TAIPEI: Thousands of people thronged Taipei's streets on Sunday for the annual "Autumn Struggle" protest march organised by labour groups, with much of the anger focused on the government's decision to ease restrictions on imports of US pork.
Taiwan's main opposition party the Kuomintang (KMT) rallied its supporters to join in the march for the first time, having mounted an increasingly strident campaign against the pork move, which it says threatens food safety.
President Tsai Ing-wen announced in August that the government would from Jan 1 allow in US pork containing ractopamine, an additive that enhances leanness but which is banned in the European Union and China, as well as US beef more than 30 months old.
While welcomed in Washington, and removing a roadblock to a long sought after US free trade deal for Taiwan, the KMT has strongly opposed the decision, tapping into public concern about food safety after several high profile scandals in recent years.
KMT Chairman Johnny Chiang, elected in March to help turn around party fortunes following a trouncing in January's presidential and parliament elections, called on Tsai to have a televised debate with him about the issue.
"Taiwanese pigs don't eat ractopamine, and yet you are asking Taiwanese people to? Does this make sense?" he told supporters.
People hold up signs that read: "Anti-poisoned pork" during a protest in Taipei, Taiwan on Nov 22. 2020. (Photo: AP/Chiang Ying-ying)
Tsai's government and her ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which has a large majority in parliament, says the decision brings the island into line with international norms, is not a safety threat and will boost Taiwan-US ties.
In a statement on Sunday, the DPP urged the KMT to "stop its political machinations and return to rational discussions".
The DPP, which had previously strongly objected to ractopamine, has accused the KMT of spreading fake news about the subject trying to sow public fear.
The KMT is also trying to organise a referendum on the US pork imports for next year.
WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump's desperate bid to overturn the US election was dealt a new setback on Saturday (Nov 21) when a federal judge threw out his campaign's attempt to invalidate millions of votes in Pennsylvania.
US District Court Judge Matthew Brann ruled that the Trump campaign's efforts to stop Pennsylvania officials from certifying Democrat Joe Biden as the winner in the state was "unsupported by evidence".
"This Court has been presented with strained legal arguments without merit and speculative accusations," Brann wrote.
"In the United States of America, this cannot justify the disenfranchisement of a single voter, let alone all the voters of its sixth most populated state," he wrote.
The lawsuit sought to stop officials from certifying Biden's victory in the state, arguing that some counties wrongly allowed voters to fix errors on their mail ballots.
Republican Senator Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania said Trump had "exhausted all plausible legal options" to challenge the result in Pennsylvania. He called on Trump to concede the election and congratulated Biden on his victory.
Few other Republicans in Congress have called on Trump to concede.
Trump's lawyers said they would appeal the ruling, with the hopes of quickly reaching the US Supreme Court.
"We are disappointed we did not at least get the opportunity to present our evidence at a hearing. Unfortunately the censorship continues," Rudy Giuliani and Jenna Ellis said in a statement.
Former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, a lawyer for President Donald Trump, speaks during a news conference on legal challenges to vote counting in Pennsylvania, Saturday Nov. 7, 2020, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
For Trump to have any hope of overturning the election, he needs to reverse the outcome in Pennsylvania, which is scheduled to be certified by state officials on Monday.
Democrats said Saturday's scathing verdict was further proof that Trump's accusations of fraud are baseless.
"Our country will not tolerate Trump's attempt to reverse the results of an election that he decisively lost," Biden spokesman Michael Gwin said in a statement.
Giuliani, who made his first courtroom appearance in 30 years for a hearing in the case on Tuesday, has floated a variety of conspiracy theories as the Trump team alleged that the election was marred by widespread voter fraud.
Trump did not directly address the ruling as he re-aired familiar grievances on Twitter. "Fake ballots, dead people voting, no Republican Poll Watchers allowed, & more!" he wrote.
Election officials across the country say there was no widespread fraud, and Trump's own administration has called the election "the most secure in American history".
Trump's campaign and its allies have filed dozens of lawsuits across the country challenging the results.
They have had little success so far, and time is running out to build a case as some states have started formalising results. In Pennsylvania, counties are due to file official results on Monday to the secretary of state, who will then certify the tallies. Biden leads Trump by more than 81,000 votes in the state.
Benjamin Geffen of the Public Interest Law Center, who was involved in the case, said Saturday's ruling showed Trump will not be able to overturn Biden's Pennsylvania victory in court.
"As far as litigation goes I believe this is the end of the line for them," he said.
UNPRECEDENTED EFFORT
Trump is seeking to invalidate or change the election results through recounts and direct pressure on lawmakers in several states. He would need to prevail in at least three states to prevent Biden from being sworn in as president on Jan 20 - an unprecedented action.
In Michigan, Republicans wrote to state authorities on Saturday asking them to wait 14 days to certify Biden's victory to allow for an audit of ballots in Wayne County, which includes the majority-black city of Detroit. The letter cited allegations of "irregularities" that have not been substantiated. Biden won 154,000 more votes than Trump in Michigan.
That effort faces long odds. A spokesperson for Michigan's top election authority said state law does not allow for audits before the vote is certified, which is due to take place on Monday. Allegations of widespread fraud have been found to be baseless, the spokesperson said.
