World News Hits on Wednesday

SEENews reviews the most dominating headlines on the world news websites on Wednesday.

Riot police shield Hong Kong legislature as protesters gather against anthem bill

Hong Kong deployed riot police around the Legislative Council on Wednesday as activists called for protests against a bill to criminalize disrespect of the Chinese anthem, amid soaring tensions over perceived threats to the city’s freedoms. (Reuters)

Coronavirus: Boris Johnson to face senior MPs amid Cummings row

Boris Johnson will be questioned by senior MPs later amid continued calls for his top adviser to resign.

It marks the first time he has appeared before the Commons Liaison Committee - the only committee that gets to question the PM - since taking office. (BBC News)

Australia angered China by calling for a coronavirus investigation. Now Beijing is targeting its exports

It didn't take long after Australia's first calls for an international investigation into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic before rumblings of retaliation came from Beijing. (CNN)

Historic launch today: Space X sends two NASA astronauts to ISS

SpaceX is officially ready to launch two NASA astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) Wednesday after mission teams completed the final launch readiness review on Monday. (Euronews)

Trump accuses Twitter of election meddling after it bows to outrage mob & ‘fact-checks’ his tweets about mail-in ballots

For the first time ever, Twitter has tagged tweets by US President Donald Trump with a link to their ‘fact check,’ based on a collection of mainstream media reporting on the subject of mail-in ballots and voter fraud in the US. (Russia Today)

Biden attacks Trump for not wearing mask in public: 'this Macho stuff Is 'Stoking Deaths'

Presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden has once again attacked his rival in the 2020 election, President Donald Trump, now criticizing him for not wearing a protective mask during events on Memorial Day.

Coronavirus live updates: CDC clarifies guidelines on contact spread; New York trends improve; NHL reveals reopening plan

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provided more detail on the possibility of coronavirus being spread by contact, while the NHL unveiled its plan to restart the season and New York had some optimistic news about how the state is dealing with the pandemic. (USA Today)

Price of remdesivir in drug firm’s hands despite U.S. funding

Critics say the government deserves more credit for tens of millions in public money spent to develop the drug used to treat some coronavirus patients. (The Washington Post)

2 weeks, 6.5 million coronavirus tests as Wuhan nears goal

The Chinese city where the outbreak began is seeking to test all its 11 million residents, and the pandemic has forced the fashion industry to take a hard look in the mirror. (The New York Times)

Stocks close higher on optimism over pace of reopenings

The Dow industrials gained about 500 points as markets cheered signs of economies reopening and the potential development of a coronavirus vaccine. (The Wall Street Journal)