Alliance against China G7 countries decide on global infrastructure plan

Status: 13.06.2021 6:38 p.m.

At the initiative of US President Joe Biden, the G7 countries agreed on a billion-dollar infrastructure initiative for the emerging countries. It should be an alternative to China’s “New Silk Road”. From Notker Blechner, tagesschau.de It sounds like a kind of “Marshall Plan” for the poorer countries of the world: At the G7 summit in Carbis Bay, the leading western industrialized countries have an infrastructure project entitled “Build Back Better World” (in German: a better world rebuild) decided. Hundreds of billions of dollars are to be invested by the G7 countries in cooperation with the private sector.

The US is the driving force behind the initiative

The project was promoted by US President Joe Biden. It is reminiscent of the billion dollar infrastructure plan adopted in the USA, which Biden promoted under the slogan “Build Back Better”. The aim is to offer poorer countries “transparent high-quality partnerships”, announced Biden at the end of the summit. The global infrastructure project of the G7 states is supposed to be an alternative to the “New Silk Road” with which China is promoting infrastructure projects from Asia to Europe. The People’s Republic has agreed “Belt and Road” projects with around 100 countries, including the construction of new train routes, ports and roads. According to the business information service Refinitiv, around 2,600 projects with a volume of 3.7 trillion dollars have already been launched. Critics accuse Beijing of driving poor countries into a debt trap and into political dependency. With the “Silk Road”, China is pursuing the goal of expanding its geopolitical influence worldwide. A US official called the new G7 alliance against China’s Silk Road a positive alternative vision that “shows our values, our standards and our way of doing business”. It is not about “the countries have to choose between us and China”.

Transparent alternative to the “New Silk Road”?

Chancellor Angela Merkel gave a less ideological justification for the infrastructure plan of the G7 countries. “We have to deal with the fact that China is running quite successfully infrastructure projects,” she admitted. “We can’t just stand by and watch.” The G7 group must show “that we are an important and successful factor in development work in the world”. She emphasized that the project was “not against something, but for something”, namely the expansion of the infrastructure, especially in Africa. The German economy has been demanding for some time that Europe react to China’s “New Silk Road” with its own infrastructure strategy. “If we want to regain spheres of influence in developing countries, it is not enough to criticize China. We have to make better deals,” said Friedolin Strack, head of the International Markets department in the Federation of German Industries (BDI), to the “Handelsblatt”. German companies usually go away empty-handed when it comes to the Silk Road projects.

Trillions of dollars are needed

According to Biden, there is a global need of 40 trillion dollars for the expansion and modernization of the infrastructure. He didn’t give any details. In a preparatory paper for the G7 summit it was said that 1.5 to 2.7 trillion dollars of additional money would be necessary every year for the developing and emerging countries to achieve the sustainable development goals of the United Nations. In fact, many countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America lack modern roads, train lines, bridges and ports, as well as facilities for water supply, sewage and waste treatment. In the opinion of the G7 group, the World Bank and other international financial institutions have proven to be too clumsy when it comes to infrastructure projects. This is why national development banks in particular, such as the German Reconstruction Loan Corporation (KfW) or the US International Development Finance Corporation, are now to develop and implement projects.

Concrete projects only in 2022

It will take a few more months for the G7 countries’ global infrastructure plan to take shape. The first concrete projects are not expected to appear until next year. The new G7 task force for infrastructure projects in developing countries is to make specific proposals in 2022. “I hope that we can present such projects at the next G7 summit,” said Chancellor Merkel. Germany will take over the G7 presidency in 2022.

