China and Russia - to jointly build a research base on the moon

Recently CNN.co.jp reported the following:

中国とロシア、月に共同で研究拠点を建設へ

2021.03.10 Wed posted at 17:53 JST

（ＣＮＮ） 中国の国家宇宙局は９日、ロシアと協力して月に研究拠点を建設する計画で合意したと発表した。

月面や月の軌道上に実験、研究用の複合施設を建設する。

同局とロシアの宇宙開発公社ロスコスモスのトップが、各政府を代表して覚書を交わしたという。

ロスコスモスによると、中ロが建設する「国際月科学研究ステーション」は宇宙の平和利用推進を目指し、どの国でも利用できるようにする。

両国は今後、ステーションの設計、開発、運用を進めるための工程表を作成するという。

中国とロシアはまた、月や深宇宙探査のためのデータセンターを共同で開設することでも合意した。さらに中国が「嫦娥（じょうが）７号」、ロシアが「ルナ２７号」でそれぞれ月の南極を探査する計画でも協力する。

ロシアは旧ソ連時代に米国と宇宙開発のトップを争い、冷戦終結後は国際宇宙ステーション（ＩＳＳ）の建設に参加した。

一方、中国の宇宙開発はスタートが遅れたものの急ピッチで追い上げ、２０１９年には世界で初めて月の裏側に無人探査機「嫦娥４号」を着陸させた。２０年には初めて火星探査機「天問１号」の打ち上げに成功。今年５～６月には火星表面への着陸に挑戦する。

昨年１２月には「嫦娥５号」が月の石を持ち帰った。中国は３０年代までに、月の有人探査を成功させることを目指している。

Translation

(CNN) China's National Space Agency announced on the 9th that it had agreed with Russia to build a research base on the moon.

A complex facility for experiments and research would be constructed on the surface of the moon and on the orbit of the moon.

The China's National Space Agency and the head of Russia's space development corporation Roscosmos were said to have represented their government to respectively signed a memorandum of understanding.

According to Roscosmos, the "International Lunar Science Research Station" constructed by China and Russia could be made available to any country with the aim of promoting the peaceful use of space.

The two countries would prepare a construction time table to move forward with the design, development and operation of the station.

China and Russia had also agreed to jointly open a data center for the Moon and deep space exploration. In addition, China would cooperate in a plan to explore the South Pole of the Moon with "Chang'e No. 7" and Russia with "Luna No. 27".

Russia during the former Soviet Union era competed with the United States for leadership in space development and after the end of the Cold War participated in the construction of the International Space Station (ISS).

On the other hand, although China was delayed in starting the space development, it caught up at a rapid pace, and in 2019, for the first time in the world, landed the unmanned spacecraft "Chang'e 4" on the other side of the moon. In 2020, for the first time it succeeded in launching the Mars probe "Tianwen-1". It would take up the challenge of making a landing on the surface of Mars from May to June this year.

In December of last year, "Chang'e 5" brought back the moon rock. China aimed to succeed in manned explorations of the Moon by the 2030s.

              So, China and Russia will be in co-operation in space exploration. This is a good match as China has the money while Russia has the experience. Also, as both countries are having a tense relationship with the western world,  a sign of co-operation among them could make them look stronger.

中國敦促阿里巴巴出售媒體資產 - 包括南華早報

Recently Yahoo News on-line reported the following:

Business

China Presses Alibaba to Sell Media Assets, Including SCMP

Coco Liu and Lulu Yilun Chen

Bloomberg Mon., March 15, 2021, 7:31 p.m.

(Bloomberg) -- The Chinese government wants Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. to sell some of its media assets, including the South China Morning Post, because of growing concerns about the technology giant’s influence over public opinion in the country, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Beijing expressed misgivings about Alibaba’s media holdings during several meetings dating to last year, said the person, asking not to be identified because the discussions are private. Government officials are particularly upset about the company’s influence over social media in China and its role in an online scandal, involving one of its executives.

Jack Ma, Alibaba’s co-founder, has been at the center of a government crackdown that began last year, targeting the e-commerce giant and its finance affiliate Ant Group Co. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier that China’s government is asking Alibaba to shed media properties.

Ma and Alibaba quietly built up a sprawling portfolio of media assets over the years, spanning BuzzFeed-style online outlets, newspapers, television-production companies, social-media and advertising assets. Alibaba has a major stake in the Twitter-like Weibo and Youku, one of China’s biggest streaming services, as well as other online and print news outlets, including the SCMP, the leading English-language newspaper in Hong Kong.

The discussion about selling the newspaper began last year, the person said. While no specific buyer has been identified, it is expected to be a Chinese entity.

“Be assured that Alibaba’s commitment to SCMP remains unchanged and continues to support our mission and business goals,” Gary Liu, the newspaper company’s chief executive officer, told employees in an internal memo reviewed by Bloomberg News.

Representatives for Alibaba in China and the U.S. didn’t respond to requests for comment.

Bloomberg News reported in February that Beijing had grown alarmed about Alibaba’s media holdings after a scandal involving Jiang Fan, then the youngest partner at the e-commerce company. Posts about the scandal began disappearing from social media, including Weibo, drawing the ire of government officials.

China’s internet watchdog penalized the microblogging site for interfering with the spread of opinions. The scale and speed with which the website removed posts rankled government officials, who saw it as crossing a line, a person familiar with the matter said at the time.

“The country must pay attention to and crack down on this, because the power of capital can be used by us but also the enemy,” wrote Chinese commentator Song Qinghui, who contributes editorials to publications including state-backed media.

Regulators were shocked at the extent of the company’s media interests after reviewing its holdings and asked it to come up with a plan to substantially curtail the interests, the Journal reported, citing people familiar with the discussions.

Beijing is concerned that Alibaba could use its media assets as a tool to control public opinion, creating a “vicious circle,” the person said. Already, the company’s media has played a role in influencing the general public’s view about the emerging fintech sector, the person said.

