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65 new cases of COVID-19 in Nigeria;

Lagos-41 Kaduna-6 Kano-3 Rivers-3 Plateau-3 Akwa Ibom-2 Imo-2 Oyo-2 Edo-1 Bauchi-1 Osun-1
164,488 confirmed 154,441 discharged 2,061 deaths
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
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Coronavirus – Nigeria: COVID-19 update (21 April 2021)

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Sixteen patients have been diagnosed positive for COVID-19 in tests carried out today at Quarantine Centers in the Central, Gash Barka, and Southern Regions.

Out of these, eight patients are from Quarantine Centers in Asmara, Central Region.  Seven other patients are from Quarantine Centers in Adibara (5), Ghirmaika (1) and Ali-Ghidir (1), Gash Barka Region.  The last patient is from the Quarantine Center in Mendefera, Southern Region.
On the other hand, forty eight patients who have been receiving medical treatment in hospitals in Gash Barka Region have recovered fully and have been discharged from these facilities.
The total number of recovered patients has accordingly risen to 3389 while the number of deaths stands at ten.
The total number of confirmed cases in the country to-date has increased to 3564.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Information, Eritrea.
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Coronavirus – Eritrea: Announcement from the Ministry of Health (21 April 2021)

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New cases: 7 Cumulative confirmed cases: 33,975 Active cases: 842 Total recovered: 31,852 (42 new) Currently admitted in treatment units: 12 (1 new) New discharges from treatment units: 1 Total tests conducted: 228,399 (443 new) Total deaths: 1,142 (0 new) Total vaccinated to date: 263,931 (3,317 new)
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Health and Population, Republic of Malawi.
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Coronavirus – Malawi: COVID-19 update (21 April 2021)

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Active cases: 361 New cases: 4 New tests: 105 Total confirmed: 5,788 Recovered: 5,248 (+23) Deaths: 171 (+1) Vaccinated: 19,634
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Health, The Gambia.
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Coronavirus – Gambia: COVID-19 update (21 April 2021)

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COVID-19 update &#8211; 21st Apr,2021: we report 77 new cases out of 5,263 tests (1% positivity), 56 recoveries &#038; 2 new deaths (MTSRIP).Total 4,611 Covid Vaccine doses administered.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Zambia National Public Health Institute (ZNPHI).
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Coronavirus – Zambia: COVID-19 update (21 April 2021)

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Daily: Laboratory test: 6,855 Severe cases: 1,059 New recovered: 1,997 New deaths: 35 New cases: 1,329

Total: Laboratory test: 2,521,604 Active cases: 59,076 Total recovered: 183,932 Total deaths: 3,474 Total cases: 246,484
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Health, Ethiopia.
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Coronavirus – Ethiopia: COVID-19 update (21 April 2021)

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Newly confirmed cases: 79 Recoveries: 86 Active cases: 1295 Deaths: 1
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Health and Social Services, Namibia.

Coronavirus – Namibia: COVID-19 update (21 April 2021)

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Tests conducted: 10,413,180 Positive cases identified: 1,569,935 Total recoveries: 1,495,864 Total deaths: 53,940 New cases: 1,569
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa, Department of Health.
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Coronavirus – South Africa: COVID-19 update (21 April 2021)

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By Centurion Tax and Investment Desk