Because of the more frequent mutations of the new coronavirus recently, “is the vaccine still effective?” has become a concern for everyone. If you want to add annual keywords to the new crown virus, then “mutation” is probably not inferior to “popularity.” “Preliminary research results show that my country’s existing vaccines can cope with the variant strains emerging in India.” Shao Yiming, a researcher at the China Centers for Disease Control and a member of the Vaccine R&D Team of the Scientific Research Group, said in an interview a few days ago that the domestic new crown vaccine still has a protective effect. . How can the domestic new crown vaccine be able to deal with the variant strains emerging in India? A reporter from Science and Technology Daily interviewed industry experts on this matter. The virus has changed Can the antibodies raised by the vaccine not drop? Today, when the antibodies in our body encounter the new coronavirus, it is very likely that we will whisper the phrase “you have changed.” In fact, it is difficult to stay the same, because it travels the world and meets different people and even animals. In the latest “Epidemiology Weekly Report” released by the World Health Organization on May 18, 10 variants were “named”, including 4 “needs of concern” that were first discovered in the UK, South Africa, Brazil, and India. The mutated strains also include 6 strains that “need attention” found in the Philippines, France and other places (slightly lower than the strains of concern). The report specifies the location of the virus mutation sequence change in detail. When the virus changes, can the antibodies raised by the vaccine fail to drop? Not necessarily, it depends on where the virus has changed. Most of the mutations of the concerned strains and the concerned strains fall on the key spike protein, which is responsible for allowing the virus to invade the cell. Its mutation may enhance the virus’s infectivity and may also invalidate existing vaccines, especially for the spike protein. Designed vaccine. “Relevant departments have previously shown based on sequence mutation predictions that although the mutation of the Indian strain falls on the spike protein, it may have little impact on the protective effect of the existing vaccine. Of course, this needs further experimental confirmation.” Said Lu Shan, project commissioner and deputy director of the Public Health and Modern Medicine Division of China Biotechnology Development Center, Ministry of Science and Technology. Changes in viral RNA sequence must pass at least three passes to affect the formation of a protein structure, including changes in coding amino acids, changes in protein folding, and changes in protein three-dimensional conformation. Therefore, from the perspective of sequence analysis, protein simulation, neutralization reaction prediction, etc., the mutation of the Indian strain has not reached the level of “cannot be reduced”. In addition, for the mutant strains that emerged in India, relevant departments are also conducting “practical drills” on them with neutralizing antibodies. Previously, similar studies were conducted on the mutant strains discovered for the first time in South Africa. “The Lancet-Microbe” published the results of two Chinese vaccines on April 13th. The 24 serum samples of vaccine subjects were tested for the neutralization activity of live virus, and wild-type virus strain HB02 and the virus strain BJ01 carrying the D614G mutation were used as controls. The results showed that the neutralization ability of the vaccine evoked antibodies was maintained at a percentage. It’s about sixty or seventy. Multi-party attention and continuous tracking of virus changes Shao Yiming said at the meeting that relevant departments and companies are closely following the mutation of the new crown virus. Once there are variant strains that cannot be dealt with by existing vaccines, we will have new vaccines into use. So, what does close tracking mean? If a new vaccine is needed, how quickly can it be developed? “Vaccine research and development teams continue to pay attention to virus mutations and carry out research and development of new vaccines based on virus mutations.” Lu Shan introduced, for example, the Academy of Military Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and related companies have gradually carried out. “The eighth edition of the prevention and control plan requires genetic sequencing of all imported cases and the first or early cases in the local epidemic.” Wu Liangyou, deputy director of the National Health Commission’s Disease Control Bureau, said at a press conference earlier that through gene sequencing dynamics Monitoring virus mutations can provide a scientific basis for subsequent studies on the impact of virus mutations on pathogen detection and vaccine protection. Source: Visual China These sequence information will be aggregated to the National Bioinformation Center (National Genome Science Data Center), the new coronavirus information database released by the center, which will continue to track virus mutations. The Chinese Center for Disease Control and other units continue to track the sequence changes of the new coronavirus and conduct in-depth virus mutation analysis. In addition to continuous gene sequencing and analysis for continuous tracking, vaccine research and development companies and research institutes will also conduct dynamic cross-protection experiments on newly emerging mutant strains. The above-mentioned “Lancet-Microorganism” published research is one of the typical studies of various units concerned about the strength of vaccines and viruses. For newly mutated strains, inactivated vaccines have a very quick way to deal with them. Shao Yiming introduced that as long as the virus of the new mutant strain is added to the feeding end, the entire production process does not need to be changed, and a new vaccine against the mutation can be produced. A reporter from Science and Technology Daily also contacted relevant units. In response, Dr. Hangwen Li, the founder of Sri Lanka Microbiology, said that the iterative vaccine development for mutant strains was carried out earlier. The serum produced in animal experiments can be tested by relevant national institutions to have a good neutralizing effect on the new coronavirus mutant strains of concern to the World Health Organization. At present, the iterative vaccine is improving related research applications to carry out a phase 1 clinical trial. Academician Zhong Nanshan judged in an interview not long ago: Due to the mutation of the virus, the new crown vaccine may be given regularly in the future like influenza prevention. So in response to mutations, the new crown vaccine may also be similar to the flu vaccine. After continuous research and development by the R&D team, several vaccines against variant strains of the new coronavirus have been produced, and the corresponding vaccines have been vaccinated. Source: Science and Technology Daily

