简体中文
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 |Biden win confirmed after pro-Trump mob storms US Capitol
Congress confirmed Democrat Joe Biden as the presidential election winner early Thursday after a violent mob loyal to President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol in a stunning attempt to overturn America’s presidential election, undercut the nation’s democracy and keep Trump in the White House.
Lawmakers were resolved to complete the Electoral College tally in a display to the country, and the world, of the nation’s enduring commitment to uphold the will of the voters and the peaceful transfer of power. They pushed through the night with tensions high and the nation’s capital on alert.
Before dawn Thursday, lawmakers finished their work, confirming Biden won the election.
Top 2 |4 dead after Capitol breached by pro-Trump mob during 'failed insurrection'
Four people are dead following Wednesday's protests and the pro-Trump mob storming the Capitol, according to Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department Chief Robert Contee.
One woman and two men, suffered “medical emergencies” at the protests, and have subsequently died, Contee said during a press conference Wednesday night.
Another woman was shot and killed during a standoff inside the U.S. Capitol between law enforcement and supporters of President Donald Trump, who breached the building, forcing a lockdown with members of Congress inside.
Top 3 |53 arrested in HKSAR for violating national security law
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) police said on Wednesday that 53 people were arrested on suspicion of committing crimes including subversion under China's national security law.
About 1,000 national security officers took part in the operation in which 72 locations were searched, according to the police.
They have been arrested for their involvement in the opposition camp's "primaries" for the local Legislative Council election in July. Benny Tai, the main organizer of such "primaries," is among the arrested.
Top 4 |Trump bans U.S. transactions with eight Chinese apps: report
U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday banning transactions with eight Chinese software applications, Reuters reported citing a senior administration official.
Alipay, CamScanner, QQ Wallet, SHAREit, Tencent QQ, VMate, WeChat Pay and WPS Office are on the list.
The executive order will come into force in 45 days, just weeks after President-elect Joe Biden assumes charge of the White House.
Top 5 |NYSE says it will no longer delist three Chinese telcos
The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on Monday said it no longer intends to move forward with the delisting action against China Mobile, China Unicom (Hong Kong) and China Telecom, which was announced on December 31, 2020.
The exchange, in a statement published late Monday on its website, said it made the decision "in light of further consultation with relevant regulatory authorities in connection with the Office of Foreign Assets Control."
China Unicom (Hong Kong) and China Telecom said they have noted "that the NYSE has updated its earlier decision" and they "will continue to be listed and traded on the NYSE," according to announcements to the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) on Tuesday.
Top 6 |No charges in police shooting of African American Jacob Blake
No police officer will face charges over the shooting of African American Jacob Blake in August in Kenosha, Wisconsin, which sparked several days of violent protests in the U.S.
Blake, 29, was left paralyzed, without the use of his legs, after being shot several times in the back as he tried to get into a car where his three children were sitting.
Kenosha County District Attorney Michael Graveley said that white police officer Rusten Sheskey had a reasonable claim of fear of being stabbed when he shot Blake several times in the back as Blake tried to get in his car on August 23.
Top 7 |UK PM Johnson could lose his seat and majority at next election - pool
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is at risk of losing his own seat while neither of the two main political parties is likely to win an outright majority at the next general election, not due until 2024, according to a new poll.
This is the first detailed survey of the UK public's perception of Johnson's handling of recently concluded Brexit talks and the COVID-19 pandemic after he reversed plans to allow families to meet up at Christmas in parts of southern England to combat the spread of the virus.
More than 22,000 people were surveyed in a closely watched constituency-by-constituency poll over a four-week period in December, which was conducted by the research data company Focaldata and published by the Sunday Times.
Top 8 |India's drug regulator approves AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine
India's drug regulator on Friday approved a coronavirus vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University for emergency use, two sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.
The decision clears the vaccine's rollout in the world's second-most populous country which, after the United States, has the highest number of COVID-19 infections.
India wants to start administering the vaccine soon, most likely by Wednesday, said one of the sources, both of whom declined to be named ahead of an official announcement expected later in the day.
Top 9 |Iran starts 20% uranium enrichment, seizes South Korean ship
Iran began enriching uranium Monday to levels unseen since its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers and also seized a South Korean-flagged tanker near the crucial Strait of Hormuz, a double-barreled challenge to the West that further raised Mideast tensions.
Both decisions appeared aimed at increasing Tehran's leverage in the waning days in office for President Donald Trump, whose unilateral withdrawal from the atomic accord in 2018 began a series of escalating incidents.
Increasing enrichment at its underground Fordo facility puts Tehran a technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%, while also pressuring President-elect Joe Biden to quickly negotiate. Iran's seizure of the MT Hankuk Chemi comes as a South Korean diplomat was due to travel to the Islamic Republic to discuss the release of billions of dollars in Iranian assets frozen in Seoul.
Top 10 |At least 70 killed in suspected militant attacks in Niger
At least 70 civilians were killed in simultaneous attacks on two villages by suspected Islamist militants in Niger, near the border zone with Mali, security sources said on Saturday.
About 49 villagers were killed and 17 people wounded in the village of Tchombangou, said one of the security sources, who requested anonymity.
A second source, a senior official in Niger's Interior Ministry, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said that around 30 other villagers had been killed in the village of Zaroumdareye.
(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)
