuizen-Schwartzel posted a 71.
A bogey on No. 10 for the South Africans and a birdie by the Australians the following hole shook up the leaderboard, with Leishman-Smith moving to 22 under and a two-shot advantage.
Leishman&#8217;s tee shot on No. 13 nestled under the famous cypress in the middle of the fairway. Smith took a drop and later sank a 7-foot, 9-inch bogey putt to limit the damage. At the same time, Schwartzel missed a makeable birdie opportunity that would have drawn the teams even.
But a two-stroke swing eventually occurred on No. 15. Schwartzel redeemed himself by making a birdie of nearly 15 feet while Smith missed a par, and the teams switched places on the leaderboard, with the South Africans returning to 21 under.
Leishman and Smith birdied No. 16 to tie the lead again and both teams made bogey on the tough par-3 17th, eventually leading to the playoff.
Richy Werenski and Peter Uihlein of the U.S., the only team to score in the 60s all four rounds, finished 19 under for third place. Three more teams of Americans tied for fourth at 18 under: Billy Horschel-Sam Burns, Keith Mitchell-Brandt Snedeker and Keegan Bradley-Brendan Steele.
The teams played best ball in the first and third rounds and alternate-shot foursomes in the second and fourth rounds.
&#8211;Field Level Media
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LONDON, April 26 (Reuters) &#8211; British lawmakers on Monday called on the government to publish all communications with pharmaceutical companies to understand if private lobbying influenced its opposition to a waiver of intellectual property rules for COVID-19 vaccines.
The United States and a handful of other big countries, including the United Kingdom, have blocked negotiations at the World Trade Organization (WTO) involving a proposal spearheaded by India and South Africa that now has the support of 100 WTO members.
The proposal would temporarily waive the intellectual property (IP) rights of pharmaceutical companies to allow developing countries to produce vaccines.
The waiver is opposed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and big pharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer, BioNTech , Moderna, and Johnson &amp; Johnson.
A cross-party group of UK lawmakers has signed a statement calling for Prime Minister Boris Johnson, ministers, and senior civil servants to publish all email, text, and WhatsApp messages exchanged with pharmaceutical companies and their lobbyists.
Patient advocacy and vaccine equity organisations have also signed the statement, including Global Justice Now, Just Treatment, StopAIDS, Frontline AIDS, Universities Allied for Essential Medicines UK, Students for Global Health, and Nurses United UK.
&#8220;The UK&#8217;s opposition to an intellectual property waiver on COVID-19 vaccines is utterly indefensible,&#8221; said Heidi Chow, senior policy and campaigns manager at Global Justice Now, which organised the joint statement.
A spokesperson for the UK government said it prioritised transparency but stakeholders had a right to expect a reasonable degree of confidentiality in their communications.
The UK was one of the biggest donors to Covax to ensure global access to vaccines and continued to encourage manufacturers to provide their vaccines on a not-for-profit, transparent basis.
&#8220;We are committed to exploring ways in which we can improve equitable access further and believe this should be done through the existing Intellectual Property framework,&#8221; added the spokesperson.
