Friday, July 10, 2020 United Airlines and American Airlines have suspended flights to HK due to the city’s COVID19 testing rules, as the city aims to prevent another outbreak. HK requires that all travelers and crew must be tested for COVID-19, and complete a 14-day quarantine if tested positive.
Kuaizhou-11 failed on its maiden flight mission
https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202007/11/WS5f090a52a310834817258b95.html#:~:text=The%20debut%20mission%20of%20Kuaizhou,satellites%20to%20two%20different%20orbits Kuaizhou-11, China’s largest solid-propellant rocket, failed on its maiden flight mission on Friday from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. An investigation into the cause of the failure is underway.
Sinopec oil fields has completed the drilling of the 8,725 meters of direct well
Sinopec announced on Monday that one of its oil fields has completed the drilling of the 8,725 meters of direct well in northwest China, the deepest in Asia. http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-07/09/c_139200431.htm
Statutory Maternity Leave to be Extended to 14 Weeks in Hong Kong
On 9 July 2020, the Legislative Council passed the Employment (Amendment) Bill 2019 (the Bill) enhancing the maternity leave benefits of female employees who are employed under a continuous contract of employment.
The key changes under the Bill are as follows:
- An increase in the statutory maternity leave entitlement from the existing 10 weeks to 14 weeks.
- The daily rate of maternity leave pay for the extended period of maternity leave (ie the additional four weeks) shall be at the rate of four-fifths of the employee’s daily average wages. The maternity leave pay for these four weeks of maternity leave is capped at HK$80,000 per employee.
The Government has committed to reimburse employers payment in respect of the extended period of maternity leave; details of the arrangement are not available yet. - The period of pregnancy mentioned in the definition of “miscarriage” will be shortened from 28 weeks to 24 weeks. A female employee who suffers a miscarriage at or after 24 weeks of pregnancy will be entitled to maternity leave (if other conditions are met).
- A certificate of attendance will be accepted as proof of entitlement to sickness allowance for a day on which a female employee attends a medical examination in relation to her pregnancy.
The amendments under the Bill are not in force yet. It is expected that the new measure will come into operation by the end of this year.
Minister Vulin: Violence on the streets is an attempt to forcibly seize power
Minister Vulin: Violence on the streets is an attempt to forcibly seize power and to provoke civil war in Serbia http://www.mod.gov.rs/eng/16210/ministar-vulin-nasilje-na-ulicama-je-pokusaj-nasilnog-preuzimanja-vlasti-i-izazivanja-gradjanskog-rata-u-srbiji-16210
New commercial communication satellite code-named Apstar-6D
China sent a new commercial communication satellite code-named Apstar-6D into planned orbit via a Long March-3B carrier rocket on Thursday. https://spacenews.com/apstar-6d-launches-on-long-march-3b-rocket/
The first satellite for a Chinese company planning a global system of geostationary satellites launched July 9 on a Long March 3B rocket.
Apstar-6D, a high-throughput satellite with a total capacity of 50 gigabits per second, launched at 8:11 a.m. Eastern from China’s Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan China. China Great Wall Industry Corporation, the arm of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) tasked with conducting commercial Long March launches, confirmed mission success in a press release after the launch.
Chinese Embassy warns of unknown pneumonia deadlier than COVID-19 in Kazakhstan
Chinese Embassy warns of unknown pneumonia deadlier than COVID-19 in Kazakhstan The Chinese Embassy in Kazakhstan on Thursday warned Chinese citizens living in the country of a local pneumonia of unknown cause, which has a “much higher” fatality rate than COVID-19.
The unknown pneumonia in Kazakhstan caused 1,772 deaths in the first six months of the year, including 628 people in June alone, including Chinese citizens, the embassy said in a statement on its WeChat platform on Thursday.
