By Emilio Parodi
MILAN, Feb 12 (Reuters) &#8211; Europe&#8217;s medicines regulator is planning to speed up assessments of any COVID-19 vaccines that are modified to protect against variants of the virus, the head of the agency&#8217;s COVID-19 task-force told Reuters on Friday.
Marco Cavaleri, chair of the vaccine evaluation team at the European Medicines Agency (EMA), said there should be no need for lengthy large-scale trials like those needed to evaluate the first COVID-19 vaccines, since tweaks for new variants can be tested on smaller groups.
&#8220;We are working on updated guidelines, assuming that we cannot ask for large Phase III trials. This will allow us to go faster,&#8221; said Cavaleri.
&#8220;We will ask for much smaller trials, with a few hundred participants, rather than 30,000 to 40,000,&#8221; he told Reuters. He said the EMA would focus primarily on immune response data.
Drugmakers including Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca have been testing their COVID-19 vaccines against several fast-spreading, more infectious variants of the novel coronavirus.
Variants which emerged in Brazil (known as P.1.), Britain (known as 20I/501Y.V1 or B.1.1.7) and South Africa (known as 20I/501Y.V2 or B.1.351) have already spread around the world, piling more pressure on governments struggling to tame the pandemic which has killed almost 2.5 million people.
These are the three major variants that are worrying scientists, with their spread raising the risk that newly-developed COVID-19 vaccines will need to be updated or tweaked to be effective against some variants, and that people may require one or more booster shots.

STREAMLINING
Last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration also said it is considering a rapid review process for the quick turnaround of new COVID-19 booster shots if variants emerge against which the vaccines do not provide protection.
Vaccine makers Pfizer and BioNTech, as well as AstraZeneca and Moderna, whose COVID shots have been authorised for emergency use in Europe, have said they are preparing for the possibility that variants will emerge that could require tweaks to their vaccines.
Normally, an EMA approval requires extensive studies with large numbers, starting with safety and ending with efficacy.
&#8220;We will also try to streamline regulatory procedures doing something similar to what happens with flu vaccines. In short, without the drugmakers having to submit all the preliminary data again&#8221;, Cavaleri said.
He added that the EMA is also aware that in the near future it may no longer be possible to do clinical trials with placebo for categories such as the elderly, due to rollout of current COVID-19 vaccines.
&#8220;In that case we could think about a head-to-head comparison with an already approved vaccine&#8221;, he said.
Cavaleri also told Reuters Johnson &amp; Johnson will file its vaccine formal application in the next few days.
&#8220;Probably as early as next week&#8221;, he said, noting that the EMA has been conducting a rolling review of the vaccine for some time. &#8220;Mid-March is reasonable for the EMA decision,&#8221; he said.
The EMA, he added, has been in contact to date with about 50 pharmaceutical companies working on COVID vaccines.
Regarding the Russia&#8217;s Sputnik V vaccine, he said the agency is in constant contact with the company producing it.
&#8220;There is a constructive cooperation. If there are no problems with the answers we receive on the subject of the production phase, the rolling review could start within a matter of weeks,&#8221; he said
The EMA is also in contact with the Chinese companies developing vaccines, particularly Sinovac Biotech, but the process for the Chinese vaccine is a few steps behind the Russian one, he said. (Reporting by Emilio Parodi, editing by Kate Kelland and Kirsten Donovan)
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2021. Click For Restrictions &#8211; https://agency.reuters.com/en/copyright.html
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EXCLUSIVE-EU drugs regulator plans to fast track variant-modified COVID vaccines

Feb 12 (Reuters) &#8211; The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted emergency use authorization to a molecular test from Becton Dickinson that can detect viruses that cause COVID-19 as well as influenza and produce results in 2-3 hours, the company said on Friday.
The authorization includes updated information in the test&#8217;s instructions for use that addresses variants of the SARS-COV-2 virus, including variants from the U.K. and South Africa. (Reporting by Mrinalika Roy in Bengaluru; Editing by Arun Koyyur)
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2021. Click For Restrictions &#8211; https://agency.reuters.com/en/copyright.html
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Becton Dickinson’s combination test for COVID-19 gets FDA authorization

* Sahel summit to take stock of military, political challenge
* After 8 years, France struggling to find exit strategy
* Opposing views on whether to negotiate with jihadists
By Madjiasra Nako and John Irish
N&#8217;DJAMENA, Feb 12 (Reuters) &#8211; Chad will deploy some 1,000 troops to the tri-border region of Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali to reinforce national armies that, backed by French and European allies, are battling Islamist insurgents, according to French and Chadian sources.
The deployment will be announced during a summit on Feb. 15-16 in the Chadian capital N&#8217;Djamena held to tackle the situation in the Sahel, a French presidency official and a senior Chadian security official said.
It comes as France, which sent troops to the region in 2013 to help repel jihadists who had occupied northern Mali, considers adjusting its military presence. This could entail France pulling some of the 5,100 soldiers that are involved in counter-terrorism operations in the Sahel.
Although France has claimed military successes against Islamist insurgents over the past year, it is searching for an exit strategy. The grinding operation has cost billions of euros and left 55 French soldiers dead, yet violence is persisting with signs it is spreading to coastal West Africa.
The French official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said President Emmanuel Macron could decide to hold off for a few weeks before adjusting his forces as he continues to consult with Sahel and European partners on the way forward.
&#8220;We now have very encouraging signals of an imminent deployment of the Chadian battalion,&#8221; the official told reporters in a briefing ahead of the summit. Financing from partner countries and equipment from France had been secured.
Chadian troops were last year mostly engaged in fighting insurgents from Boko Haram and the Islamic State in West Africa in the Lake Chad region.
Chad’s armed forces are among the most respected and battle hardened in West Africa, a reputation forged during decades of regional wars and rebellions, and honed in the 2013 campaign in the deserts of northern Mali.
Their deployment to the tri-border theatre would enable French and other forces to re-orient their military mission to central Mali and to target Islamist leaders linked to al Qaeda.
The Chadian security source said the troops were already en route to the tri-border region, known as Liptako-Gourma, a region slightly larger than Germany, where the allies are trying to wrest back control of terrain from the insurgents.
Niger&#8217;s ruling party presidential candidate Mohamed Bazoum told a campaign rally in the Tillabery region, situated in Liptako-Gourma, that Chadian troops will be based there.

