The latest focal S:N501 build is now up! It includes data from 4 Jan 2021.

We have new sequences in 501Y.V1/B.1.1.7 from Denmark, Singapore, Australia, Italy, Spain, France, Portugal, Germany, Brazil, Jamaica, Luxembourg, Pakistan & the USA.

1/12

https://t.co/FTjvV7T7wL

Happy Tuesday! The latest focal S:N501 build is now updated with sequences from 11 Jan.
There are 101 new sequences in the 501Y.V1 (B.1.1.7 #b117) & 501Y.V2 variants.

Additionally, I'll include some updates on S:E484K in this thread.

1/20

https://t.co/dXx6nk6Llz

There are 97 new non-UK sequences in 501Y.V1, including the first sequences in the cluster from Slovakia, Mexico, & Belgium, plus additional sequences from the Netherlands, Denmark, Australia, Spain, Ireland, & Sweden.

2/20

Slovakia has 10 sequences that fall in 501Y.V1 for the first time. These are closely linked, & likely indicate a single introduction and ongoing transmission (remember: vertical distance is not meaningful on the same branch - position of the 2 English samples is arbitrary).

3/20

Belgium has 5 sequences in 501Y.V1 for the 1st time, indicating 3 separate intros. 3 seqs cluster together (zoomed, divergence), indicating a single introduction. The connection to Netherlands might indicate transmission, or 2 transmissions from same diversity in the UK.

4/20

Mexico also has a sequence that falls into 501Y.V1 for the first time.

5/20

The S:N501 build is now updated with data from 25th Jan.

Remember, you can always check on any country by just typing that country name in the 'Filter' box on the left menu!

1/18

https://t.co/FTjvV7T7wL

In the 501Y.V1 (B.1.1.7) variant, here are a few of the non-UK countries with new sequences in this variant, including Denmark, Italy, Spain, France, Portugal, Norway, Germany, the USA, South Kora, & Switzerland, & the UAE, Austria, & Czech Republic for the 1st time

2/18

Denmark has 52 new samples (some yellow), showing both separate introductions and further spread of existing local clusters.

3/18

Spain has 62 new sequences (orange & yellow). Many of these are separate introductions, and a few new sequences form distinct clusters. Some new sequences also cluster closely with older sequences (green).

4/18

France has 72 new sequences (orange & yellow). These show both separate introductions and clustering with older sequences.

5/18

The latest S:N501 focal build is now up, with data from 28th Dec:

We can see new sequences from Italy, Israel, Spain, France, & Ireland in the SE England variant (501Y.V1) & Switzerland in the South African variant (501Y.V2).

1/8

https://t.co/PEU7dhptO6

In 501Y.V1 (SE England variant), we can see 1 new sequence from France & Spain, each. The French sample has a travel history to the UK.

3 new sequences are from Israel (marked 1 & 2). Zooming in on '2' (divergence view) shows they are identical, indicating 1 introduction.

2/8

There are 7 new sequences from Ireland, found roughly in 5 places on the tree (4 are singletons, 3 cluster together - 2nd 'group' from the top).

These indicate at least 5 introductions, but we need to zoom in on the 3 that cluster to see more clearly.

3/8

Zooming in to the 3 that cluster together (divergence view), shows it can be difficult to distinguish introductions sometimes, especially as we expect strong travel links between the UK & Ireland, & may only be sampling the total diversity present in Ireland.

4/8

14 new sequences from Italy are scattered across the tree - some alone & some clustering.

Zooming in on a few clusters shows some seem to be linked, while others are harder to determine.
4 seem to be clearly linked as 1 introduction.

5/8

Today is “Korean American Day”.

#OTD in 1903, the first large group of Korean immigrants arrived in US-conquered territory. [Thread]

102 Korean men, women, and children arrived in Honolulu aboard the SS Gaelic to work in Hawaii’s sugar plantations. By 1905, Koreans comprised 11% of Hawaii’s plantation workforce—around 7000 people.

This first wave of Korean immigrants arrived amid sharpening imperialist rivalry in the Pacific. Korea had slowly been losing its independence for decades, and by 1903 was just two years away from becoming a protectorate of Japan.

At the same time, the US was consolidating its position in the Pacific, annexing Hawaii, Guam, and the Philippines in 1898, and partitioning Samoa in 1899.