Last week U.S. lawmakers and nonprofit groups heaped pressure on the Biden administration to back the patent waiver ahead of the next formal WTO meeting on the issue on May 5. (Reporting by James Davey Editing by Alexandra Hudson)
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UK lawmakers call for PM Johnson to publish big pharma lobbying messages

Apr 25 (OPTA) &#8211; Scores from the European Tour Gran Canaria Open on Sunday -25 Garrick Higgo (South Africa) 65 64 63 63 -22 Maximilian Kieffer (Germany) 63 65 68 62 -21 Jeff Winther (Denmark) 67 66 62 64 -19 Sam Horsfield (England) 69 61 65 66 -18 Thorbjørn Olesen (Denmark) 65 61 70 66 Connor Syme (Scotland) 71 61 62 68 -17 Joachim B. Hansen (Denmark) 63 67 66 67 -16 Richard Bland (England) 64 66 68 66 Joost Luiten (Netherlands) 63 68 66 67 Matthieu Pavon (France) 66 64 64 70 Marcel Schneider (Germany) 68 66 65 65 Matthias Schwab (Austria) 65 63 66 70 Jack Senior (England) 66 65 67 66 Darius Van Driel (Netherlands) 66 65 67 66 -15 Jamie Donaldson (Wales) 65 67 64 69 Justin Harding (South Africa) 65 67 65 68 Nicolai Hojgaard (Denmark) 67 64 66 68 Adrian Meronk (Poland) 67 68 66 64 Guido Migliozzi (Italy) 70 64 62 69 Antoine Rozner (France) 66 68 67 64 -14 Maverick Antcliff (Australia) 66 63 71 66 Alexander Björk (Sweden) 67 66 64 69 Jonathan Caldwell (Northern Ireland) 68 65 67 66 Alejandro Del Rey (Spain) 64 68 65 69 Victor Dubuisson (France) 68 62 71 65 Niall Kearney (Republic of Ireland) 66 68 64 68 Clément Sordet (France) 65 68 64 69 Ashun Wu (China PR) 67 68 61 70 -13 Pep Angles (Spain) 71 64 65 67 Wil Besseling (Netherlands) 64 63 69 71 Aaron Cockerill (Canada) 71 62 65 69 Calum Hill (Scotland) 68 66 66 67 Benjamin Poke (Denmark) 66 66 66 69 Garrick Porteous (England) 68 67 67 65 Richie Ramsay (Scotland) 68 65 66 68 Robin Roussel (France) 63 65 72 67 Lars Van Meijel (Netherlands) 66 67 66 68 -12 Nino Bertasio (Italy) 69 63 68 68 Dean Burmester (South Africa) 65 67 65 71 Ivan Cantero (Spain) 67 67 67 67 Alejandro Cañizares (Spain) 70 65 67 66 Rhys Enoch (Wales) 65 62 69 72 Julien Guerrier (France) 68 67 66 67 Scott Jamieson (Scotland) 64 68 68 68 -11 Marcus Armitage (England) 69 64 72 64 Ben Evans (England) 64 67 68 70 Grégory Havret (France) 65 70 67 67 Sebastian Heisele (Germany) 69 66 66 68 Sihwan Kim (Korea Republic) 67 65 69 68 Romain Langasque (France) 67 63 68 71 Zander Lombard (South Africa) 66 65 70 68 -10 John Catlin (USA) 67 67 67 69 Justin Walters (South Africa) 69 65 71 65 Paul Waring (England) 68 65 71 66 Oliver Wilson (England) 65 69 69 67 -9 Rafa Cabrera Bello (Spain) 65 67 67 72 Sean Crocker (USA) 67 68 69 67 Richard Mansell (England) 68 66 72 65 James Morrison (England) 69 66 70 66 Jordan L Smith (England) 68 65 68 70 Fabrizio Zanotti (Paraguay) 68 67 67 69 -8 Adri Arnaus (Spain) 69 66 69 68 Ashley Chesters (England) 70 65 67 70 Berry Henson (USA) 70 63 72 67 Andrew Johnston (England) 68 63 71 70 Francesco Laporta (Italy) 66 68 69 69 Mike Lorenzo-Vera (France) 65 68 70 69 Max Schmitt (Germany) 66 69 66 71 -7 Oliver Farr (Wales) 68 67 67 71 Matt Ford (England) 64 66 73 70 -6 Lucas Bjerregaard (Denmark) 71 64 67 72 Louis De Jager (South Africa) 69 66 68 71 Søren Kjeldsen (Denmark) 71 63 65 75 Andy Sullivan (England) 70 65 70 69 
(c) Copyright Opta Sports Data 2021. All Rights Reserved
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European Tour Gran Canaria Open Scores

DUBAI, April 25 (Reuters) &#8211; The Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC) plans to launch a cacao centre that aims to make Dubai a global hub for trade in the bean, the Dubai government&#8217;s media office said on Sunday.
It said the DMCC Cacao Centre would initially incubate a select range of cacao services starting in mid-2021 within its Coffee Centre in Jebel Ali free zone.
