Kiribati's pro-China leader Taneti Maamau wins re-election, says opposition

SYDNEY (REUTERS) – Kiribati President Taneti Maamau has won a closely watched leadership vote after campaigning on a pro-China platform, shortly after the Pacific island nation switched diplomatic ties to Beijing from Taiwan, the opposition said on Tuesday (June 23).

Opposition spokesman Rimon Rimon told Reuters that presidential candidate Banuera Berina had been defeated in a result confirmed by the High Court.

“It was hard fought, but we fell short,” Rimon told Reuters on the phone from Kiribati.

Beijing reports 13 new Covid-19 cases vs 9 a day earlier

BEIJING/SHANGHAI (REUTERS) – Beijing’s municipal health authority reported on Tuesday (June 23) 13 new cases of the novel coronavirus in the city for June 22, up from nine a day earlier.

The city of more than 20 million people reported its first case in the latest wave on June 11. The resurgence has been linked to a wholesale food centre in the southwest of Beijing.

So far, 249 people in the city have been infected in the outbreak.

White House’s Navarro Clarifies Comments on China, Trade

White House trade adviser Peter Navarro says his comments on China that sparked market reaction “had nothing at all to do with the Phase I trade deal, which continues in place.”

Full Navarro statement:

“My comments have been taken wildly out of context. They had nothing at all to do with the Phase I trade deal, which continues in place. I was simply speaking to the lack of trust we now have of the Chinese Communist Party after they lied about the origins of the China virus and foisted a pandemic upon the world.”

Navarro was asked in a Fox News interview about the U.S. China trade deal and progress made on it.

From the transcript:

Martha MacCallum, Fox News: You know, when — do you think that the president sort of — I mean, he obviously really wanted to hang onto this trade deal as much as possible. And he wanted them to make good on the promises, because there had been progress made on that trade deal, but given everything that’s happened and all the things you just listed, is that over?

Navarro: It’s over. Yes.

Navarro is a noted China hawk and has been one of the sharpest voices in President Donald Trump’s ear urging a stiffer response toward Beijing.

Asian stocks and U.S. futures slid along with the yuan on Navarro’s Fox comment.

Pfeiffer Vacuum Expects Q2 Results To Be Weaker

Pfeiffer Vacuum Technology AG (PFFVF.PK) said it expects sales to be in the range of around 140 million euros to 145 million euros in the second quarter 2020 ending June 30, 2020, compared to 157.4 million euros reported last year. The decline is primarily driven by the decrease in demand due to global economic conditions, partially offset by continued strong demand in the semiconductor market.

The operating result (EBIT) is expected to be in the range of 3.0 million euros to 6.5 million euros, significantly lower than the previous year’s 14.7 million euros. This is primary hurt by productivity loss due to sales declines and COVID-19
measures, product and market mix, and year-over-year increased expenses to drive market share growth.

The order intake in second quarter 2020 is expected to be at or slightly above last year’s 144.9 million euros.

The company said it will announce detailed results for the second quarter and first
half 2020 on August 4, 2020.

TikTok Comedian Knocks It Out Of The Arena Over Trump’s ‘Amazing’ Fake Numbers

Popular Donald Trump impersonator Sarah Cooper was back on TikTok on Monday with a killer video of the “president” boasting about the “amazing” crowds he expected at his rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma — before it happened.

As she always does, Cooper lip-synced Trump’s own recorded words. This time she played him squirming in a seat before the president was confronted with a sea of empty blue seats at the Bank of Oklahoma Center on Saturday. 

In the video, “How to Empty Seat,” Trump is heard boasting that the arena will be packed with 22,000 people (the arena has a capacity of 19,000). An additional 40,000 supporters would be seated in a convention center next door. 

“It’s amazing. Nobody’s ever heard of numbers like this,” mimes Cooper to Trump’s words. “We expect to have, you know, like a record-setting crowd. We’ve never had an empty seat — and we certainly won’t in Oklahoma.”

Fire marshals reported Sunday that fewer than 6,200 tickets were scanned for the arena event. The convention center next door was not used, and Trump canceled a talk outside the BOK Center to an expected overflow crowd that turned out to be a mere smattering of supporters.

Check out Cooper’s video up top. Watch out for the nod to Dr. Evil.

Yemen's Houthis attack deep in Saudi Arabia, al Masirah TV says

DUBAI (Reuters) – Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement carried out a “large-scale attack” deep in Saudi Arabia, the movement’s Al Masirah television said on Tuesday.

The Houthi military spokesman would make an announcement on the attack in the next few hours, it added. But there was no immediate confirmation from Saudi Arabia or the Saudi-led coalition that has been battling the Houthis for five years.

Saudi Intercepts Ballistic Missile Headed to Riyadh From Yemen

Follow us @middleeast for more news on the region.

Saudi Arabia intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile headed to the capital Riyadh from Yemen.

It is part of a campaign to launch attacks on the kingdom, state-run Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.

Saudi Arabian air defense intercepted at least three ballistic missiles, launched by Yemen’s Houthis, aimed at the cities of Najran and Jazan, SPA reported Monday night. The kingdom also intercepted and destroyed eight drones, laden with explosives, it said.

• NOTE: The Iran-backed Houthis have been fighting a Saudi-led military coalition since 2015. They have repeatedly claimed responsibility for attacks on targets in Saudi Arabia