JOHANNESBURG, April 10 (Reuters) &#8211; Opener Mohammad Rizwan smashed an unbeaten half-century to lead Pakistan to a nail-biting four-wicket victory over inexperienced South Africa in the first Twenty20 International at The Wanderers on Saturday.
South Africa, who were without seven of their leading players, either injured or released to compete in the Indian Premier League, won the toss and elected to bat, posting 188 for six in their 20 overs on an excellent wicket.
Rizwan scored 74 from 50 balls in Pakistan’s reply as the visitors profited from the depleted home bowling attack and reached their target with one ball remaining.
It is their highest successful run chase in T20 cricket, beating the 187 they managed in a win over Australia in 2018.
The industrious Rizwan was helped over the line by Faheem Ashraf (30 from 14 balls) as the pair added 48 in 24 balls for the sixth wicket, turning the match firmly in the visitors’ favour.
South Africa’s total was boosted by half-centuries for opener Aiden Markram (51 from 32 balls) and stand-in captain Heinrich Klaasen (50 from 28 balls), but at one stage they looked as though they would cruise past 200.
Left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz (2-21) and seamer Hasan Ali (2-28) ensured they did not with eight excellent overs between them.
The home side handed debuts to batsman Wihan Lubbe, all-rounder Sisanda Magala and seamer Lizaad Williams.
The second match in the four-game series will be played at the same venue on Monday. (Reporting by Nick Said, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2021. Click For Restrictions &#8211; https://agency.reuters.com/en/copyright.html
&nbsp;
&nbsp;

Cricket-Red-hot Rizwan leads Pakistan to T20 victory over South Africa

Apr 10 (OPTA) &#8211; Scoreboard at close of play of 1st t20i between South Africa and Pakistan on Saturday at Johannesburg, South Africa Pakistan win by 4 wickets South Africa 1st innings Janneman Malan lbw Mohammad Nawaz 24 Aiden Markram c Mohammad Rizwan b Mohammad Nawaz 51 Wihan Lubbe c Shaheen Afridi b Hassan Ali 4 Heinrich Klaasen c Fakhar Zaman b Hassan Ali 50 Pite van Biljon c Mohammad Nawaz b Shaheen Afridi 34 George Linde lbw Haris Rauf 6 Andile Phehlukwayo Not Out 9 Sisanda Magala Not Out 9 Extras 0b 1lb 0nb 0pen 0w 1 Total (20.0 overs) 188-6 Fall of Wickets : 1-31 Malan, 2-36 Lubbe, 3-98 Markram, 4-159 Klaasen, 5-168 van Biljon, 6-171 Linde Did Not Bat : Hendricks, Williams, Shamsi Bowling Ov Md Rn Wk Econ Ex Shaheen Afridi 4 0 45 1 11.25 Mohammad Nawaz 4 0 21 2 5.25 Hassan Ali 4 0 28 2 7.00 Usman Qadir 3 0 38 0 12.67 Haris Rauf 3 0 37 1 12.33 Faheem Ashraf 2 0 18 0 9.00 &#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;. Pakistan 1st innings Mohammad Rizwan Not Out 74 Babar Azam c Lizaad Williams b Beuran Hendricks 14 Fakhar Zaman c Janneman Malan b Tabraiz Shamsi 27 Mohammad Hafeez st Heinrich Klaasen b Tabraiz Shamsi 13 Haider Ali lbw Beuran Hendricks 14 Mohammad Nawaz c Heinrich Klaasen b Beuran Hendricks 0 Faheem Ashraf b Lizaad Williams 30 Hassan Ali Not Out 9 Extras 0b 2lb 1nb 0pen 5w 8 Total (19.5 overs) 189-6 Fall of Wickets : 1-41 Azam, 2-86 Zaman, 3-110 Hafeez, 4-132 Ali, 5-132 Nawaz, 6-180 Ashraf Did Not Bat : Afridi, Qadir, Rauf Bowling Ov Md Rn Wk Econ Ex George Linde 3 0 31 0 10.33 Lizaad Williams 3.5 0 39 1 10.17 Beuran Hendricks 4 0 32 3 8.00 1w Sisanda Magala 3 0 35 0 11.67 2w 1nb Tabraiz Shamsi 4 0 29 2 7.25 Andile Phehlukwayo 2 0 21 0 10.50 2w &#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230; Umpire Adrian Holdstock Umpire Allahudien Paleker Video Bongani Jele Match Referee Andrew Pycroft 
(c) Copyright Opta Sports Data 2021. All Rights Reserved
&nbsp;
&nbsp;