With the enforcement of the new law (No. 2018 &#8211; 10 of March 30, 2018) enacted in March 2018 which amended certain provisions of the General Tax Code (CGI), the Senegalese legislator has strengthened and finalized the fiscal measures on transfer pricing. Reforms in transfer pricing were introduced in 2012 in line with the global fight against tax base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS).
Senegal is a member of the inclusive framework of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) on BEPS, which currently includes 100 countries. Senegal has ensured through the adoption of minimum standards, that its tax bases will no longer be reduced by means of artificial profit transfers.
In this regard, Senegal has taken advantage of the 2018 tax reform to integrate into its domestic legislation, with certain measures stemming from the BEPS Project. This includes the country-by-country declaration and the introduction through the new Article 17.2 of the CGI; the limitation of the deductibility of the amounts paid by the Senegalese branch to its headquarters that were established abroad.
It should be noted that the concept of a foreign company branch within the meaning of the CGI does not cover the definition adopted by the OHADA legislator. Hence, under the revised Uniform Act relating to the law of commercial companies and economic interest groups (AUSCGIE), branches of a foreign legal person is considered as those belonging to a person outside the territory of the OHADA member states. This concept is to be distinguished from the one retained by the tax regulation which considers as a branch of a foreign legal entity to the one belonging to a person located outside Senegal. Therefore, the limitation of deductibility established will also apply to branches belonging to legal entities located in the OHADA area.
In terms of Article 17.2 the Senegalese legislator has taken up the position of the French Council of State (which, in a judgement dated November 9, 2015) that the transfer pricing rules were applicable to internal financial transactions between a French branch and its foreign headquarter, despite the absence of separate legal personality of the branch. Thus, the tax law recognizes it as its own fiscal personality and the branch does not have a separate legal personality/identioty from that of its head office.
Consequently, the financial flows between a branch and its headquarters are not excluded from the scope of transfer pricing. In this respect, the Senegalese legislator has adopted specific measures to prevent and limit any transfer of profits from the branch to its headquarters.
The main purpose of this article is to present the laws governing the deductibility of expenses incurred by a Senegalese branch in its relations with its foreign head office and analyze the impact of these measures in practice on the different sectors of activity as well as on the tax treaties to which Senegal is party to.
1. The principle of non-deductibility of amounts paid by the Senegalese branch to its foreign headquarters
1.1 Basis and justification of the limitation
From a fiscal point of view, the permanent establishment of a company must be taxed separately even if it has no legal personality. In applying this principle, the tax legislator has extended the requirement of compliance with the arm&#39;s length principle to the privileged financial relationships that exist between a branch and its head office.
In this respect, in order to prevent any transfer of profit from the Senegalese branch to its foreign head office, the Senegalese legislator specifies that payments made in the form of interest or royalties by the Senegalese branch from a foreign company will be deducted from taxable profit.
 In order to understand this concept of provision, it is necessary to make reference to the ministerial reply made by Mr. Georges Mesmin (deb. AN, JO of January 19, 1981, p.245, n° 31725) and the decision of the administrative court of appeal of Paris in  CAA Paris, May 28, 1991 n°2918, Weston Hyde Products Ltd.  It was held that since the branch has no separate legal personality or autonomy over its assets, the payments it makes to its head office actually represent part of the profit made by the foreign company in the country where the branch has been established.
1.2 What about head office expenses and the concept of head office ?
Article 17.2 of the CGI rejects the deductibility of the amounts paid in particular for the management activities by the Senegalese branch to its head office. This limitation has raised questions about the deductibility of head office expenses, which have not yet been defined by the tax legislator or the administrative doctrine. In general, the head office expenses refer to general administration and management expenses, so they could be assimilated to management activities.
Therefore, it becomes imperative for the Senegalese taxpayer to know whether the management services mentioned in Article 17.2 refer to headquarters expenses. In such instances, there is a contradiction between Article 9.5 of the CGI, which provides for the possibility of deducting 20% of the accounting profit for head office expenses, and the limitation set out in Article 17.2. The arbitration of the application of these seemingly contradictory provisions would provide clarity of the tax system to the taxpayers.  To this end, it is recommended that taxpayers take up the issue by inviting the Senegalese tax authorities to give a formal ruling, in particular through a rescript.
In our opinion, the basis of Article 17.2, which takes up the provisions of Article 7 of the OECD Model Convention, was to exclude from the right to deduct all amounts paid by the Senegalese branch to its foreign headquarters. If this was the aim of the Senegalese legislator, the latter should, in order to be consistent, be modified or repealed the provisions of article 9.5 of the CGI. By default, in view of the current tax system, it can be validly argued that the amounts paid by the Senegalese branch to its foreign head office as head office expenses remain deductible up to 20% of the accounting profit made in Senegal.
In addition, would this limitation still apply if the amount is paid to another establishment linked to the central office? One may be led to believe that the Senegalese legislator wanted to avoid this possibility by specifying that the limitation applies to &#8220;the central office of the legal person or to any of its offices&#8221;. In our perspective, this wording is not sufficient to exclude from the right to deduct sums invoiced by another establishment of the head office. Especially since it raises an even more important question: what reality or content should be attributed to the offices of the head office of the legal person?
Finally, the principle of non-deductibility of amounts due or paid by the branch to the head office is not absolute. It may be overridden in certain situations under certain conditions, in particular because of the nature of the transaction, or the sector of activity of the entities concerned, or also because of the effect of international tax conventions.
Limits to the principle of non-deductibility of amounts paid by the Senegalese branch to its foreign headquarters.
This mitigation is materialized in three cases: (i) in case of reimbursement of expenses incurred by the head office on behalf of its branch, (ii) when it is a banking company (iii) the impact of double tax treaties signed by Senegal.
2.1. The case of expense reimbursements
