Police clash with anti-government protestors enraged by Beirut explosion and Mexico bans junk food to combat childhood obesity

*) Police clash with protestors enraged by explosion in Lebanon

Lebanese security forces fired tear gas to disperse dozens of anti-government demonstrators angered by the deadly blast in Beirut.

Already suffering from prolonged political and economic crises, public anger has been mounting after the explosion.

Aid from around the world also began flowing into the country following the blast that killed at least 149 people and injured 5,000 others.

*) Rajapaksa brothers win by landslide in Sri Lanka's election

Sri Lanka’s powerful Rajapaksa brothers secured a landslide victory in the country’s parliamentary elections.

The ruling group won a two-thirds majority enabling it to restore full executive powers to the presidency.

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa is likely to be sworn in the same position by his younger brother, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

*) India coronavirus cases pass two million

India’s official coronavirus case tally passed two million after a daily jump of more than 60,000 infections.

The South Asian giant becomes only the third country to reach the figure, after the United States and Brazil.

The rate of infection in the world’s second-most populous country also appears to be increasing.

*) Trump order targets Chinese internet giants TikTok, WeChat

US President Donald Trump ordered sweeping restrictions against Chinese-owned social media giants TikTok and WeChat.

The twin executive orders, which take effect in 45 days, bars anyone under US jurisdiction from doing business with the owners of TikTok or WeChat.

Trump's order cites a threat to "national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States."

And finally,

*) Southern Mexico state bans junk food sales to children

Legislators in southern Mexico have approved a ban on selling high-calorie snack food to children to combat high rates of childhood obesity.

The UN Children’s Fund considers childhood obesity to be a health emergency in Mexico, as children get 40 percent of their total caloric intake from junk food.

A Mexican government health survey found that 75 percent of Mexican children were overweight or obese in 2018.