TALKS WITH JIHADISTS?
The N&#8217;Djamena summit will aim to shift the focus of attention to jihadists in central Mali and to economic development and better governance to help reassert state control in areas once dominated by militants, officials said.
&#8220;They are slowly coming round to the idea that the military option has shown its limits and something else needs to be done, but it’s a slow process and is not the official line,&#8221; said a person familiar with French thinking.
Niagale Bagayoko, chair of the African Security Sector Network think tank, said that one of the main issues at stake in discussions would be whether to negotiate with the jihadists.
Mali and Burkina Faso have said they are open to such talks, an option opposed by France.
&#8220;The actors that are the closest to the ground say that without seeing the political dimension of the conflict, we won’t go anywhere,&#8221; Bagayoko said.
Mentioning the two paramount al Qaeda-linked leaders in the region, she said, &#8220;I think France wants to record a victory by eliminating Iyad al Ghali or Amadou Koufa and then say that it&#8217;s possible at a local level to negotiate with unit chiefs who were affiliated but are less politically dangerous.&#8221;
(Additional reporting by Boureima Balima in Niamey and Aaron Ross in Dakar Writing by Bate Felix and John Irish Editing by Mark Heinrich)
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2021. Click For Restrictions &#8211; https://agency.reuters.com/en/copyright.html
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Chad reinforces troops against militants in Sahel as France mulls changes

By Shashank Nayar
Feb 12 (Reuters) &#8211; The Russian rouble led declines among emerging market currencies on Friday, following strong gains earlier in the week, while regional stocks hovered near record highs on optimism around more U.S. stimulus.
The rouble dropped 0.4% to the dollar, as Russia warned that it was ready to sever ties with the European Union if the bloc hits it with painful economic sanctions.
Russia&#8217;s central bank meeting later in the day, is also on investors&#8217; radar. It is expected to keep interest rates unchanged with inflation well above the 4% target.
&#8220;The CBR (Central Bank of Russia) is very cautious and therefore unlikely to cut rates when inflation is accelerating, let alone overshooting to well above the 4% inflation target,&#8221; said Tatha Ghose, an analyst at Commerzbank.
&#8220;Policymakers have noted that the acceleration is driven by temporary factors and is likely to reverse during H2 2021. Still, a part of the overshoot is owing to a weaker-than-expected exchange rate in recent months, which could continue because of political developments.&#8221;
South Africa&#8217;s rand fell 0.1% a day after President Cyril Ramaphosa&#8217;s state of the nation address failed to detail any new reforms.
Ramaphosa said the country, hit hard by a second wave of COVID-19, would undertake a massive vaccination program and had secured millions of doses of Johnson &amp; Johnson and Pfizer Inc vaccines.
&#8220;Medium-term concerns about vaccines not being effective against emerging COVID-19 variants could challenge the positive narrative for EM assets,&#8221; said Christian Keller, head of economics research at Barclays.
The rand is on course to gain for a second consecutive week, benefiting from recent weakness in the dollar as investors bet on more U.S. fiscal stimulus to stimulate economic growth.
The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden is pushing for a $1.9 trillion pandemic relief package to speed up a recovery in the world&#8217;s largest economy.
That helped an index of emerging market stocks hover near all-time highs and put them on track for a second straight week of gains. However, with much of Asia closed for the for Lunar New Year holidays, trading volumes were thinner than usual.
The Turkish lira was flat as data showed industrial output climbed 9% year-on-year in December, expanding for a seventh straight month.
Most central European currencies weakened against the euro, with the Hungarian forint leading declines.
For GRAPHIC on emerging market FX performance in 2021, see http://tmsnrt.rs/2egbfVh For GRAPHIC on MSCI emerging index performance in 2021, see https://tmsnrt.rs/2OusNdX

For TOP NEWS across emerging markets
For CENTRAL EUROPE market report, see
For TURKISH market report, see
For RUSSIAN market report, see

(Reporting by Shashank Nayar in Bengaluru; additional reporting by Karin Strohecker; Editing by Amy Caren Daniel)
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2021. Click For Restrictions &#8211; https://agency.reuters.com/en/copyright.html
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EMERGING MARKETS-Rouble slips ahead of central bank meeting, stocks hover at record highs

* Financial executives open up about personal struggles
* Companies step up support during COVID-19 crisis
* Help not always reaching frontline, junior staff (Adds KPMG UK chairman resignation)
By Iain Withers
LONDON, Feb 12 (Reuters) &#8211; From a burned-out bank boss to call centre workers isolated at home, the financial sector is suffering a surge in mental health issues exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite the industry&#8217;s cut-throat reputation, senior bankers have responded to the extra strain by rolling out additional help and opening up about their own vulnerabilities.
&#8220;It&#8217;s okay to feel overwhelmed by what life is throwing at me and mine,&#8221; wrote Susan Revell, deputy chair of the $41 trillion asset Bank of New York Mellon&#8217;s Europe, Middle East and Africa business.
In a handwritten note Revell, along with other BNY colleagues, shared personal experiences with the institution&#8217;s 48,500 staff. She juggles work with caring for elderly relatives and other family struck with ill health and redundancy.
&#8220;You can&#8217;t pour from an empty cup,&#8221; Revell told Reuters. &#8220;If I&#8217;m not in good shape then I can&#8217;t support either my family or my colleagues.&#8221;
Her note encouraged colleagues from Brazil to Hong Kong to share their own stories and advice.
While banks have for several years been paying greater attention to wellbeing, new initiatives from free therapy to online yoga have proliferated during the pandemic &#8211; though they are not always reaching junior staff.
In England, a major global banking centre, as many as 10 million people will need new or additional mental health support, The Centre for Mental Health charity says.

SPOTTING SIGNS
One high-profile bank boss to open up was digital lender Monzo&#8217;s founder Tom Blomfield who found managing a fast-growing start-up too much once COVID-19 piled the stress on. The 35-year-old stepped down as CEO last year to become president and left completely in January.
&#8220;On the Friday that London went into lockdown, three separate funds phoned me up and said: &#8216;Look, this investment&#8217;s not going ahead,'&#8221; he recounted to The Guardian.
&#8220;I was stressed, definitely. I suffered anxiety that impacted my sleep. Did I border on depression at times? I don&#8217;t know &#8230; There&#8217;s this myth of the superhero founder who sleeps four hours a night and reads 500 books a year and is up hiking before dawn kind of garbage. If it&#8217;s true, I&#8217;ve never met that person.&#8221;
Helping to reduce stigma, other executives to share their battles in recent years include Lloyds CEO Antonio Horta-Osorio who took leave for stress-induced insomnia in 2011 and former Virgin Money boss Jayne-Anne Gadhia who had post-natal depression.
&#8220;Constantly talking about this helps to make it a safe environment to bring issues up,&#8221; said Helen Cook, chief HR officer at NatWest where colleagues at all levels have shared and offered support among themselves.
Despite progress, charities and unions say employers must make extra effort to look out for staff.
Picking up on signs is hard with homeworking, so banks including Goldman Sachs and Lloyds have staff on the lookout virtually.
&#8220;We train our mental health first aiders to look out for body language cues,&#8221; said Goldman Sachs executive director Beth Robotham, who has spoken publicly about her own past anxiety attacks.
&#8220;In a virtual environment, lots of the same rules apply, but it&#8217;s more difficult &#8211; for instance it&#8217;s much easier to lose eye contact. But you may notice the person opts out of being on screen and you&#8217;re not sure why, or they seem heavily distracted when they weren&#8217;t before, or are showing up late.&#8221;
Recruiters say mental health is now more likely to come up in hiring discussions, but candidates are still rarely open about existing conditions.
&#8220;Examples from leaders are hugely influential and helpful. However, people who are still en route to proving themselves in their career are hesitant to do the same,&#8221; said Sophie Scholes, a partner at headhunter Heidrick &amp; Struggles.
&#8220;This particularly applies to recruitment processes where candidates are nervous to self-identify and mostly would choose not to.&#8221;
Other evidence suggests old attitudes die hard in top ranks.
Bill Michael, UK chairman of big four accountancy firm KPMG, resigned on Friday after an investigation was launched into comments first reported by the Financial Times newspaper that he told consultants to &#8220;stop moaning&#8221; about the pandemic.
&#8220;I am truly sorry that my words have caused hurt amongst my colleagues,&#8221; he said in a statement.