The Senegalese legislator has excluded all the amounts paid to the foreign head office with the exception of reimbursements of expenses from the deductible expenses. This exclusion is expected because the branch has the responsibility to control these expenses. As such, the branch has the possibility to deduct interest paid at its head office and corresponding to financing contracted from a third party for the needs of the branch.
It should be noted that even if Article 17 of the CGI is not explicit on this point, the reimbursements of expenses in question must comply with the provisions of Article 8.II of the CGI, which sets out the conditions for deductibility. Among other conditions, the reimbursement of expenses must be duly justified and relate to the activity of the branch.
The amounts to be reimbursed must be evaluated practically, as the tax authorities may reject the lump sum and approximate calculations. Therefore, reimbursements are deductible only when they relate to the activity pursued by the branch. The reimbursements of the expenses has further raised some additional questions, particularly with respect to indirect taxation. As a matter of fact, in practice the Senegalese tax authorities claim VAT in cases of rebilling. Reimbursements that are excluded from the scope of VAT are subject to compliance with the following three cumulative conditions:
 	The agent must act under a prior and explicit mandate; 	He must give an exact account of the amount of the expenditure to his mandate and the reimbursements must give rise to an exact rendering of account; 	He must justify to the tax department the exact amount of the disbursements and the sums in question must not be the counterpart of a service provided even at cost price. 
Thus, the reimbursement by the Senegalese branch of expenses incurred by its foreign headquarters are not subject to transfer pricing rules because they do not reflect a flow of goods or services.
2.2. The banking exception: the case of interest paid to the head office-foreign bank
The legislator of the Senegalese branches of foreign banks has set a principle of non-deduction of amounts paid by a Senegalese branch to its foreign head office. This exception specifically concerns interest paid by the branch to its parent banking institution followed by a loan.
This is in line with the banking legislation which enshrines the principle of single approval. In this respect, the establishment of a duly authorized bank or financial institution in a WAEMU Member State other than the one for which the authorization was granted may be done under the legal status that the applicant bank or financial institution deems appropriate (branch, agency or subsidiary).
In fact, in France, the Conseil d&#39;Etat has confirmed that the deductibility of interest in a banking context in the Bayerische Hypo, Unicredit and Caixa Geral de Depositos cases, which involved the French branches of German, Italian and Portuguese banks respectively. (CE n°344990, 346687 and n°359640 of April 11, 2014).
The derogatory regime applicable to branches of foreign banks is based on the fact that the granting and the collection of advances are operations closely related to their ordinary activity.
In contrast, branches of foreign insurance companies do not benefit from any special regime. As a result, the deduction of financial charges relating to funds made available to them by their head offices is denied to them.
2.3. The impact of tax treaties on the deductibility of amounts paid to the foreign head office
In the case of a tax treaty signed by Senegal, it replaces the provisions of the CGI, including those of article 17.2. Tax treaties may provide for deductibility rules that differ from the provisions of the Senegalese legislation. These rules should be applicable to both the Senegalese branch and the foreign headquarters.
For example, under the terms of the Senegal-France tax treaty, amounts paid by the branch to its headquarters are not excluded from the right to deduct. The said convention even allows for the deduction of a proportion of the head office overheads in proportion to the figure.
On the other hand, the new tax conventions inspired by the OECD model, in the case of the Senegal-UK tax convention and the UEMOA convention, apply the same provisions as article 17.2 of the CGI, which exclude the right to deduct the amounts paid by the Senegalese branch to its foreign headquarters.
However, in practice the Senegalese tax authorities did not apply these provisions. In fact, the WAEMU convention has been in force since 2008 but there has not been a situation where the Administration questioned the deductibility of the amounts paid by the branch to its headquarters.
Even practitioners do not generally raise this specificity when advising their clients on the deductibility of expenses incurred by the Senegalese branch of a foreign legal entity. The traditional analysis in this regard has been limited to the threshold for deductibility of head office expenses under the domestic tax system.
With the introduction of the provisions of Article 17.2 by the new law of March 30, 2018, the tax practice in this matter is bound to evolve, as the tax administration will be more attentive to the relationship between the branch and its headquarters.
The new transfer pricing regime relating to the branch-head office relationship may appear to be a new tax issue. This relative novelty can be explained, among other things, by the fact that the tax authorities do not apply it in practice. The fact remains that there is still a certain antilogy between the provisions of the new article 17.2 and those of article 9.5 of the CGI, which the legislator or the tax authorities must clarify.
In any case, it is now appropriate, to control the determination of the tax result of a Senegalese branch of a foreign legal entity such as bank branches established in Senegal, to ensure the limitation of deductibility introduced both by the General Tax Code and international tax conventions. The innovations made by Law No. 2018 &#8211; 10 of March 30, 2018 amending certain provisions of the General Tax Code (CGI), definitely puts Senegal into the space of BEPS.
The fight against the tax base erosion must however be balanced with economic attractiveness. It should be certain that the branch office is a legal form appreciated by foreign investors therefore It allows to penetrate markets durably and efficiently at a relatively lower cost. In light of all the limitations and restrictions built around the branch office, the latter may risks losing all its appeal to foreign investors who will prefer to invest in jurisdictions with certainly more flexible regulations.
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Centurion Law Group.
Centurion’s Tax and Investment Desk: We currently represent and provide legal and tax services to a wide spectrum of multinational companies in 13 African Countries.
Our team comprises of advisors who have been engaged in big-ticket legal and tax compliance engagements across Africa, and our CEO is reputed as one of the most trusted business advisers in Africa, having been recently recognised on the 100 most influential Africans.
In its Band 1 ranking of Centurion, Chambers and Partners describes Centurion as “deeply involved in a number of high-profile (projects) ”and our CEO as “highly respected …”
Our legal and tax practice spans several frontier and established markets across Africa, and this has led us to develop a most robust country activity and market entry checklist for about a decade. Our key attorneys on the project have significant, recent and relevant experience, including providing full-suite legal and tax services.
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The Impact of Transfer Pricing: The Senegalese Branch and the Foreign Head Office (By Centurion Tax and Investment Desk)