(Pictured: US troops in the Philippines)

US missionaries colluded with the Hawaiian Sugar Planters Association to secure a new, cheap labor force for Hawaii’s sugar fields. Many of the Koreans who arrived in Hawaii from 1903-1905 were Methodists.

Can anyone fathom out how weapons like this make their way into the hands of terrorists in Nigeria?

These weapons are in boxes marked with serial numbers. Where there are serial numbers there are invoices or receipts. Which means it was imported. This is worrisome and raise questions about where the terror groups are sourcing their heavy weapons.

Weapons proliferation was once linked to the fall of Gadaffi. Libya was at one point the main source of arms to terror groups on the continent. For those unaware of the dynamics ill give a brief explanation:

When NATO bombed the crap out of the Gadaffi regime in 2011, Libya lost control of a large part of the stockpile it had amassed in over 40 years. The CIA made several calls for ground troops to be deployed to secure Gadaffi's amoury from falling into the hand of rebel groups.

The French kicked against sending ground troops, saying it will give the impression Libya was under a NATO occupation, Its just not worth the political capital to do so. The CIA made this call TWICE and TWICE it was shut down. The logic was securing those sites

Once again the nighmarish scenario of the Nigerian military not only decimating Boko Haram, but going after ISWAP in the Lake Chad basin has triggered the same sort of activities that preceded the March/April 2020 false flag Maskirovska.

In the early months of 2020 the Nigerian Army recorded unexpectedly significant gains against Boko Haram insurgents. Remember this was the period Boko Haram insurgents were surrendering to the Nigerian army by the hundreds. Who remembers the audio tape of Abubakar Shekau

...weeping to Allah/God for intervention. This was the first time Field artillery troops coordinated with the NAF for round the clock air and artillery bombardment. This affected the morale of BHTs who have never experienced this level of firepower and began surrendering en mass

Things got so bad Shekau sent assassination squads to go after BHT commanders surrendering. This did nothing to deter the exodus of frightened fighters. The army was having a hard time processing the hundreds surrendering. A BHT commander surrendered with his wife and children.

What happened next? Boko Haram supposedly attacked a Chadian Army base, a few kilometres from U.S and French military bases for NINE straight hours. Killed 100 Chadian troops and escaped on canoes with caches of weapon. Think about it. For nine hours the vaunted Chadian army

If Rinu or Marinu has exited the Judicial Panel it is because SHE HAS SEEN THAT THERE WAS NO MASSACRE and she is trying to escape the judgement of us and hers. Us being those who knew all along that LekkiLies was babanla iro & hers are the sorosokes who she won't be able to face

Let us put things in context: She did not belong in that Panel all along. We said it and asked for her to be kicked out. That girl tainted that Panel's proceedings, she was a judge in her own cause. It was her who found a bullet that had not been fired on a visit to the locus/

She is trying to disguise by leaving so that she can come back to her tissue-paper ladled supporters for a pass. They see their undoing-that they are responsible for the deaths of 4 soldiers and about 27 Police Officers and about 50 civilians all over Nigeria who all died because

of their #LekkiLies. All of them have blood on their hands and eternal pain on their consciences. Until they purge themselves of these by apologising to Nigerians, the evil they did will haunt them forever. At 23, someone has become so notorious for evil. Same with the sWitch/

who was asked to bring her evidence to the Panel and did not show up. A frail looking thing who was able to carry dead weights of dead bodies and dropping them at the feet of soldiers who were shooting at her. Perhaps she was under the influence of drugs and was hallucinating/

Welcome to a new Legislative Day in the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria!

Senate President, @DrAhmadLawan leads the Principal Officers into the Chambers, takes the official prayers and begin the day's proceedings at 10:40am.

#TodayInSenatePlenary

Senator Ibrahim Oloriegbe moves for the adoption of Votes and Proceedings for Tuesday, 15th February, 2021.

Senator Ezenwa Onyewuchi seconds.

#TodayInSenatePlenary

Senator Ayo Akinyelure presents18 petitions from the Office of the President of the Senate to the floor of the Senate.

Petitions are laid and referred to the Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions and to report back in six weeks.

#TodayInSenatePlenary

Senator Solomon Adeola {@YAYIAdeola} cites Order 43 to inform the Senate on the demise of Alhaji Lateef Kayode Jakande, the first civilian Governor of Lagos State.