According to the South China Morning Post, the epidemic in 2020 has significantly affected the skin care habits of beauty believers around the world. Self-care practices become popular. Many people create their own mask recipes, skin care to enjoy the feeling of relaxation at home. Makeup trends to adapt to wearing masks are promoted. In addition, searches for “how to cut your own hair” also increased dramatically last year when a series of hair salons closed. Photo: @laneige_kr. 1. Enhance the natural look: If 2020 is the year the DIY beauty trend explodes, 2021 will emphasize slow beauty. The trend of “skinimalism” (skin + mnimalism) – minimalist beauty has flourished amid the pandemic. Many people avoid heavy makeup and meticulous steps. High-coverage foundation, anti-slip lipstick does not bring many benefits because it is hidden behind a mask. The trend towards natural beauty is expected to continue to grow this year. Photo: @missha.official. 2. Eye makeup is crowned: Many people find ways to make their eyes stand out when wearing masks. Mascara, waterproof eyeliner is expected to have more color gamut. In addition, eyelash serums are also gradually becoming popular because many people are having to interrupt eyelash extensions and eyelash extensions due to the influence of the epidemic. Photo: Semenichause. 3. More anti-aging: Cosmetic brands are paying attention to beauty ingredients that help take care of the skin effectively, while at the same time being environmentally friendly. Some of the emerging ingredients include bakuchiol (found in the leaves and seeds of psoralea corylifolia from India) that reduces the appearance of wrinkles, copper peptides that help heal damage, and antioxidant soybean extracts. , overcoming sagging skin… Photo: Getty. 4. Putting beneficial bacteria into cosmetics: Skin care based on probiotics is increasingly popular. Active ingredients produced during fermentation appear on the ingredient lists of many beauty products. According to Allure, there are many bacteria that live naturally on the skin. They fight infection, block environmental damage, regulate pH, keep skin plump… Associate clinical professor of dermatology at the Icahan School of Medicine in New York (USA) – Whitney Bowe – said : “The more beneficial bacteria on the skin, the stronger the skin barrier and the less prone to dryness, inflammation, itching and stinging.” Photo: MyMicrobiome. 5. Beauty at home: Searches for beauty equipment, home beauty tools have increased sharply in the past year and there is no sign of stopping. Grooming, manicure, brow trimming, skin care at home is all more informative about the process than it was a few years ago. Photo: The City Sidewalks. 6. Scalp Care: The health of the hair is not only determined by the ends of the hair, the scalp also plays an equally important role. Many brands are jumping into the race to create shampoos, serums, masks, and creams specifically for the scalp. Photo: Getty.

According to the job posting posted on May 26, candidates need to have experience “working at alternative payment method providers including e-wallets, BNPL (buy first, pay later), fast payments (Fast Payments). ), cryptocurrency…” for 5 years or more. Apple is hiring for a position with experience in the areas of payments, including cryptocurrencies. Photo: Forbes. According to Apple, the hire will take on the position of business development director of Apple Wallets, Payments and Commerce (WPC). Job duties include model identification, planning, screening, negotiation, and maintaining relationships with alternative payment program partners. In addition to experience in the payments sectors, this role will work with senior partners in the company, providing “direction based on market research and Apple’s opportunities”, influencing “the strategy of the company”. business strategy and product roadmap”. While crypto experience is not required if the candidate has knowledge in other areas of payment, the inclusion of crypto on the list suggests that Apple may consider adding a cryptocurrency payment method in the future. future. Earlier in April, leaked photos showed that the Apple Pay service could support Visa cards integrated with Coinbase e-wallet, a cryptocurrency trading platform. In 2019, Apple Pay VP Jennifer Bailey said that she was “watching cryptocurrency”, calling it an area with “long-term potential”. Apple services or stores have never accepted payments in cryptocurrencies, in addition to a strict payment policy for all apps released on the App Store. According to the MacRumors , does not rule out the possibility that Apple is looking for people with experience in the payment fields to ensure its ability to compete with competitors if needed. Expensive price for Bitcoin mining Since the advent of cryptocurrencies, the amount of electricity required for mining has increased significantly. This leads experts to believe that cryptocurrency mining is not environmentally friendly.

