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Jumat, 31 Juli 2020

Trump says will ban TikTok in the US - CNA

NEW YORK/WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump said on Friday (Jul 31) he would sign an executive order as soon as Saturday to ban fast-growing social media app TikTok in the United States, as American authorities have raised concerns the service could be a tool for Chinese intelligence.

US officials and lawmakers in recent weeks have voiced fears of the wildly popular video platform being used by Beijing for nefarious purposes, but the company has denied any links to the Chinese government.

Media reports circulated earlier Friday saying that Trump would require the US operations of the app be divested from its Chinese parent firm ByteDance, but the president announced a ban.

Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Trump said: "As far as TikTok is concerned, we're banning them from the United States."

He added he would take action as soon as Saturday using emergency economic power or an executive order.

The move would be the culmination of US national security concerns over the safety of the personal data that TikTok handles. It would represent a major blow for TikTok's owner, Beijing-based ByteDance, which became one of only a handful of truly global Chinese conglomerates thanks to app's commercial success.

Trump's announcement followed frantic negotiations on Friday between the White House, ByteDance and potential buyers of TikTok, including Microsoft.

They failed to produce a deal that would result in the Chinese company shedding the app's US operations, according to people familiar with the matter. The talks are expected to continue in the coming days.

READ: TikTok sued by rival Triller for patent infringement

While Microsoft already owns professional social media network LinkedIn, it would face fewer regulatory hurdles in acquiring TikTok than its more direct competitors, such as FaceBook, one of the sources said.

But ByteDance's valuation expectations for TikTok of more than US$50 billion, and its insistence on retaining a minority stake in the app complicated deal talks, another source said.

"Not the deal that you have been hearing about, that they are going to buy and sell... and Microsoft and another one. We are not an M&A (mergers and acquisitions) country,” Trump said.

It was not immediately clear what authority Trump had to ban TikTok, which has up to 80 million active monthly users in the United States. It was also not clear how the ban would be enforced and what legal challenges it would face.

ByteDance, Microsoft and the US Treasury Department, which chairs the government panel that has been reviewing ByteDance's ownership of TikTok, declined to comment.

"While we do not comment on rumors or speculation, we are confident in the long-term success of TikTok," TikTok said in a statement.

READ: ByteDance AI research head to leave as pressure mounts on TikTok

As relations between the United States and China deteriorate over trade, Hong Kong’s autonomy, cyber security and the spread of the novel coronavirus, TikTok has emerged as a flashpoint in the dispute between the world’s two largest economies.

Last week, the US Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs unanimously passed a bill that would bar US federal employees from using TikTok on government-issued devices. It will be taken up by the full Senate for a vote. The House of Representatives has already voted for a similar measure.

ByteDance has been considering a range of options for TikTok amid pressure from the United States to relinquish control of the app, which allows users to create short videos with special effects and has become wildly popular with U.S. teenagers.

ByteDance has received a proposal from some of its investors, including Sequoia and General Atlantic, to transfer majority ownership of TikTok to them, Reuters reported on Wednesday. The proposal values TikTok at about US$50 billion, but some ByteDance executives believe the app is worth more than that.

ByteDance has also fielded acquisition interest in TikTok from other companies and investment firms, Reuters has reported.

READ: Commentary - Would using TikTok really have national security implications?

ByteDance acquired Shanghai-based video app Musical.ly in a US$1 billion deal in 2017 and relaunched it as TikTok the following year. ByteDance did not seek approval for the acquisition from CFIUS, which reviews deals for potential national security risks. Reuters reported last year that CFIUS had opened an investigation into TikTok.

The United States has been increasingly scrutinizing app developers over the personal data they handle, especially if some of it involves US military or intelligence personnel. Ordering the divestment of TikTok would not be the first time the White House has taken action over such concerns.

Earlier this year, Chinese gaming company Beijing Kunlun Tech sold Grindr, a popular gay dating app it bought in 2016, for US$620 million after being ordered by CFIUS to divest.

In 2018, CFIUS forced China's Ant Financial to scrap plans to buy MoneyGram International Inc over concerns about the safety of data that could identify U.S. citizens.

VALUABLE STARTUP

ByteDance was valued at as much as US$140 billion earlier this year when one of its shareholders, Cheetah Mobile, sold a small stake in a private deal, Reuters has reported. The startup's investors include Japan's SoftBank Group Corp.

The bulk of ByteDance's revenue comes from advertising on apps under its Chinese operations including Douyin - a Chinese version of TikTok - and news aggregator app Jinri Toutiao, as well as video-streaming app Xigua and Pipixia, an app for jokes and humorous videos.

Some of the company's other overseas apps include work collaboration tool Lark and music streaming app Resso.

TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer, a former Walt Disney Co executive, said in a blog post on Wednesday that the company was committed to following US laws, and was allowing experts to observe its moderation policies and examine the code that drives its algorithms.