Weibo shares fell 2.4% in U.S. trading, while Alibaba’s Hong Kong shares were little changed. Online media outlet 36kr Holdings Inc. slid 1.5% in New York.

The expansive influence of Alibaba-backed media services is seen as posing serious challenges to the Chinese Communist Party and its powerful propaganda apparatus.

Ma is revered in China as one of the country’s most-successful entrepreneurs. But his fortunes have waned since he spoke out against China’s regulatory approach to the finance sector.

Those comments set in motion an unprecedented regulatory offensive, including scuttling plans for Ant’s $35 billion initial public offering and opening an antitrust probe into Alibaba. His media holdings could prove even more problematic.

China’s campaign to curb the influence of its technology moguls expanded last week with fines against Pony Ma’s conglomerate Tencent Holdings Ltd. Top financial regulators see Tencent as the next target for increased supervision after the clamp down on Ant, Bloomberg reported.

It isn’t clear whether Alibaba will need to sell all of its media assets, the Journal reported. Any plan that Alibaba comes up with will need approval from China’s senior leadership, according to the newspaper.

Translation

（彭博）- 據一位對件事知情人士說，中國政府希望阿里巴巴集團出售其中一些媒體資產，包括《南華早報》，因為人們越來越擔心阿里巴巴對在該國的民意影響力。。

這位知情人士說，北京在去年的幾次會議上都對阿里巴巴的媒體持懷疑態度。因為這討論是私人的, 他要求匿名。政府官員對於該公司對中國社交媒體的影響力以及該公司在涉及一名高管的在線醜聞中的角色感到特別不安。

阿里巴巴的聯合創始人馬雲（Jack Ma）一直是去年開始的政府鎮壓的焦点，該鎮壓的目標是電子商務巨頭及其金融分支機構螞蟻集團（Ant Group Co.）。《華爾街日報》早些時候報導說，中國政府正在要求阿里巴巴放棄媒體資産。

多年來，馬雲和阿里巴巴悄悄地建立了龐大的媒體資產組合，涵蓋了BuzzFeed風格的在線商店，報紙，電視製作公司，社交媒體和廣告資產。阿里巴巴在類似推特的微博和優酷 (中國最大的流媒體服務之一), 以及其他在線和印刷新聞媒體（包括香港最重要的英語報紙《南華早報》）都擁有大量股份。

這位知情人士說，有關出售報紙的討論始於去年。雖然尚未確定具體買家，但預計它將是中國機構設立的組織。

該報紙公司首席執行官Gary Liu在一份被彭博新聞社查看過的內部備忘錄中對員工說：“請放心，阿里巴巴對南華早報的承諾沒有改變，並將繼續支持我們的使命和業務目標。”

阿里巴巴在中國和美國的代表沒有回應置評請求。

彭博新聞社（Bloomberg News）2月份報導稱，在涉及阿里巴巴當時電子商務公司最年輕的合夥人蔣凡的醜聞之後，北京對阿里巴巴的媒體持有量感到震驚。有關醜聞的帖子開始從包括微博在內的社交媒體中消失，這激怒了政府官員。

中國的互聯網監管機構懲罰微博網站，以其進行干預意見的傳播。一位知情人士當時說，該網站刪除帖子的規模和速度令政府官員感到不安，他們認為這是跨越界限的。

中國評論家宋慶輝寫道：“國家必須重視並嚴厲打擊這行為，因為資本的力量既可以被我們利用，也可以由敵人利用。”中國評論員宋慶輝常為包括國家支持的媒體在內的出版物提供社論。

《華爾街日報》援引知情人士的話說，監管機構在審查了該公司的持股後，對它在媒體的利益感到震驚，並要求該公司提出一項大幅削減其利益的計劃。

這位知情人士說，北京擔心阿里巴巴可能利用其媒體資產作為控制輿論的工具，從而造成“惡性循環”。這位知情人士說，該公司的媒體已經在影響公眾對新興金融科技領域的看法中發揮了作用。

微博股價在美國交易中下跌了2.4％，而阿里巴巴的香港股票變化不大。在線媒體公司 36kr Holdings Inc. 在紐約下跌1.5％。

由阿里巴巴支持的媒體服務的廣泛影響, 被視為對中國共產黨及其強大的宣傳手段構成了嚴峻挑戰。

馬雲是中國最成功的企業家之一，在中國享有盛譽。但是自從他發表反對中國對金融業的監管方式的講話後，他的運氣已逐漸減弱。

馬的言論引發了前所未有的監管攻勢，包括取消螞蟻金服350億美元首次公開募股的計劃，以及對阿里巴巴的反壟斷調查。他的媒體資產可能會帶來更多問題。

上週，中國遏制科技巨頭影響力的運動擴大了，對馬化騰旗下的騰訊控股有限公司處以罰款。彭博社報導，頂級金融監管機構將騰訊視為繼壓制螞蟻金服後的下一個監管目標。

據《華爾街日報》報導，目前尚不清楚阿里巴巴是否需要出售其所有媒體資產。該報稱，阿里巴巴提出的任何計劃, 都需要得到中國高層領導的批准。

       So, it is common knowledge that inside China, anything suspected to be a potential threat to CCP leadership will be suppressed. One obvious example is the fact that there is no free press, and there is no access to international mass media websites in the Internet.