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965 people have tested positive to the disease, from a sample size of 7,311 tested in the last 24 hours. Our positivity rate is at 13.2%. 907 are Kenyans while 58 are foreigners. 560 are males &#038; 405 are females. The youngest is 3 month-old &#038; the oldest 101 years.

Total confirmed positive cases are now 153,488 and cumulative tests so far conducted are 1,618,990.
County distribution; Nairobi 330, Mombasa 67, Nakuru 63, Kericho 45, Uasin Gishu 44, Murang’a 33, Kiambu 30, Meru 28, Homabay 25, Kisumu 25, Garissa 22, Isiolo 20, Nyeri 19, Laikipia &#038; Siaya 17 cases each, Narok &#038; Busia 14 cases each, Kajiado 13, Machakos 12, Kisii &#038;Embu 11 cases each, Makueni, Bungoma, Nyandarua &#038;Kilifi 10 cases each, Kitui 9, Kakamega 8, Mandera &#038; Migori 7 cases each, Bomet 6, Taita Taveta 5, Nandi, Turkana &#038; Samburu 4 cases each, Kirinyaga &#038; TransNzoia 3 cases each, Baringo &#038; West Pokot 2 cases each &#038; Vihiga 1 case.
,441 patients have recovered from the disease, 1,317 from Home Based &#038; Isolation Care while 124 are from various health facilities countrywide. Total recoveries now stand at 105,279. 76,967 from Home Based Care &#038; Isolation while 28,312 are from various health facilities.
Sadly, 21 deaths have been reported in the last 24 hours with 9 of the deaths having occurred on diverse dates within the last one month, while 12 are late deaths reported after conducting facility record audits. This now pushes cumulative fatalities to 2,540. Our sincere condolences to families and friends of those who have lost their loved ones.
A total of 1,509 patients are currently admitted in various health facilities countrywide, while 6,808 patients are on Home Based Isolation and Care.  240 patients are in the ICU, 53 of whom are on ventilatory support and 151 on supplemental oxygen. 36 patients are on observation. Another 184 patients are separately on supplementary oxygen with 173 of them in general wards while 11 are in High Dependency Units (HDU).
VACCINATION: 
As of today, a total of 750,471 persons have been vaccinated against the COVID-19 disease countrywide.  Of this 427,790 are aged 58 years and above, 146,091 are Health workers, 114,606 are Teachers while 61,984 are Security Officers.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Health, Kenya.

Coronavirus – Kenya: COVID-19 update (21 April 2021)

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Total cases: 24,112 (+107) Recovered: 22,579 (+19) | 93.6% Active cases: 1,206 In critical condition: 6 Tests: 1,269,302 (+4,686) Test positivity rate: 2.3% Vaccinated: 349,702 Deaths: 327 (+0) | 1.4%
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Health, Republic of Rwanda.
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Coronavirus – Rwanda: COVID-19 update (21 April 2021)

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The 8th edition of Merck Foundation (www.Merck-Foundation.com) Africa Asia Luminary will be co-chaired by H.E. ESTHER LUNGU, First Lady of the Republic of Zambia and Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation; The President of the Republic of Zambia, H.E. Mr. EDGAR LUNGU and Chairman of Merck KG executive board, Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp will officially inaugurate the “Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary” Online; 19 African First Ladies will be the Guests of Honor and Ministers of Health, Gender, Information, Education and Science &#038; Technology from 25 African countries to participate; More than 2000 healthcare providers, policymakers and media from over 70 countries will benefit from the Luminary.