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2020-08-01 04:12:40Z
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In Jakarta, an archaeologist races against time to preserve the city's 400-year-old fortified walls - CNA

JAKARTA: When archaeologist Candrian Attahiyat heard that the Jakarta city government was planning to widen the flood-prone Ciliwung River last year, he was immediately alarmed.

Part of the river cuts through Jakarta’s heritage area and the normalisation project would see the capital’s main waterway broadened by up to 15m, threatening the few remaining sections of the 400-year-old perimeter walls built by the Dutch East India Company.

Only less than 500m of the 4.6km fortified walls still stand today.

While some sections are well preserved, others are left in varying stages of decay, overrun with trees and vegetation.

In one area, the walls are sinking into the subsiding ground below with more than two-thirds of their 8m body now sitting below sea level. Jakarta has one of the worst subsidence rates in the world due to over-extraction of groundwater.

But the walls' biggest threat is modern development. Throughout their history, huge parts of the walls have been dismantled to make way for houses, buildings, streets, railways and toll roads.

Mr Attahiyat and other archaeologists are racing against time to have the walls declared as conservation sites.

“Right now, we are able to keep various development projects from damaging the walls. But we need the heritage site status because future administrations might not be so attentive about the walls’ presence,” the 62-year-old archaeologist told CNA.

(ni) Batavia Wall 02 — Indonesian archaeologist Candrian Attahiyat standing on top of a section of the 17th century fortified walls in Jakarta. Only 500m of the 4.6km walls still stand today. (Photo: Nivell Rayda)

But even after more than a year of advocating for the walls' heritage status, they still have not succeeded and the plan to have the Ciliwung River widened has been merely postponed but not repealed.

Meanwhile, Mr Attahiyat would soon end his tenure as one of Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan’s advisers on cultural preservation, a position which had provided him leverage in the mission to keep the walls intact.

STEEPED IN HISTORY

The walls represented a time when Jakarta, or Batavia as it was known at the time, was a small seaside town no bigger than 1.3 sq km.

The Dutch East India Company intended Batavia to be its regional headquarters, complete with houses, buildings, facilities and city planning modelled after those found in the Netherlands.

After a series of confrontations with the locals and attacks from neighbouring kingdoms, the company decided to build defensive walls in 1620 to protect itself. The walls were completed in 1650.

(ni) Batavia Wall 03 — Indonesian archaeologist Candrian Attahiyat standing in front of an enlarged copy of a 17th century map of Batavia, now known as Jakarta. (Photo: Nivell Rayda)

The company wanted Batavia to be occupied exclusively by Europeans and selected Arab and Chinese merchants. Meanwhile the local population were evicted and made to live outside of the walls in poor living condition.

The only indigenous people allowed inside the walls were slaves, mercenaries and those facing execution.

“The town was very exclusive and very segregated. Trespassers would be severely punished. In fact, the indigenous people would get shot for even approaching the walls,” Mr Attahiyat said.

READ: Traditional snack sellers in Jakarta grapple with dwindling demand, modern tastes

“The walls served as a reminder of how the city came to be. An edifice of the struggle of the indigenous people living outside of the walls. A reminder of what life was like back then. They are a part of our history which need to be preserved for future generations.”

The walls stand about 6m to 8m tall. Their thickness ranged between 1.5m and 1.8m, complete with footpaths to allow heavily armed guards to patrol the perimeter. A system of moats and ditches was dug around the walls for extra protection.

(ni) Batavia Wall 05 — Archaeologist Candrian Attahiyat walking on the remnants of a stretch of the 17th century fortified wall protecting Batavia, now known as Jakarta. (Photo: Nivell Rayda)

The fortified walls were linked to a total of 27 bastions equipped with cannons, strategically placed to keep enemies at bay as well as to protect the entrances into the city. Only two of the bastions remain today.

The fortification subsequently became obsolete in the beginning of the 19th century.

Batavia, with its Dutch-style architecture and city planning, proved to be unsuited for Indonesia’s tropical climate and weather. The town was often flooded since its canals and drainage system were not designed to handle torrential rains during the archipelago’s rainy season.

By 1790, Old Batavia was virtually abandoned by its European inhabitants who moved into the suburbs to build villas with large front lawns and porches.

READ: Indonesian cave art is earliest known record of 'story telling', researchers say

Meanwhile, the Dutch government took over control of the archipelago after the Dutch East India Company became entangled in financial woes. The company eventually ceased operation at the end of 1799.

The new ruler was not interested in keeping Batavia as a small segregated town and wanted a thriving colonial capital.

(ni) Batavia Wall 07 — One of the last remaining sections of a 17th century defensive wall protecting Batavia, now known as Jakarta. Many sections of the wall have been dismantled to make way for houses, apartments, streets and railways. (Photo: Nivell Rayda)

Between 1808 and 1811, all of Batavia’s important administrative buildings were relocated further south in what is now Jakarta’s city centre. To save cost, much of the fortified walls were dismantled to serve as materials for the new buildings.