Two leading Republican Michigan lawmakers who came to Washington at Trump's behest said after meeting him on Friday that they had no information that would change the outcome of the election in the state.
In Wisconsin, an official said poorly trained observers for the Trump campaign were slowing a partial recount by challenging every ballot and raising other objections.
"Observers are disruptive. They are asking question after question, telling the tablulators to stop, stop what they're doing and that is out of line, that's not acceptable," Milwaukee County Clerk George Christianson told reporters.
A manual recount and audit in Georgia confirmed Biden on Friday as the winner in the southern state, the first Democratic presidential candidate to win Georgia in nearly three decades.
The Trump campaign has two business days to request a recount in Georgia. Trump's legal team has also said it plans a lawsuit in the state, but has not provided specifics.
Trump's accusations have continued to inflame his hard-core Republican base.
Hundreds of supporters gathered at the statehouse in Atlanta on Saturday, with video posted online showing speakers denouncing the media for calling Biden the election winner, as well as state Republican leaders for certifying the results.
Police in riot gear were deployed to separate them from counterprotesters who gathered nearby.
The General Services Administration, run by a Trump appointee, has not recognised Biden's victory, preventing his team from gaining access to government office space and funding normally provided to an incoming administration ahead of Inauguration Day on Jan 20.
Critics say the delay and Trump's refusal to concede have serious implications for national security and the fight against the coronavirus, which has killed nearly 255,000 Americans.
WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump's desperate bid to overturn the US election was dealt a new setback on Saturday (Nov 21) when a federal judge threw out his campaign's attempt to invalidate millions of votes in Pennsylvania.
US District Court Judge Matthew Brann ruled that the Trump campaign's efforts to stop Pennsylvania officials from certifying Democrat Joe Biden as the winner in the state was "unsupported by evidence".
"This Court has been presented with strained legal arguments without merit and speculative accusations," Brann wrote.
"In the United States of America, this cannot justify the disenfranchisement of a single voter, let alone all the voters of its sixth most populated state," he wrote.
The lawsuit sought to stop officials from certifying Biden's victory in the state, arguing that some counties wrongly allowed voters to fix errors on their mail ballots.
Republican Senator Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania said Trump had "exhausted all plausible legal options" to challenge the result in Pennsylvania. He called on Trump to concede the election and congratulated Biden on his victory.
Few other Republicans in Congress have called on Trump to concede.
Trump's lawyers said they would appeal the ruling, with the hopes of quickly reaching the US Supreme Court.
"We are disappointed we did not at least get the opportunity to present our evidence at a hearing. Unfortunately the censorship continues," Rudy Giuliani and Jenna Ellis said in a statement.
Former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, a lawyer for President Donald Trump, speaks during a news conference on legal challenges to vote counting in Pennsylvania, Saturday Nov. 7, 2020, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
For Trump to have any hope of overturning the election, he needs to reverse the outcome in Pennsylvania, which is scheduled to be certified by state officials on Monday.
Democrats said Saturday's scathing verdict was further proof that Trump's accusations of fraud are baseless.
"Our country will not tolerate Trump's attempt to reverse the results of an election that he decisively lost," Biden spokesman Michael Gwin said in a statement.
Giuliani, who made his first courtroom appearance in 30 years for a hearing in the case on Tuesday, has floated a variety of conspiracy theories as the Trump team alleged that the election was marred by widespread voter fraud.
Trump did not directly address the ruling as he re-aired familiar grievances on Twitter. "Fake ballots, dead people voting, no Republican Poll Watchers allowed, & more!" he wrote.
Election officials across the country say there was no widespread fraud, and Trump's own administration has called the election "the most secure in American history".
Trump's campaign and its allies have filed dozens of lawsuits across the country challenging the results.
They have had little success so far, and time is running out to build a case as some states have started formalising results. In Pennsylvania, counties are due to file official results on Monday to the secretary of state, who will then certify the tallies. Biden leads Trump by more than 81,000 votes in the state.
Benjamin Geffen of the Public Interest Law Center, who was involved in the case, said Saturday's ruling showed Trump will not be able to overturn Biden's Pennsylvania victory in court.
"As far as litigation goes I believe this is the end of the line for them," he said.
UNPRECEDENTED EFFORT
Trump is seeking to invalidate or change the election results through recounts and direct pressure on lawmakers in several states. He would need to prevail in at least three states to prevent Biden from being sworn in as president on Jan 20 - an unprecedented action.
In Michigan, Republicans wrote to state authorities on Saturday asking them to wait 14 days to certify Biden's victory to allow for an audit of ballots in Wayne County, which includes the majority-black city of Detroit. The letter cited allegations of "irregularities" that have not been substantiated. Biden won 154,000 more votes than Trump in Michigan.
That effort faces long odds. A spokesperson for Michigan's top election authority said state law does not allow for audits before the vote is certified, which is due to take place on Monday. Allegations of widespread fraud have been found to be baseless, the spokesperson said.
Two leading Republican Michigan lawmakers who came to Washington at Trump's behest said after meeting him on Friday that they had no information that would change the outcome of the election in the state.