Japan Certified Accountants Association - disciplinary action against 43 members for dishonestly pretending to take training

 Recently NHK reported the following:

日本公認会計士協会 会員43人を懲戒処分 研修の受講装う不正で

2021年3月9日 21時29分

 大手監査法人の「あずさ監査法人」に所属する83人の公認会計士が、法律で義務づけられているオンラインの研修を受講したように装う不正を行っていたとして、日本公認会計士協会はこのうちの43人を懲戒処分にしました。

日本公認会計士協会の発表によりますと、「あずさ監査法人」の公認会計士83人は、公認会計士法で一定の単位の取得が義務づけられている、監査業務や職業倫理などについてのオンライン研修の受講で不正を行っていました。

1台の端末から2つの研修に同時にログインして、受講を済ませたように装っていたということです。

日本公認会計士協会は内部告発を受けて調査を進め、不正を認定したということで、単位を取り消した結果、基準を満たさなくなった43人を戒告や協会の会員としての権利を1か月から3か月停止する懲戒処分にしました。

会員権の停止によって協会の会合への出席などができなくなりますが、公認会計士の資格そのものに影響はなく、通常の監査業務は制限されないということです。

また、日本公認会計士協会は、あずさ監査法人についても協会の会員としての権利を1か月停止する懲戒処分を行いました。

協会の手塚正彦会長は記者会見で「法律で義務づけられた研修であるという理解が十分に進んでいなかった。重く受け止めたい」と述べました。

 Translation

The Japan Certified Public Accountants Association found out that 83 certified accountants belonging to a major audit firm the "Azusa Audit Corporation" were fraudulently pretending to have taken online training as required by law, and disciplinary action was dished out to 43 people.

According to the announcement by the Japanese Institute of Certified Public Accountants, 83 certified public accountants of "Azusa Audit Corporation" were fraudulent in attending online training on auditing work and professional ethics, which were required in order to obtain certain credits under the Certified Public Accountants Act.

It was about logging into two training sessions at the same time from one terminal and pretended to have completed the training.

The Japan Institute of Certified Public Accountants proceeded with the investigation after receiving a whistleblower. Fraud was confirmed and as a result credits were canceled, 43 people who became below the criteria were reprimanded, and their right to be a member of the association was suspend from 1 month to 3 months as a disciplinary action.

The suspension of membership could prevent them from attending meetings of the association, but it would not affect their qualification as a certified accountant; and would not limit their regular auditing work.

In addition, the Japan Certified Public Accountants Association had also taken disciplinary action to suspend the rights of Azusa Audit Corporation as a member of the association for one month.

At a press conference the association's chairman Masahiko Tezuka said "the fact that the training as required by law has not been voluntarily taken up. I would like to take it seriously."

              So, it is shocking to know that as professionals, they could cheat the system by fraudulently attending online training on auditing work and professional ethics. Obviously, these people have violated their professional ethics.

             

俄羅斯在歐洲力推 - 衛星疫苗可在意大利生產

Recently Yahoo News on-line reported the following:

News

Russia Secures Sputnik Italy Output in European Vaccine Push

Alessandro Speciale

Bloomberg Tue., March 9, 2021, 5:00 a.m.

(Bloomberg) -- Russia is pushing ahead with plans to make its Covid-19 vaccine in Europe, securing a deal to produce the Sputnik V shot in Italy and discussing production in Germany and France.

Adienne Pharma & Biotech SA signed an agreement to manufacture the vaccine at its production site in the Milan region, founder and President Antonio Francesco Di Naro told Bloomberg in an interview.

The Lugano, Switzerland-based company’s deal with the Russian Direct Investment Fund is the first European production agreement for the vaccine. While Russia was first to approve a shot for the general public and promoted it as a way to help end the pandemic globally, it has been slower than some rivals to scale up output.

Sputnik is more complicated to manufacture than some other vaccines because it’s based on two different adenoviruses for its two doses. Developers taking a similar approach, such as the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca Plc, have used only one virus.

The vaccine is under review by authorities in the European Union, which has struggled to ramp up inoculations amid a lack of supply. The sluggish rollout has prodded some countries to consider their own purchasing deals in a challenge to the bloc’s solidarity.

“There are many Italian regions which are enthusiastic about having Sputnik, they would also want to produce it,” Kirill Dmitriev, chief executive officer of RDIF, a sovereign wealth fund, told Italian Rai3 television on Sunday. “We have a partnership in Germany. We’re talking to several French companies.”

Sputnik V’s developers have had contact with German vaccine maker IDT Biologika GmbH, according to IDT spokesman Ulrich Gartner, who confirmed a report by German broadcaster MDR. He said that the company cannot comment on the details of ongoing talks with potential customers.

IDT, based in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, signed a letter of intent last month to help Astra boost supply of its vaccine.

Dmitriev, who is in charge of Sputnik’s international rollout and backed its development, said in the Italian TV interview that production in the country could start in June. The timing depends on approval from Italian regulators, and Di Naro said he couldn’t set production targets as of now.

Low Supplies

EU officials are skeptical about the impact of these deals, according to a person with knowledge of their thinking. Supply in Russia is so low that the EU is expecting to donate or sell large quantities of Western vaccines to the Russians in due course to make up the shortfall, said the person, who didn’t want to be identified because the discussions are private.

The deal comes as Prime Minister Mario Draghi pledged to speed up Italy’s fledgling vaccination campaign amid a new rise in infections from the disease that’s led to more than 100,000 fatalities in the country.

Draghi blocked the export of Astra’s vaccine earlier this month after the company sharply reduced planned deliveries to the EU. He was the first European leader to use the recently-introduced powers, highlighting the sensitivity in the region over the supply of Covid-19 shots.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Monday lashed out at manufacturers for failing to uphold their commitments as countries in Europe struggle to step up the pace of inoculations.

Officials are also bracing for delays in the delivery of a new vaccine from Johnson & Johnson, according to two people with knowledge of the process.

EMA Review

The shots, which are due to be approved by the European Medicines Agency this week, were due to start arriving at the beginning of April but now aren’t expected until the middle of the month at the earliest, one of the officials said.

The EU has administered 9.35 doses per 100 people, compared with nearly 28 for the U.S. and more than 35 for the U.K., according to Bloomberg’s Coronavirus Vaccine Tracker.

The European Medicines Agency said March 4 that it started a rolling review of Sputnik V to test compliance with safety and quality standards, the first major step in gaining approval for use in the European Union. The Russian vaccine started to gain broader international recognition after The Lancet medical journal published peer-reviewed results of interim trials showing 91.6% efficacy.

Despite the progress, it’s unclear what role political tension would play in the distribution of the Sputnik vaccine in Europe. Tensions between Russia and the EU have deteriorated further in recent months, especially after the jailing of opposition leader Alexey Navalny.