“For the first time, Old Batavia became desegregated,” Mr Attahiyat said.

UNDER THREAT

The Dutch, the archaeologist said, only allowed the original defensive walls to stand if they were part of existing warehouses. These centuries-old warehouses were located on the seaside northern section of Old Batavia.

“The rest were dismantled, right down to the foundation,” Mr Attahiyat said, adding that for the last 34 years, he had been trying to find remnants of the demolished walls with very little luck.

But today, the 400-year-old warehouses are largely abandoned and the perimeter walls protecting them are crumbling.

The only pristine and well-preserved sections of the walls are the 155m stretch which protected the northern part of what is now the Indonesian Maritime Museum and the 70m walls surrounding a 19th century watchtower built on top of a 17th century bastion.

(ni) Batavia Wall 04 — Archaeologist Candrian Attahiyat standing on top of a well-preserved part of a 17th century defensive wall surrounding Batavia, now known as Jakarta. (Photo: Nivell Rayda)

The walls there survived because the museum and the watchtower has been declared as cultural heritage sites.

However, even the well-preserved walls are under threat from land subsidence.

At the Maritime Museum, only the upper half of the 8m walls are visible from street level and the moat surrounding the museum has long been paved.

The average land subsidence affecting Jakarta is 1.15cm a year, with some parts of the city sinking as much as 25cm annually.

According to a model conducted by Indonesia’s Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), 95 per cent of the coastal areas in Jakarta could be entirely submerged below sea level by 2050, including parts of Old Batavia.

READ: Tours for people with disabilities in Jakarta put accessibility infrastructure to the test

The subsidence affecting the walls just west of the museum was worse.

The 184m walls there were almost completely buried underneath sediments, reclaimed land and trash, with only 1m to 2m of the massive walls sticking out of the ground.

But despite being flooded by salt water and rain and overrun with thorny shrubs and tall trees, the walls still stand, as abandoned warehouses next to them crumbled and decayed.

(ni) Batavia Wall 06 — Archaeologist Candrian Attahiyat standing in front a sinking 17th century warehouse in Jakarta. Many heritage sites in the Indonesian capital are under threat of land subsidence, most already sitting below sea level. (Photo: Nivell Rayda)

Meanwhile, the walls running through the western, southern and eastern parts of Old Batavia are pretty much gone, replaced by busy streets, houses, buildings and apartment blocks.

But a 50m stretch of the wall survived at the ancient town’s north eastern corner, sandwiched between densely populated housing areas and a mud-covered lorry parking lot.

Unaffected by land subsidence, the section is now the only place where visitors can appreciate how massive and tall the defensive walls were.

Although the area is not facing land subsidence, the north eastern section is under threat from the Ciliwung River normalisation plan.

LONG BATTLE AHEAD

Mr Attahiyat said the government has agreed to postpone plans to widen a particular offshoot of the river which straddles near the north eastern wall. "But they need to conduct further studies before formally changing the normalisation plan," he said.

But the archaeologist is not content with a postponement adding that the only thing which would protect the walls’ future is for them to be granted a heritage site status.

(ni) Batavia Wall 08 — One of the few surviving sections of a 17th century fortification wall protecting Batavia, now known as Jakarta, Indonesia. (Photo: Nivell Rayda)

“A heritage site status would ensure that the walls would be preserved the way they are now regardless of regime and policy changes,” he said.

Parts of the walls were destroyed as recently as 1992 to make way for a toll road. And until now, there are locals who damage the walls by fastening makeshift tents onto their surfaces or stealing exposed bricks and using them as building materials.

“But getting the walls declared as heritage sites is not easy,” Mr Attahiyat said. “The warehouses have been abandoned for so long, no one is sure who owns them any more.”

The archaeologist said many of the warehouses are owned by companies which no longer exist. Officials also need to unearth long forgotten documents to see if the walls are part of their properties or not.

“It is a slow process but we have to do it. We have to preserve these walls,” he said.

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2020-07-31 22:12:44Z
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Commentary: Malaysia in a delicate balance after Najib Razak's conviction - CNA

SINGAPORE: When Judge Mohamad Nazlan Mohamad Ghazali issued his ruling on Tuesday (Jul 28), convicting former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak of seven counts of money laundering, criminal breach of trust and abuse of power, there were distinctly different reactions among groups of political players.

Najib’s hardcore supporters, especially those he rallied and recruited to his political comeback cause in a well-organised “Bossku” campaign after his fall from power two years ago, were utterly devastated. Teary scenes and shouts of disbelief were aplenty outside the courthouse.

Meanwhile, a celebratory mood over Najib’s convictions descended on the opposition Pakatan Harapan (PH) camp.

