The Global Justice Now analysis shows that over 1 billion doses of US drugmaker Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine have been bought by the rich governments, which represent only 14% of the global population.

This Week's News Spotlight:

Grab and Gojek close in on terms for merger | Covid-19 patients in Jakarta die within 11 days on average after symptoms: Study | Heavy flooding blocks Thailand’s southern train lines | Singapore becomes first country to approve sale of cultured meat | Philippines virus chief says rich nations already have 80% of global Covid-19 vaccine supply

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Grab and Gojek close in on terms for merger - Bloomberg

Representatives from Grab, Gojek and Softbank, one of Grab’s major investors, declined to comment.

Grab and Gojek are a step further towards Southeast Asia’s biggest internet merger, reported Blooomberg. The two market leaders — and competitors — are some of the region’s largest and most valuable startups, but final details are still being worked out between senior leaders.

Sources said that Grab co-founder Anthony Tan would be the chief executive officer of the new combined entity, but Gojek executives will run the combined business in Indonesia. Ultimately, the combined entity aims to be a publicly listed company.

Covid-19 patients in Jakarta die within 11 days on average after symptoms: Study - Jakarta Post

The death rate reached 12 percent, with majority occurring in patients above 50.

A study by the Eijkman-Oxford Clinical Research Unit showed that Covid-19 patients in Greater Jakarta died within 11 days on average after having symptoms, faster than those from other countries. The study involved 4,625 adult and children patients at 55 Covid-19 hospitals and was conducted within the first five months of the pandemic.

Heavy flooding blocks Thailand’s southern train lines - Bangkok Post

Train services between Hat Yai and Sungai Kolok, Trang and Nakhon Si Thammarat, and to and from Kan Tang stations were halted.

Some of Thailand’s southern train services have been cancelled due to flooding caused by several days of heavy rain. On Wednesday, the State Railway of Thailand said that 12 services were affected due to water on tracks and at railway stations. Landslides also occurred between Phibun and Chong Khao stations.

Singapore becomes first country to approve sale of cultured meat - KrASIA

Many startups in the cultured meat industry are still in the research and development stage.

Singapore has given San Francisco-based egg substitute maker Eat Just the go-ahead to sell lab-grown meat to the public, now the first country to do so. This announcement comes shortly after the food tech startup released plans to build its first Asian factory in Singapore.

Lab-grown meat, also referred to as cell-based meat or cultured meat, is made in laboratories using animal cells. While the industry is still expanding, Eat Just head of global communications Andrew Noyes said that they consider Singapore to be “an ideal place” to launch cultured meats, due to the country’s support for research and development of alternative proteins, and a supportive regulatory environment.

Philippines virus chief says rich nations already have 80% of global Covid-19 vaccine supply - Straits Times

Philippines’ government and private companies signed a supply agreement with British drugmaker AstraZeneca last week, to obtain at least two million doses of its vaccine.

Philippines’ Covid-19 policy chief implementer Carlito Galvez, Jr, also the designated vaccine chief, said that wealthy nations have already snapped up at least 80 percent of the Covid-19 vaccine supply, during the online Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum.

He added that the deals were conducted by making advance market commitments with pharmaceutical companies.