Pakistan in South Africa 2021 Scoreboard

Apr 9 (OPTA) &#8211; Scores from the PGA Tour Masters Tournament on Friday -7 Justin Rose (England) 65 72 -6 Brian Harman (USA) 69 69 Will Zalatoris (USA) 70 68 -5 Marc Leishman (Australia) 72 67 Jordan Spieth (USA) 71 68 -4 Cameron Champ (USA) 72 68 Tony Finau (USA) 74 66 Si Woo Kim (Korea Republic) 71 69 Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) 69 71 Justin Thomas (USA) 73 67 Bernd Wiesberger (Austria) 74 66 -3 Xander Schauffele (USA) 72 69 -2 Abraham Ancer (Mexico) 73 69 Corey Conners (Canada) 73 69 Collin Morikawa (USA) 73 69 Ryan Palmer (USA) 74 68 Cameron Smith (Australia) 74 68 -1 Stewart Cink (USA) 74 69 Bryson DeChambeau (USA) 76 67 Viktor Hovland (Norway) 73 70 Matt Jones (Australia) 74 69 0 Matthew Fitzpatrick (England) 74 70 Tommy Fleetwood (England) 74 70 Mackenzie Hughes (Canada) 72 72 Shane Lowry (Republic of Ireland) 71 73 Robert MacIntyre (Scotland) 74 70 Jon Rahm (Spain) 72 72 Henrik Stenson (Sweden) 73 71 Michael Thompson (USA) 72 72 Brendon Todd (USA) 73 71 Bubba Watson (USA) 74 70 1 Harris English (USA) 74 71 Tyrrell Hatton (England) 71 74 Martin Laird (Scotland) 74 71 Kevin Na (USA) 75 70 Patrick Reed (USA) 70 75 Scottie Scheffler (USA) 73 72 Charl Schwartzel (South Africa) 74 71 Gary Woodland (USA) 73 72 2 Christiaan Bezuidenhout (South Africa) 70 76 Jim Herman (USA) 76 70 Joaquin Niemann (Chile) 75 71 José Maria Olazabal (Spain) 75 71 Louis Oosthuizen (South Africa) 76 70 Webb Simpson (USA) 70 76 Matt Wallace (England) 74 72 3 Paul Casey (England) 73 74 Billy Horschel (USA) 76 71 Jason Kokrak (USA) 71 76 Phil Mickelson (USA) 75 72 Francesco Molinari (Italy) 74 73 Sebastian Munoz (Colombia) 74 73 Ian Poulter (England) 74 73 Adam Scott (Australia) 74 73 4 Daniel Berger (USA) 75 73 Sergio Garcia (Spain) 76 72 Max Homa (USA) 74 74 Matt Kuchar (USA) 78 70 Jimmy Walker (USA) 75 73 5 Lanto Griffin (USA) 76 73 Dustin Johnson (USA) 74 75 Kevin Kisner (USA) 72 77 Brooks Koepka (USA) 74 75 Mike Weir (Canada) 78 71 Lee Westwood (England) 78 71 Danny Willett (England) 76 73 6 Dylan Frittelli (South Africa) 76 74 Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland) 76 74 Cheng-Tsung Pan (Chinese Taipei) 79 71 Robert Streb (USA) 75 75 7 Zach Harris Johnson (USA) 77 74 Bernhard Langer (Germany) 74 77 Victor Perez (France) 78 73 8 Patrick Cantlay (USA) 79 73 Brian Gay (USA) 78 74 Ollie Osborne (USA) 76 76 9 Jason Day (Australia) 77 76 Carlos Ortiz (Mexico) 82 71 Ian Woosnam (Wales) 76 77 10 Joe Long (England) 82 72 11 Matthew Wolff (USA) 76 79 12 Sandy Lyle (Scotland) 81 75 Hudson Swafford (USA) 73 83 13 Fred Couples (USA) 79 78 Sungjae Im (Korea Republic) 77 80 15 Vijay Singh (Fiji) 79 80 17 Ty Strafaci (USA) 80 81 19 Larry Mize (USA) 84 79 
(c) Copyright Opta Sports Data 2021. All Rights Reserved
&nbsp;
&nbsp;

PGA Tour Masters Tournament Scores

* AU halts plans to secure AstraZeneca vaccine
* Says decision not linked to possible blood clot links
* Health experts warn of growing vaccine scepticism
* Calls for awareness programmes to tackle misinformation
By Kim Harrisberg
JOHANNESBURG, April 9 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) &#8211; W ariness about taking AstraZeneca&#8217;s COVID-19 vaccine in Africa could be compounded by the African Union&#8217;s decision to halt plans to procure the shot, health experts said on Friday, calling for public awareness programmes to fight misinformation.
The African Union (AU) said its announcement was not related to recent findings by European and British medicine regulators that there are possible links between the vaccine and extremely rare blood clots, but rather a case of diversifying options.
Still, experts said the timing of Thursday&#8217;s announcement could fuel vaccine hesitancy.
&#8220;The announcement happening around the same time the European medical authority shared concerns over blood clots gives people more reason to amplify misinformation,&#8221; said Gregory Rockson, founder of Africa-wide healthcare provider mPharma, which is based in Ghana.
&#8220;We need strong political leadership and clear messaging to fight growing vaccine scepticism,&#8221; said Rockson, adding that less than 2% of the Ghanaian population had been vaccinated so far.
The AU said it did not want to replicate the World Health Organization-backed COVAX initiative to ensure equitable access of vaccines for low-income countries, and was focusing on the Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccine to supply 400 million doses.
COVAX aims to deliver 600 million shots &#8211; most of them from AstraZeneca &#8211; to some 40 African countries this year, enough to vaccinate 20% of their populations.
But with South Africa selling the AstraZeneca vaccine to other AU member states following concern it would be less effective in fighting the local variant, fears over using the shot have spread to other countries, health experts said.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
More than 700 million vaccine doses have been administered globally, yet Africa accounts for less than 2% of the total compared to North America&#8217;s 27% and Europe&#8217;s 20% share, according to the latest data.
In Malawi, where only about 1% of the population have been vaccinated, conspiracy theories about the AstraZeneca shot run rife, said Precious Makiyi, a medical doctor and behavioural scientist from Blantyre.
&#8220;Now more than ever we need to understand why these theories exist and how we frame messaging targeted specifically at Malawians,&#8221; said Makiyi.
Ayoade Alakija, co-chair of the AU&#8217;s Africa Vaccine Delivery Alliance for Covid-19, called for &#8220;community engagement with data that is locally owned and adapted to a local context&#8221;.
&#8220;Younger generations have incredible networks like community theatre and radio and many mediums that may not be used in the West,&#8221; Alakija said.
Alakija added that while it could be argued that the timing of the AU&#8217;s AstraZeneca announcement was not ideal, the urgency of finding the best vaccine solutions for the continent had demanded swift action.
&#8220;We are in a three-way race between the vaccine, the virus and the variants and so far the virus and variants are winning,&#8221; said Alakija.
Tackling misinformation on social media and rolling out information and vaccines through primary healthcare facilities in urban and rural areas is essential to fighting new variants, said Rockson.
&#8220;My real concern is that people may end up missing second doses and it will be a catastrophic failure of vaccine efforts if we have to restart the clock.&#8221;
For Alakija, vaccine confidence goes hand-in-hand with vaccine equity, adding that if Africans felt they had vaccine options, it would help dispel fears and misinformation.
&#8220;Other countries around the world have choice, why shouldn&#8217;t we? Our job is to do what is best for African people, to make sure we keep Africa safe and end the pandemic on our continent, and in doing so, end the pandemic around the world.&#8221; (Reporting by Kim @KimHarrisberg; Editing by Helen Popper. 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)
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2021. Click For Restrictions &#8211; https://agency.reuters.com/en/copyright.html
&nbsp;
&nbsp;