&#8220;DMCC is in contact with a range of cacao industry players, including Blue Stripes Urban Cacao and stakeholders across West Africa and South America, in order to better understand the needs of the market and how Dubai can play a central role in supporting its sustainable growth,&#8221; it added.
Last July, DMCC said it plans to expand its Coffee Centre, which opened in 2019, as well as its Tea Centre, which launched in 2005. The coffee centre offers infrastructure and services for green bean storage, processing, roasting, packing and delivery. (Reporting by Ghaida Ghantous; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2021. Click For Restrictions &#8211; https://agency.reuters.com/en/copyright.html
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Dubai’s DMCC says to launch cacao centre

Apr 25 (OPTA) &#8211; Scores from the PGA Tour Zurich Classic of New Orleans on Saturday -19 Louis Oosthuizen (South Africa) 63 71 63 -18 Cameron Champ (USA) 63 68 67 Marc Leishman (Australia) 63 72 63 -17 Viktor Hovland (Norway) 62 69 68 Bubba Watson (USA) 64 69 66 -16 Keegan Bradley (USA) 63 73 64 Tyler Duncan (USA) 64 73 63 Thomas Pieters (Belgium) 67 70 63 -15 Wyndham Clark (USA) 64 74 63 Brice Garnett (USA) 62 75 64 Billy Horschel (USA) 63 73 65 Jason Kokrak (USA) 65 70 66 Kyoung-Hoon Lee (Korea Republic) 63 74 64 Keith Mitchell (USA) 66 71 64 Alex Noren (Sweden) 67 70 64 Jon Rahm (Spain) 65 71 65 Justin Suh (USA) 65 73 63 -14 Richy Werenski (USA) 65 69 68 -13 Charley Hoffman (USA) 64 74 65 Rob Oppenheim (USA) 66 70 67 Doc Redman (USA) 66 71 66 Henrik Stenson (Sweden) 65 68 70 Sepp Straka (Austria) 68 70 65 Danny Willett (England) 65 73 65 -12 Max Homa (USA) 66 71 67 Michael Kim (USA) 67 71 66 Graeme McDowell (Northern Ireland) 66 70 68 -11 Cameron Percy (Australia) 66 70 69 Brendon Todd (USA) 66 70 69 -10 Michael Gligic (Canada) 67 71 68 David Hearn (Canada) 67 71 68 Peter Malnati (USA) 65 73 68 Xander Schauffele (USA) 64 74 68 -13 Danny Willett (England) 65 73 65 -12 Max Homa (USA) 66 71 67 Michael Kim (USA) 67 71 66 Graeme McDowell (Northern Ireland) 66 70 68 -11 Cameron Percy (Australia) 66 70 69 Brendon Todd (USA) 66 70 69 -10 Michael Gligic (Canada) 67 71 68 David Hearn (Canada) 67 71 68 Peter Malnati (USA) 65 73 68 Xander Schauffele (USA) 64 74 68 
(c) Copyright Opta Sports Data 2021. All Rights Reserved
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PGA Tour Zurich Classic of New Orleans Scores

Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel put together a 9-under 63 on Saturday to move to 19 under and take a narrow lead after three rounds at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.
The pair of South Africans made nine birdies during the four-ball round one day after a much more muted 71, eking them ahead of the pack through 54 holes.
The PGA Tour&#8217;s team event is anyone&#8217;s game entering Sunday, with 16 other pairs of golfers within four strokes of the leaders. Sunday&#8217;s round will be alternate-shot foursomes rather than four-ball.
&#8220;Look, it&#8217;s going to be tough (Sunday),&#8221; Oosthuizen said. &#8220;I think anyone within four shots of the lead has got a chance with the format that it is (Sunday). It&#8217;s going to be tough. We need to play really well.&#8221;
A pair of Australians, Marc Leishman and Cameron Smith, and a pair of Americans, Cameron Champ and Tony Finau, each trail the leaders by one shot at 18 under. American tandem Bubba Watson and Scottie Scheffler, and Norwegian team Viktor Hovland and Kris Ventura are also in contention at 17 under.