In a sign of the tensions, the shot’s developer took to Twitter to demand an apology from an EMA official over comments that “raise serious questions about possible political interference” in the agency’s review.

Christa Wirthumer-Hoche, EMA’s management board chairwoman, told Austrian broadcaster ORF late Sunday that national emergency authorizations are like “Russian roulette.”

Translation

（彭博社）- 俄羅斯正在推進在歐洲生產Covid-19疫苗的計劃，並獲得了在意大利生產衛星V (Sputnik V) 疫苗的協議，及討論了在德國和法國的生產。

Adienne Pharma＆Biotech SA的創始人兼總裁安東尼奧·弗朗切斯科·迪·納羅（Antonio Francesco Di Naro）在接受彭博社採訪時表示，他們簽署了在米蘭地區製造基地生產疫苗的協議。

這家總部位於瑞士盧加諾的公司與俄羅斯直接投資基金（Russian Direct Investment Fund）的交易, 是該疫苗的第一份在歐洲生產協議。儘管俄羅斯是第一個批准疫苗為普通民眾注射，並將其作為一種有助於在全球範圍內終結該流行病的方式進行推廣，但它在擴大產量方面比一些競爭對手要慢。

與其他疫苗相比，衛星疫苗 (Sputnik) 的製造更為複雜，因為它的兩劑是基於兩種不同的腺病毒製造出來。採取類似方法的開發人員，例如牛津大學和阿斯利康（AstraZeneca Plc），僅使用一種病毒。

歐盟當局正在對該疫苗進行審查，儘管供應不足，歐盟當局仍一直在努力加大接種力度。緩慢的疫苗生產迫使一些國家考慮自己的疫苗採購交易，挑戰歐盟的團結。

主權財富基金RDIF首席執行官基里爾·德米特里耶夫（Kirill Dmitriev）週日對意大利Rai3電視台說：“有很多意大利地區對衛星疫苗充滿熱情，他們也想生產疫苗” 。 “我們在德國建立了合作夥伴關係。我們正在與幾家法國公司洽談” 。

根據IDT發言人Ulrich Gartner的說法，衛星V疫苗(Sputnik V) 的開發人員已與德國疫苗製造商IDT Biologika GmbH取得聯繫，這證實了德國廣播公司MDR的報告。他說，該公司無法評論與潛在客戶正在進行的會談細節。

總部位於薩克森-安哈爾特州的IDT上個月簽署了意向書，以幫助Astra擴大其疫苗供應。

負責衛星疫苗國際部署並支持其發展的德米特里耶夫(Dmitriev) 在接受意大利電視台採訪時表示，在該國的生產可能會在6月開始。時機取決於意大利監管機構的批准，迪納羅（Di Naro）表示，他目前無法設定生產目標。

供應不足

據知情人士透露，歐盟官員對這些交易的影響持懷疑態度。這位因私隱而不願透露姓名的人說，俄羅斯自身的供應量是如此之低，以至歐盟曾期望在適當時候向俄羅斯人捐贈或出售大量西方疫苗，以彌補短缺。

這項交易是在總理馬里奧·德拉吉（Mario Draghi）承諾加快意大利剛剛起步的疫苗接種運動之際進行的，該疾病的感染人數不斷增加，導致該國10萬多人喪生。

本月初，德拉吉Draghi阻止了阿斯特拉疫苗的出口，此前該公司大幅削減了向歐盟計劃的交貨量。他是第一位行使這最近引進的權力的歐洲領導人，突顯了該地區對Covid-19疫苗供應的敏感性。

歐盟委員會主席烏爾蘇拉·馮·德·萊恩（Ursula von der Leyen）週一對製造商未能履行其承諾進行了抨擊，原因是歐洲各國在努力加快接種速度。

兩名了解這一過程的人士說，官員們也為強生公司(Johnson & Johnson)延遲提供新疫苗的時間做好準備。

歐洲藥品管理局的評論

其中一名官員說，這些疫苗定於本週獲得歐洲藥品管理局的批准，原定於4月初開始運抵，但現在預計最早要到月中旬才能開始。

彭博社的《冠狀病毒疫苗追踪器》顯示，歐盟每100人注射了9.35劑疫苗，而美國則為近28劑，英國為35劑以上。

歐洲藥品管理局3月4日表示，它開始對衛星V疫苗進行連續的方式審核，以測試對安全和質量標準的遵守情況，這是獲得在歐盟使用的批准的第一步。在Lancet醫學雜誌發表的中期審評結果顯示它有91.6％的有效性之後，俄羅斯疫苗開始獲得更廣泛的國際認可。

儘管取得了進展，但尚不清楚衛星疫苗的分銷在歐洲政治緊張局勢中將扮演什麼角色。近幾個月來，俄羅斯與歐盟之間的緊張局勢進一步惡化，尤其是在俄羅斯反對派領導人阿列克謝·納瓦尼（Alexey Navalny）入獄之後。

在緊張關係的跡象中，該疫苗的開發人員在Twitter要求歐洲藥品管理局EMA官員道歉，理由是該管理局評論說“可能引起政治干預的嚴重問題”。

歐洲藥品管理局董事會女主席Christa Wirthumer-Hoche在周日晚告訴奧地利廣播公司ORF說，批出國家緊急授權就像“賭俄羅斯輪盤”。

              So, Russia is trying to expand its Covid-19 vaccine production and marketing in Europe. I am wondering whether China will try to fight for a share in Europe by promoting its own vaccines in one way or the other. Covid-19 vaccination is a political matter as well as a medical issue.