Photo: FT The dog-shaped coin that started as a joke has grown in value by 1,000% this year and has received the support of many celebrities, such as Tesla founder Elon Musk. . Photo: FT It is not clear how much money Aziz McMahon will gain after investing in Dogecoin. However, The Guardian says that this number is significant. For her part, Aziz McMahon declined to comment. Goldman Sachs said that Aziz McMahon was not involved in the bank’s crypto business. Photo: Bloomberg Last week, Goldman Sachs opened a Bitcoin investment division. This is in contrast to 2018 when the bank said it had decided not to enter the cryptocurrency market. Photo: Bloomberg Created by two software engineers named Billy Markus and Jackson Palmer, Dogecoin was intended to be a faster and happier alternative to bitcoin. Since its inception, Dogecoin has a growing community of users. In mid-April, Dogecoin reached the top 10 of the largest cryptocurrencies in the world.

A recent set of 22-year-old legs on Vogue Paris magazine made fans fascinated by the beauty and sexy look Malika El Maslouhi has a hot “fiery” body with a height of 180cm and a face with impressive, beautiful lines and wild long curly hair. Entering the model village at the age of 18 after being discovered by the model management company “Why Not Models”, the emerging long legs of the fashion industry have made outstanding marks in their career. In 2020, she first appeared on the Spring / Summer catwalks, striding for cult brands such as Chanel, Hermès, Christian Dior, Richard Quinn, Ralph Lauren … and quickly caught the attention. She not only impressed the hybrid beauty experts when having a Moroccan father, an Italian mother, but also resonated when Vogue magazine was voted as one of the 15 best models on the floor. Spring show 2020. This year, due to the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic, many programs had to be canceled. Malika El Maslouhi recently joined the audience for the spring 2021 collection of Jacquemus and two Moroccan models, Nora Attal and Imaan Hammam. This entire show is available online for spectators to enjoy. Currently she has more than 25,000 followers on Instagram.

Van Thanh Hill is located on a hill, 3 km from the center of Da Lat city (Lam Dong). Check-in point is on Van Thanh Street. From Dalat market, you follow the direction of February 3, meet the intersection, turn right to Hoang Van Thu, run about 2.5 km more to reach the tourist area. You can combine exploring many places on the same route such as Cam Ly waterfall, Voi waterfall, Linh An pagoda, Hoa Son Dien Trang … Photo: Long Nguyen. This is a combination of cafes, restaurants, gardens, swimming pools, campsites. Admission ticket is 80,000 VND / person (including a selection of water). The resort can book a party for events from 30 people with prices from 280,000 to 310,000 VND / person. Photo: Van Thanh Hill. The check-in areas combine with natural scenery, flower gardens, creating a harmonious overall. Seating area ranges from outdoor to indoor. If you like open space, you can take a walk in the garden, watch many kinds of flowers. Indoor area, awning suitable for midday sitting. There is also a camping area, organizing a BBQ for guests to check-in at night. Photo: Van Thanh Hill. The flower gardens are designed in different areas, combining stone paths, warm pine-paneled walls, making visitors feel lost in miniature Europe. The location is open from 7am to 9:30 pm. Guests often gather crowdedly to take pictures in the morning from 7:00 am to 9:00 am. Photo: Van Thanh Hill. From above, the photos can be obtained from the valley and the greenhouse below. Guests can rent photo equipment for 80,000 VND / set. Photo: Long Nguyen. The campus here grows a variety of flowers such as chrysanthemum, butterfly wings, pink … radiating a gentle scent. Long Nguyen account shared: “The space here is like a giant flower garden. My friends and I gather a lot of virtual life pictures. Fruit tea is a must try when chill in the coffee area. On clear days, you can come here to hunt clouds. The aerial bed, with the backdrop of the mountains and forests in the background, is the suggestion of virtual life. Photo: Van Thanh Hill, thao_sammie_. Large space with a capacity of more than 500 people, the resort is suitable for organizing big events such as gala dinner, prom party … Photo: Van Thanh Hill. At night, the garden will open with multi-colored lights. Visitors can rent a BBQ venue for 100,000 VND / person. Visitors can bring food at home here or order food at prices from 40,000 to 280,000 VND. Other services can also be booked, such as a dormitory tent or campfire. Photo: Tam Huynh. A dreamlike purple flower garden in Da Lat In the first days of the new year, Da Lat (Lam Dong) was flooded with flowers. Aside from the outstanding cherry apricot, this garden of primrose is also receiving a lot of attention.