Oosthuizen and Schwartzel began the round in a tie for fifth. They got things rolling on the back nine, where they sank six birdies to card a 30.
But Sunday&#8217;s action, like the second round Friday, will have golfers alternate shots with their teammates throughout the day, creating tougher scoring conditions. No team scored better than a 4-under 68 Friday when those rules were first in effect.
Leishman and Smith combined for a 63 on Thursday and Saturday, just like Oosthuizen and Schwartzel &#8212; but they only managed an even-par 72 on Friday. Leishman feels the team is ready to tackle the alternate-shot format in the final round, saying he &#8220;found something&#8221; on the driving range to improve his wedge play.
&#8220;But a lot can happen in foursomes, and so many other good players up at the top of the leaderboard,&#8221; Leishman said. &#8220;A lot has to go right, but hopefully we can do our job and make some birdies and give the guys ahead something to think about.&#8221;
Four other teams turned in 63s on Saturday: Thomas Pieters-Tom Lewis and Tyler Duncan-Adam Schenk, who are each tied for sixth at 16 under, and Wyndham Clark-Erik van Rooyen and Justin Suh-Doug Ghim, who are now tied for ninth at 15 under.
The Zurich Classic has only been a team event since 2017, when Smith won the title in a playoff playing with Jonas Blixt of Sweden. Smith said the course has undergone a lot of changes since that time, so the only advantage he believes he&#8217;ll draw now will come from playing with a friend and countryman in Leishman.
&#8220;Obviously we&#8217;ve both been up at the top of leaderboards a fair bit lately, so I think just on our own experiences I think that&#8217;ll help a lot,&#8221; Smith said. &#8220;But we&#8217;ve just got to knuckle down and basically do what we did today. We played really good golf today.&#8221;
Oosthuizen and Schwartzel each have a major title under their belts, but Oosthuizen &#8212; despite being the No. 33-ranked player in the world &#8212; has never won an event on American soil. Instead, he can claim the 2010 British Open and several victories in Europe, Africa and Asia. Schwartzel has the 2011 Masters to his name but hasn&#8217;t won on the PGA Tour since 2016.
Oosthuizen said it &#8220;would be great&#8221; to snap their PGA Tour winless droughts on Sunday.
&#8220;I do think it&#8217;s going to be still tough (Sunday). We need to really play well. If you look at that leaderboard, there&#8217;s great players up there, especially with tomorrow&#8217;s format. You know, I think we&#8217;ve got a good shot. We&#8217;re playing really well. We&#8217;re comfortable together. We just need to go do what we&#8217;ve been doing the last three days.&#8221;
&#8211;Field Level Media
(c) Copyright Field Level Media. All Rights Reserved. 2021
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Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel hold narrow lead at Zurich Classic

April 24 (Reuters) &#8211; American Wyndham Clark earned bragging rights on Saturday as he risked a possible alligator encounter to secure a shot at the Zurich Classic in New Orleans.
Playing alongside South Africa&#8217;s Erik van Rooyen in the two-man team event, the 27-year-old removed his shoes and pulled up his trousers on the par-four 16 to salvage his ball from the bank of a lake where television pundits confirmed two alligators had been spotted during the third round alone.
&#8220;The first thing that went through my mind was snakes because I had to take my shoes off,&#8221; Clark told reporters at TPC Louisiana after the round.
&#8220;Then I was like, well, there&#8217;s alligators all over this golf course right now&#8230; it&#8217;s also one of the ponds where there&#8217;s big ones. I definitely thought about it.&#8221;
Despite the looming threat, Clark managed to shoot the ball out of the swamp and land it just a little over 14 feet from the hole, walking out of the water speckled with mud, before making par.
&#8220;I got in quick, and within probably 15 seconds of being in there I pulled the trigger just in case because I knew my partner was going to make par, and then I pulled off a great shot,&#8221; he added.
The pair carded a nine-under par 63 in the four-ball round three to rocket up the leaderboard, four strokes back from Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel (63) of South Africa.
(Reporting by Amy Tennery Editing by Christian Radnedge)
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2021. Click For Restrictions &#8211; https://agency.reuters.com/en/copyright.html
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