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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 | Trump signs order barring transactions with TikTok's parent company
U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order barring transactions with TikTok's parent company ByteDance, starting in 45 days, according to a White House statement.
The executive order, issued late on Thursday, would prohibit "any transaction by any person, or with respect to any property, subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, with ByteDance Ltd." The order alleges that TikTok "automatically captures vast swaths of information from its users, including Internet and other network activity information such as location data and browsing and search histories."
It came as the U.S. Senate on Thursday unanimously voted to approve a bill banning federal employees from using TikTok on government-issued devices, amid threats from the White House to ban the company.Trump, in a letter to U.S. congressional leaders, said he is also banning any transactions starting in 45 days with messenger app WeChat's owner Tencent.
Top 2 | At least 100 killed, 4,000 injured as huge explosions rock Lebanon's capital
The explosions in Lebanese capital Beirut have caused at least 100 deaths and leftover 4,000 injured, with many more missing, Lebanese Health Minister Hamad Hassan announced on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the Lebanese Red Cross and Civil Defense teams are still looking for survivors through the rubble. Two huge explosions rocked Port of Beirut on Tuesday, shaking buildings all over the city while causing massive casualties and damage. Pieces of shattered glasses covered most of the areas in Beirut. Lebanese citizens were seen picking up broken glass from the streets of Beirut. Most of the shops in Beirut's downtown area, which is located near the port, were destroyed.
Primary information reveals that ammonium nitrate stored in a warehouse in Beirut's port for six years may have caused the explosions in Beirut. The Lebanese cabinet is currently holding a meeting to announce new measures to deal with the current crisis and look into the proposal by the Higher Defense Council a day earlier.
Top 3 | Trump targets Canada, reimposing tariffs on aluminum
President Donald Trump said Thursday that the United States is reinstating a 10% import tax on Canadian aluminum, raising tensions with an American ally just weeks after his trade pact with Canada and Mexico took effect.
Canada quickly vowed to respond in kind. Trump originally imposed the tariffs on aluminum imports in 2018. He then lifted them last year on Canadian and Mexican metals to smooth the way for the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which replaced the North American Free Trade Agreement. The USMCA took effect July 1 and was expected to bring stability to North American trade.
Instead, Trump declared Thursday that he is reimposing the tariffs on Canada. Speaking at a Whirlpool plant in Ohio, the president said that Canada had promised that “its aluminum industry would not flood our country with exports and kill all of our aluminum jobs, which is exactly what they did.”
Top 4 | Trump advisers say U.S. election to go ahead on Nov. 3 as planned
The White House and Donald Trump's campaign on Sunday sought to shut down the Republican president's musings on delaying the 2020 vote due to the COVID-19 pandemic, saying there will be an election on November 3.
White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said Trump was raising concerns about mail-in ballots when he floated the idea of delaying the U.S. vote. "We're going to hold an election on November 3 and the president is going to win," Meadows said on CBS' "Face the Nation."
Presidential campaign adviser Jason Miller echoed the sentiment on "Fox News Sunday," saying, "The election is going to be on November 3rd and President Trump wants the election to be on November 3rd." Trump on Thursday suggested delaying the U.S. elections, an idea immediately rejected by both Democrats and his fellow Republicans in Congress – the sole branch of government with the authority to make such a change.
Top 5 | Trump doubles down on unsubstantiated claim about Beirut explosions despite Pentagon contradiction
U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday doubled down on his unsubstantiated claim that he thinks the deadly explosions in the Lebanese capital of Beirut could be "an attack," dismissing his own Pentagon chief's assessment.
Trump previously claimed at the White House on Tuesday that he had "met with some of our great generals and they just seem to feel that this was not some kind of a manufacturing explosion type of event."
His claim was contradicted by U.S. defense officials, including U.S. Defence Secretary Mark Esper, who said on Wednesday that while the Pentagon was still gathering information about the explosions, "most believe that it was an accident as reported."
Top 6 | Japan marks 75th anniversary of atomic bombing of Hiroshima
Japan marked the 75th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on Thursday, with its mayor urging the world to unite against threats to humanity including those from nuclear weapons.
Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui said countries should "put aside their differences and come together to overcome both man-made and natural challenges." The memorial ceremony was scaled down due to a resurgence of COVID-19 infections in Japan and the need to maintain social distancing.
A moment's silence was observed by those in attendance, including Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, at 8:15 a.m. local time, the time when the "Little Boy" uranium-core atomic bomb dropped by a U.S. bomber exploded above Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945.
Top 7 | Amid worldwide voting delays, HKSAR postpones Legco elections
The novel coronavirus pandemic that began in January this year has caused severe disruptions in all areas of life, with profound political implications. As the virus continues to claim more victims with no signs of clearing, governments around the world struggle to choose between pausing and continuing normal economic activity.
The experience of countries such as China and South Korea, where regional flare-ups have occurred even after containing nationwide outbreaks, shows just how easy it is for the virus to re-emerge and cause damage. So far, one of the most effective strategies in preventing infections is to avoid group gathering, which also poses a challenge for countries that hold elections.
On Friday, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Carrie Lam invoked emergency powers to postpone the Legislative Council elections scheduled for September 6.
Top 8 | Thai PM orders deeper look into death of witness in Red Bull hit-and-run case
Thailand’s prime minister has ordered a second autopsy be conducted after the death of a key witness in a deadly hit-and-run case linked to the heir to the Red Bull energy drink fortune, amid public anger that the charges were dropped.
Jaruchart Mardthong, 40, died in what police said looked like a motorcycle accident on Thursday, amid public suspicion about the exact cause of his death. Results of an initial autopsy have not yet been released. Local media said his family had planned to cremate the body on Sunday.
Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha wants to ensure justice and clear public suspicion over the case, Traisulee said in a statement on Sunday. Prayuth previously said a committee had been formed to look at what led to the case being dropped but it would not interfere in the work of the attorney-general, police and court. The committee has 30 days to complete its task.
Top 9 | Israel’s Netanyahu rails at media over protests against him
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday railed at swelling protests against his rule, saying they were egged on by a biased media that distorts facts and cheers on the demonstrators.
Netanyahu has faced a wave of protests in recent weeks, with demonstrators calling for the resignation of the long-serving leader, who is on trial for corruption charges. They’ve also panned his handling of the coronavirus crisis. Netanyahu has painted the protests as dens of “anarchists” and “leftists” out to topple “a strong right-wing leader.”
The protests have largely been peaceful. In some cases they have ended with clashes between demonstrators and police. In others, small gangs of Netanyahu supporters and individuals affiliated with far-right groups have assaulted demonstrators.
Top 10 | Philippines' Duterte recommends petrol to clean face masks, says 'not joking'
Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday told his people they should use gasoline as a disinfectant for protective face masks - and stressed that his advice was not a joke.
The outspoken leader last week made a similar remark about using petrol on masks if cleaning agents were unavailable, which his spokesman said was a joke and reminded the public that Duterte often says things in jest. “What I said is true,” Duterte said during a televised address on Friday. “Just go to the gasoline station, and then have some drops, that’s disinfectant.” He added: “I am not joking. That is true. You think I am just kidding.”
Mask-wearing has since March been mandatory in the Philippines, which has confirmed nearly 90,000 coronavirus infections and more than 2,000 deaths. It reported Southeast Asia’s biggest daily jump in new coronavirus cases for a second straight day on Friday, as Duterte extended restrictions to quell the spread, and promised normality would return in December. Medical experts said his mask cleaning tips were not recommended.
Related news:
APD | Major US weakness in the "duel" with China
APD | Attention of International Community is required to focus on the Kashmir issue
(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)