They had raised Najib’s involvement in the 1MDB scandals on numerous occasions, as a major campaign platform in the 2018 Malaysian general election that ushered the coalition into power, and had been aggrieved at having the reins of government snatched from them earlier this year by the ruling Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition, which includes Najib.

READ: Commentary: This is not the end of Najib Razak

READ: Outcome of 1MDB trial a 'big victory' for Malaysians, says Pakatan Harapan

Scores of PH politicians posted on social media satirical photos of themselves eating Superings, poking fun Najib having done the same with the popular snack previously following news of PH’s loss of power.

A more nuanced response to Najib’s conviction was issued by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, calling broadly for the course of justice and, more specifically, for Najib’s rights to appeal to be respected.

Perhaps more than many other senior politicians, Muhyiddin would have the moral high ground to laud Najib’s conviction.

After all, five years to the day of Najib’s conviction was when Muhyiddin was unceremoniously fired from the Malaysian Cabinet by Najib for publicly questioning his role in the 1MDB debacle.

Najib Razak (1) — Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak with former Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, taken in 2016. (File photo: AFP/MOHD RASFAN)

No love was lost but political expediency and the passage of time saw them both accept moving into the same ruling coalition, making the last couple of months since Muhyiddin was ushered into the top office awkward and strained.

THE SHAKE-UP IN UMNO

Still, it was somewhat astonishing to see UMNO president Zahid Hamidi to express strong disappointment with the verdict. “Surely UMNO will do something about it. What we are going to do will decide the direction of the current government,” he said.

He sounded as if he had expected a vastly different verdict and was holding the PN coalition responsible, not just only for this particular case against Najib, but possibly with an eye on the other corruption-related charges levelled against him and a number of other senior UMNO politicians awaiting trial.

Will Zahid seek out some way to exact some form of political retribution?

His announcement on Thursday that UMNO as a bloc, would no longer be a part of PN, although UMNO’s members of parliament (MP) would, at least for the moment, support Muhyiddin as prime minister, suggests he has kicked some wheels into action.

READ: Commentary: Goldman has done it again with its 1MDB Malaysia deal

READ: Commentary: The reinvention of Najib Razak, former prime minister of Malaysia

In this same announcement, Zahid also revealed UMNO will focus on strengthening its Muafakat Nasional (MN) alliance with the Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS), which Bersatu has expressed interest in joining.

While this purported political realignment does not immediately threaten the viability of the PN government, the stage has been set for a “reverse takeover” within the admittedly loose ruling coalition to take place.

UMNO REVEALS ITS AMBITIONS

UMNO is the backbone of the governing coalition with the highest number of MPs. Sentiments for UMNO to assume the driving seat instead of continuing to play second fiddle to Muhyiddin and his much smaller Bersatu have been simmering since the PN takeover earlier this year.

Najib’s conviction may just be a convenient excuse for this dissatisfaction to be released. But UMNO must be careful to manage the situation gingerly, lest it risk destroying the very government its support is holding up and create an opening for the opposition PH to seize back power.

After all, UMNO may not be as politically monolithic, speaking with one voice through Zahid, as Zahid makes it out to be.

There are numerous other competing factions in UMNO, some of which are unhappy seeing longstanding party figures such as Najib, Zahid and those embroiled in corruption scandals maintain power, and would be contented for them to be marginalised.

If that happens, these other factions hope to rush in to fill the political vacuum and grasp the reins of the party, which still wields a resourceful and formidable political machinery.

Khairy Jamaluddin, former UMNO Youth Chief, who is also the current Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, and a prominent figure in the party, called for UMNO to move forward with leader rejuvenation that will “take the party into a new era” on Tuesday.

A DELICATE BALANCE

For the time being, the PN government will survive this delicate balance, amid a relentless onslaught from the opposition, which continues to mount motions of no confidence against Muhyiddin and an UMNO that has its eye on the top job.

After all, Muhyiddin is a seasoned politician with a highly flexible bent. After getting the sack from Najib in 2015, Muhyiddin joined Dr Mahathir Mohamad in forming Bersatu. When the PH government was formed, he was willing to accept a somewhat more junior position of Home Affairs Minister.

When opportunity presented itself to topple the PH administration earlier this year, Muhyiddin was quick to seize it to cap his political career with the premiership.

READ: Commentary: Wheels set in motion for another political showdown in Malaysia

READ: Commentary: Jho Low’s fantastic Houdini disappearing act

His application to join MN speaks to his political flexibility. I would not rule out the possibility of him working with some of the friendlier UMNO factions, or even with some disgruntled factions from PH, to ensure a political coalition that includes Bersatu.

UMNO is pushing for Muhyiddin to call for a general election expeditiously, as it believes it can win more seats that would enable it to unseat Bersatu’s prime position, working together with PAS under MN.