Research report - Corona death rate is 10 times higher in countries where the majority of the population is overweight

Recently CNN.co.jp reported the following:

人口の過半数が太りすぎの国はコロナ死亡率１０倍に　研究報告

2021.03.05 Fri posted at 14:00 JST

（ＣＮＮ） 新型コロナウイルス感染症による各国の死亡率について、太りすぎの人が過半数を占める国ではそうでない国の約１０倍に上るとの研究結果が報告された。

研究チームは米ジョンズ・ホプキンス大学と世界保健機関（ＷＨＯ）が集計したデータを分析し、３日の世界肥満フォーラムで結果を報告した。

それによると、今年２月末までに新型ウイルス感染症で死亡した計２５０万人のうち、２２０万人は成人の過半数が太りすぎている国で報告された。

１６０カ国以上の国別データを分析したところ、太りすぎの率が高い国ほど死亡率も高くなっていた。年齢や国全体の経済状況による調整後も、関連性に変わりはなかったという。

チームによれば、太りすぎの人が４０％未満の国はすべて、新型ウイルス感染症による人口１０万人当たりの死者が１０人以下にとどまっていた。一方、太りすぎの人が５０％を上回る国の死者は、人口１０万人当たり１００人を超えていた。

研究者らは、太りすぎが健康上のほかの問題やインフルエンザ、中東呼吸器症候群（ＭＥＲＳ）などのウイルス感染症を悪化させることもあると指摘する。世界肥満フォーラムは、新型ウイルスの検査やワクチン接種で太りすぎの人を優先させるよう提案している。

米疾病対策センター（ＣＤＣ）によると、米国で過体重または肥満に分類される人は、人口の４分の３近くを占めている。

Translation

(CNN)  On the mortality rate of new coronavirus infections in individual country, a study had shown that in countries where the majority of people were overweight, it was about 10 times higher than in countries which they were not.

The research team analyzed the data compiled by Johns Hopkins University and the World Health Organization (WHO) and reported the results at the World Obesity Forum on the 3rd.

Of the 2.5 million people who died of the new virus infection up to the end of February this year, 2.2 million were reported in countries where the majority of adults were overweight.

Analyzing data from more than 160 countries, the higher the overweight rate, the higher the mortality rate. Even after adjusting for age and the economic situations of the whole country, the relevance did not change.

According to the team, in all countries where less than 40% of people were overweight, the death toll per 100,000 population from the new virus infection was less than 10. On the other hand, the death toll in countries where overweight exceeds 50%, it exceeded 100 per 100,000 population.

Researchers pointed out that overweight could exacerbate other health problems and influenza, on top of viral infections such as the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). The World Obesity Forum suggested prioritizing overweight people for examination and vaccination against the new virus.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in the United States nearly three-quarters of the population were classified as overweight or obese.

              So, in the US, nearly three-quarters of the population are classified as overweight or obese. This could explain why the death rate due the Covid-19 is so high in that country.

The hearing of Neanderthals was assumed - using a language was possible

Recently CNN.co.jp reported the following:

ネアンデルタール人の聴覚を推定　言語使用の可能性も

2021.03.03 Wed posted at 10:22 JST

 （ＣＮＮ） 約４万年前に絶滅したネアンデルタール人は現代人と同じような帯域の音を聞き取ったり、声を発したりする能力を持っていたかもしれないとの研究結果が発表された。言語によるコミュニケーションが発達していた可能性もあるという。

米ニューヨーク州立大学ビンガムトン校の進化学者、ロルフ・クアム准教授らのチームが１日、オンライン科学誌「ネイチャー・エコロジー・アンド・エボリューション」に発表した。

チームはＣＴスキャンを使って現生人類、ネアンデルタール人やその祖先の化石を分析し、耳の構造の３次元モデルを作成。そこからコミュニケーションの方法を推定した。

クアム氏によると、ネアンデルタール人の聴覚を総合的に調べた研究は初めて。外耳道から鼓膜、耳小骨、鼓室など３０以上の条件を検討し、音響エネルギーの伝わり方から、どの周波数帯の音がよく聞こえていたかを割り出した。

その結果、ネアンデルタール人に聞こえた周波数帯はそれ以前の祖先より広く、現代人とよく似ていたこと、人間の話す言語の音をほぼカバーしていたことが分かった。人間の言語音の特徴とされる子音を使って話していたとも考えられる。

ネアンデルタール人が言語を使っていた可能性はこれまでの研究でも指摘されてきた。ただし専門家によると、現代人のように複雑な言語体系を持っていたかどうかは聴覚や発声の仕組みではなく脳の働きによって決まるため、同チームのような研究から判断するのは難しい。

Translation

(CNN) The result of a study released had showed that the Neanderthals, who became extinct about 40,000 years ago, could have had the ability to hear and speak in the same band as modern humans. It was possible that linguistic communication was well developed.

A team formed by associate professor Rolf Quam who was an expert on evolution at Binghamton University, New York State University of USA together with others had on the 1st published this in an online scientific journal "Nature Ecology and Evolution".

The team used CT scan to analyze modern humans, fossils of Neanderthals and their ancestors, and create a three-dimensional model of the ear structure. From there, some method of communication was assumed.

According to Quam, this would be the first comprehensive study of Neanderthal hearing. He examined more than 30 prerequisites - from the ear canal to the eardrum, ossicles, and tympanic cavity; and to determine from how sound energy was transmitted, to which frequency band the sound was heard.

As a result, it was found that the frequency band heard by Neanderthals was wider than that of their predecessors, and was very similar to modern humans. It almost covered the sounds of human spoken language. It was also believed that they were speaking using consonants, which was a characteristic of human speech sound.

Previous studies had pointed out the possibility that Neanderthals could use language. However, according to experts, it was difficult to make judgement from research team like this one because whether or not a person possessed a complicated language system like modern people depended on the function of the brain, not on the mechanism of hearing or vocalization.

              So, this research shows that the Neanderthals could have had the ability to hear and speak in the same band as modern humans, and that the frequency band heard by Neanderthals was wider than that of their predecessors.

中國最大的股票基金受傷 - 茅台報銷1,110億美元

Recently Yahoo News on-line reported the following:

Business

China’s Top Stock Funds Trashed by $111 Billion Moutai Wipeout

Sofia Horta e Costa

Bloomberg Wed., March 3, 2021, 10:39 p.m.

 (Bloomberg) -- The most popular stock trade in China is unraveling, tarnishing the reputations of some of the country’s most successful money managers and undermining the outlook for the world’s second-largest equity market.

