1. In recent days, serious clashes have broken out between Israel and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip. A spokesman for Hamas announced on the 13th that the Qassam Brigade, an armed faction of Hamas, fired 250 kilograms of heavy rockets at Ramon Airport near Israel’s southernmost port city of Eilat on the same day. Hamas urged all international airlines to immediately stop flights to any Israeli airport.

2.African swine fever has reduced the stock of pigs in the Philippines by at least 3 million, with related industries losing more than $2 billion. The outbreak has also led to a surge in Philippine pork prices, forcing the government to increase imports of pork products, which has kept international pork prices high. According to the industry, countries such as Vietnam and the Philippines have been snapping up pork worldwide since the beginning of the year, pushing up global demand for pork imports, driving the futures price of live pigs from less than 80 cents per pound to as high as 115 cents per pound.

3. World Health Organization (WHO) data show that the frequency of novel coronavirus mutation has gradually increased from 0.1 per thousand to 1.3 per thousand, so it is particularly urgent to speed up the current national vaccination work. At present, the study has not found that COVID-19 mutant virus has the problem of immune escape. Recently, the number of novel coronavirus mutants found in the world is increasing. Mutants found in India have now appeared in at least 44 countries and regions. As the epidemic continues to wreak havoc abroad, the possibility of new virus variants cannot be ruled out. China has made full preparations to increase quarantine and disinfection of imports from relevant countries.

4. Kyodo news agency: Toshiro Muto, secretary-general of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games Organizing Committee, said that at this stage, except for athletes, the number of Olympic-related visitors to Japan will be reduced from a total of about 180000 before the postponement to less than 90, 000. The number of contestants is expected to be the same as before the postponement, about 15000.

5.On May 14, the first hearing on the divorce of Bill Gates, the former richest man in the world, was held. The divorce verdict is not due until April 2022, involving a split of US$140 billion. Cascade Investment, the Gates investment company, transferred 2.25 million Deere shares worth about US$851 million to Melinda on May 15, plus shares in companies such as Coca-Cola Vansa bottles that Gates gave Melinda, worth more than US$3 billion.

6.On May 20, the Federal Reserve will release the minutes of its April FOMC meeting. Participants said the Fed’s asset purchase program since March last year relieved pressure on the financial environment and provided substantial support to the economy, according to the minutes of the March meeting. It may take some time to see substantial progress in FOMC’s goal of maximum employment and price stability, and the existing asset purchase program will be maintained at least until then.

7. New Delhi Chief Minister Kejariwal said on May 16 that the number of new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the capital area is on the decline. In order to prevent the epidemic prevention achievements made in the past few days from being destroyed, it was decided to extend the “city closure” measure to 5: 00 a.m. on the 24th. This is the fourth time that New Delhi has extended the “city closure” measure.

8.The Iranian government will impose huge fines on people who use household electricity to mine cryptocurrencies. It is reported that Iran is facing a shortage of electricity due to the surge in mining electricity in the country’s cryptocurrency and the reduction of hydroelectric power in the country.

9.Some British cities recruit more jobs than job seekers. In Manchester, there are an average of 13 jobs per job seeker, while in Cambridge and Oxford, the figure is 11, while in Meadstone, in south-east England, there is only one job seeker for every 20 jobs. The massive loss of foreign workers is an important reason for the shortage of job seekers. 

10.While COVID-19 continues to wreak havoc, India has been hit by tropical cyclones. Since the 15th, under the influence of “Tauter”, strong winds and torrential rains have occurred in many places along the coast of southern and western India. The Indian Meteorological Agency issued a warning on the 17th that tropical cyclone Tauter has risen from “very serious” to “extremely serious”. As of the morning of the 17th local time, bad weather has caused at least 10 people were killed and many others injured in India.