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贊助科科人一杯咖啡 https://pay.firstory.me/user/ckfzpluecnopd0800l0z70bv3經濟學人每日濃縮逐字稿：https://www.economist.com/espressoA United Nations index of global food prices rose for the 12th consecutivemonth, its longest stretch in more than a decade. Since the pandemic began, adrought in Brazil has hit coffee and maize production. Output of vegetable oilin South-East Asia has also stagnated. Meanwhile, soaring meat consumption asChina’s economy rapidly recovers has increased its demand for grain imports.NASA announced two new missions to study Venus, Earth’s closest planetaryneighbour. America’s space agency said it was awarding around $1bn to developthe launches which would take place between 2028 and 2030. One will measure thecomposition of the Venusian atmosphere. The other would map the planet’s surface(which is hot enough to melt lead) to establish why it developed so differentlyfrom Earth’s.America responded to the imposition of digital-service taxes on its tech firmsby levying tariffs on Austria, Britain, India, Italy, Spain and Turkey. That mayhave been more of a negotiating tactic than a genuine threat—Katherine Tai,America’s trade representative, said the tariffs would be suspended for sixmonths to allow for multilateral discussions of tax arrangements.日經亞洲每日疫情追蹤：https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Coronavirus/Coronavirus-Free-to-read/Coronavirus-latest-Indonesia-cancels-hajj-pilgrimage-againThursday, June 3 (Tokyo time)6:00 p.m. Hong Kong's Department of Health has approved a government advisorypanel's suggestion to lower the minimum age for the BioNTech vaccine from 16 to12, citing phase-three clinical data. As of Thursday, about 14% of Hong Kong'spopulation is fully vaccinated.5:00 p.m. Indonesia has canceled the hajj pilgrimage for people in the world'slargest Muslim-majority nation for a second year in a row due to concerns overthe pandemic, the religious affairs minister says. For many Indonesians, thereligious pilgrimage is a once-in-a-lifetime event, with the average wait time20 years due to a quota system."Due to the pandemic and for the safety of the pilgrims, the government hasdecided that this year it won't allow Indonesian pilgrims to go again," theminister said, adding Saudi Arabia had not opened access for the hajj.4:00 p.m. Taiwan reports 583 domestic infections, including 219 cases added torecent days' totals as it reflects delays in reporting positive tests. Thefigure was an increase from 549 reported on Wednesday.3:55 p.m. While Vietnamese Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long shocked the worldon Saturday by hinting that a newly discovered variant could have contributed tooutbreaks within the country, Kidong Park, the WHO representative in Vietnam,told Nikkei Asia on Wednesday, "There is no new hybrid variant in Vietnam atthis moment based on WHO definition."Long had said the government uncovered "a new COVID-19 variant" that combinescharacteristics of two existing variants first found in India and the U.K.1:50 p.m. India reports 134,154 cases in the last 24 hours, the seventh straightday with fewer than 200,000 infections, pushing the country's total to 28.44million. Deaths rose by 2,887 to 337,989. Meanwhile, the health ministry says ithas finalized a deal with domestic vaccine maker Biological-E and ordered 300million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine, which is currently in Phase 3 clinicaltrials. "These vaccine doses will be manufactured and stockpiled by Biological-Efrom August to December 2021," the ministry said in a statement, adding anadvance payment of 15 billion rupees ($205 million) will be made.11:10 a.m. Seiko Hashimoto, president of the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee,has insisted the games must go ahead as planned despite the COVID-19 pandemic."We cannot postpone again," she said in an interview with Japan's Nikkan Sportsnewspaper. The Olympian-turned-politician also rejected the possibility ofcanceling the games.11:00 a.m. South Korea reports 681 cases, up from 677 a day earlier and bringingthe country totals to 142,157 cases, with 1,968 deaths.7:54 a.m. Taiwan's baseball association tweets that it is withdrawing from thefinal Olympic baseball qualifier in Mexico later this month -- an event theisland was due to host itself before tighter COVID-19 border rules prompted avenue change.5:01 a.m. A COVID-19 vaccine summit hosted by Japan and global vaccine allianceGavi secures nearly $2.4 billion, filling a shortfall for delivering 1.8 billionvaccine doses to low-income countries. Japan said it will donate $800 million tothe COVAX facility, in addition to the $200 million the country has alreadydisbursed.Powered by Firstory Hosting

