BitGou: Tuesday Briefing: Belarusian activist found hanged in Ukraine

Tuesday, August 3, 2021

by Robert MacMillan

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Here's what you need to know.

Belarusian activist found hanged in Ukraine, Delta variant sweeps the southern U.S., ‘spiritual opium’ comment batters Tencent stock, Rishi Sunak says it’s time to go back to the office

Today's biggest stories

A view of the site where Vitaly Shishov was found dead in Kyiv, August 3, 2021. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich

World

Vitaly Shishov, a Belarusian activist living in exile in Ukraine, was found hanged in a park near his home in Kyiv. Ukrainian police said they had launched a murder case, including investigating whether killers tried to disguise the crime as suicide.

What will it take for Australian authorities to ease a COVID-19 lockdown that demands Sydney's 5 million people stay home until the end of August? Six million shots, according to New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian.

Gold medal cyclists Bao Shanju and Zhong Tianshi wore badges featuring the head of Mao Zedong during a medal ceremony in a potential breach of Olympic rules on the display of political paraphernalia.

The female labor participation rate in India fell to 16.1% during the July-September 2020 quarter, the lowest among the major economies, a government report said, reflecting the impact of pandemic and a widening job crisis. The rate had been as high as 26% in 2005, according to World Bank estimates.

Many Lebanese are seeking psychological care over the past year since the Beirut port chemical explosion that killed more than 200 people and destroyed large parts of the capital. Reuters spoke to mental-health experts and survivors.

A positive COVID-19 test result at a site hosted by the Manatee County Florida Department of Health in Palmetto, August 2, 2021. REUTERS/Octavio Jones

U.S.

Florida and Louisiana were at or near their highest hospitalization numbers of the coronavirus pandemic. More than 10,000 patients were hospitalized in Florida as of Sunday, surpassing that state's record, and Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards ordered residents to wear masks again indoors. Hospitalizations and deaths, as well as vaccinations, are up across the country, the CDC said.

Pro-migrant groups frustrated with President Joe Biden's continued use of an "inhumane" Trump-era expulsion policy for migrant families will seek to block it in court.

Two special U.S. congressional elections to fill vacant seats in Ohio reflect splits in the Republican and Democratic parties. The competition in the 15th District will be a fresh measure of former President Donald Trump's clout, while the contest in the 11th District will test whether a progressive who compared voting for Biden to eating excrement, can be the Democrats’ nominee for Congress.

A cosplay fan poses for a photo at a Tencent Games booth during the China Digital Entertainment Expo and Conference in Shanghai, July 30, 2021. REUTERS/Aly Song

Business

Tencent will further curb minors' access to its flagship game "Honor of Kings" after it lost almost $60 billion in a 10% stock tumble. The gutting came after a China state-media article describing online games as "spiritual opium." The article was pulled offline, then reappeared without that phrase.

Prudential, Citi, HSBC, BlackRock Real Assets and others are making plans to speed the closure of Asia's coal-fired power plants to lower the biggest source of carbon emissions. They plan to buy out the plants and wind them down after 15 years, sources told Reuters.

Expect the global semiconductor chip shortage to continue beyond this year.

A gangbuster second quarter is expected to mark a peak for recent U.S. earnings growth as companies recover from the depths of last year's pandemic-induced profit collapse.

Working from home turned out to be a success for many companies, but times and metrics do change. British Finance Minister Rishi Sunak is the latest voice urging people to return to the office, citing the benefits of mentors and professional relationships, especially for young people.