Merck Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck Germany, will conduct their annual conference, the 8th Edition of “Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary” from 27th April to 29th April 2021 in partnership with the Government of the Republic of Zambia. The conference will be conducted on a virtual platform, and will be inaugurated by H.E. Mr. EDGAR LUNGU, The President of Zambia along with Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp, Chairman of both of Executive Board of E.Merck KG and Merck Foundation Board of Trustees, and is co-chaired by H.E. ESTHER LUNGU, The First Lady of Zambia and Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation.
Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej, emphasized, “We are proud to welcome our Guests of Honors and Keynote Speakers, the First Ladies of 19 African Countries and African Ministers of different sectors from more than 25 countries. Together, we will discuss our strategy to build healthcare capacity and establish a strong platform of specialized trained medical experts to be the first in their countries and to define interventions to break infertility stigma and support girl education. This annual scientific and social education program will also engage healthcare providers, academia and media in an open dialogue and deliberations on various topics with the aim to improve access to quality and equitable healthcare solutions.”
Following the Inauguration of the Luminary, on the 27th of April, a high-level panel meeting of Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative Committee, will be conducted together with 19 African First Ladies to discuss healthcare and social issues that can be addressed to contribute to the Social and Economic Development in Africa; and advance healthcare, media and awareness capacities and capabilities in these countries. The African First Ladies attending the conference as Guest of Honor are:
 	H.E. Mrs. ESTHER LUNGU, The First Lady of the Republic of Zambia Co-chairperson of 8th edition of Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary 	H.E. Mrs. ANA DIAS LOURENÇO, The First Lady of the Republic of Angola 	H.E. Mrs. NEO JANE MASISI, The First Lady of the Republic of Botswana 	H.E. Madam SIKA KABORE, The First Lady of Burkina Faso 	H.E. Madam ANGELINE NDAYISHIMIYE, The First Lady of the Republic of Burundi 	H.E. Madam BRIGITTE TOUADERA, The First Lady of Central African Republic 	H.E. Madam DENISE NYAKERU TSHISEKEDI, The First Lady of the Democratic Republic of The Congo 	H.E. Mrs. FATOUMATTA BAH-BARROW, The First Lady of the Republic of The Gambia 	H.E. Mrs. REBECCA AKUFO-ADDO, The First Lady of the Republic of Ghana 	H.E. Madam DJÈNÈ CONDÉ, The First Lady of the Republic of Guinea 	H.E. Mrs. CLAR MARIE WEAH, The First Lady of the Republic of Liberia 	H.E. Mrs. MONICA CHAKWERA, The First Lady of the Republic of Malawi 	H.E. Mrs. ISAURA FERRÃO NYUSI, The First Lady of the Republic of Mozambique 	H.E. Mrs. MONICA GEINGOS, The First Lady of the Republic of Namibia 	H.E. Dr. Mrs. AISHA MUHAMMADU BUHARI, The First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 	H.E. Mrs. FATIMA MAADA BIO, The First Lady of the Republic of Sierra Leone 	H.E. Mrs. AUXILLIA MNANGAGWA, The First Lady of the Republic of Zimbabwe 
“I am looking forward to welcome my dear sisters, Her Excellencies, for the conference. Moreover, I am also very happy that during the conference will also mark an important occasion; the 4th Anniversary of Merck Foundation”, added Senator, Dr. Kelej.
On the 28th of April, MARS- Merck Foundation Africa Research Summit will be held where a High-Level Panel Discussion with Ministers of Health, Science and Technology, Education, Information And Gender and MARS Researchers will be held with the objective to empower African young researchers &#038; women researchers, advancing their research capacity and empower them in STEM.
On the third day, 29th April, Merck Foundation Health Media Training will be organized for the African and Latin American Media fraternity to emphasize the important role that media plays to break the stigma around infertility, in raising awareness about infertility prevention and empowering girls and women through education.
Other important scientific sessions in different medical fields will also be held in parallel on Day 2 and Day 3 of the Luminary.
During Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary, in order to contribute to the social and economic development of Africa and Asia, more than 2000 Healthcare providers, policymakers, academia, researchers and health media from more than 70 countries from Africa, Asia and Latin America will benefit from the three days conference that contain valuable educational and social development sessions in four languages; English, French, Spanish and Portuguese by top International experts in Diabetes, Fertility, Oncology, women health, Cardiology, Endocrinology, Respiratory and Acute Medicine and Health Media with the aim to raise health awareness and improve disease management, early detection and prevention, build healthcare capacity and improve access to quality and equitable healthcare solutions across the three continents.
The Luminary’21 will also mark the announcement of two awards for media fraternity, Merck Foundation Africa Media Recognition Awards  “More Than a Mother” 2021 and Merck Foundation “Mask Up With Care” Media Recognition Awards 2021; two awards for fashion fraternity, Merck Foundation Fashion Awards “More Than a Mother” 2021 and Merck Foundation “Make Your Own Mask” Fashion Awards 2021; in addition to Merck Foundation Film Awards “More Than a Mother” 2021 and Merck Foundation Song Awards “More Than a Mother” 2021.
Countries participating in the 8th Africa Asia Luminary include:
Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, Central Africa Republic, Cambodia, Chad, Côte d&#39;Ivoire, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, France, Gabon, Germany, Ghana, Guinea – Bissau, Guinea – Conakry, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Peru, Philippines, Russia, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tanzania, Thailand, The Gambia, Togo, Tunisia, U.A.E, UK, Uganda, US, Vietnam, Zambia, Zimbabwe and more.
The 8th Edition of Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary will be streamed live on 27th April, from 14h to 18:030h (Gulf Standard Time) and on 28th and  29th April 2021 from 13h to 18:00h (Gulf Standard Time), @ Merck Foundation Facebook page (https://bit.ly/3dDAc9U) and Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej Facebook page (https://bit.ly/3dEd2Ac).
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Merck Foundation.
Join the conversation on our social media platforms below and let your voice be heard: Facebook: bit.ly/2LdbD8F Twitter: bit.ly/2LesKH8 YouTube: bit.ly/3sdHMxm Instagram: bit.ly/2LC26rm Flickr: bit.ly/2XqzQdU Website: www.Merck-Foundation.com Download Merck Foundation App: https://bit.ly/2MmNvAU
About Merck Foundation: The Merck Foundation, established in 2017, is the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, aims to improve the health and wellbeing of people and advance their lives through science and technology. Our efforts are primarily focused on improving access to quality &#038; equitable healthcare solutions in underserved communities, building healthcare and scientific research capacity and empowering people in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) with a special focus on women and youth. All Merck Foundation press releases are distributed by e-mail at the same time they become available on the Merck Foundation Website. Please visit www.Merck-Foundation.com to read more. To know more, reach out to our social media: Merck Foundation (www.Merck-Foundation.com); Facebook (bit.ly/2MU6Fht), Twitter (bit.ly/3scVf8t), Instagram (bit.ly/3boJ0jr), YouTube (bit.ly/3sf4aWX) and Flicker (bit.ly/3snPHZ8).
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19 African First Ladies to participate in the Merck Foundation Annual Online Conference on 27th April 2021