Until three weeks ago, buying the nation’s beloved liquor maker Kweichow Moutai Co. was a surefire way for the $3 trillion mutual fund industry to mint money and attract bumper inflows. The stock soared 30% year-to-date through its Feb. 10 record, after gaining almost 70% in 2020 -- and doubling in the year before that.

Many funds, flush with a record amount of cash, didn’t have a choice if they wanted to keep their clients and attract new investors. Buying Moutai was the simplest and most effective way to top rankings -- until it wasn’t. The stock began tumbling after the Lunar New Year break, and kept falling. It’s now down 22% since its peak, including a drop of as much as 6% Thursday, and has lost more than $111 billion in value.

 One of the most high-profile casualties is E Fund Management Co.’s Zhang Kun, the first in China to oversee 100 billion yuan ($15 billion). Zhang’s E Fund Blue Chip Selected Mixed Fund is down 12% in 10 trading days after returning 95% last year largely due to a big bet on baijiu, the Chinese white spirit. The fund had 9.6% of its assets invested in Moutai as of December. Another fund run by Zhang has lost 23%. Zhang didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment.

The fund manager has received “verbal abuse” in recent weeks by investors who were previously fans, according to a report Wednesday in China’s state tabloid Global Times. He was known as “Prince Charming” or “Brother Kun” among his investors, who now refer to him on social media as “Kun Gou” or “Kun the dog” -- an offensive term in Chinese.

Other copycat money managers will be feeling the pain: recent data showed two-thirds of mutual fund assets were invested in only 100 stocks, while the top 400 stocks lured 93% of total funds. Although China’s onshore market contains more than 4,000 stocks, Moutai is by far the largest with a market value of about $390 billion.

 Moutai accounts for 27% of the loss in the FTSE China A50 Index of the nation’s largest companies since Feb. 10. When added together with fellow spirit makers Wuliangye Yibin Co. and Luzhou Laojiao Co., the three comprise more than half of the gauge’s decline.

 Concern had been growing about the stretched valuations of Moutai and its peers, especially as gains accelerated. A gauge tracking consumer staples, including liquor makers, traded at a record 36 times projected 12-month earnings in February.

To be sure, the company’s shares have faced plenty of risks in the past. The stock tumbled about 8% in a single day in July after the People’s Daily criticized the high price of the company’s liquor. In 2017, Xinhua News Agency said the stock was rising too fast, triggering a selloff. Back in 2013, the stock plunged when Xi Jinping came to power and clamped down on lavish spending by party cadres.

 But this time around, authorities have grown increasingly concerned about risks to the financial system posed by excess liquidity. On Tuesday, China’s top banking regulator jolted markets with a warning about the need to reduce leverage amid the rising risk of bubbles globally and in the local property sector. With Moutai being the best-known proxy for liquidity-fueled bets and momentum, fund managers will likely need to find a new strategy to protect their returns.

Translation

（彭博社）- 最受歡迎的中國股票交易正在解体，損害了該國一些最成功的理財公司的聲譽，並破壞了成為全球第二大股票市場的前景希望。

直到三週前，購買國家最受歡迎的白酒生產商貴州茅台公司（Kweichow Moutai Co.），是確保3萬億美元互惠基金行業賺錢和吸引大筆資金流入的成功之路。截至2月10日，該股今年迄今已飆升30％，此前在2020年上漲了近70％ - 並在此之前的一年翻了一番。

許多持有創紀錄現金的基金，如果想保留客戶並吸引新的投資者，就別無選擇。買茅台酒是獲得最高排名的最簡單，最有效的方法 - 直到出現改变為止。農曆新年後，其股票開始向下，並持續下跌。由最高峰值，該指數已下跌22％，其中包括週四下跌6％，其市值縮水超過1,110億美元。

最引人注目受損傷之一的個人是易方達基金管理公司的张坤，他是中國第一位管理著1000億元人民幣（合共150億美元）的人。張氏的易方达蓝筹精选混合基金, 在去年回報95％之後的10個交易日中下跌了12％，這主要是由於對白酒, 中國的白酒作大額下注。截至去年12月，該基金已將其資產的9.6％投資於茅台。張經營的另一隻基金損失了23％。張沒有立即回復置評請求。

根據中國國家小報《環球時報》週三的報導，該基金經理近幾週受到以前曾是粉絲的投資者的“言語虐待”。在他的投資者中，他曾被稱為“白馬王子”或“坤兄弟”，現在在社交媒體上被稱為“坤狗”或“張坤狗”- 在中國是一個冒犯性的名詞。

其他模仿做法的基金經理也會感到傷痛：最近的數據顯示，三分之二的互惠基金資產僅投資於100隻股票，而前400隻股票吸引了總基金的93％。儘管中國的在岸市場有4000多種股票，但茅台酒目前是最大的市場，市值約為3900億美元。

自2月10日以來，在FTSE中國A50指數中最大的公司中，貴州茅台導致其中27％的跌幅。與其他烈酒生產商五糧液宜賓公司和瀘州老窖公司一起，這三者佔該指標的一半以上的跌幅。

人們對茅台酒及其同業估值過高的擔憂日益增加，尤其是隨著收益加速增長。消費必需品指標追踪, 包括酒類生產商在內，交易價為創紀錄的36倍，是推算2月份的12個月收益。

可以肯定的是，該公司的股票過去曾面臨大量風險。在《人民日報》批評該公司烈酒的高價之後，該股在7月的一天裡暴跌了8％。新華社在2017年表示，該股上漲過快，引發拋售。早在2013年，當習近平上台並壓制黨的干部的揮霍無度時，股價暴跌。

但是這次，當局越來越擔心流動性過剩對金融系統造成的風險。週二，中國最高銀行業監管機構發出警告，警告稱由於全球和當地房地產泡沫風險上升，有必要降低杠桿率。隨著茅台成為最著名由流動金推動的押注, 和推動力的計算代表值價，基金經理可能將需要尋找一種新的策略來保護其收益。

It is interesting to know that recent data showed that two-thirds of mutual fund assets were invested in only 100 stocks, while the top 400 stocks lured 93% of total funds. Although China’s onshore market contains more than 4,000 stocks, Moutai is by far the largest with a market value of about $390 billion. I think it could take some time for the mutual fund market to mature. Before that, many investors could become the prey of adventurers and fortune hunters in the financial markets.