In Wisconsin, an official said poorly trained observers for the Trump campaign were slowing a partial recount by challenging every ballot and raising other objections.
"Observers are disruptive. They are asking question after question, telling the tablulators to stop, stop what they're doing and that is out of line, that's not acceptable," Milwaukee County Clerk George Christianson told reporters.
A manual recount and audit in Georgia confirmed Biden on Friday as the winner in the southern state, the first Democratic presidential candidate to win Georgia in nearly three decades.
The Trump campaign has two business days to request a recount in Georgia. Trump's legal team has also said it plans a lawsuit in the state, but has not provided specifics.
Trump's accusations have continued to inflame his hard-core Republican base.
Hundreds of supporters gathered at the statehouse in Atlanta on Saturday, with video posted online showing speakers denouncing the media for calling Biden the election winner, as well as state Republican leaders for certifying the results.
Police in riot gear were deployed to separate them from counterprotesters who gathered nearby.
The General Services Administration, run by a Trump appointee, has not recognised Biden's victory, preventing his team from gaining access to government office space and funding normally provided to an incoming administration ahead of Inauguration Day on Jan 20.
Critics say the delay and Trump's refusal to concede have serious implications for national security and the fight against the coronavirus, which has killed nearly 255,000 Americans.
BEIJING: Leaders of the 20 biggest economies on Saturday (Nov 21) vowed to ensure a fair distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, drugs and tests around the world and do what was needed to support poorer countries struggling to recover from the coronavirus pandemic.
"We will spare no effort to ensure their affordable and equitable access for all people, consistent with members’ commitments to incentivise innovation," the leaders said in a draft G20 communique seen by Reuters. "We recognise the role of extensive immunization as a global public good."
The twin crises of the pandemic and an uneven, uncertain global recovery dominated the first day of a two-day summit under the chairmanship of Saudi Arabia, which hands off the rotating presidency of the G20 to Italy next month.
The COVID-19 pandemic, which has thrown the global economy into a deep recession this year, and efforts needed to underpin an economic rebound in 2021, were at the top of the agenda.
"We must work to create the conditions for affordable and equitable access to these tools for all peoples," Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz said in his opening remarks.
G20 leaders are concerned that the pandemic might further deepen global divisions between the rich and the poor.
"We need to avoid at all costs a scenario of a two-speed world where only the richer can protect themselves against the virus and restart normal lives," French President Emmanuel Macron told the summit.
To do that, the European Union urged G20 leaders quickly to put more money into a global project for vaccines, tests and therapeutics - called Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator - and its COVAX facility to distribute vaccines.
"At the G20 Summit I called for US$4.5 billion to be invested in ACT Accelerator by the end of 2020, for procurement & delivery of COVID-19 tests, treatments and vaccines everywhere," European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen said on Twitter.
"We need to show global solidarity," she said.
Germany was contributing more than 500 million euros (US$592.65 million) to the effort, Chancellor Angela Merkel told the G20, urging other countries to do their part, according to a text of her remarks.
Russian President Vladimir Putin offered to provide Russia's Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine to other countries and said Moscow was also preparing a second and third vaccine.
China, where the pandemic originated a year ago, also offered to cooperate on vaccines. China has five home-grown candidates for a vaccine undergoing the last phase of trials.
"China is willing to strengthen cooperation with other countries in the research and development, production, and distribution of vaccines," President Xi Jinping told the G20 Summit.
"We will ... offer help and support to other developing countries, and work hard to make vaccines a public good that citizens of all countries can use and can afford," he said.
US President Donald Trump, who lost the US presidential election but has refused to concede to former Vice President Joe Biden, addressed G20 leaders briefly before going golfing. He discussed the need to work together to restore economic growth, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said in a summary released late on Saturday.
She made no mention of any US pledge to support the global vaccine distribution effort. One European source said Trump's remarks were focused on what he described as an unprecedented US recovery and the US drive to develop its own vaccines.
To prepare for future outbreaks, the EU is proposing a treaty on pandemics. "An international treaty would help us respond more quickly and in a more coordinated manner," European Council President Charles Michel told the G20.
While the global economy is recovering from the depths of the crisis, momentum is slowing in countries with resurgent infection rates and the pandemic is likely to leave deep scars, the International Monetary Fund said in a report for the summit.
Especially vulnerable are poor and highly indebted countries, which are "on the precipice of financial ruin and escalating poverty, hunger and untold suffering", United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Friday.
To address this, the G20 will endorse a plan to extend a freeze in debt service payments by the poorest countries to mid-2021 and endorse a common approach for dealing with debt problems beyond that, the draft communique said.
World Bank President David Malpass warned the G20 that failing to provide more permanent debt relief to some countries now could lead to increased poverty and a repeat of the disorderly defaults of the 1980s.
The G20 debt relief initiative has helped 46 countries defer US$5.7 billion in debt service payments, but that is far short of the 73 countries that were eligible, and promised savings of around US$12 billion. Private sector participation is seen as critical to ensuring broader use of the initiative.
Debt relief for Africa will be an important theme of the Italian presidency of the G20 in 2021.