&#8216;ZOOM FATIGUE&#8217;
Among the raft of new initiatives, NatWest has seen 5,500 staff sign up for online therapy courses just six months since launch.
Lloyds has signed up 13,000 people to meditation app Headspace, while Monzo offers online yoga and started classes on meditation and managing stress this year.
BNY has increased leave for carers and introduced virtual &#8220;tea and talk&#8221; sessions.
&#8220;Every business in the world has now got mental health on its boardroom agenda. I never thought it would happen this quickly,&#8221; said Poppy Jaman, chief executive of the City Mental Health Alliance.
&#8220;As we face a global mental health crisis, 2021 must be the year that every business takes action.&#8221;
The limitations of online support have, however, been exposed during the pandemic.
&#8220;Banks like other sectors have done what they can to mitigate the impact of loneliness by setting up things like pub quizzes, yoga and meditation,&#8221; said Paul Barrett, head of wellbeing at the Bank Workers Charity (BWC).
&#8220;But I&#8217;m not sure they work as well as they might because of &#8216;Zoom fatigue&#8217;. If you&#8217;re using a screen all day, do you then want to use it for a coffee morning?&#8221;
Set up in 1883 to support former and current bank staff, the BWC has seen a spike in calls to its helpline since the pandemic, especially for financial and relationship counselling.
Not all have accessed help, however.
Trade union Unite recently supported a bank call centre worker who suffered from anxiety and said he was laid off for taking longer than the one minute gap allowed between calls.
The union was unable to challenge the decision as the person had been there less than two years, Unite&#8217;s national officer Dominic Hook said. Reuters was unable to verify the case.
&#8220;My fear is so many people don&#8217;t see the support available and even if they do, they don&#8217;t have the time to access it,&#8221; Hook said.
Banks contacted by Reuters said mental health challenges should not hold people back in careers and support was accessible 24/7 through employee assistance helplines.
One of the most crucial messages is to tell people they can take time off or work flexible hours if struggling, said Emma Mamo, head of workplace wellbeing at mental health charity Mind.
&#8220;Providing staff with some downtime to rest and recuperate is absolutely vital and can prevent worsening stress, poor mental health, sickness absence, and even falling out of the workplace altogether in the long run,&#8221; she said. (Reporting by Iain Withers; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2021. Click For Restrictions &#8211; https://agency.reuters.com/en/copyright.html
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FOCUS-‘Ok to feel overwhelmed’: banks tackle burnout inflamed by virus

CAPE TOWN, Feb 12 (Reuters) &#8211; South Africa have announced the schedule for a seven-game limited overs tour by Pakistan in April, providing a chance to return to play following Australia’s decision to pull out of a three-test series in the country next month.
South Africa and Pakistan will contest three One-Day Internationals between Apr. 2-7, which will be followed by four Twenty20 Internationals from Apr. 10-16 to close the home side’s summer season.
All games will be played on the Highveld in either Johannesburg or Pretoria, with the teams entering a bio-secure environment to quarantine from Mar. 26.
The series will provide much-needed revenue for Cricket South Africa, who are reeling from the financial fall-out of Australia’s withdrawal, the latter citing COVID-19 fears.
&#8220;We are delighted to help assist our fellow member countries in their plight to survive. We all have a collective responsibility to look after the game and its welfare together as ICC Members,&#8221; Pakistan’s director of international cricket Zakir Khan said in a media release from CSA on Friday.
South Africa recently completed a two-test tour of Pakistan and are currently engaged in a three-match Twenty20 series. It is their first visit to the country since a militant attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in 2009.
Pakistan tour schedule to South Africa:
Apr. 2: 1st ODI, Pretoria
Apr. 4: 2nd ODI, Johannesburg
Apr. 7: 3rd ODI, Pretoria
Apr. 10: 1st T20, Johannesburg
Apr. 12: 2nd T20, Johannesburg
Apr. 14: 3rd T20, Pretoria
Apr. 16: 4th T20, Pretoria (Reporting by Nick Said Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2021. Click For Restrictions &#8211; https://agency.reuters.com/en/copyright.html
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&nbsp;

Cricket-South Africa announce Pakistan limited overs tour in April

* Financial executives open up about personal struggles
* Companies step up support during COVID-19 crisis
* Help not always reaching frontline, junior staff
By Iain Withers
LONDON, Feb 12 (Reuters) &#8211; From a burned-out bank boss to call centre workers isolated at home, the financial sector is suffering a surge in mental health issues exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite the industry&#8217;s cut-throat reputation, senior bankers have responded to the extra strain by rolling out additional help and opening up about their own vulnerabilities.
&#8220;It&#8217;s okay to feel overwhelmed by what life is throwing at me and mine,&#8221; wrote Susan Revell, deputy chair of the $41 trillion asset Bank of New York Mellon&#8217;s Europe, Middle East and Africa business.
In a handwritten note Revell, along with other BNY colleagues, shared personal experiences with the institution&#8217;s 48,500 staff. She juggles work with caring for elderly relatives and other family struck with ill health and redundancy.
&#8220;You can&#8217;t pour from an empty cup,&#8221; Revell told Reuters. &#8220;If I&#8217;m not in good shape then I can&#8217;t support either my family or my colleagues.&#8221;
Her note encouraged colleagues from Brazil to Hong Kong to share their own stories and advice.
While banks have for several years been paying greater attention to wellbeing, new initiatives from free therapy to online yoga have proliferated during the pandemic &#8211; though they are not always reaching junior staff.
In England, a major global banking centre, as many as 10 million people will need new or additional mental health support, The Centre for Mental Health charity says.

