The United States has provided a US$176 million investment to Moderna to facilitate the production of a bird flu vaccine.

The US government is investing $176 million in Moderna to support the development of an avian influenza vaccine, in response to concerns over the H5N1 virus outbreak in dairy cattle. The funding from the US Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority will be used for the final stages of development and testing of a pre-pandemic mRNA-based vaccine against H5N1 avian influenza. Furthermore, the agreement provides for options to be exercised in the event of future public health threats. Since the first outbreak in dairy cattle in March, the H5N1 virus has infected over 130 herds in 12 states. Scientists are concerned that exposure to the virus in poultry and dairy cattle could result in mutations that would enable it to easily spread among humans, potentially causing a pandemic. Moderna has initiated a study of an avian influenza vaccine, mRNA-1018, in adults aged 18 and older, with a focus on the H5 subtype.

https://internasional.kontan.co.id/news/as-suntik-dana-us176-juta-ke-moderna-untuk-memproduksi-vaksin-flu-burung

BYD Electric Vehicle Sales Increase 21% in Q2.

Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer BYD has announced a 21% increase in electric vehicle sales in the second quarter, with a total of 426,039 units sold. This growth comes at a time when competitor Tesla is experiencing a decline in vehicle deliveries, with an estimated 6% decrease in the same quarter. This marks the first time that Tesla has recorded a decline in two consecutive quarters. The decline in Tesla's sales is attributed to intense competition in the Chinese market and a slowdown in demand, particularly for affordable new model vehicles. Consequently, industry experts posit that BYD is now the frontrunner in the electric vehicle market. Barclays estimates that Tesla's sales decreased by 11% in the second quarter, while China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) data shows a 24.2% year-on-year decline in Tesla sales in June 2024.

https://internasional.kontan.co.id/news/penjualan-kendaraan-listrik-byd-meningkat-21-di-kuartal-ii

Sainsbury's reports an increase in sales, driven primarily by growth in grocery sales.

Sainsbury's, the second largest supermarket group in the UK, has reported a 3% increase in sales for the first quarter. The company's grocery sales rose by 4.8% over a 16-week period. Sainsbury's estimates that its retail operating profit will reach ￡1.01 billion this year and ￡1.06 billion by 2025.

Mr. Simon Roberts, Chief Executive of Sainsbury's, expressed satisfaction with the supermarket's performance in the grocery market, which outperformed its competitors. Despite recent adverse weather conditions, the volume of goods sold increased significantly as inflation slowed. However, sales in the merchandise and clothing segment declined by 4.3%. Sales for the Argos group also saw a decline of 6.2%. Sainsbury's attributed these declines to the earlier bad weather during the summer, which affected seasonal category sales, and the high sales figures from the previous year.

https://internasional.kontan.co.id/news/penjualan-sainsbury-naik-ditopang-penjualan-bahan-makanan