Muhyiddin knows this. He is at best ambivalent. He’s not likely to warm to the prospect of Bersatu being overwhelmed in both seat allocation and subsequent performance in any snap polls that are called.

Oh Ei Sun is a senior fellow with the Singapore Institute of International Affairs.

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2020-07-31 22:12:16Z
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Fauci urges caution on China and Russia COVID-19 vaccines - CNA

WASHINGTON: Anthony Fauci, the United States' top infectious disease official, raised concerns on Friday (Jul 31) regarding the safety of COVID-19 vaccines under development by China and Russia.

Several Chinese companies are at the forefront of the global vaccine race, while Russia has said it hopes to be the first in the world to produce a vaccine for the public, with a target date of September.

But the medicines will likely face heightened scrutiny given that the regulatory systems in both countries are far more opaque than they are in the West.

Fauci, who was asked during a Congressional hearing whether the US could make use of Chinese or Russian vaccines if they arrived first, indicated that was unlikely.

"I do hope that the Chinese and the Russians are actually testing the vaccine before they are administering the vaccine to anyone," he said.

He added: "Claims of having a vaccine ready to distribute before you do testing, I think, is problematic, at best.

"We are going very quickly. I do not believe that there will be vaccines, so far ahead of us, that we will have to depend on other countries to get us vaccines."

READ: Fauci resists Republican effort to turn testimony against protesters

Last month, Chinese media announced a coronavirus vaccine developed by CanSino Biologics was being used to immunise the Chinese military - making it the first approved for people, albeit in a limited population.

Many scientists however raised ethical concerns because the vaccine has not yet begun its final stages of testing.

'SPUTNIK MOMENT'?

Two other Chinese companies Sinovac and Sinopharm, have launched final phase three trials in Brazil and the United Arab Emirates, respectively.

China, where the virus originated, has largely brought its outbreak under control and has therefore had to turn to other countries to test its vaccines.

The trials in Brazil and the UAE will be watched particularly closely, given China's history of vaccine and other health scandals.

In 2018, more than 200,000 children were administered a defective vaccine for diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough (DPT) that caused paralysis in a few cases.

Russia, which was once a global vaccine leader during Soviet times, aims to bring two to market by September and October, respectively.

The first is being developed by the Moscow-based Gamaleya institute and the defence ministry, and the second by the Vektor state laboratory near the Siberian city of Novosibirsk.

Russia has released no scientific data proving the vaccines' safety or efficacy.

Nevertheless, Kirill Dmitriev, the head of Russia's sovereign wealth fund which is financing the Gamaleya trials, told CNN: "It's a Sputnik moment."

Sputnik was the world's first satellite launched by Russia in 1957.

Three Western coronavirus vaccines are in final phase three trials.

One is produced by US biotech firm Moderna and the National Institutes for Health; one by the University of Oxford and Britain's AstraZeneca; and the last by Germany's BioNTech with US pharmaceutical Pfizer.

China and Russia both stand accused of attempting to steal Western coronavirus research - charges they deny.

BOOKMARK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus outbreak and its developments

Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram

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2020-07-31 21:39:40Z
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Hong Kong police order arrest of exiled activists: China state media - CNA

HONG KONG: Hong Kong police have ordered the arrest of six activists living in exile on suspicion of violating the national security law, Chinese state media reported late on Friday (Jul 31), but the city's force refused to comment.

The six included prominent young campaigner Nathan Law, 27, who recently relocated to Britain after fleeing Hong Kong.

"Hong Kong police officially ordered the arrests of six trouble-makers who have fled overseas," CCTV state television said.

A crackdown on Hong Kong's protest movement has increased apace in the month since Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law on the restless city.

READ: Hong Kong's top public prosecutor quits, says he was cut out of new national security cases

The law targets subversion, secession, terrorism and colluding with foreign forces with up to life in prison, but critics said it was a legal weapon to silence dissidents and criminalise certain political views.

It would be the first time the city's police have used the extraterritorial power in the new law to go after activists who are not in the territory.

Besides Law, the other activists sought include former British consulate staffer Simon Cheng, pro-independence activists Ray Wong, Wayne Chan, Honcques Laus, and Samuel Chu, according to CCTV.

The report said the six were sought for "incitement to secession and collusion with foreign forces".

However, in an email to AFP, the Hong Kong police said they "do not comment on media reports".

READ: Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam announces delay to Sep 6 elections as COVID-19 cases spike

Beijing has said the law will restore stability after last year's huge and often violent protests.

But it has also hastened the unravelling of Hong Kong's political freedoms and autonomy, supposedly guaranteed for 50 years after the 1997 handover from Britain.

In just a month since the new security law came into effect, a dozen leading campaigners have been disqualified from running in legislative elections and four students have been arrested on suspicion of "inciting succession" with social media posts.