Calls to tackle vaccine hesitancy as African Union drops AstraZeneca

LONDON, April 9 (Reuters) &#8211; Angolan crude differentials were under downward pressure on Friday as limited demand in Europe and China weighed on the market.
ANGOLA
* About 10 Angolan May-loading cargoes were available from equity holders, the same as on Thursday.
* Eni was still offering Cabinda at dated Brent plus 30 cents, a trader said. Another seller was thought to be offering a cargo at a discount to the benchmark, but further details were not available.
* Other offers were heard to be steady: Chevron was offering a cargo of Nemba at dated Brent minus 80 cents and CLOV was on offer at dated Brent plus $1.00.
* Dalia was last offered at dated minus 10 cents, and a trader said sold prices were lower at between dated minus 50 cents and minus $1.00 due to weak demand. (Reporting by Alex Lawler; Editing by Kirsten Donovan) ))
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2021. Click For Restrictions &#8211; https://agency.reuters.com/en/copyright.html
&nbsp;
&nbsp;

W. Africa Crude-Angolan under pressure from weak demand

* Police seize hundreds of fake vaccine doses in S. Africa
* Analysts say hoarding by rich nations raises risk of scams
* Africa already a hotspot for counterfeit pharmaceuticals
By Nita Bhalla
NAIROBI, April 9 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) &#8211; The unequal global distribution of COVID-19 vaccines could spur the trade in fake doses in Africa &#8211; a hotspot for counterfeit medicines, analysts warned on Friday, citing the seizure of falsified vaccination shots in South Africa.
With poorer countries grappling to procure enough vaccine doses for their people, criminals will likely see an opportunity to profit, especially in Africa where imports account for more than 80% of pharmaceutical needs, they said.
&#8220;Already Africa has a problem with counterfeit medicines. The lack of local production and weak enforcement have for years allowed products to enter countries, such as fake medication for malaria in West Africa,&#8221; said Richard Chelin, senior researcher at the ENACT programme at the Institute for Security Studies.
&#8220;Now with rich nations hoarding vaccines, this is likely to get worse. The consequence of this vaccine grabbing is that it creates opportunity for criminal networks. Everyone wants the vaccine and people will panic and buy whatever is out there.&#8221;
Chelin said he had recently seen posters in the streets of Johannesburg offering vaccinations for 150 South African Rand ($10). The posters did not say what the vaccine was for.
South African police seized 2,400 fake COVID-19 doses and large quantities of counterfeit N95 face masks in November, arresting three Chinese nationals and a Zambian, the Interpol global police coordination agency said last month.
The raid led to the identification of a network manufacturing counterfeit COVID-19 vaccines in China. Chinese police then raided the manufacturing premises, making about 80 arrests and recovering more than 3,000 fake vaccines, it added.
Interpol Secretary General Juergen Stock said in March the discovery was &#8220;only the tip of the iceberg&#8221; on COVID-19 vaccine-related crime. Months earlier, the agency issued a global alert to warn its 194 member states to be vigilant.
In Kenya last week, the government reversed a decision to let private healthcare firms import vaccines &#8211; saying such shipments were potentially dangerous because the shots could be counterfeit.
The announcement came after it was found that some private hospitals were offering the Russian Sputnik V vaccine for about $75 a dose.

&#8216;PERFECT STORM&#8217;
More than 700 million vaccine doses have been administered globally, yet Africa accounts for less than 2% of the total compared to North America&#8217;s 27% and Europe&#8217;s 20% share, according to the latest data.
Campaign groups such as the People&#8217;s Vaccine Alliance say rich nations have not only bought up more vaccine supplies than they need, but are also blocking efforts by developing countries to waive patents so they can manufacture their own vaccines.
Globally, the trade in counterfeit medicines is estimated at roughly $200 billion, according to industry sources.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 42% of the world&#8217;s reported cases of fake pharmaceuticals were found in Africa between 2013 and 2017.
Sham medicines result in thousands of people across Africa losing their lives every year, with some fake products causing long-term health conditions in people who take them or even spreading drug-resistant illness, researchers said.
In 2019 alone, the WHO raised alerts about fake meningitis vaccines in Niger and hypertension drugs in Cameroon as well as falsified versions of the antibiotic Augmentin in Uganda and Kenya.
Craig Moffat, head of the governance delivery and impact programme at Good Governance Africa, said scant supply coupled with poor enforcement capacity created ample scope for a flourishing trade in fake vaccines.
&#8220;This isn&#8217;t a drug for malaria that only a few countries need. This vaccine is a game-changer as every country in the world needs it,&#8221; said Moffat.
&#8220;Africa finds itself in a perfect storm. It&#8217;s ripe for abuse by this transnational illicit activity.&#8221; ($1 = 14.5434 rand) (Reporting by Nita Bhalla @nitabhalla; Editing by Helen Popper. 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)
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2021. Click For Restrictions &#8211; https://agency.reuters.com/en/copyright.html
&nbsp;
&nbsp;