SPOTTING SIGNS
One high-profile bank boss to open up was digital lender Monzo&#8217;s founder Tom Blomfield who found managing a fast-growing start-up too much once COVID-19 piled the stress on. The 35-year-old stepped down as CEO last year to become president and left completely in January.
&#8220;On the Friday that London went into lockdown, three separate funds phoned me up and said: &#8216;Look, this investment&#8217;s not going ahead,'&#8221; he recounted to The Guardian.
&#8220;I was stressed, definitely. I suffered anxiety that impacted my sleep. Did I border on depression at times? I don&#8217;t know &#8230; There&#8217;s this myth of the superhero founder who sleeps four hours a night and reads 500 books a year and is up hiking before dawn kind of garbage. If it&#8217;s true, I&#8217;ve never met that person.&#8221;
Helping to reduce stigma, other executives to share their battles in recent years include Lloyds CEO Antonio Horta-Osorio who took leave for stress-induced insomnia in 2011 and former Virgin Money boss Jayne-Anne Gadhia who had post-natal depression.
&#8220;Constantly talking about this helps to make it a safe environment to bring issues up,&#8221; said Helen Cook, chief HR officer at NatWest where colleagues at all levels have shared and offered support among themselves.
Despite progress, charities and unions say employers must make extra effort to look out for staff.
Picking up on signs is hard with homeworking, so banks including Goldman Sachs and Lloyds have staff on the lookout virtually.
&#8220;We train our mental health first aiders to look out for body language cues,&#8221; said Goldman Sachs executive director Beth Robotham, who has spoken publicly about her own past anxiety attacks.
&#8220;In a virtual environment, lots of the same rules apply, but it&#8217;s more difficult &#8211; for instance it&#8217;s much easier to lose eye contact. But you may notice the person opts out of being on screen and you&#8217;re not sure why, or they seem heavily distracted when they weren&#8217;t before, or are showing up late.&#8221;
Recruiters say mental health is now more likely to come up in hiring discussions, but candidates are still rarely open about existing conditions.
&#8220;Examples from leaders are hugely influential and helpful. However, people who are still en route to proving themselves in their career are hesitant to do the same,&#8221; said Sophie Scholes, a partner at headhunter Heidrick &amp; Struggles.
&#8220;This particularly applies to recruitment processes where candidates are nervous to self-identify and mostly would choose not to.&#8221;
Other evidence suggests old attitudes die hard in top ranks.
Bill Michael, UK chairman of big four accountancy firm KPMG, stepped aside this week pending an investigation after the Financial Times newspaper reported he had told consultants to &#8220;stop moaning&#8221; about the pandemic.
In a statement, Michael said: &#8220;I am sorry for the words I used, which did not reflect what I believe in, and I have apologised to my colleagues.&#8221;

&#8216;ZOOM FATIGUE&#8217;
Among the raft of new initiatives, NatWest has seen 5,500 staff sign up for online therapy courses just six months since launch.
Lloyds has signed up 13,000 people to meditation app Headspace, while Monzo offers online yoga and started classes on meditation and managing stress this year.
BNY has increased leave for carers and introduced virtual &#8220;tea and talk&#8221; sessions.
&#8220;Every business in the world has now got mental health on its boardroom agenda. I never thought it would happen this quickly,&#8221; said Poppy Jaman, chief executive of the City Mental Health Alliance.
&#8220;As we face a global mental health crisis, 2021 must be the year that every business takes action.&#8221;
The limitations of online support have, however, been exposed during the pandemic.
&#8220;Banks like other sectors have done what they can to mitigate the impact of loneliness by setting up things like pub quizzes, yoga and meditation,&#8221; said Paul Barrett, head of wellbeing at the Bank Workers Charity (BWC).
&#8220;But I&#8217;m not sure they work as well as they might because of &#8216;Zoom fatigue&#8217;. If you&#8217;re using a screen all day, do you then want to use it for a coffee morning?&#8221;
Set up in 1883 to support former and current bank staff, the BWC has seen a spike in calls to its helpline since the pandemic, especially for financial and relationship counselling.
Not all have accessed help, however.
Trade union Unite recently supported a bank call centre worker who suffered from anxiety and said he was laid off for taking longer than the one minute gap allowed between calls.
The union was unable to challenge the decision as the person had been there less than two years, Unite&#8217;s national officer Dominic Hook said. Reuters was unable to verify the case.
&#8220;My fear is so many people don&#8217;t see the support available and even if they do, they don&#8217;t have the time to access it,&#8221; Hook said.
Banks contacted by Reuters said mental health challenges should not hold people back in careers and support was accessible 24/7 through employee assistance helplines.
One of the most crucial messages is to tell people they can take time off or work flexible hours if struggling, said Emma Mamo, head of workplace wellbeing at mental health charity Mind.
&#8220;Providing staff with some downtime to rest and recuperate is absolutely vital and can prevent worsening stress, poor mental health, sickness absence, and even falling out of the workplace altogether in the long run,&#8221; she said. (Reporting by Iain Withers; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2021. Click For Restrictions &#8211; https://agency.reuters.com/en/copyright.html
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&nbsp;

Feb 12 (Reuters) &#8211; Africa-focussed fuel retailer Vivo Energy on Friday forecast its full-year core earnings above the top end of the market&#8217;s expectations as COVID-19 curbs eased, and said it intends to recommend a dividend of 3.8 cents per share for 2020.
Vivo, which distributes Shell and Engen-branded fuels and lubricants, said it expects adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization above the top end of market estimate of $331 million-$354 million. (Reporting by Shanima A in Bengaluru; editing by Uttaresh.V)
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2021. Click For Restrictions &#8211; https://agency.reuters.com/en/copyright.html
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Vivo Energy expects annual core earnings above market view

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/GettyImages-1230721874-820x547.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-397138" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/GettyImages-1230721874-820x547.jpeg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/GettyImages-1230721874-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/GettyImages-1230721874-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/GettyImages-1230721874-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/GettyImages-1230721874-scaled.jpeg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>A link to Google&#8217;s proposal to a workable news code on the company&#8217;s homepage, arranged on an iPhone in Sydney, Australia, on Friday, Jan. 22, 2021. Google threatened to disable its search engine in Australia if its forced to pay local publishers for news, a dramatic escalation of a months-long standoff with the government. Photographer: David Gray/Bloomberg via Getty Images</figcaption></figure>



SYDNEY, Feb 12 (Reuters) &#8211; Google&#8217;s threatened shutdown of its search engine in Australia over a proposed content licensing law would ripple across industries, saddling partners like Apple with a sudden revenue gap and retailers as varied as affordable Kmart to upmarket David Jones with a supply of potentially useless gadgets.



The Alphabet Inc-owned company last month said it would likely pull its core search function from Australia if the government pushes ahead with a plan to require it and Facebook Inc to pay media companies an indeterminate fee for news snippets shown on their services.