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2020-07-31 15:44:03Z
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Hong Kong to delay election of new parliament for a year as Covid-19 outbreak worsens - The Straits Times

HONG KONG - In a controversial move that was widely anticipated, the city’s Legislative Council (Legco) election due in September to form a new government will be postponed for a year due to the worsening coronavirus outbreak.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam, whose support levels have hit rock-bottom in the city, announced this on Friday (July 31), putting an end to days of speculation amid the disqualification of a dozen opposition candidates slated to run in the Legco election originally scheduled for Sept 6.

The new date for the election is Sept 5 next year.

The opposition camp had hoped to ride on the wave of the public’s resentment against the national security law imposed on Hong Kong by Beijing on June 30 to win big at the Legco election, much like the landslide victory in last November’s district council elections.

In a briefing on Friday evening, Mrs Lam said she would invoke the colonial-era emergency law, used to impose a face mask ban last year, to facilitate the move.

“In these seven months, I’ve had to make some hard choices. But this announcement is the hardest one yet,” she said.

For the 10th day in a row, Hong Kong added more than 100 new infections on Friday at 121, bringing the total confirmed tally to 3,272, including 27 deaths. Of the new cases, 118 were due to local spread and sources of many cases were unknown.

For over a month, local clusters have grown quickly and pressure is mounting on the city’s healthcare systems and Covid-19 testing facilities.

“At this point in time, there’s no way to effectively eradicate this altogether,” Mrs Lam said, adding that the move has the full backing of the central government.

The same day, China’s Foreign Ministry said Hong Kong’s elections are China’s internal affairs and due consideration would be given to the Covid-19 situation.

Earlier in the day, 22 pro-democracy lawmakers blasted the possibility of such a move as a power grab that would trigger a constitutional crisis.

They said in a statement that the postponement is a conspiracy by the government and its supporters, as the government may not do well at the polls.

On July 27, the government further tightened social distancing measures in an attempt to contain local transmissions, including limiting public gatherings to two people, making mask-wearing compulsory and limiting dining-in at eateries.

The election was to be the former British colony’s first democratic exercise since Beijing imposed the security law, which carries a punishment of life imprisonment, against secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces.

Beijing and the Hong Kong government have reassured people that the law affects only an extremely small number of people and would not undermine Hong Kong’s freedoms guaranteed under the “one country, two systems” principle that has been in place since 1997.

They argued that the law is vital to restore order and prosperity after more than half a year of often-violent anti-government protests last year.

But the opposition camp and activists believe the law not only spells the end of the city’s high degree of autonomy but also paves the way for a crackdown on dissent.

And the clearest example, they say, is Thursday’s disqualification from the Lego election of 12 opposition candidates, including activist Joshua Wong and Civic Party’s Dennis Kwok, Kwok Ka Ki and Alvin Yeung, many of whom oppose the security law.

Mr Wong on Friday called the reasons for his disqualification ridiculous and a “witch-hunt”, accusing election officials of twisting his views so that they can prosecute him under the security law.

He said Legco elections have never been free and fair since 2016, when officials barred his peers like Edward Leung, Nathan Law, and Agnes Chow from running.

Civic Party chair Alan Leong warned on Thursday that the party’s two remaining election hopefuls – Jeremy Tam and Gordon Lam – would likely be banned from the polls, as would any backup candidates.

When asked, Associate Professor Sing Ming of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology said the disqualification of the pro-democracy candidates comes as the level of support for Beijing and the Hong Kong government is at “record low”, also mirrored in people’s trust towards the “one country, two systems” principle.

“Together with the widespread suspicion and disapproval of the national security law, it is quite natural to conclude that Beijing would like to use the disqualification to preclude the catastrophic result for the pro-Beijing camp,” Prof Sing said.

The scope of the disqualification has been wider than anticipated by many observers, he noted, adding that moderates have also been booted out.

In light of this, Prof Sing said it would be extremely controversial to postpone the election for that long as it would “create all kinds of legitimacy problems”.

But Mr Lau Siu Kai, vice-president of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies, said the Legco election “is no longer just Hong Kong’s internal affairs”, but also a national affair that involves national security and questions as to whether external forces have united with the opposition camp to seize power.

“So that prompts Beijing into doing something to prevent the hostile forces from taking over Legco and to make sure that the national security is safeguarded,” he said.

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2020-07-31 13:45:45Z
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China says UK has 'poisoned' Sino-British relationship over Hong Kong and Huawei - South China Morning Post

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China says UK has 'poisoned' Sino-British relationship over Hong Kong and Huawei South China Morning Post
Resilient Hong Kong Dollar Shrugs Off Death of Carry Trade Bloomberg
Hong Kong elections: opposition scrambles for support ahead of nominations deadline, a day after candidates barred from running Yahoo Singapore News
Joshua Wong sees dual purpose in allegations barring him from Hong Kong polls South China Morning Post
China's polarising new security law: Sunset for Hong Kong, or a return to stability? CNA
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2020-07-31 10:54:32Z
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Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam announces delay to Sep 6 elections as COVID-19 cases spike - CNA

HONG KONG: Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said on Friday (Jul 31) that elections for the city legislature will be postponed from Sep 6 due to a spike in coronavirus cases, dealing a major blow to the city's pro-democracy opposition.

