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Every weekend, Asia Pacific Daily will provide you with a run-down of the latest hot news.
This week, the following hot news you should know:
Top 1 | Donald Trump: Crowds gather for Tulsa rally despite coronavirus fears
Supporters of US President Donald Trump have begun filling an arena where he will hold his first rally since March, when the US coronavirus lockdown began.
However, organisers cancelled an "overflow" event at Tulsa's 19,000-seat Bank of Oklahoma Center when the expected crowds failed to materialise. There are concerns the event could increase the spread of Covid-19. Those attending must sign a waiver protecting the Trump campaign from responsibility for any illness.
The Trump campaign said it had received more than a million ticket requests, and that the president would speak inside the BOK Center and at an outdoor stage set up nearby for overflow crowds. When the numbers failed to appear, campaign officials cancelled the outdoor appearance, blaming "radical protesters" and the media for attempting to "frighten off" supporters.
Top 2 | Biden to accept Democratic Party's nomination at scaled-back convention
Democratic presumptive presidential nominee Joe Biden is poised to accept the party's nomination at a scaled-back convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC) said Wednesday.
Biden's campaign manager Jen O'Malley Dillon said the former vice president would "proudly accept" the party's nomination at the scaled-back convention, according to a report from The Hill.
The DNCC also said a "process is being developed" to ensure all delegates can cast their votes on matters, including the presidential nomination, remotely during the convention. The convention will be moved from the Fiserv Forum to the smaller Wisconsin Center in downtown Milwaukee for the four nights of programming on Aug. 17-20, said the report.
Top 3 | China joins Russia's V-Day parade to honor WWII victory
Russia on Wednesday staged its Victory Day military parade in Moscow's Red Square to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the former Soviet Union's victory in World War II. China's People's Liberation Army (PLA), and troops from 12 other countries joined the parade at the invitation of the Russian side.
Scheduled on May 9, this year's parade was delayed and rescheduled to June 24 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to officials, the new parade date was chosen to coincide with the anniversary of the first post-war parade in Red Square, which saw Soviet troops throw down Nazi standards in front of the Lenin mausoleum on June 24, 1945.
A total of 13,000 troops from 13 countries, as well as vintage equipment and the latest military hardware, took part in the parade to show Russia's fighting capabilities. At the invitation of Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister Wei Fenghe attended the V-Day parade. The visit, according to Wu Qian, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, was an opportunity to deepen the mutual trust and military cooperation between China and Russia.
Top 4 | Singapore to hold general election: PM
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Tuesday that he has advised President Halimah Yacob to dissolve the parliament and issue the Writ of Election.
He made the remarks in a live address to the nation. According to a press release from the Prime Minister's Office, the president, on the advice of Lee, has dissolved the parliament on Tuesday and issued the Writ of Election. Lee also advised the nomination day to be on June 30, 2020, and the president has agreed, said the press release. The polling day would be on July 10, said the press release.
On June 30, the candidate (or group of candidates) must be accompanied by a proposer, a seconder and at least four assentors when delivering the Nomination Paper at nine Nomination Places across Singapore.
Top 5 | Putin not ruling out running for President if constitutional amendments passed
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday that he did not rule out running for another term if the relevant amendments to the national constitution were passed.
"I do not exclude the possibility of this. If this appears in the constitution - the opportunity to run [for the presidency]. We will see," Putin said, as aired by Rossiya 1 TV channel. The all-Russian vote on the amendments to the national constitution will be held on 1 July.
In late January, Mr Putin suggested amendments to the fundamental law, including reduction of the presidency to two terms and expanding the role of the legislature. The president also said that the State Council, currently an advisory body made up of regional governors, should have its status and duties fixed in the Constitution.
Top 6 | Trump considers meeting Venezuela's Maduro: media
U.S. President Donald Trump said in an interview that he would consider meeting with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, U.S. media reported on Sunday.
In a Friday interview with Axios, Trump suggested that he is open to a meeting with Maduro. "Maduro would like to meet. And I'm never opposed to meeting," he said. Trump also indicated a lack of confidence in Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, who has gained supports from the United States and some other western countries since early 2019.
The United States has been pursuing a policy of economic sanctions and diplomatic isolation against the Maduro government in support of Guaido.
Top 7 | ROK hails 'positive sign' from DPRK as Korean War anniversary marked
Pyongyang's decision to suspend military action plans against the Republic of Korea (ROK) was a "positive sign," an official of the ROK's Unification Ministry said on Thursday, calling on the two sides to improve their relations and restart dialogue, Yonhap News Agency reported.
Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), decided to call off military action plans against the ROK on Tuesday while presiding over a preliminary meeting of the ruling party's Central Military Commission.
The move was a change in tone for Pyongyang following the dramatic worsening of inter-Korean ties in recent weeks. The DPRK had cut off all communication lines with the ROK, blew off their joint liaison office and vowed to take a series of retaliatory steps against the South earlier this month, as it slammed Seoul for failing to stop "defectors from the North" from sending anti-Pyongyang leaflets to the North.
Top 8 | Trump signs executive order halting many work visas through 2020
U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order suspending the issuance of a number of certain employment-based visas through the end of 2020, including the H-1B which are used for highly skilled workers and common in the tech industry.
The order also applies to H-2B visas for short-term seasonal workers, H-4 visas for spouses of H-1B visa holders, L-1 visas for executives transferring to the U.S. from positions abroad with the same employer, as well as certain J-1 visas which are given to researchers, scholars and other specialized categories.
It will not apply to visa-holders already in the United States, or those outside the country who have already been issued valid visas. Around 300,000 J-1 visa recipients come to the U.S. every year, according to the American Immigration Council.
Top 9 | IMF predicts deeper global recession due to coronavirus pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic is causing wider and deeper damage to economic activity than first thought, the International Monetary Fund said on Wednesday, prompting the institution to slash its 2020 global output forecasts further.
The IMF said it now expects global output to shrink by 4.9%, compared with a 3.0% contraction predicted in April, when it used data available as widespread business lockdowns were just getting into full swing.
A recovery in 2021 also will be weaker, with global growth forecast at 5.4% for the year compared to 5.8% in the April forecast. The Fund said, however, that a major new outbreak in 2021 could shrink the year’s growth to a barely perceptible 0.5%.
Top 10 | Trump's ex-national security adviser John Bolton's memoir released
The memoir of John Bolton, U.S. President Donald Trump's former national security adviser, was released on Tuesday, days after a federal judge denied the Trump administration's request to block its publication.
Meanwhile, many local analysts say the revelations of Bolton's book, titled The Room Where It Happened, are not likely to make much difference among most Republicans behind Trump.
Trump blasted Bolton's book on Twitter last week, calling it "a compilation of lies and made up stories, all intended to make me look bad." Bolton reportedly received a 2-million-U.S.-dollar advance for his tell-all book and if it sells well, additional royalties could follow.
Related news:
APD | Desperate India left with limited options
APD | Singapore’s politics becomes dramatic after PM's brother joins opposition party before election
(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)