Google and Facebook are fighting the first-of-its-kind &#8220;News Media Bargaining Code&#8221; as other countries consider similar efforts to aid publishers that have lost ad sales to the tech companies. In a sign of the Australian effort&#8217;s potential to shake up the industry, Microsoft Corp &#8211; whose Bing search engine stands to benefit from any Google retreat &#8211; on Thursday called for the United States to adopt a similar law.



Australian lawmakers have said the law is needed to help media firms stay afloat and so will press forward despite the threat, which Google formalised in a securities filing last week that stated forced bargaining &#8220;could result in our having to alter or withdraw products and services&#8221;. Final passage of the legislation could come as early as next week.



Google is pitching its own payment program with terms it can better control, and last month reached a deal with major publishers in France as well as Reuters.



In Australia, Google users, advertisers and business partners have begun to worry about losing Google, which has a 94% share of the country&#8217;s search market. The interconnected nature of Google&#8217;s products means that devices including Android phones, Chromebook laptops and Nest smart speakers could be impaired without search.



&#8220;If Google&#8217;s search function no long longer exists in Australia, that will remove a lot of the features I use on Google Nest,&#8221; said Margaret Morgan, a screenwriter from Sydney who keeps a speaker in most rooms of her house and owns a Google Pixel smartphone.



Google declined to comment for this story. The company has argued that being able to link to other websites for free is essential to search and many other free services that benefit Australians.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">REASON TO WORRY</h2>



The many companies that get paid in one way or another from Google search revenue have reason to worry, too. Apple Inc , for one, receives billions of dollars globally to set Google as the default search program on iPhones, the Safari web browser and the Siri voice assistant, U.S. antitrust authorities have said.



Browser makers including Mozilla and Opera get revenue share from Google, as do internet carriers in Australia such as TPG Telecom Ltd&#8217;s iinet, Singapore Telecommunications Ltd&#8217;s Optus and Telstra Corp.



The various partners did not respond to requests for comment or declined to comment.



Exact terms of such deals could not be learned, but estimates based on publicly available information showed that half-a-billion dollars or more could be at stake.



Total search ad revenue in Australia is pegged at about $3 billion for 2021 by researcher eMarketer, with almost all of that going to Google. The company paid out about 22% of its global ad revenue to search and other partners last year, financial statements showed.



In the United Kingdom, with about 2-1/2 times the population of Australia, Google spent $1.5 billion to become the default search engine on a variety of devices in 2019.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">GADGET HIT</h2>



Australian electronics chains such as JB Hi-Fi Ltd, Harvey Norman Holdings Ltd and Wesfarmers Ltd-owned Officeworks could also take a hit because they stock gadgets that have Google&#8217;s search engine built-in. The same goes for department store chains like Wesfarmers&#8217; Kmart, Woolworths Group Ltd&#8217;s Big W, and David Jones, which is owned by South Africa&#8217;s unrelated Woolworths Holdings Ltd.



Though Pixel phones hold just 2% of Australia&#8217;s smartphone market, Nest speakers dominate with a 61% share, or 1.6 million households. Nearly a million Australians among a population of 25 million use five or more Google-owned services, technology analysis firm Telsyte said.



Search is &#8220;fundamental to Google&#8217;s business model across all its products,&#8221; said Foad Fadaghi, managing director of Telsyte.



Retailers have began seeking reassurance from Google about its products&#8217; functionality if search disappears, though none have cancelled or returned orders, two people with knowledge of the communications told Reuters.



Google also has smaller search partnerships. Software vendors Hey You and Redcat enable restaurants to solicit orders via buttons that accompany search results, and the Australian Football League has let fans vote on awards through search.



Redcat sales and marketing director Lawrence Pelletier said the year-old search integration drives 15,000 orders a month, mostly from new customers.



&#8220;Would it be crippling if Google left? No. Would it be frustrating? Yes,&#8221; Pelletier said.



Hey You Chief Executive Uzair Moosa said he is exploring alternatives, but Google&#8217;s largest search rival, Bing, does not offer a comparable tool.



Catherine Rowlands, a nurse from Sydney with a Pixel phone, told Reuters she feared what was to come.



&#8220;My phone without Google,&#8221; she said, &#8220;might as well be an old Nokia or something that just makes phone calls.&#8221; (Reporting by Byron Kaye in Sydney and Paresh Dave in Oakland, Calif.; Editing by Jonathan Weber and Christopher Cushing)



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Google Threatens to Remove Search in Australia as Spat Escalates

Google partners brace for hit as search giant threatens Australia exit

* Gold up 0.5% so far this week * Platinum set for best week since early Dec * Chinese new year holiday keeps trading muted (Adds comments, details, updates prices) By Sumita Layek Feb 12 (Reuters) &#8211; Gold eased on Friday as the dollar and Treasury yields edged higher, but prices were on course for their best week in three as hopes of more U.S. stimulus underpinned the metal. Spot gold dipped 0.3% to $1,820.73 per ounce by 0245 GMT. Prices were up 0.5% so far this week. U.S. gold futures slipped 0.3% to $1,821.10. &#8220;The U.S. jobs numbers sort of talked some sense of inflation risk out of the market and that may have weighed on gold,&#8221; said IG Market analyst Kyle Rodda. U.S. jobless claims fell slightly last week but were stuck at elevated levels. &#8220;The bigger picture should be positive for gold because of the current monetary and fiscal policy mix, but despite all the tailwind gold&#8217;s just grinding lower, so it&#8217;s not a very constructive view for the time being,&#8221; Rodda said. Trading remained muted as many parts of Asia remained closed for the Chinese new year holiday. The dollar and benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury yields ticked higher, reducing gold&#8217;s appeal. U.S. President Joe Biden plans to ask Congress this month to invest heavily in infrastructure after his $1.9 trillion COVID-19 aid package makes its way through. Gold remains supported &#8220;as the spectre of stimulus measures in the U.S. rises,&#8221; ANZ analysts said in a note. Spot platinum fell 1.9% to $1,211.01 an ounce as investors booked some profits after prices scaled an over 6-year peak of $1,268.88 on Thursday. But the autocatalyst metal was set to post its best week since early December, with a gain of 7.6%. &#8220;Sentiment remains strong,&#8221; ANZ said, adding stricter global emission rules and a disruption at a major refinery in largest producer South Africa should keep the metal in deficit this year. Silver fell 0.2% to $26.89 and palladium was steady at $2,344.38. (Reporting by Sumita Layek in Bengaluru; Editing by Krishna Chandra Eluri) 
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PRECIOUS-Gold eases as dollar rises, still on track for best week in three