The new date has been set for Sep 5, 2021.

Lam said the decision was the hardest choice she had made in the last seven months, but said it was aimed at safeguarding people's health.

The decision is supported by the central government, she added.

Having scored an overwhelming win in lower-level district council elections last year, the opposition was banking on keeping up the momentum gathered since anti-government protests erupted a year ago.

READ: Prominent Hong Kong democracy activists barred from election

News of the postponement came as the nomination period for candidates seeking to run in the election closed.

The poll would have been the former British colony's first official vote since Beijing imposed a new security law in late June, which critics say aims to quash dissent in the city.

Supporters of the new security law say it will bring more stability after a year of often-violent anti-government and anti-China unrest, and that it plugs loopholes in national security left by the city's inability to fulfil a constitutional requirement to pass such laws on its own.

READ: COVID-19: Hong Kong backtracks on restaurant dining ban, to allow with restrictions

On Wednesday, Lam warned the city was on the brink of a large-scale COVID-19 outbreak, and urged people to stay indoors as much as possible as strict new measures to curb the disease's spread took effect.

The new regulations ban gatherings of more than two people, dining in restaurants and make the wearing of face masks mandatory in public places, including outdoors. These are the toughest measures introduced in the city since the outbreak.

The government has also tightened testing and quarantine arrangements for sea and air crew members.

Hong Kong has reported more than 3,000 coronavirus cases since January, far lower than in other major cities around the world.

But for the past 10 days running the number of new infections has been in the triple-digits.

At least 68 countries and territories have delayed national or regional polls due to coronavirus since February, according to the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance.

At least 49 countries and territories have decided to hold national or subnational elections, it said.

READ: Hong Kong is on verge of COVID-19 outbreak that could collapse hospital system, says Carrie Lam

CANDIDATES BARRED FROM STANDING IN ELECTION

Since the imposition of the security law on Jun 30 to punish what China broadly defines as secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces with up to life in prison, the crackdown on opposition forces has intensified.

Twelve opposition candidates, including young activist Joshua Wong but also more moderate, old-guard voices, have been disqualified from contesting the election. More candidates are expected to be barred in coming days.

The reasons cited by the city government for their disqualification included what authorities perceive as subversive intentions, opposition to the new national security law, and a campaign to obtain a majority that can block legislation.

The government denies political censorship or suppression of the right to run for the legislature, where only half of the seats are directly elected, while the other half is stacked with pro-Beijing figures. Critics called the move a political purge.

Hong Kong police have also arrested four students aged 16 to 21 years old on suspicion of threatening national security by allegedly being involved in an online group that pledged to use every means to fight for Hong Kong independence.

Wong said on Friday the reasons for disqualifying him from running in elections for the legislature were "invalid and ridiculous".

He added in a statement that Hong Kong's new national security was a "legal weapon used against dissidents".

"Our resistance will continue on and we hope the world can stand with us in the upcoming uphill battle," he told reporters.

"Beyond any doubt (this) is the most scandalous election fraud era in Hong Kong history," he added.

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2020-07-31 10:30:00Z
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Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam announces delay to Sep 6 elections as COVID-19 cases spike - CNA

Lam said the decision was the hardest choice she had made in the last seven months, but said it was aimed at safeguarding people's health.

The decision is supported by the central government, she added.

READ: COVID-19: Hong Kong backtracks on restaurant dining ban, to allow with restrictions

The government has also tightened testing and quarantine arrangements for sea and air crew members.

READ: Hong Kong is on verge of COVID-19 outbreak that could collapse hospital system, says Carrie Lam

CANDIDATES BARRED FROM STANDING IN ELECTION

Wong said on Friday the reasons for disqualifying him from running in elections for the legislature were "invalid and ridiculous".

He added in a statement that Hong Kong's new national security was a "legal weapon used against dissidents".

"Our resistance will continue on and we hope the world can stand with us in the upcoming uphill battle," he told reporters.

"Beyond any doubt (this) is the most scandalous election fraud era in Hong Kong history," he added.

BOOKMARK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus outbreak and its developments

Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram

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'Unlikely' that New Zealand traveller en route to South Korea was infected with COVID-19 during transit in Singapore: MOH, CAAS - CNA

SINGAPORE: Initial investigations show that is “unlikely” that a traveller from New Zealand who had transited in Singapore en route to South Korea was infected with COVID-19 during his stopover, Singapore authorities said on Friday (Jul 31).