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Audiomack has partnered with MTN Nigeria (www.MTNonline.com) to unveil the Audiomack+MTN Data Bundle program (www.MTN.tc.Audiomack.com), which offers MTN subscribers tailored data bundles for streaming unlimited music and accessing content on Audiomack free of data charges.

The partnership will see MTN subscribers gain free access to Audiomack’s streaming service via their mobile devices on weekly and monthly subscriptions. The weekly plan offers 1.2GB + Free Audiomack at N270 while the monthly plan offers 2.5GB + Free Audiomack at N550.
Commenting on the partnership, Dave Macli, CEO and Co-Founder of Audiomack Africa said, “At Audiomack, we recognise the importance of access to quality music, and this coupled with Nigeria’s vibrant music industry has influenced this partnership. This relationship not only allows us to create shared value for MTN subscribers by delivering the best musical experiences but also enables us to further connect with the Nigerian music fans.”
Charlotte Bwana, Head of Business Development and Media Partnerships for Audiomack Africa described the partnership as a reinforcement of Audiomack’s commitment towards democratising music streaming, a mission from which MTN subscribers will greatly benefit from.
“High data costs are one of the barriers to music streaming and we are glad to be partnering with Africa’s leading telecommunications company to provide the Audiomack+ Data Bundle. We are truly excited to offer the best and hottest new musical tracks—a mix of real-time trending, top charts, and expertly-curated playlists to MTN subscribers.”
Also speaking, Srinivas Rao, Chief Digital Officer, MTN Nigeria said, “Collaboration is not just rhetoric for us; it is the guiding philosophy behind everything we do. We are good together. We recognize the growing need of our customers to have more options to access entertainment and have partnered with Audiomack to offer them an uninterrupted stream of the best, newest and most diverse music selections.”
With millions of  monthly active users in Nigeria, Audiomack continues to demonstrate its commitment to moving music forward across the region by providing accessibility for all.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of MTN Nigeria.
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Audiomack partners with MTN to bring music streaming to over 76 million subscribers at ZERO DATA COST

Content provided by APO Group. CNBC Africa provides content from APO Group as a service to its readers and does not edit the articles it publishes. CNBC Africa is not responsible for the content provided by APO Group.

Plan to guide long-term response to COVID-19 pandemic; It is underpinned by a focus on evolving the game, with advancing player welfare at heart; Strategy, which includes clear game-changing targets, is centred on enhancing competition portfolio, growing participation and increasing engagement, inclusion and diversity.