‘Vaccine grabbing’ seen fueling risk of fake COVID-19 jabs in Africa

(Repeats April 7 item with no changes to text) April 7 (Reuters) &#8211; The following tables summarize trade expectations for the U.S. Department of Agriculture&#8217;s monthly World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report, which is scheduled for release at 12 p.m. EDT (1600 GMT) on Friday, April 9. U.S. ending stocks figures are quoted in billions of bushels, while world ending stocks and production figures are quoted in millions of tonnes. USDA 2020-21 U.S. grain and soybean ending stocks USDA April Average of Range of USDA March 2020-21 analysts&#8217; analysts&#8217; 2020-21 end-stocks estimates estimates end-stocks estimates estimates Wheat _______ 0.847 0.827-0.872 0.836 Corn _______ 1.396 1.200-1.502 1.502 Soybeans _______ 0.119 0.110-0.135 0.120 USDA 2020-21 world grain and soybean ending stocks USDA April Average of Range of USDA March 2020-21 analysts&#8217; analysts&#8217; 2020-21 end-stocks estimates estimates end-stocks estimates estimates Wheat ________ 301.59 297.77-303.00 301.19 Corn ________ 284.82 282.41-287.00 287.67 Soybeans ________ 83.52 82.50-85.00 83.74 USDA 2020-21 South American corn and soy production USDA April Average of Range of USDA March 2020-21 analysts&#8217; analysts&#8217; 2020-21 estimate estimates estimates estimate ARGENTINA Corn ________ 46.63 45.00-47.50 47.50 Soybeans ________ 46.63 44.50-47.50 47.50 BRAZIL Corn ________ 108.29 105.06-110.00 109.00 Soybeans ________ 134.03 132.00-137.00 134.00 USDA world production April USDA March USDA April USDA March USDA 2019-20 2019-20 2020-21 2020-21 estimate estimate estimate estimate Argentina wheat _____ 19.78 _____ 17.20 Australia wheat _____ 15.20 _____ 33.00 Canada wheat _____ 32.67 _____ 35.18 Russia wheat _____ 73.61 _____ 85.35 Argentina corn _____ 51.00 _____ 47.50 Brazil corn _____ 102.00 _____ 109.00 South Africa corn _____ 15.84 ____ 17.00 Ukraine corn ______ 35.89 ______ 29.50 China corn _____ 260.78 _____ 260.67 Argentina soy _____ 48.80 _____ 47.50 Brazil soy ______ 128.50 ______ 134.00 (Reporting by Julie Ingwersen; Editing by Peter Cooney) 
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2021. Click For Restrictions &#8211; https://agency.reuters.com/en/copyright.html
&nbsp;
&nbsp;

RPT-TABLE-USDA April crop supply/demand report estimates

April 9 (Reuters) &#8211; Stellar Capital Partners Ltd:
* STELLAR CAPITAL PARTNERS LTD &#8211; FOXGLOVE CAPITAL RESOURCES LIMITED&#8217;S INTEREST IN TOTAL ISSUED ORDINARY SHARES OF COMPANY HAS INCREASED TO 32.33%
* STELLAR CAPITAL PARTNERS- K2016225267 (SOUTH AFRICA) PROPRIETARY&#8217;S INTEREST IN TOTAL ISSUED ORDINARY SHARES OF COMPANY HAS INCREASED TO 9.55% Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage:
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2021. Click For Restrictions &#8211; https://agency.reuters.com/en/copyright.html
&nbsp;
&nbsp;

BRIEF-Stellar Capital Partners Ltd Says Foxglove Capital Resources Ltd’s Interest In Co Rose To 32.33%

* Queen, world&#8217;s oldest monarch, says job is for life
* Philip&#8217;s death robs her of closest confidante
* Friends say she will not break coronation vow
By Michael Holden
LONDON, April 9 (Reuters) &#8211; Despite the death of her husband Prince Philip, her partner and confidante during a record-breaking reign, there is little chance that 94-year-old Queen Elizabeth will abdicate, royal watchers believe.
Philip, Elizabeth&#8217;s husband for more than seven decades and the longest-serving consort in British history, died on Friday aged 99.
The love of her life, he married Elizabeth in 1947 and had been with her throughout her 69-year reign. He was the person who broke the news to her while they were in Kenya in 1952 that her father, George VI, had died and that she was now queen at the age of 25.
Despite the huge hole in her life that Philip&#8217;s death leaves, aides and royal experts have long said it would not lead to the queen, the world&#8217;s oldest and longest-reigning living monarch, relinquishing the throne in favour of her son and heir Prince Charles.
&#8220;I can assure you the queen will not abdicate,&#8221; royal historian Hugo Vickers said. &#8220;There is every indication the queen is in extremely good health and with luck she will continue to be our queen for as long as possible.&#8221;
Elizabeth continued to carry out her official duties, albeit remotely because of COVID-19 restrictions, even while Philip was in hospital for four weeks earlier this year.
Royal watchers say part of the reason why Elizabeth would avoid giving up the crown was the manner in which she became queen herself. When she was born in 1926, it was not expected she would ever become the monarch.
But her uncle Edward VIII abdicated because of his love for American divorcee Wallis Simpson, which the British establishment deemed an unacceptable union, prompting a constitutional crisis which saw the crown passed to her father George VI when she was 10 years old.
&#8220;It is a job for life,&#8221; Elizabeth once said, echoing a promise she made on her 21st birthday in 1947.
Speaking to the nation then while on tour of South Africa she said: &#8220;I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong.&#8221;
It was a commitment she repeated on the 60th anniversary of her accession, and when senior Buckingham Palace aides are asked whether abdication is possible, they have the same answer: &#8220;Life means life&#8221;.
That means she would not follow the leads of other European monarchs such as King Juan Carlos of Spain who abdicated in 2014, King Albert of Belgium who quit in 2013 and Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands who stepped down the same year.
As a deeply religious figure and titular head of the Church of England, Elizabeth sees the vows she took on her coronation day when she was anointed queen as unbreakable, according to royal commentators and those who know her well.
However, she might pass on even more official duties to Charles, 72, and other members of the Windsor family who have taken over much of her workload.
In the last decade, she has all but ended international tours, and reduced the number of her patronages, passing on her role at dozens of charities, academic institutions and sporting bodies to other members of the royal family.
&#8220;While the queen might step back a little and we&#8217;ll be seeing more of Prince Charles and Prince William doing representational work &#8230; the queen will remain very firmly the queen,&#8221; said royal historian Robert Lacey, the historical consultant to hit Netflix drama &#8220;The Crown&#8221;.
He pointed to the plans to mark the queen&#8217;s 70th year on the throne for next summer already announced by the government.
If the queen follows in the footsteps of her mother &#8211; who was known as Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother and was still appearing in public almost up until her death aged 101 in 2002 &#8211; Elizabeth might yet be at the forefront of British public life for some time. (Editing by Giles Elgood)
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2021. Click For Restrictions &#8211; https://agency.reuters.com/en/copyright.html
&nbsp;
&nbsp;