贊助科科人一杯咖啡 https://pay.firstory.me/user/ckfzpluecnopd0800l0z70bv3經濟學人每日濃縮逐字稿：https://www.economist.com/espressoThe World Health Organisation approved Sinovac Biotech’s covid-19 vaccine foremergency use. It recommends that CoronaVac, the Chinese-produced vaccine, begiven to people aged 18 and over, with a second dose two to four weeks later.Over 430m doses of the vaccine have already been administered. WHO approval willallow it to be included in COVAX, the global vaccine-sharing scheme.Joe Biden visited Tulsa, Oklahoma, where hundreds of African-Americans weremassacred by a white mob in 1921. At least 35 blocks of black-ownedbuildings—houses, businesses, a hospital and a school—were burned down. “Formuch too long, the history of what took place here was told in silence, cloakedin darkness,” said the president. “My fellow Americans, this was not a riot,this was a massacre.Pope Francis made the most extensive changes to the Roman Catholic Church’spenal code in four decades. The sweeping reforms widened church law tocriminalise the grooming of minors and broadened the definition of sexual abuseto include the exploitation of adults. Despite formally allowing women toadminister communion and serve at the altar earlier this year, the Pope affirmedthat they cannot be ordained.Canada’s economy continued to recover from the pandemic, with its GDP growing by5.6% at an annual rate in the quarter ending in March. That was slightly belowforecasts made by economists, but still healthy. The rise was buoyed by anincrease in housing spending. Economic activity may slow in this quarter becauseof new lockdowns following a covid-19 wave.House prices in Britain rose by 11% over the past year, the fastest increasesince 2014, according to Nationwide, a building society. Buyers seeking largerproperties and a temporary suspension of property-transaction taxes have fuelleddemand. Lower interest rates have also turbocharged the market, as in America,where the Case-Shiller national house-price index is rising at an annual rate of13%.Katumba Wamala, Uganda’s former army chief and the current minister oftransport, survived an assasination attempt. Four attackers on motorcycles shotat his car in Kampala, the capital. Mr Wamala was wounded in both shoulders; hisdaughter and driver were killed. Such incidents have become common in recentyears in Uganda, where several prominent figures have been gunned down.日經亞洲：https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Coronavirus/Coronavirus-Free-to-read/Coronavirus-latest-Lonza-to-make-Moderna-vaccine-ingredientsWednesday, June 2 (Tokyo time)3:34 p.m. Malaysia reports 7,703 new cases, bringing its total number ofinfections to 587,165. Malaysia is experiencing a corona surge, though caseshave dipped since hitting a record on Saturday.3:08 p.m. Taiwan reports 549 COVID-19 cases, including 177 added to the totalsfor recent days as it continues to readjust its infection numbers followingdelays in reporting positive tests. The total is up from 327 on Tuesday.3:02 p.m. Swiss contract drug maker Lonza says that a new production line in theNetherlands will produce ingredients for Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine, part of theU.S. pharmaceutical's plan to significantly lift output. The line in Geleen willhave the annual capacity to make ingredients for up to 300 million doses at 50micrograms per dose, Lonza says. That is half the 100-microgram dose thatModerna has been delivering to date. Moderna and scientists at the NationalInstitutes of Health have been trying to determine whether doses of thecompany's COVID-19 vaccine can be halved to double the supply.1:16 p.m. India reports a daily rise in new coronavirus infections of 132,788over the past 24 hours, while deaths rose by 3,207. The nation's tally ofinfections now stands at 28.3 million, while the death toll has reached 335,102,health ministry data showed.12:24 p.m. Australia's Victoria state extends a snap COVID-19 lockdown for asecond week in Melbourne in a bid to contain an outbreak of the highlycontagious virus strain first detected in India, but it will ease somerestrictions in other regions. Australia's second-most-populous state wasplunged into lockdown last Thursday, initially until June 3, after the firstlocally acquired cases in three months were detected, infections rose steadilyand those in close contact reached several thousand. "If we let this thing runits course, it will explode," state acting Premier James Merlino told reportersin Melbourne. "This variant of concern will become uncontrollable, and peoplewill die."11:30 a.m. A shipment of coronavirus vaccines to North Korea via the globalCOVAX sharing program that was expected for late May has been delayed again amidprotracted consultations, South Korea's Unification Ministry says. COVAX, whichsecures vaccines for poor countries, has said it will provide nearly 2 milliondoses of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine to North Korea.9:30 a.m. Vietnam is allowing international flights to arrive in Hanoi and HoChi Minh City effective immediately, after a few days of suspension due toCOVID-19, its aviation authority said on Wednesday. The country had initiallybanned incoming international flights to Hanoi's Noi Bai airport for a weekstarting Monday and to Ho Chi Minh City's Tan Son Nhat airport until June 14.The aviation authority did not say why it is resuming flights earlier thanplanned, but most of the COVID-19 cases in the current outbreak are locallytransmitted, not from international passengers.Powered by Firstory Hosting

贊助科科人一杯咖啡： https://pay.firstory.me/user/ckfzpluecnopd0800l0z70bv3經濟學人每日報 https://www.economist.com/espresso逐字稿：Chinese parents will soon be allowed to have a third child (see main stories).The move was one of a range of measures introduced by the Communist Party’sPolitburo to manage the rapid ageing of China’s population. The party’sleadership also agreed to raise the retirement age and to improve pensions andhealth care for the elderly.The World Health Organisation will use the Greek alphabet to refer to variantsof SARS-CoV-2. “Variants of concern” first detected in Britain (B.1.1.7), SouthAfrica (B.1.351), Brazil (P.1) and India (B.1.617.2) will be labelled Alpha,Beta, Gamma and Delta following the order in which they were first reported. TheWHO hopes the system will lessen the stigma on countries detecting new strains.Peru changed the way it calculates