News Headlines - 06 June 2020
Han Kuo-yu, the opposition candidate in this year’s Taiwanese presidential election, has been removed as mayor of the city of Kaohsiung following an unprecedented recall vote on Saturday.
Han, 62, conceded defeat after more than 900,000 eligible voters backed his removal for being“unfit”for office
He was the first Taiwanese official ever to be removed in this way, a result that will have a ripple effect on future elections.
▽Nobel laureate Honjo to sue Osaka drug firm for 22 billion yen : The Asahi Shimbun
Nobel laureate Tasuku Honjo announced June 5 he is taking legal action against Ono Pharmaceutical Co. this month to seek 22.6 billion yen ($207 million) in patent royalties concerning the Opdivo cancer treatment drug... The lawsuit will be filed at the Osaka District Court in mid-June.
Ono Pharmaceutical, which manufactures and markets Opdivo, is based in Osaka.
Honjo, 78, was awarded the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his research into the discovery of cancer therapy by inhibition of negative immune regulation, which led to the development of Opdivo.
▽Aso draws flak for remark on how Japan beat coronavirus - The Straits Times
Japan's success against the coronavirus without having to enforce a strict lockdown is due to its citizens' "cultural standard" which is different from that in other nations, Finance Minister Taro Aso said, drawing criticism from the public that the comments were inappropriate... Mr Aso's remarks, which elicited laughs at the meeting, were made in the context of Japan's inability to enforce a hard lockdown due to civil liberties enshrined in the post-war Constitution.
Japanese officials were able only to ask people to stay home and businesses to close, though the level of cooperation was high... But Japan is not an exception in Asia, with Taiwan and South Korea reporting lower mortality rates.
▽After Record Covid-19 Deaths, Brazil Changes Data Disclosure and Reduces Information | The Rio Times
After breaking records in deaths by Covid-19 in Brazil, the government of Jair Bolsonaro on Friday, June 5th, changed the way data on the disease are disclosed daily. The data failed to include the total number of deaths and infections, as has been the case since the outbreak of the disease in the country - only the daily records were released. The website where data is typically compiled has also been taken down.
▽Banksy unveils new artwork inspired by death of George Floyd | London Evening Standard
Banksy has revealed new artwork inspired by the death of George Floyd in the US, saying “people of colour are being failed by the system”.
The street artist posted a picture of the piece on his Instagram on Saturday, writing: “At first I thought I should just shut up and listen to black people about this issue. But why would I do that? It’s not their problem. It’s mine.”
It comes as hundreds of people gathered in Parliament Square in London in protest against the death of Mr Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25.