Despite loss of husband, little sign Queen Elizabeth will abdicate

&#8212; Source link: https://bloom.bg/39XJ5Jg
&#8212; Note: Reuters has not verified this story and does not vouch for its accuracy
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2021. Click For Restrictions &#8211; https://agency.reuters.com/en/copyright.html
&nbsp;
&nbsp;

MEDIA-Africa seeks $25 bln for climate adaptation, green recovery – Bloomberg News

(Repeats story that ran earlier today, with no changes to text)
* GRAPHIC &#8211; China&#8217;s coking coal imports by origin: https://tmsnrt.rs/2RcTsm2
* GRAPHIC &#8211; China&#8217;s thermal coal imports by origin: https://tmsnrt.rs/3urtk4Y
By Clyde Russell
LAUNCESTON, Australia, April 9 (Reuters) &#8211; China is paying a high price for its unofficial ban on coal imports from Australia, with the cost of domestic and alternative foreign supplies rising for both thermal and coking grades of the fuel.
China, the world&#8217;s biggest importer, producer and consumer of coal, has effectively ended imports from Australia, the biggest shipper of coking coal used to make steel and number two in thermal coal used to produce electricity, as part of an ongoing political dispute between the two nations.
The restrictions on imports from Australia came into effect in the second half of last year, resulting in China&#8217;s imports dropping to virtually zero in the first two months of this year from a 2020 high of 9.46 million tonnes in June, according to Refinitiv vessel-tracking and port data.
However, China&#8217;s consumers of imported coal have been facing higher costs, with prices for alternatives to supplies from Australia, both local and foreign, rising as the market adjusts to the unofficial ban.
In coking coal, the price of free-on-board Australian cargoes has been weakening since the ban was imposed, apart from the usual seasonal gain for the northern hemisphere winter.
The Singapore Exchange contract for Australian coking coal ended at $113.71 a tonne on Thursday, down 18.8% from the $140 that it reached at the start of October, just as the Chinese ban was coming into effect.
If a Chinese importer switched from Australian cargoes to those from the United States, the price difference has entirely reversed since the ban started to affect flows.
Coking coal free-on-board at the U.S. east coast port of Hampton Roads, as assessed by commodity price reporting agency Argus, has surged to $152.75 on Thursday from $114 a tonne at the start of October last year, a gain of 34%.
This means that U.S. coking coal is currently about $39 a tonne more expensive that supplies from Australia, and this doesn&#8217;t account for the higher shipping costs given the longer distance from the U.S. east coast to China.
China&#8217;s domestic coking coal price has also been gaining since the restrictions on imports from Australia, with Dalian Commodity Exchange futures rising 16% from 1,353 yuan ($206.56) a tonne at the start of October to end at 1,573 yuan on Thursday.
This price isn&#8217;t directly comparable to the free-on-board prices in Australia and the United States, as it includes freight and other costs as well as import taxes and duties.
However, it does show that Chinese domestic prices have been pushed higher, partially reflecting the higher cost of imports from sources other than Australia.
China&#8217;s neighbour Mongolia has become its biggest supplier of coking coal, meeting 61.7% of imports in the first two months of this year, up from just 17.7% in the same period in 2020, according to official data.
Australia&#8217;s share of imports came down to zero from 68.4% in January-February 2020, according to the data, while the United States boosted its share to 9.1% from under 2%, and Canada went to 12.1% from 6.1%.
While coking coal supplies from Mongolia are cheaper than those from seaborne alternatives, it&#8217;s believed that they tend to track Chinese domestic prices, meaning it&#8217;s likely that they have risen sharply as well, especially once transportation and washing costs are factored in.

DOMESTIC THERMAL COAL PAIN
For thermal coal, the main impact from the ban of Australian cargoes appears to have been strength in Chinese domestic prices, with benchmark coal at Qinhuangdao &lt;SH-QHA-TRMCOAL&gt;, as assessed by SteelHome, closing at 747 yuan a tonne on Thursday, equivalent to about $114.
While this is down from the winter peak of 1,038 yuan a tonne, it&#8217;s still 22% higher than the 612 yuan that prevailed at the start of October.
It&#8217;s also believed that the Chinese authorities prefer a domestic thermal coal price in a range between 530 to 580 yuan a tonne, a level said to secure the profitability of mines while keeping electricity prices competitive.
China has turned to Indonesia, the world&#8217;s top exporter of thermal coal, to plug some of the gap caused by the absence of Australian cargoes, as well as buying more from Russia and South Africa, two countries that can offer similar quality coal to Australia.
But boosting supplies from these countries appears to have done little to lower domestic prices, meaning Chinese users are still paying substantially more for the fuel than what they were prior to the ban of Australian coal. (Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2021. Click For Restrictions &#8211; https://agency.reuters.com/en/copyright.html
&nbsp;
&nbsp;