Feb 12 (OPTA) &#8211; Scores from the PGA Tour AT&amp;T Pebble Beach Pro-Am on Thursday -10 Patrick Cantlay (USA) 62 -8 Akshay Bhatia (USA) 64 Henrik Norlander (Sweden) 64 -7 Nate Lashley (USA) 65 Jordan Spieth (USA) 65 -6 Will Gordon (USA) 66 Mark Hubbard (USA) 66 Russell Knox (Scotland) 66 Tom Lewis (England) 66 Brian Stuard (USA) 66 -5 Daniel Berger (USA) 67 Brandon Hagy (USA) 67 Brian Harman (USA) 67 Tom Hoge (USA) 67 Matt Jones (Australia) 67 Hunter Mahan (USA) 67 Cameron Percy (Australia) 67 Vaughn Taylor (USA) 67 Michael Thompson (USA) 67 Cameron Tringale (USA) 67 Tim Wilkinson (New Zealand) 67 -4 Bronson Burgoon (USA) 68 Paul Casey (England) 68 Jason Dufner (USA) 68 Chesson Hadley (USA) 68 Jim Herman (USA) 68 Si Woo Kim (Korea Republic) 68 Maverick McNealy (USA) 68 Ryan Moore (USA) 68 Ben Taylor (England) 68 Vincent Whaley (USA) 68 -3 Mark Anderson (USA) 69 Scott Brown (USA) 69 Jason Day (Australia) 69 Luke Donald (England) 69 Doug Ghim (USA) 69 Charley Hoffman (USA) 69 Max Homa (USA) 69 Chris Kirk (USA) 69 Patton Kizzire (USA) 69 Francesco Molinari (Italy) 69 Pat Perez (USA) 69 Scott Piercy (USA) 69 Scott Stallings (USA) 69 Brendan Steele (USA) 69 Kevin Streelman (USA) 69 Nick Taylor (Canada) 69 Josh Teater (USA) 69 D.J. Trahan (USA) 69 Peter Uihlein (USA) 69 Harold Varner III (USA) 69 Will Zalatoris (USA) 69 -2 Ryan Armour (USA) 70 Aaron Baddeley (Australia) 70 Brian Gay (USA) 70 Bill Haas (USA) 70 Hank Lebioda (USA) 70 C.T. Pan (China PR) 70 Rory Sabbatini (South Africa) 70 John Senden (Australia) 70 Kyle Stanley (USA) 70 -1 Roberto Castro (USA) 71 Austin Cook (USA) 71 Joel Dahmen (USA) 71 Jim Furyk (USA) 71 Brice Garnett (USA) 71 Branden Grace (South Africa) 71 Bo Hoag (USA) 71 J.B. Holmes (USA) 71 Michael Kim (USA) 71 Nelson Ledesma (Argentina) 71 Troy Merritt (USA) 71 Wes Roach (USA) 71 Kevin Stadler (USA) 71 0 Chris Baker (USA) 72 Sam Burns (USA) 72 Greg Chalmers (Australia) 72 Kevin Chappell (USA) 72 K.J. Choi (Korea Republic) 72 Tyler Duncan (USA) 72 Rickie Fowler (USA) 72 Michael Gellerman (England) 72 Scott Harrington (USA) 72 Beau Hossler (USA) 72 Andrew Landry (USA) 72 Adam Long (USA) 72 Denny McCarthy (USA) 72 Tyler Mccumber (USA) 72 Rob Oppenheim (USA) 72 D.A. Points (USA) 72 Seamus Power (Republic of Ireland) 72 Andrew Putnam (USA) 72 Patrick Rodgers (USA) 72 Zack Sucher (USA) 72 Martin Trainer (USA) 72 Jhonattan Vegas (Venezuela) 72 1 Kiradech Aphibarnrat (Thailand) 73 Joseph Bramlett (USA) 73 Ryan Brehm (USA) 73 Rafa Cabrera Bello (Spain) 73 James Hahn (USA) 73 Kevin Hall (USA) 73 David Hearn (Canada) 73 Sung-hoon Kang (Korea Republic) 73 Kelly Kraft (USA) 73 Tom Lehman (USA) 73 Peter Malnati (USA) 73 Grayson Murray (USA) 73 Seung-Yul Noh (Korea Republic) 73 Sean O&#8217;Hair (USA) 73 Andy Ogletree (USA) 73 Rod Pampling (Australia) 73 Ted Potter Jr (USA) 73 Chase Seiffert (USA) 73 Kristoffer Ventura (Norway) 73 Jimmy Walker (USA) 73 Xinjun Zhang (China PR) 73 2 Sangmoon Bae (Korea Republic) 74 Ryan Blaum (USA) 74 Jonathan Byrd (USA) 74 Rafael Campos (Puerto Rico) 74 Stewart Cink (USA) 74 Cameron Davis (Australia) 74 Fabian Gomez (Argentina) 74 Satoshi Kodaira (Japan) 74 Phil Mickelson (USA) 74 Keith Mitchell (USA) 74 Matthew NeSmith (USA) 74 Alex Noren (Sweden) 74 Chez Reavie (USA) 74 Davis Riley (USA) 74 Roger Sloan (Canada) 74 Brandt Snedeker (USA) 74 Nick Watney (USA) 74 3 Ricky Barnes (USA) 75 Sebastian Cappelen (Denmark) 75 Michael Gligic (Canada) 75 Kramer Hickok (USA) 75 Harry Higgs (USA) 75 Ben Martin (USA) 75 Adam Schenk (USA) 75 J.J. Spaun (USA) 75 4 Rhein Gibson (Australia) 76 Jim Knous (USA) 76 Min Woo Lee (Australia) 76 Sam Ryder (USA) 76 Shawn Stefani (USA) 76 5 David Duval (USA) 77 Matt Every (USA) 77 Matthew John Gogel (USA) 77 Bo Van Pelt (USA) 77 Johnson Wagner (USA) 77 6 Dominic Bozzelli (USA) 78 7 Kenny Pigman (USA) 79 8 John Daly (USA) 80 9 Kamaiu Johnson (USA) 81 
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PGA Tour AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am Scores

RAMAPHOSA SAY HAS SECURED 12 MLN DOSES FROM COVAX FACILITY FOR SOUTH AFRICA
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RAMAPHOSA SAY HAS SECURED 12 MLN DOSES FROM COVAX FACILITY FOR SOUTH AFRICA