VIEW THE WORLD RUGBY STRATEGIC PLAN 2021-25 >>  https://bit.ly/3dHaWQo
World Rugby (www.World.Rugby) has launched ‘A Global Sport for All – True to its Values’, a new strategic plan for the advancement and growth of the sport through to 2025.
While recognising the challenges facing society and sport as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the plan sets out World Rugby’s long-term mission to support and enhance the game. It builds on strong foundations, with 9.6 million people playing the sport globally and the worldwide fan base increasing by two-thirds in rugby’s established markets and doubling in emerging markets over the past decade to more than 405 million.
The strategy aims to welcome existing and new participants beyond the pandemic to unite the rugby family and strengthen and grow the sport by striving to make it as safe, enjoyable, appealing and accessible as possible at all levels. It focuses on four key areas that are vital to the future prosperity of the sport &#8211; Competition, Participation, Engagement and The Game itself.  For each, World Rugby has set a series of game-changing targets that reflect its ambition and values.
MAKING THE GAME ALL IT CAN BE
Player welfare transcends everything that World Rugby does and continues to be the number one priority. Throughout the life of the strategic plan, World Rugby will lead an open discussion with the rugby family and independent experts to continually advance player welfare guided by evolving research, science, and technology. It will continue to lead targeted research to inform and advance injury prevention and mental wellbeing and drive player welfare-centred law review and trials to further protect players at all levels of the game.
Alongside this, World Rugby will collaborate with the global rugby family to evolve the game to ensure it is attractive and relevant to a new generation of participants. This will include exploring ways to supercharge sevens, enhance the community game and further develop the non-contact offering for emerging nations, where shorter formats such as Touch and Tag are attracting newcomers to the sport. Recent Nielsen data demonstrates that in some nations two-thirds of new rugby followers are introduced via non-traditional formats.
In delivering the plan, World Rugby intends to further tap into the depth and range of expertise across the sport and beyond, building on the increasing number of players, players’ representatives, and coaches on World Rugby’s Committees. Similarly, its Fan Panel, which was launched in 2020, and in-depth research will be used to inform planning and ensure fans remain at the forefront of decision making.
ADVANCING THE CALENDAR AND COMPETITIONS
Building on the successful launch of the WXV women’s international competition and planned support for Pacific Islands professional rugby franchises, the plan sets out to advance and unify the men’s international fifteens and sevens calendars to build a stronger and more aligned sport for all. In partnership with rugby’s stakeholders, World Rugby will facilitate discussions and seek to develop a more compelling competition structure and unified approach to test rugby within the July and November windows.
With player welfare central to considerations, World Rugby is reviewing the role and portfolio of its competitions with the objective of increasing global competitiveness and diversifying revenues for the sport. Game-changing targets include the launch of new men’s and women’s emerging nations competitions by 2022 to boost high performance competition opportunities, as well as a revamped sevens rugby ecosystem.
GROWING PARTICIPATION
As the sport looks beyond the Covid-19 pandemic, a key objective for grassroots and elite rugby alike is to facilitate players, officials, volunteers, and fans back to the game in a safe and secure manner in all regions of the world. To mitigate the impact on the grassroots game and broaden global development, World Rugby will work in partnership with regions and unions to retain players, with a particular focus on the 15 a side game, building capacity and capability.
The plan also reflects World Rugby’s commitment to the success of women in rugby – the single biggest opportunity to grow the sport.
As the halfway stage of the 2017-25 Women’s Development Plan approaches, World Rugby will build on the progress that has already been made in all areas, from leadership to competition, grassroots to commercial, and extend the success of the ‘Try and Stop Us’ campaign to further increase the number of women involved in the sport.
World Rugby will also be launching a new plan to accelerate diversity and inclusion across all levels of the game in line with the recommendations of the organisation’s wide-ranging governance review.
INCREASING ENGAGEMENT
To promote and increase engagement in a marketplace where the competition for attention is continually increasing, World Rugby will facilitate knowledge sharing, as well as generating insight and materials, such as marketing and communications toolkits, for regional associations and unions. A 10% increase in global followers and fans by 2025 is being targeted.  World Rugby is also committed to further enhancing the way it works with stakeholders across the rugby family by introducing a new ‘State of the Union’ survey to gather feedback and better understand the needs of its partners.
World Rugby’s commercial, broadcast and content strategy will be focused on growing rugby’s audiences around the world, delivering compelling and relevant content to fans and developing new and increased revenues for re-investment in the game. This will include optimising digital platforms, building interest and engagement in between events and ensuring insight and value from audience data is maximised.
WAYS OF WORKING – A RESPONSIBLE PARTNER
World Rugby’s values are inherent in everything it does, and diversity, inclusion, sustainability, and good governance are at the heart of the Strategic Plan 2021-25. It will see the implementation of measures that build on the transformational reforms made in 2015 and the recommendations of the independent-led Governance Working Group, as well as the publication of a Sustainability Charter.
World Rugby Chair Sir Bill Beaumont said: “The ambitious Strategic Plan 2021-25, recognises the current challenges and sets out a long-term roadmap to support and develop rugby around the globe. It will focus and guide us as we work to ensure the game is as enjoyable, accessible, appealing, and safe as possible, with player welfare remaining our number one priority.
“This is not just a plan for World Rugby, it is a plan for the whole rugby family that has embraced input from across the rugby community, from unions and regions to partners and stakeholders. Everyone has a role to play, whether they be a player, parent, fan, volunteer, coach or administrator, and we look forward to driving the sport forward together.”
World Rugby Vice Chair Bernard Laporte added: “This is an important moment for World Rugby and the sport – a clear and aspirational plan that will protect and promote the growth of the sport worldwide, beyond its traditional nations. Now, more than ever, the game needs unity, vision and leadership and this reflects our ambitions as we look to support our unions through the most challenging period in sporting and societal history.”
World Rugby CEO Alan Gilpin added: “In these uncertain and challenging times, it has never been more important to map a route ahead for the sport. This new Strategic Plan 2021-25 provides a framework for the continued development and expansion of rugby as we strive to continue our journey towards becoming a global sport for all.
“As an organisation, a sport and a family, this plan will guide how we tackle the three Cs of Covid, calendar and concussion, and build the foundations for a safer, stronger and more sustainable game for all. We will focus on advancing player welfare and international competitiveness, increase participation, grow revenues and deepen fan engagement.”
“In delivering this plan, we will work in full partnership with our unions, regional associations and partners and look to tap into the expertise across the rugby family and beyond, as well as listening to our fans. We will further enhance our governance and decision-making structures and, importantly, our strong values, which we know are central to our sport’s appeal, will remain at the heart of all we do.”
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Rugby.
Media Contact: Rugby@APO-opa.com
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World Rugby Launches ‘A Global Sport For All’ Strategic Plan 2021-25 to Guide Long-Term Growth