香港跌出經濟自由指數 - 其政策由北京控制

Recently Yahoo News on-line reported the following:

Hong Kong dropped from Economic Freedom Index as policies 'controlled from Beijing'

Reuters Thu., March 4, 2021, 12:18 a.m.

By Clare Jim

HONG KONG, March 4 (Reuters) - Hong Kong has been excluded from the Heritage Foundation's Index of Economic Freedom because its economic policies are controlled from Beijing, the Washington-based think tank said, removing Hong Kong from a list it topped for 25 years up to 2019.

The title of the world's freest economy for 2021 was retained by Singapore for the second year, the Heritage Foundation said, with Hong Kong's investment freedom hurt by political and social unrest dating back to 2019.

In the 2021 index published on Thursday, the foundation said Hong Kong and Macau, both special administrative regions of China, were no longer included because even though citizens enjoy more economic freedom than the average resident of China, "developments in recent years have demonstrated unambiguously that those policies are ultimately controlled from Beijing".

Developments in Hong Kong or Macau that are relevant to economic freedom would be considered in the context of China's evaluation in the index, it added. China slipped to 107 from 103, among the list of 178 countries.

A spokesman for the Hong Kong government's financial secretary expressed "deep disappointment" at the decision.

"The decision is neither warranted nor justified. It does not do justice to (Hong Kong)," the spokesman said, adding that the claim that the city's economic policies are controlled by Beijing is "ill-conceived and simply not true".

He added that the assessment was "politically biased" and that Hong Kong's core economic competitiveness, including free flow of capital, remains under the "one country, two systems" formula of governance put in place in 1997 when the city reverted from British to Chinese rule.

The U.S. suspended Hong Kong's preferential tariff rates for exports to the country and imposed sanctions on Hong Kong and Beijing officials last year in response to China's imposition of a national security law on the former British colony, saying it undermined the city's high autonomy.

Critics of the law say it is aimed at crushing dissent, while authorities in Beijing and Hong Kong say it was necessary to restore stability after anti-government and anti-China unrest.

Earlier this week, London-based non-governmental organisation Hong Kong Watch said in a report that "red capital" - money originating from mainland China - had fundamentally shaped Hong Kong's politics, media and the city's status as a business hub.

In 2019, 82% of IPOs in Hong Kong were by mainland companies, while in October 2020, mainland equities comprised 57.3% of the Hang Seng Index by weighting, the group said.

Translation

(路透)香港3月4日電 --- 總部位於華盛頓的智囊團稱，香港因其經濟政策受到北京的控制, 已被美國傳統基金會從經濟自由指數中刪除, 將香港從直到2019年連續25年高居榜首的名單中剔除。

傳統基金會稱，新加坡稱為2021年全球最自由經濟體, 連續第二年蟬聯,而香港的投資自由, 從2019年以來由於政治和社會動盪，受到了損害。

該基金會在周四發布的2021年指數中表示，他們不再包括香港和澳門這兩個中國的特別行政區，因為儘管公民享有比中國普通居民更多的經濟自由，但“近年來的發展已明確表明其政策最終由北京控制”。

報告補充說，香港或澳門與經濟自由有關的發展, 將歸納在中國之下進行考慮指數評估。在178個國家中，中國從103個滑落至107個。

香港政府財政司司長發言人對這一決定表示“深切的失望”。

發言人說：“這一決定既無必要，也無道理。這是（對香港）不公正的” 。他補充說，聲稱這個城市的經濟政策是由北京控制的說法是“錯誤的想法，根本就是不正確的”。

他補充說，評估是“有政治偏見”，而香港的核心經濟競爭力，包括資本的自由流動，仍然是在“一國兩制”的治理規則下實行的。這種治理模式是由1997年香港從英國回歸到中國時實行的。

去年，由於中國對前英國殖民地施加了國家安全法，美國暫停執行香港對本國出口的特惠關稅稅率,並對香港和北京官員實施制裁，稱國家安全法削弱了香港的高度自治權。

批評國家安全法的人仕說，這是為了鎮壓異議。而北京和香港當局說，該法律有必要在反政府和反中國動亂後恢復穩定。

本週早些時候，總部位於倫敦的非政府組織“香港監察”在一份報告中說，“紅色資本”（源自中國大陸的資金）從根本上改變了香港的政治，媒體和作為商業中心城市的地位。

該組織表示，2019年香港有82％的IPO是由中國內地公司進行的，而到2020年10月，中國大陸股票佔恆生指數的比重為57.3％。

              I believe in the Foundation’s saying that while people in Hong Kong and Macau, both special administrative regions of China, are enjoying more economic freedom than the average resident inside China, the developments in Hong Kong in recent years have demonstrated clearly that the policies in these two places are ultimately controlled by Beijing.  Such control has fundamentally reshaped Hong Kong's politics, media and the city's status as a business center.

中國全國人大批准徹底改變香港選舉制度

 A few days ago Hong Kong's SCMP  reported the following on line:

China’s NPC approves sweeping changes to Hong Kong electoral system

Sarah Zheng

Published: 3:16pm, 11 Mar, 2021

China’s national legislature has approved a resolution to drastically overhaul Hong Kong’s electoral system to ensure only “patriots” can rule the city, in a sweeping move critics fear will further quash opposition voices.

The National People’s Congress (NPC) passed the resolution on Thursday afternoon by a near-unanimous vote, paving the way for the biggest shake-up to the city’s electoral system since its return to China in 1997.

Delegates voted 2,895 in favour of the proposal, which will authorise its standing committee to finalise the details of the electoral reform process. They applauded for the longest period after the Hong Kong electoral proposal was passed.