covid-19 deaths. In the process its officialmortality rate from the disease became the world’s highest, nearly tripling to500 per 100,000 people. A lack of testing meant the disease had beendramatically undercounted in the country. The new figures are in line with itsexcess-death rate—an often more robust measurement which is rarely incorporatedinto official covid statistics.The OECD revised up its forecast for world economic growth this year from 4.2%to 5.8%. Expansion of 4.4% next year will bring GDP in most places back topre-pandemic levels by the end of 2022. The club of mostly rich countriesadvised governments to switch their efforts from emergency-stimulus schemestowards long-term investment programmes.Annual inflation in Germany reached 2.4% in May. Up from 2.1% in April, thefigure was much higher than economists had forecast. The country’s central bankpredicts that inflation “could temporarily reach 4%” at the end of the year, thehighest level the country has seen since it adopted the euro in 2002.The yuan fell against other currencies after China’s central bank forced banksto hold a greater share of their foreign exchange in reserve. The increase, from5% to 7%, in effect reduces the supply of dollars and other currencies in thecountry. The move is intended to rein in the yuan’s surging value, caused by astrong post-lockdown economic recovery.At least 50 people were killed in two attacks in Ituri province in the east ofthe Democratic Republic of Congo. Local officials blamed ADF, a Ugandan Islamistgroup with ties to ISIS that has been terrorising the region. In a bid torestore peace in early May President Felix Tshisekedi placed Ituri and theneighbouring province of North Kivu under martial law.日經亞洲：https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Tech/Semiconductors/TSMC-s-Japan-project-attracts-over-20-participant-companiesTOKYO -- The Japanese government on Monday was set to finalize a plan in whichit has enlisted Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. to develop cutting-edgechipmaking technologies in Japan.The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has been concerned about theJapanese semiconductor industry's declining position in the global market, whichled it to seek TSMC's cooperation.TSMC, the world's biggest contract chipmaker, intends to bear around half theproject's cost of about 37 billion yen ($337 million). Over 20 Japanesecompanies -- including Ibiden, which is strong in chip packaging -- willparticipate.The Japanese government -- which intends to establish a joint public-privatesector concern to cooperate with TSMC -- expects the effort to pay off withimproved international competitiveness for Japanese industry.Construction of a trial facility will begin this summer at the earliest at theNational Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, in Tsukuba,Ibaraki Prefecture. Full-blown research and development work will begin as earlyas 2022.The chip industry is nearing limits in some crucial areas, including in thethinning of wires so semiconductors can have ever greater processing power.Now the Taiwanese company, which has led the global industry in miniaturization,is embarking on another strategy to make the more powerful and sophisticatedchips of tomorrow -- cooperate with Japanese companies and harness theirstrengths in materials and manufacturing equipment.Part of TSMC's plan is to come up with so-called 3D packaging technology --which vertically layers semiconductors -- and to do so in Japan.Ibiden is a global leader in packaging technology.Other companies participating in the project include Asahi Kasei, a materialsmaker known for its ultrathin wiring; Shin-Etsu Chemical, which makes a newheat-dissipating material; Nagase & Co., a molding materials specialist; andShibaura Mechatronics, a manufacturing equipment producer.There is a significant advantage for Japan's atrophying semiconductor industryto collaborate with TSMC, and the Japanese government intends to partiallyfinance the project by using a fund established to promote the development ofnext-generation semiconductors.It is likely that Japan is cooperating with TSMC on the condition that theTaiwanese company set up a manufacturing operation in Japan.Powered by Firstory Hosting

20210108Wk 1 the Economist digest#科科咖啡館2021直播第一發The Economist經濟學人https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2021/01/08/the-great-covid-19-racehttps://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2021/01/09/why-the-crazy-upward-march-in-stock-prices-might-just-continuehttps://www.economist.com/leaders/2021/01/09/who-should-get-the-jabhttps://www.economist.com/leaders/2021/01/09/what-explains-bitcoins-latest-boomNHKhttps://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20210109/k10012805591000.html?utm_int=all_side_ranking-social_001https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20210109/k10012805651000.html?utm_int=all_side_ranking-social_004https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20210109/k10012805611000.html?utm_int=all_side_ranking-social_005Powered by Firstory Hosting

[經濟日報]https://money.udn.com/money/story/5607/5041619[FierceMed]Russia posts 91% efficacy for COVID-19 vaccine after jumping the gun to approvalhttps://www.fiercebiotech.com/biotech/russia-posts-91-efficacy-for-covid-19-vaccine-after-jumping-gun-to-approval[經濟學人]Janet Yellen will lead Joe Biden’s Treasury. What does she stand for?https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2020/11/24/janet-yellen-will-lead-joe-bidens-treasury-what-does-she-stand-forPowered by Firstory Hosting