The Ministry of Health (MOH) and Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) said: "Our initial investigations found that it is unlikely that the individual was infected during transit in Changi Airport as that would mean an incubation period of less than 24 hours.

"According to the World Health Organization, the average incubation period for COVID-19 infection is five to six days, with a maximum of up to 14 days."

On Monday, New Zealand said that they were informed by South Korean authorities that the traveller may have been infected while in transit in Singapore.

The person had left New Zealand on Jul 21 and arrived in South Korea the next day after transiting through Singapore. A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test was done about four hours after the individual’s arrival in South Korea, Singapore authorities said.

New Zealand's health ministry said on Tuesday the person spent 14 hours and 20 minutes in a transit lounge at Changi Airport, along with people who had travelled from other parts of the world.

Before departing from New Zealand, the individual was on a domestic flight from Auckland to Christchurch. Close contact tracing of passengers on the domestic flight has been completed, New Zealand's health ministry said on Thursday.

READ: South Korea suspects traveller who tested positive for COVID-19 was infected during transit in Singapore: New Zealand

"Singapore is in contact with the New Zealand and South Korea authorities for further information," MOH and CAAS said on Friday.

"The source of infection remains unknown and investigations by the various authorities are ongoing. As an added precaution, contact tracing in Singapore is also underway."

They outlined the "stringent measures" taken at Changi Airport to ensure that transiting passengers are segregated from other passengers "at all stages of their journey - both in flight, and at the airport".

“In addition, all passengers travelling through Changi Airport are required to wear masks at all times, while airport staff wear personal protective equipment when interacting with passengers," said the joint reply to CNA's queries.

Safe distancing and temperature taking for passengers and staff are also enforced.

"All transit passengers, including those who had arrived on the same flight as the individual, adhered to these precautionary measures," MOH and CAAS added.

POSSIBLE SOURCES OF INFECTION

On Friday, New Zealand's health ministry said that "there continues to be no evidence of transmission" in the country involving the traveller.

All domestic contacts of the case tested to date have returned negative results.

It earlier said it was considering four possibilities about the case: That it may have been a false positive result, that it may be an old infection which has returned a positive result, that it was a case recently acquired in transit or that it was a case recently acquired in New Zealand.

The possibility of a false positive was ruled out after New Zealand's health ministry received the result of a second positive PCR test from South Korean authorities.

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2020-07-31 07:03:16Z
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India's coronavirus cases rise by a daily record of 55078 - CNA

BENGALURU: India reported another record surge in daily COVID-19 cases on Friday (Jul 31), taking the total to 1.64 million, as the government further eases virus curbs in a bid to resuscitate the economy, while also trying to increase testing.

Infections jumped by 55,078 in the past 24 hours, while the death toll rose by 779 to 35,747, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on its website.

The ministry also said it aimed to raise the country's capacity to 1 million coronavirus tests per day in the medium term, from a record 600,000 on Friday.

The federal government this week announced the reopening of yoga institutes and gymnasiums, and removed restrictions on the movement of people and goods.

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2020-07-31 06:30:25Z
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Kamis, 30 Juli 2020

Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong says his disqualification from Hong Kong poll 'invalid and ridiculous' - CNA

HONG KONG: Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong said on Friday (Jul 31) the reasons for disqualifying him from running in elections for the legislature were "invalid and ridiculous".

Wong said in a statement Hong Kong's new national security was a "legal weapon used against dissidents".

"Our resistance will continue on and we hope the world can stand with us in the upcoming uphill battle," he told reporters.

On Thursday, Hong Kong disqualified a dozen candidates from running in a key election, including Wong, citing reasons including collusion with foreign forces and opposition to the new China-imposed national security laws.

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2020-07-31 04:41:55Z
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Macau refutes Malaysia's claim Jho Low is hiding in territory - The Straits Times

SINGAPORE (BLOOMBERG) - Macau has disputed Malaysian authorities' claim that Low Taek Jho is hiding in the territory as the authorities continue with efforts to locate and bring the fugitive financier home to face justice for his role in the troubled state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

The "unilateral" disclosure of information from the Malaysian police that Low is in Macau is "not in line with facts and the rules and practices of international police cooperation", according to a statement by the Office of the Secretary for Security dated Thursday (July 30).

The Malaysian government hasn't notified Macau authorities or made any requests regarding the fugitive, the office said.

Malaysia was informed in 2018 that Low wasn't in the territory after the Macau sub-bureau of the China National Central Bureau of Interpol received a request from Malaysia.

Malaysia's court on Tuesday said that Low had played a crucial role in transferring 42 million ringgit (S$13.5 million) of funds from a former 1MDB unit to former prime minister Najib Razak's accounts. Najib was found guilty of all seven charges in the trial and faces 12 years in prison, along with a 210 million ringgit fine.

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2020-07-31 03:17:50Z
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