RPT-COLUMN-China is paying a high price for its ban on Australian coal: Russell

April 9 (Reuters) &#8211; Cricket fans in England could get the chance to see the likes of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma clearing boundaries on a regular basis, with London mayor Sadiq Khan set to spearhead a campaign to bring the Indian Premier League (IPL) to the English capital.
Following its inception in 2008, the IPL has achieved stratospheric growth, developing into one of the world&#8217;s most lucrative annual sporting properties, pulling in millions of viewers each season.
Khan, who is seeking re-election next month, has vowed to work with authorities to make the IPL the latest league to stage matches in London, following the success bringing Major League Baseball and the National Football League to the capital.
&#8220;This is part of my plan to build a better London after the pandemic,&#8221; Khan said.
&#8220;I know Londoners are hungry to see more of the likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant and, with two of the world&#8217;s greatest cricket grounds in Lord&#8217;s and The Kia Oval, London is ideally placed to host IPL matches.
&#8220;I will never stop banging the drum for investment in our city and bringing the Indian Premier League to London would not only guarantee a home crowd for every country but boost tourism and generate much-needed revenue to help get our capital back on its feet.&#8221;
The IPL has been staged outside India in the past, with South Africa hosting in 2009 and the UAE last year.
The 14th edition of the cash-rich T20 league kicks off later on Friday with Kohli&#8217;s Royal Challengers Bangalore facing Rohit&#8217;s Mumbai Indians. (Reporting by Arvind Sriram in Bengaluru Editing by Christian Radnedge)
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2021. Click For Restrictions &#8211; https://agency.reuters.com/en/copyright.html
&nbsp;
&nbsp;

Cricket-London Mayor eyeing ambitious bid to bring IPL to English shores

By Emma Rumney
JOHANNESBURG, April 9 (Reuters) &#8211; Mozambique is sending a medical team to identify the bodies of 12 people beheaded during an Islamic State attack last month on the northern gas exploration hub of Palma, an army spokesman said.
A police official and an army spokesman said the victims appeared to be foreigners, although this has not been confirmed.
Palma, adjacent to gas projects worth some $60 billion and a base for numerous foreign companies, was the target of an attack by insurgents that began on March 24.
A local police chief told TVM earlier this week that on returning to the town following the assault, he had helped bury 12 beheaded bodies. While he could not identify their nationalities, he said he believed they were foreign because they were white.
In comments to state broadcaster TVM on Thursday, army spokesman Chongo Vidigal confirmed the victims were white but said their nationalities could not be confirmed due to the decomposed state of the bodies. The army had sent a medical team to identify them, he said.
&#8220;It is urgent that a team arrives to establish these small details,&#8221; he said, adding it was uncertain when they would arrive.
Reuters has not been able to verify accounts about the attack on Palma independently. Most means of communication with the town were cut off after the attack began.
The bodies were found near the Amarula hotel, where a large group of both locals and expatriate workers took refuge for days during the attack before attempting to escape in a convoy of vehicles on March 26 that ran into an ambush.
Seven people in the convoy were killed, including a British man and a South African. Both of their bodies have already been removed from Palma.
The government has said dozens died in the attack and aid groups believe tens of thousands have been displaced. But the full scale of the casualties and displacement remains unclear.
Islamic State-linked insurgents have been increasingly active since 2017 in Mozambique&#8217;s northern Cabo Delgado province where Palma is located.
Mozambique is about 26% Roman Catholic, 31% other Christian, and 18% Muslim, according to government figures. Cabo Delgado is one of only a few provinces that have a Muslim majority.
Regional leaders from countries including South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana met in Mozambique&#8217;s capital Maputo this week to weigh a response to the insurgency.
Mozambique&#8217;s foreign minister Veronica Macamo Dlhovo said the leaders resolved to send a mission to Mozambique this month to assess the threat and how they could help.
Zimbabwe&#8217;s President Emmerson Mnangagwa said the leaders agreed a regional force should be revived immediately so it could intervene.
Mozambique&#8217;s army says Palma is now secure.
The insurgency is a rapidly growing threat to Mozambique after a few years of relative peace for the country. A long civil war followed the end of the independence struggle against colonial power Portugal in 1975, lasting until 1992.
A low-level conflict broke out again pitting the FRELIMO government against its longtime RENAMO rivals until a 2019 peace accord, although some low-level attacks continued.
Mozambique remains one of Africa&#8217;s poorest and underdeveloped countries despite the potential of its natural resources.
(Reporting by Emma Rumney in Johannesburg and Catarina Demony in Lisbon; Editing by Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo, Joe Bavier and Angus MacSwan)
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2021. Click For Restrictions &#8211; https://agency.reuters.com/en/copyright.html
&nbsp;
&nbsp;