Feb 11 (OPTA) &#8211; Scoreboard at close of play of 1st t20i between Pakistan and South Africa on Thursday at Lahore, Pakistan Pakistan win by 3 runs Pakistan 1st innings Mohammad Rizwan Not Out 104 Babar Azam Run Out Bjorn Fortuin 0 Haider Ali c Jacques Snyman b Andile Phehlukwayo 21 Hussain Talat st Heinrich Klaasen b Tabraiz Shamsi 15 Iftikhar Ahmed c Reeza Hendricks b Bjorn Fortuin 4 Khushdil Shah c Bjorn Fortuin b Lutho Sipamla 12 Faheem Ashraf c David Miller b Andile Phehlukwayo 4 Mohammad Nawaz Not Out 3 Extras 1b 3lb 0nb 0pen 2w 6 Total (20.0 overs) 169-6 Fall of Wickets : 1-1 Azam, 2-37 Ali, 3-69 Talat, 4-99 Ahmed, 5-134 Shah, 6-143 Ashraf Did Not Bat : Qadir, Afridi, Rauf Bowling Ov Md Rn Wk Econ Ex Bjorn Fortuin 3 0 25 1 8.33 Dwaine Pretorius 2 0 13 0 6.50 Andile Phehlukwayo 4 0 33 2 8.25 Lutho Sipamla 4 0 37 1 9.25 Jacques Snyman 1 0 12 0 12.00 Junior Dala 2 0 25 0 12.50 1w Tabraiz Shamsi 4 0 20 1 5.00 1w &#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230; South Africa 1st innings Janneman Malan b Usman Qadir 44 Reeza Hendricks Run Out Mohammad Rizwan 54 Jacques Snyman b Usman Qadir 2 David Miller c Mohammad Rizwan b Faheem Ashraf 6 Heinrich Klaasen c Hussain Talat b Haris Rauf 12 Andile Phehlukwayo c Haider Ali b Haris Rauf 14 Dwaine Pretorius Not Out 15 Bjorn Fortuin Not Out 17 Extras 0b 0lb 0nb 0pen 2w 2 Total (20.0 overs) 166-6 Fall of Wickets : 1-53 Malan, 2-61 Snyman, 3-83 Miller, 4-115 Klaasen, 5-134 Hendricks, 6-139 Phehlukwayo Did Not Bat : Dala, Sipamla, Shamsi Bowling Ov Md Rn Wk Econ Ex Mohammad Nawaz 4 0 21 0 5.25 1w Haris Rauf 4 0 44 2 11.00 1w Shaheen Afridi 4 0 37 0 9.25 Usman Qadir 4 0 21 2 5.25 Khushdil Shah 1 0 6 0 6.00 Faheem Ashraf 3 0 37 1 12.33 &#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;.. Umpire Ahsan Raza Umpire Aleem Dar Video Shozab Raza Match Referee Muhammad Malik 
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South Africa in Pakistan 2021 Scoreboard

(Fixing story identifier to match picture)
By Nikolaj Skydsgaard
COPENHAGEN, Feb 11 (Reuters) &#8211; Denmark&#8217;s top court will on Thursday begin an appeal hearing in which it will be asked to decide if coughing at someone while shouting &#8220;corona&#8221; constitutes threatening behaviour.
The 20-year-old defendant in the case was arrested in March, when the country was under a full coronavirus lockdown, after subjecting police to what prosecutors called the &#8220;ruthless and thoughtless&#8221; actions during a routine traffic stop. He subsequently tested negative for COVID-19.
First acquitted in a local court, he was later convicted of the offence at Denmark&#8217;s Western High Court and, at his Supreme Court appeal against that conviction, prosecutors are seeking jail term of three to five months.
Other similar incidents of coughing directed at police were reported in Denmark last year, in part a reflection of simmering public discontent in some quarters against the government&#8217;s handling of the COVID-19 crisis.
The government, which says it follows a &#8220;precautionary principle&#8221; in managing the virus, enjoyed almost unequivocal public support for swift action against COVID-19 early last year.
But opposition parties have begun to question what some consider an overly cautious approach as infection rates fall, and 30% of Danes now think the government&#8217;s measures are too far-reaching, according to a recent Aarhus University study.
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen this week said lifting the lockdown required &#8220;complete epidemic control&#8221;.
In recent months, thousands have taken to the streets in protests, some violent, calling for authorities to ease lockdown curbs which they say limit their freedom and are crippling businesses.
Virologists, health authorities and the government have defended the current curbs &#8211; which have locked down most of the county apart from essential shops &#8211; as vital to contain more infectious coronavirus variants, notably ones first identified in Britain and South Africa, that have reached Denmark.
Just 470 COVID-19 cases were registered in the last 24 hours, down from thousands of daily infections late last year, but the share of people infected with the British variant is on the rise.
Denmark has in total registered just over 200,000 coronavirus infections, with 2,269 related deaths.
The Supreme Court is expected to give its verdict in the coughing case on Feb. 18.
(Reporting by Nikolaj Skydsgaard; editing by John Stonestreet)
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REPEAT-Is coughing a crime? Danish court hears appeal against pandemic-linked conviction

* Spread between South Africa&#8217;s short and long-term bonds narrows
* Better tax revenue may ease Treasury&#8217;s budget shortfall
* Foreign investors lured back by high yields
By Mfuneko Toyana
JOHANNESBURG, Feb 11 (Reuters) &#8211; Easing bond yields, which have lowered the South Africa&#8217;s long term borrowing costs, coupled with improved tax revenues, may see the country avoid issuing a Eurobond this year.
Yields on the country&#8217;s 10 and 20 year bonds , have fallen by between 30 and 50 basis points over the last month, and by about ten times that since March.
Much of the country&#8217;s COVID-19 borrowing has been at the short-end of the bond curve. Falling long-term yields, and renewed demand for yield by foreign investors, may however tempt the country to lock-in lower rates now.
A handful of emerging market countries, like Egypt in Africa and Mexico in Latin America, have already issued Eurobonds in 2021.
South Africa last tapped foreign markets in 2019 for $5 billion.
&#8220;While the international debt market is an attractive financing option given the low rates, Treasury will be cautious of the FX risk attached to issuing foreign currency debt,&#8221; said Kirean Siney of ETM Analytics.
Loans from the International Monetary Fund and other multi-lateral banks of around $5.5 billion along with increased local bond issuance, covered the budget shortfall last year.
A surprise jump in tax revenue could see Treasury achieve a surplus of between 45 and 100 billion rand, covering the 2021 budget gap, which includes a COVID-19 vaccine roll out that Treasury estimates could cost up 24 billion rand.
&#8220;Treasury is already issuing more than 100 billion more rand-denominated debt than it actually needs to fund the budget deficit,&#8221; said Nedbank&#8217;s Reezwana Sumad.
&#8220;With a lower financing requirement, extra issuance carried forward into 2021/22, and already having secured R85bn in foreign loans in 2020/21, Treasury may not need to raise new foreign currency debt.&#8221;
There are, however, concerns of waning local investor appetite for government debt and calls for Treasury to lower weekly auction amounts.
&#8220;We think it is too early for that,&#8221; said Vladimir Demishev, senior fixed income trader at Sova Capital. &#8220;Treasury will most likely use the opportunity to issue more.&#8221;
(Reporting by Mfuneko Toyana; Editing by Toby Chopra)
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Falling yields, higher tax revenues may see South Africa avoid foreign bond

