| Covid disinformation campaigns leave millions across Asia vulnerable. Another big bank is hiking salaries to help counter burnout. And Phuket is open for business once again. Here's what you need to know. A sea of misinformation is deterring people from getting Covid vaccinations across Asia, endangering millions of lives. False claims and disinformation campaigns on social media from local sources as well anti-vaccination movements in the U.S.are fueling vaccine hesitancy in some parts of the region, undermining efforts to protect some of the most vulnerable people in Asia. In the Philippines, 68% of the people are either uncertain or unwilling to take the shots, according to a poll, while a third of Thais have doubts or refuse to be vaccinated, and a fifth of Indonesians are hesitant. Meanwhile, Australia's sluggish vaccine rollout has seen the country go from Covid hero to pandemic laggard; Singapore's changing the way it reports on Covid-19 progress; and Kim Jong Un has warned of a "great crisis" in North Korea. Asian stocks looked set for a muted start as traders weigh concerns about the more contagious delta strain of Covid-19 and look ahead to a U.S. payrolls report. Equity futures were little changed in Japan and Australia. Hong Kong is closed for a holiday. While the S&P 500 edged up overnight, rounding out one of the best first halves since 1998 for U.S. stocks, the recent spread of the virus variant is tempering some of the optimism around the global recovery. The dollar advanced, completing its best month since March 2020. One Asian technology fund manager is buying into China's internet stocks, shrugging off what he calls "noise" around regulatory tightening by Beijing, even as the sector's swoon has eroded his returns. Hong Kong-based Oliver Cox, who helps manage the $1.48 billion JPMorgan Pacific Technology Fund, says he's selectively increasing exposure to tech behemoths whose valuations have been hit by an antitrust crackdown in China. Meituan and Tencent are among his biggest bets. Meanwhile, Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi closed its U.S. trading debut up a mere 1% after raising $4.4 billion in an initial public offering. And Alibaba is nearing its first big deal since being slapped with a record antitrust fine. President Xi Jinping is set to deliver a speech linking the Communist Party's 100th anniversary to China's return to wealth and power, making the case that the party — with him at the top — is the nation's best hope for more growth. Xi is expected to highlight party accomplishments in an address at Tiananmen Square, where the late Mao Zedong formally declared the People's Republic of China in 1949. Although Xi's grip over domestic politics is stronger than ever, China's rise is facing increasing resistance from the U.S. and its allies who accuse the president of leading it down a more confrontational and authoritarian path. Barclays is hiking junior banker pay, joining Wall Street rivals including JPMorgan and Bank of America in paying up to retain staffers amid high levels of burnout. The London-based bank will lift base salaries of all U.S. analysts by $15,000 and its U.S. associates and vice presidents by $25,000, according to a person with knowledge of the matter. Under the changes, first-year analyst base salaries will rise to $100,000, the person said. For staff outside the U.S., equivalent percentage raises will be in local currencies, according to the person. The pay boost is effective July 1 for all junior bankers in Barclays' banking organization and began being formally communicated on Wednesday. What We've Been ReadingThis is what's caught our eye over the past 24 hours: And finally, here's what Cormac's interested in todayWith the first half of 2021 behind us, global stocks have posted their second-best performance since 1998. The MSCI AC World Index's gain of about 11% was beaten only by a 15% rise in 2019. The global stock benchmark closed at a record on June 28, and has risen almost 90% since its pandemic low in March 2020. As we begin the second half, investor focus will soon switch to the upcoming earnings season.  Bloomberg Bloomberg The second quarter could well mark peak earnings growth so comments on the outlook will be key for stock performance as will the impact of rising costs on margins. Outside of that, the same themes that dominated the first half will monopolise the second, and whether we get an equally strong next six months will likely depend on the path of other asset classes, most notably bonds. Cormac Mullen is a Cross-Asset reporter and editor for Bloomberg News in Tokyo. | 
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