Irish PM says good chance social distancing rule can be relaxed
Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar raised the prospect on Friday of halving social distancing rules from two metres to one if the rate of coronavirus infections comes down further in a potential boost to still shuttered restaurants and pubs.
China public security ministry pledges to ‘direct and support’ HK police
China’s public security ministry pledged to “direct and support” the Hong Kong police force after China’s parliament approved a decision to impose a national security law on the semi-autonomous territory, highlighting Beijing’s intention to take a more…
Explainer: How important is Hong Kong to China as a free finance hub?
Bankers and investors fear China’s push to impose national security laws on Hong Kong threaten the city’s future as an international financial centre. If it gets to that stage, Beijing’s move will come at a cost for China’s economy.
Germany stresses dialogue with China key when asked about possibility of sanctions
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Friday that the best way to influence China on the Hong Kong dispute was for the European Union to stand united in its response and to maintain dialogue with Beijing.
Bulgaria to end quarantine on travel from most of EU
Bulgaria will lift an obligatory 14-day quarantine from June 1 for travellers from most European Union countries, but not those states with the biggest coronavirus outbreaks, the government announced on Friday.
China says opposes U.S. THAAD defence system in South Korea
China’s foreign ministry said on Friday it firmly opposes the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defence system in South Korea and urged the U.S. not to harm bilateral relations between Beijing and Seoul.
China, responding to Trump, says no need for a third party in border dispute with India
China said there was no need for a third party to mediate between China and India in an ongoing border dispute, when asked about U.S. President Donald Trump’s offer to mediate.
South Korea seeks to import anti-viral remdesivir as new coronavirus cases emerge
South Korean health authorities said on Friday they would request imports of Gilead Sciences Inc’s anti-viral drug remdesivir to treat COVID-19, as new outbreaks of the disease flare as social distancing restrictions are eased.
China calls U.S. Uighur bill a ‘smear’ and severe interference
The U.S. bill proposing to sanction Chinese officials over their treatment of the Uighur minority blatantly smears China’s anti-terrorism efforts and severely interferes in China’s internal affairs, said China Foreign Ministry Friday.
Taiwan says its people won’t choose dictatorship
Taiwan’s people will neither choose dictatorship nor bow to violence, the government said on Friday, after a senior Chinese general said Beijing reserved the right to use force to prevent the Chinese-claimed island becoming independent.