Mozambique working to identify beheaded victims of militant attack

April 9 (Reuters) &#8211; Holdings of the largest gold-backed exchange-traded-fund (ETF), New York&#8217;s SPDR Gold Trust fell 0.25% on Thursday from Wednesday, while holdings of the largest silver-backed ETF, New York&#8217;s iShares Silver Trust remained unchanged during the same period. Exchange-traded funds, the most widely recognized type of ETP, back each security issued with physical stocks of a given commodity, creating a product they say is free from counterparty risk. Name New Holdings (OZ) Date Prev Holdings (OZ) Prev Abs Change (OZ) % chg YTD Abs Change (OZ) GOLD SPDR Gold Trust 32,989,091.8 Apr 08 33,073,407.6 Apr 07 -84,315.8 -0.25% -4,651,214.1 COMEX Gold Trust 16,166,019.1 Apr 08 16,185,072.9 Apr 07 -19,053.8 -0.12% -715,632.5 ETF Securities gold (ex-US) 9,293,742.4 Nov 30 9,293,742.4 Nov 30 &#8212; &#8212; &#8212; ZKB Physical Gold ** 5,439,013.1 Apr 01 5,442,921.6 Mar 26 -3,908.6 -0.07% -158,776.4 Sprott Physical Gold Trust 2,606,214.0 Apr 08 2,606,214.0 Apr 07 0.0 0.00% 30,994.0 ETFS Physical Swiss Gold 844,902.3 Jan 24 844,902.3 Jan 24 &#8212; &#8212; &#8212; ABSA &#8211; NewGold ETF 633,325.8 Apr 08 633,331.0 Apr 07 -5.2 0.00% 9,650.4 Total 67,972,308.5 68,079,591.8 -107,283.4 -0.16% -5,727,688.4 SILVER iShares Silver Trust 574,858,999.9 Apr 08 574,858,999.9 Apr 07 0.0 0.00% 16,143,117.5 Sprott Physical Silver 134,045,802.0 Apr 08 133,843,149.0 Apr 07 202,653.0 0.15% 42,937,147.0 ETF Securities silver ex-US 100,389,761.6 Nov 30 100,389,761.6 Nov 30 &#8212; &#8212; &#8212; ZKB Physical Silver 95,169,161.3 Apr 01 95,035,446.4 Mar 26 133,714.9 0.14% 1,725,080.4 ETFS Physical Silver Shares 22,908,298.3 Mar 20 22,908,298.3 Mar 20 &#8212; &#8212; &#8212; Total 927,372,023.1 927,035,655.2 336,367.9 0.04% 87,632,581.1 PLATINUM ETFS Physical Platinum Shares 738,343.9 Mar 20 738,343.9 Mar 20 &#8212; &#8212; &#8212; ABSA &#8211; NewPlat ETF 571,613.8 Apr 08 571,619.2 Apr 07 -5.4 0.00% -447,694.8 ETF Securities platinum ex-US 617,330.8 Nov 30 617,330.8 Nov 30 &#8212; &#8212; &#8212; ZKB Physical Platinum 442,230.8 Apr 01 442,230.8 Mar 26 0.0 0.00% 18,976.3 Total 2,369,519.3 2,369,524.7 -5.4 0.00% -406,691.1 PALLADIUM InvestPalladium ETF # 142,113.5 Mar 25 142,113.5 Mar 25 &#8212; &#8212; &#8212; ETFS Physical Palladium Shares 129,466.6 Mar 20 129,466.6 Mar 20 &#8212; &#8212; &#8212; ETF Securities palladium ex-US 111,915.0 Nov 30 111,915.0 Nov 30 &#8212; &#8212; &#8212; ZKB Physical Palladium 78,361.8 Apr 01 78,361.8 Mar 26 0.0 0.00% 352.6 ABSA &#8211; NewPalladium ETF **** 27,467.6 Apr 08 27,467.8 Apr 07 -0.3 0.00% -14,399.9 Total 489,324.5 489,324.8 -0.3 0.00% -51,351.2 The figures above are those reported to Reuters by the organizations involved by telephone or email on the date shown, or those that are publicly available on their websites. ** ZKB physical gold, silver, platinum and palladium funds are fully backed by physical precious metal and investors are entitled to physical delivery of them. *** Shareholders in the GAM Gold fund can elect to hold &#8220;A class&#8221; shares, which are fully backed by physical gold. Investors in that class are entitled to physical delivery of the precious metal. Investors may also elect to hold &#8220;AX&#8221; class shares, which are fully backed by physical gold. Investors in that class are not entitled to physical delivery of the precious metal. **** Absa Capital&#8217;s NewPalladium Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) was listed on March 27, 2014 and is fully backed with South African palladium. # Standard Bank&#8217;s AfricaPalladium ETF, South Africa&#8217;s first listed palladium exchange traded fund, debuted on March 24, 2014. 
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2021. Click For Restrictions &#8211; https://agency.reuters.com/en/copyright.html
&nbsp;
&nbsp;

TABLE-Holdings of SPDR Gold fall, iShares Silver unchanged

STOCKHOLM, April 9 (Reuters) &#8211; Climate activist Greta Thunberg said she will not go to the United Nations climate conference due to be held in Scotland in November over concerns that inequality of access to COVID-19 vaccines will leave many countries unable to attend.
&#8220;Inequality and climate injustice is already the heart of the climate crisis,&#8221; the 18-year-old Thunberg said on Twitter.
&#8220;If people can&#8217;t be vaccinated and travel to be represented equally, that&#8217;s undemocratic and would worsen the problem.&#8221;
Thunberg hit out at nations she said were unwilling to share vaccines with those that have little access to the drugs.
&#8220;Of course I would love to attend the Glasgow #COP26,&#8221; she tweeted. &#8220;But not unless everyone can take part on the same terms. Right now many countries are vaccinating healthy young people, often at the expense of risk groups and frontline workers (mainly from global south, as usual&#8230;)&#8221;
She was referring to Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, the Pacific islands and developing countries in Asia and the Middle East.
Thunberg shot to fame in 2018 when she began a solitary protest against global warming outside the Swedish parliament in Stockholm, skipping her Friday school classes to demand her government take action on climate change.
Within months, more than two million students in 135 countries had set up their own picket lines, joining Thunberg&#8217;s &#8220;School strike for the climate&#8221; campaign.
Speaking to the BBC for a documentary series, Thunberg said the Glasgow conference, due to run Nov. 1-12, should be postponed.
The gathering, formally known as the U.N. Climate Change Conference of the Parties, has already been pushed back by a year due to the global pandemic.
&#8220;This needs to happen in the right way. Of course, the best thing to do would be to get everyone vaccinated as soon as possible so that everyone could take part (in the conference) on the same terms,&#8221; Thunberg said.
A delay, however, should not put off urgent action on climate, she said. &#8220;We don&#8217;t have to wait for conferences nor anyone or anything else to dramatically start reducing our (greenhouse gas) emissions. Solidarity and action can start today.&#8221; (Reporting by Simon Johnson Editing by Mark Heinrich)
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2021. Click For Restrictions &#8211; https://agency.reuters.com/en/copyright.html
&nbsp;
&nbsp;