Chinese state-run news agency Xinhua confirmed shortly after the vote that, under the new electoral system, members of the NPC and the Chinese People‘s Political Consultative Conference – the country’s top political advisory body – will be part of the Election Committee selecting the city’s leader next year.

The Election Committee will be expanded to add these 300 Beijing loyalists, who will become a fifth sector of the expanded 1,500 member body. The other four groupings – business, professional, social and political, will continue to have 300 members each.

The Legislative Council will also be expanded to 90 seats from 70, and will be elected through the committee, functional constituencies and through direct elections.

A vetting committee will be established to review potential candidates for the committee and Legco, effectively barring opposition candidates not deemed sufficiently “patriotic”.

To implement the decision, the NPC Standing Committee will also amend Annex I and Annex II of Hong Kong‘s basic law, the city’s mini-constitution.

At the same time, 117 seats on the Election Committee elected by the city’s district councillors – dominated by the opposition after the 2019 polls – are expected to be scrapped, further diluting the opposition’s influence.

While the NPC has never voted down a proposal, the margin by which they are passed is seen as an indication of the level of support for the measures. Last year, the NPC approved the proposal for the national security law in Hong Kong with a vote of 2,878 in favour and one against, with six abstentions.

Chinese officials have insisted the measures are necessary to establish a “democratic electoral system with Hong Kong characteristics” and to ensure national security is upheld, but critics have warned it will limit the space for opposition in the city and roll back years of effort to liberalise the system.

Li Zhanshu, chairman of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, said this week the “legal combination punches” from the moves were meant to “safeguard the constitutional order of Hong Kong” following antigovernmental protests in 2019.

Ahead of the NPC’s vote on the electoral measures, Britain said the proposed changes would be another attack on the former British colony’s rights and freedoms. The US and other countries have also slammed Beijing for charging 47 opposition politicians and activists in Hong Kong with subversion under the national security law, which came into effect in the city last June.

The NPC on Thursday – the final day of its meetings in Beijing this year – also approved the government ‘s annual work report, which laid out plans for the year ahead, including a GDP growth target of “above 6 per cent”, an increase in the military budget by 6.8 per cent, and plans for China to become a manufacturing powerhouse.

Delegates also passed Beijing’s 14th five-year plan, with 2,873 in favour, 11 objections and 12 abstentions. The five-year policy blueprint places key emphasis on the “dual circulation” development strategy that aims to reduce China’s reliance on overseas demand, greater investment in technological research, as well as bolstering food, energy and financial security.

Translation

中國國家立法機關通過了一項決議，對香港的選舉制度進行大刀闊斧的改革，以確保只有“愛國者”才能統治香港。批評者擔心這一舉措將進一步壓制反對派聲音。

全國人民代表大會（NPC）週四下午以近乎一致的投票通過了該決議，為自1997年回歸中國以來對該市選舉制度進行的最大改革而鋪平了道路。

代表們對該提案投了2895票，該提案將授權其常務委員會最終確定選舉改革進程的細節。他們在香港選舉提案獲得通過後, 作出最長時間鼓掌。

投票後不久，中國國營新聞社新華社證實，在新的選舉制度下，全國人大和中國最高政治諮詢機構, 中國人民政治協商會議的成員將成為選舉委員會的成員，選舉該市明年的領導人。

選舉委員會將擴大，以增加這300名北京忠實擁護者，他們將成為擴大後的1,500個成員機構中的第五組別。其他四個組別 – 商業，專業，社會和政治，將繼續各自擁有300名成員。

立法會也將從70個席位擴大到90個席位，並將分別通過委員會，職能選區和直接選舉產生。

一個審查委員會將成立，以審查該委員會和立法會的潛在候選人，從而有效地禁止那些被認為不足夠“愛國”的反對派候選人。

為執行該決定，全國人大常委會還將修訂香港基本法, 即香港的微型憲法的附件一和附件二。

同時，預計將廢除該市地方議員選舉產生的117個選舉委員會席位，這些席位在2019年選舉後由反對派主導。這將進一步稀釋反對派的影響力。

全國人大從未投票否決過一項提案，但通過這些提案的比率被視為表明對這些措施的支持程度。去年，全國人大以2878票贊成，1票反對，6票棄權，通過了香港國家安全法提案。

中國官員堅持認為，採取這些措施對於建立“具有香港特色的民主選舉制度”和確保國家安全是必要的。但批評人士警告說，這將限制該市的反對空間，並逆轉多年把制度民主化的努力。

全國人大常委會委員長李占書本週表示，在2019年反政府抗議活動之後，上述舉動的“法律組合拳”旨在“維護香港的憲政秩序”。

在全國人大對選舉措施進行表決之前，英國表示，其提議的變更將是對前英國殖民地的權利和自由的另一次攻擊。美國和其他國家也抨擊北京，指控其根據國家安全法, 對香港的47名反對派政治家和激進分子進行檢控。該法律於去年6月在香港生效。

全國人大在周四（今年北京會議的最後一天）也批准了政府的年度工作報告，該報告列出了來年的計劃，包括將GDP增長目標定在“ 6％以上”。軍費預算增加了6.8％，並計劃使中國成為製造業強國。

代表們還通過了北京的第十四個五年計劃，贊成票數為2,873，反對票數為11，棄權票數為12。五年政策藍圖重點放在“雙循環”發展戰略上。該戰略旨在減少中國對海外需求的依賴，加大對技術研究的投資, 以及加強糧食，能源和金融安全。

So, the new changes to the Basic Law will dilute the opposition’s influence in Hong Kong. It will reduce the voice of the opposition and increase pro-Beijing voices in three major ways. First, the 117 seats on the Election Committee elected by the city’s district councilors – dominated by the opposition after the 2019 election – would probably be scrapped. Second, a new vetting committee will be established to review potential candidates running for the Committee and the Legislative Council, effectively barring opposition candidates not deemed sufficiently “patriotic”. Third, the Election Committee will be expanded by adding 300 Beijing loyalists.