By Marc Jones
LONDON, Feb 11 (Reuters) &#8211; Rating agency Fitch is likely to downgrade any country that follows Ethiopia and applies to use a new debt relief programme from the G20 group of major economies, one of its top analysts said on Thursday.
Fitch chopped Ethiopia&#8217;s credit score by two notches this week after Addis Ababa signalled it could be the first with an international government bond to use a new G20 &#8216;Common Framework&#8217; plan.
The scheme, which is open to over 70 of the world&#8217;s poorest countries, encourages their governments to defer or negotiate down their external debt as part of a wider debt relief programme.
&#8220;It would be likely that any other countries applying under the G20 Common Framework would be considered along the same lines as Ethiopia,&#8221; Fitch&#8217;s head of Middle East and Africa sovereign ratings, Jan Friederich, told Reuters.
The only reason not to downgrade he said would be if the agency was confident that private sector creditors who hold the bonds that credit ratings apply to were not going to be affected. That seems unlikely however in the most debt-strained cases.
&#8220;There is a lot of push from the public sector (major governments and the International Monetary Fund) for countries to use these instruments which are being offered.&#8221;
&#8220;We have had interactions with the official side that showed clear frustration about the lack of private sector involvement.&#8221;
Any country that did go on to defer or write down its private sector debt would be put into default.
Along with Ethiopia Fitch currently has the likes of Congo, Gabon, Mozambique and Angola in the default danger zone CCC rating category. the IMF also flags Kenya, Ghana, Cameroon and Cape Verde as at &#8216;high risk&#8217; of debt distress.
Friederich thinks there are differences though, especially Ghana and Kenya which appear particularly keen to retain access to the international capital markets.
&#8220;We are obviously looking at all the countries that are eligible for the G20 Common Framework and whether it is plausible, or even likely, that they will join.&#8221;
&#8220;But Ethiopia is a bit of specific case and the implications for ratings (more broadly) shouldn&#8217;t be exaggerated either.&#8221; (Reporting by Marc Jones; Editing by Toby Chopra)
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Countries taking new G20 debt relief path face Ethiopia-style downgrades – Fitch

By Rina Chandran
BANGKOK, Feb 11 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) &#8211; From legislative loopholes to cultural norms, women worldwide still face barriers in accessing land, researchers said on Thursday, despite evidence that tenure rights can protect them from the worsening effects of climate change.
Women make up more than half the global population that relies almost exclusively on land and natural resources for a livelihood. Yet worldwide, only 14% of agricultural landowners are women &#8211; with an even smaller share in Africa and East Asia.
Even in countries that recognise women&#8217;s tenure rights, they often face practical and social barriers such as negative perceptions about their abilities, said a report from the World Resources Institute (WRI) thinktank and Resource Equity, a non-profit.
&#8220;Women have deep historical knowledge of their community lands, and as the ones responsible for working the land, they know how to manage it, and ensure it stays productive,&#8221; said Celine Salcedo-La Vina, a research associate at WRI.
Yet policies generally focus on individual rights to household or agricultural land, said Salcedo-La Vina, adding that securing women&#8217;s access to communal resources would boost their food security and resilience to climate shocks including drought.
&#8220;When women have a seat at the table, their communities see benefits including &#8230; food security, investments in children&#8217;s health and education, and land management – all of which contribute to a community&#8217;s ability to be resilient to climate change.&#8221;
As countries bolster economies battered by the coronavirus pandemic, more communal resources may be privatised, hurting rural communities who do not have formal titles.
Securing women&#8217;s rights to these resources can help better protect them, said Salcedo-La Vina, who studied communities in Cameroon, Mexico, Indonesia, Nepal and Jordan, where women have these rights.
In Indonesia&#8217;s Riau province, an indigenous community with customary forest rights has provided more livelihood options for the youth and protected the forest from commercial plantations with formal titles for women, the report showed.
With legally and socially recognised land rights, women also have a greater say in household and community decision-making.
&#8220;Women can use communal lands for collective enterprises that benefit the entire community and provide a financial windfall that increases resilience and autonomy for everyone,&#8221; said Salcedo-La Vina.
&#8220;When this happens, people&#8217;s livelihoods are more secure, and therefore communities are less likely to open up to outside investors and are more empowered to say &#8216;no&#8217; to them.&#8221;
There is a &#8220;moral necessity&#8221; to recognise the role that women play in managing land at the household and community level, said Daniel Hayward, a coordinator of the Mekong Land Research Forum at Chiang Mai University, who was not involved in the study.
&#8220;Women make effective managers of land, and legally empowering them to consolidate control and access can make them important leaders against outside threats &#8211; be they environmental, economic, or political,&#8221; he said.
(Reporting by Rina Chandran @rinachandran; Editing by Zoe Tabary. 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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FOCUS-‘Ok to feel overwhelmed’: banks tackle burnout inflamed by virus

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PRECIOUS-Gold eases as dollar rises, still on track for best week in three

PGA Tour AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am Scores

RAMAPHOSA SAY HAS SECURED 12 MLN DOSES FROM COVAX FACILITY FOR SOUTH AFRICA

South Africa in Pakistan 2021 Scoreboard

REPEAT-Is coughing a crime? Danish court hears appeal against pandemic-linked conviction

Falling yields, higher tax revenues may see South Africa avoid foreign bond

Countries taking new G20 debt relief path face Ethiopia-style downgrades – Fitch

‘Seat at the table’: Women’s land rights seen as key to climate fight

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EXCLUSIVE-EU drugs regulator plans to fast track variant-modified COVID vaccines

Becton Dickinson’s combination test for COVID-19 gets FDA authorization

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EMERGING MARKETS-Rouble slips ahead of central bank meeting, stocks hover at record highs

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Cricket-South Africa announce Pakistan limited overs tour in April

FOCUS-‘Ok to feel overwhelmed’: banks tackle burnout inflamed by virus

Vivo Energy expects annual core earnings above market view

Google partners brace for hit as search giant threatens Australia exit

PRECIOUS-Gold eases as dollar rises, still on track for best week in three

PGA Tour AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am Scores

RAMAPHOSA SAY HAS SECURED 12 MLN DOSES FROM COVAX FACILITY FOR SOUTH AFRICA

South Africa in Pakistan 2021 Scoreboard

REPEAT-Is coughing a crime? Danish court hears appeal against pandemic-linked conviction

Falling yields, higher tax revenues may see South Africa avoid foreign bond

Countries taking new G20 debt relief path face Ethiopia-style downgrades – Fitch

‘Seat at the table’: Women’s land rights seen as key to climate fight

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