Activist Greta Thunberg to skip U.N. climate conference in Scotland

JOHANNESBURG, April 9 (Reuters) &#8211; South Africa sold 547 million rand ($37.61 million) of three-month Treasury bills, less than the 1.3 billion rand on offer, at an average yield of 3.88% from 3.87% last week, central bank data showed on Friday. The bid-to-cover ratio rose to 1.8 from 1.1 last week. Auction date: 09/04/2021 Settlement date: 14/04/2021 Days 91 182 273 364 Amount received (R&#8217;bln) 0.974 6.492 9.497 17.935 Amount on offer (R&#8217;bln) 1.300 2.940 3.990 4.300 Amount allotted (R&#8217;bln) 0.547 2.940 3.990 4.300 Bid-to-cover ratio 1.8 2.2 2.4 4.2 Avg discount rate (%) 3.85 4.55 4.63 4.59 Average yield (%) 3.88 4.65 4.79 4.81 ($1 = 14.5451 rand) (Reporting by Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo Editing by Promit Mukherjee) 
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2021. Click For Restrictions &#8211; https://agency.reuters.com/en/copyright.html
&nbsp;
&nbsp;

TABLE-South Africa’s 3-month T-bill average yields at 3.88%

JOHANNESBURG, April 9 (Reuters) &#8211; South Africa sold a total of 1.2 billion rand ($82.45 million) of its 2025, 2038, and 2046 inflation-linked bonds, central bank data showed on Friday. Yields were mostly flat compared to the previous auctions. ZAI2025 bond due 2025 &#8211; 2% coupon Auction date: 09/04/21 05/02/21 Allocated (R&#8217;bln) 0.290 0.330 Bids received (R&#8217;bln) 1.085 0.330 Clearing yield % 2.350 2.250 ZAI2038 bond due 2038 &#8211; 2.25% coupon Auction date: 09/04/21 26/03/21 Allocated (R&#8217;bln) 0.365 0.700 Bids received (R&#8217;bln) 0.390 0.710 Clearing yield % 4.290 4.290 ZAI2046 bond due 2046 &#8211; 2.5% coupon Auction date: 09/04/21 26/03/21 Allocated (R&#8217;bln) 0.545 0.525 Bids received (R&#8217;bln) 2.580 0.525 Clearing yield % 4.270 4.270 ($1 = 14.5545 rand) (Reporting by Mfuneko Toyana; Editing by Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo) 
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2021. Click For Restrictions &#8211; https://agency.reuters.com/en/copyright.html
&nbsp;
&nbsp;

Newsfeed

Cricket-Red-hot Rizwan leads Pakistan to T20 victory over South Africa

Pakistan in South Africa 2021 Scoreboard

PGA Tour Masters Tournament Scores

Calls to tackle vaccine hesitancy as African Union drops AstraZeneca

W. Africa Crude-Angolan under pressure from weak demand

‘Vaccine grabbing’ seen fueling risk of fake COVID-19 jabs in Africa

RPT-TABLE-USDA April crop supply/demand report estimates

BRIEF-Stellar Capital Partners Ltd Says Foxglove Capital Resources Ltd’s Interest In Co Rose To 32.33%

Despite loss of husband, little sign Queen Elizabeth will abdicate

MEDIA-Africa seeks $25 bln for climate adaptation, green recovery – Bloomberg News

RPT-COLUMN-China is paying a high price for its ban on Australian coal: Russell

Cricket-London Mayor eyeing ambitious bid to bring IPL to English shores

Mozambique working to identify beheaded victims of militant attack

TABLE-Holdings of SPDR Gold fall, iShares Silver unchanged

Activist Greta Thunberg to skip U.N. climate conference in Scotland

TABLE-South Africa’s 3-month T-bill average yields at 3.88%

TABLE-Yields mostly flat at South African inflation-linked bond auction

News Tips

Advertise With Us

Newsfeed

Cricket-Red-hot Rizwan leads Pakistan to T20 victory over South Africa

Pakistan in South Africa 2021 Scoreboard

PGA Tour Masters Tournament Scores

Calls to tackle vaccine hesitancy as African Union drops AstraZeneca

W. Africa Crude-Angolan under pressure from weak demand

‘Vaccine grabbing’ seen fueling risk of fake COVID-19 jabs in Africa

RPT-TABLE-USDA April crop supply/demand report estimates

BRIEF-Stellar Capital Partners Ltd Says Foxglove Capital Resources Ltd’s Interest In Co Rose To 32.33%

Despite loss of husband, little sign Queen Elizabeth will abdicate

MEDIA-Africa seeks $25 bln for climate adaptation, green recovery – Bloomberg News

RPT-COLUMN-China is paying a high price for its ban on Australian coal: Russell

Cricket-London Mayor eyeing ambitious bid to bring IPL to English shores

Mozambique working to identify beheaded victims of militant attack

TABLE-Holdings of SPDR Gold fall, iShares Silver unchanged

Activist Greta Thunberg to skip U.N. climate conference in Scotland

TABLE-South Africa’s 3-month T-bill average yields at 3.88%

TABLE-Yields mostly flat at South African inflation-linked bond auction

News Tips

Advertise With Us

Newsletters