1. [German Economic Weekly] due to large-scale city closures, pharmaceutical companies have basically shut down, and the supply chain of India’s drug exports to Europe and other regions is now in a state of collapse. The COVID-19 epidemic has led to a serious decline in factory operating rates in India, with Indian pharmaceutical intermediaries and API companies operating at only about 30 per cent. 

2. Within three months, the international price of gold rose from $1676 an ounce to more than $1900 an ounce, an increase of nearly 15 per cent. According to the industry, the current gold market is in a rising cycle, and many gold production companies are actively expanding production capacity and acquiring mineral resources. Although prices are now high, gold consumption is still hot. 

3. The global economy is expected to grow by 5.8 per cent in 2021, compared with 5.6 per cent, the US economy is expected to grow 6.9 per cent, compared with 6.5 per cent, and the eurozone economy is expected to grow 4.3 per cent, up from 3.9 per cent. China’s economy will continue to maintain a strong growth momentum. China’s economy will grow by 8.5% in 2021 and is expected to grow by 5.8% in 2022, both of which are higher than the level of global economic growth.

4. WMO: the La Nina event of 2020-2021 is over, and neutral conditions that are neither El Nino nor La Nina are likely to dominate the tropical Pacific in the coming months. Air temperatures are expected to be above average from June to August, especially in the Northern Hemisphere. 

5. [world Bank] the World Bank now has US $12 billion in vaccine funding, which can help some countries purchase and distribute COVID-19 vaccine and encourage vaccination. It is expected that by the end of June this year, the World Bank’s approved vaccine-related projects will be operated in more than 50 countries, which will be able to use vaccines immediately through methods such as the COVID-19 Vaccine implementation Plan. 

6. Japan: a case of virus infection with a “E484Q” mutation that may reduce the efficacy of the vaccine has been confirmed for the first time on the new crown variant of “Alpha” that first appeared in the UK. The authorities now believe that the infectious power and severe risk of the mutated virus have not changed. Neither the infected patients nor their families have a recent record of going abroad, so the authorities determined that the virus mutated in the patient’s body.

7. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations: in May, the global food price index rose 4.8% from the previous month, rising for the 12th month in a row and the biggest month-on-month increase since October 2010 and the highest level since September 2011. International prices of vegetable oils, sugar and grains soared, leading the index higher. 

8. NASA: plans to carry out two new missions to explore Venus between 2028 and 2030, each with funding of about $500 million. The contents include the study of the evolution of Venus, the further understanding of the geological history of Venus and the analysis of the differences between Venus and Earth in the direction of development. 

9. The number of unemployed people in the world will reach 205 million in 2022, far more than 187 million in 2019, according to a report released by the International Labour Organization (ILO) on the 2nd. The report shows that the labor market crisis caused by the COVID-19 epidemic may last longer, and the scale of global employment growth will not be enough to make up for the job losses caused by the epidemic by 2023.