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Distributed by APO Group on behalf of WHO Regional Office for Africa.
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Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).
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A new episode of the Team Qhubeka (www.TeamQhubeka.com) podcast – Unclipped – is out now featuring our Austrian rider, Michael Gogl.

The episode explores various aspects of his life including his role as a road captain, his approach to nutrition, and why cycling won out ahead of a potential career as a celloist!
The 27-year-old, dubbed by some in the media as the &#8220;Austrian interloper&#8221; &#8211;  following his exploits at a memorable 2021 Strade Bianche &#8211; also gives his insights on a special day of racing while also providing a fascinating insight into the key role he played in the past for Alberto Contador and how he’s now looking at taking the next step in his own career.
‘Unclipped with Team Qhubeka ASSOS’ is available via all podcasting platforms including:
 	Apple podcasts (https://bit.ly/3dFxJfd) 	Spotify (https://spoti.fi/2QKedFw) 	Omny (https://bit.ly/2Qf7ovP) Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Team Qhubeka ASSOS.
Media Contact: Jean Smyth (Head of Communications) Email: jean@ryder.co.za Mobile: +27 63 4701 1710 or +31 625 739 033
About Team Qhubeka ASSOS: Team Qhubeka ASSOS is a purpose-led, high-performance team, fighting to win on the world&#39;s biggest stage, to inspire hope and create opportunity. Founded in 2007, Team Qhubeka ASSOS (formerly NTT Pro Cycling) became the first-ever African cycling team to gain a UCI WorldTour license, in 2016.
We achieved our first major win in 2013 when Gerald Ciolek won Milan-San Remo, one of the five Monuments of cycling. We have competed in six Tour de France’s and notched up 7 stage wins, with Mark Cavendish wearing the coveted Yellow Jersey at the 2016 Tour de France.
We are a multicultural, diverse team with bases in South Africa, the Netherlands and Italy. There are 19 nationalities represented across our World Tour and continental feeder team rosters. Our focus on developing African cycling has resulted in more than 55 riders from the African continent be given the opportunity to race on the world stage, since the team&#39;s inception.
We race to help people to move forward with bicycles through our relationship with Qhubeka Charity. Through our work with Qhubeka, we have contributed to the distribution of over 30 000 bicycles in communities in South Africa.
About Qhubeka: Qhubeka is a charity that moves people forward with bicycles. People earn bicycles through our programmes, improving their access to schools, clinics and jobs.
A bicycle is a tool that helps people to travel faster and further, and to carry more. In the face of extreme and persistent poverty, bicycles can change lives by helping to address socioeconomic challenges at the most basic level – helping people to get where they need to go. 
All images attached to the press release can be used with the respective image credit in combination to this release.
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