A Chinese research institute has made a breakthrough in 5nm laser lithography technology
A Chinese research institute has made a breakthrough in a new type of 5nm laser lithography technology. The move could lay technical foundation for the research into China’s self-developed advanced lithography machine. https://bit.ly/2W0Nvbt
A Chinese research institute has made a breakthrough in a new type of 5 nanometer (nm) laser lithography technology, which industry insiders believe could lay the foundation for research into a self-developed advanced lithography machine, a field in which China lags behind some developed Western countries.
A Chinese research institute has made a breakthrough in a new type of 5 nanometer (nm) laser lithography technology, which industry insiders believe could lay the foundation for research into a self-developed advanced lithography machine, a field in which China lags behind some developed Western countries.
But they stressed that China remains “far away” from producing such a chip-making machine as there are still technological barriers. Lack of sufficient capital also presents an obstacle to translate the theoretical findings into production power.
The Suzhou Institute of Nano-tech and Nano-Bionics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Sinano), along with the National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, announced Thursday that they have made important progress on ultra-high precision laser lithography, according to a statement on Sinano’s website.
The new tech has broken the traditional constraint in laser direct writing to be able to process at nano-level. The ultra high precision processing is based on a new type of three-layer membrane structure.
In addition to high precision, the technology demonstrates the potential of mass production. The laser direct writing tech could be used to produce up to 500,000 special nano electrodes an hour.
The research result is published in Nano Letters, a monthly peer-reviewed scientific journal published by the American Chemical Society. The paper noted that the new nano processing technology could be widely applied in such sectors as semiconductors, photonic chips and micro electro mechanical systems.
Xiang Ligang, a Beijing-based veteran industry analyst, told the Global Times on Thursday that the new technology will equip Chinese researchers with the theory to make forays into making homegrown lithography machines. “But it will take years for China to close the gap with the advanced Western suppliers, in particular ASML,” Xiang said.
ASML delivered 7nm EUV lithography machines last year. The Netherlands-based firm also announced in June that it has made a significant development in its multi-beam inspection tool line for 5nm lithography machines.
In China, Shanghai Micro Electronics Equipment (SMEE) announced in June that it expects the first China-made 28nm immersion type lithography machine will be delivered in 2021-2022. SMEE has mass-produced lithographs with the best performance of 90nm processing nodes.
Xiang noted that the Dutch firm monopolized key technologies in making lithography machines, which makes it difficult for Chinese companies to fast track their production. “It’s urgent to improve the machines’ production yield,” Xiang noted.
Industry observers noted that another critical issue lies in the absence of sufficient capital input due to the slow return on a heavy investment.
“Chinese research institutes need to work with companies to translate theories into products. But in terms of profits, making a chip-production machine could cost billions of yuan and it will take years to recover the investment. Most Chinese companies don’t see it as a good deal,” Xiang explained.
China accounts for one-third of global semiconductor sales, according to media reports. The recent US-led relentless attack on China’s high-tech industries, which could cut off some Chinese tech companies like Huawei from advanced chip imports, has created a sense of urgency for the world’s second-largest economy to be self-sufficient in the semiconductor industry.
Sen. Tammy Duckworth becomes target of attacks on Biden’s possible VP shortlist
Sen. Tammy Duckworth becomes target of attacks on Biden’s possible VP shortlist; Tucker Carlson calls her ‘coward,’ ‘fraud’ https://abc7chicago.com/politics/duckworth-becomes-target-of-attacks-on-bidens-possible-vp-shortlist/6307653/
Venezuela downed unidentified US plane
https://defence-blog.com/news/venezuela-says-it-shot-down-unidentified-u-s-aircraft.html
On 9 July, the Strategic Command Operations of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces has reported that it shoot down unidentified aircraft with a U.S. serial identification number as it violated the country’s airspace.
“CEOFANB reports that the United Aerospace Defence Command detected an aircraft with a US hull number intruding Venezuelan airspace overnight 8 July and neutralized it with military jets according to protocols”, the military said on Twitter.
Some sources reported that fighter jets of the Bolivarian Venezuelan Military Aviation forced a ‘narco jet’ transporting cocaine to land. After landing in the field, the crew allegedly set fire to the plane to hide all evidence.
