WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- The Biden administration on Monday asked two federal appeals courts to dismiss the Justice Department's legal challenges to court rulings that barred a Trump-era effort to ban new downloads of Chinese-owned video-sharing app TikTok.

Last month, President Joe Biden withdrew a series of executive orders issued by former President Donald Trump that sought to ban new downloads of WeChat, TikTok and other Chinese apps and ordered a new review.

The Commerce Department on June 22 formally withdrew a list of prohibited

TAIPEI -- Taiwan has dispatched a top member of its COVID response team to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. as concern grows over a coronavirus outbreak at the world's largest chipmaker.

Wang Pi-sheng was sent to TSMC's Hsinchu base on Monday after the chipmaker reported three confirmed cases to Taipei, sources told Nikkei Asia.

The central government took over the COVID response at TSMC from the Hsinchu government the same day the possible cluster was announced, a sign of the chipmaker's importance to the global semiconductor industry

TOKYO -- Japan's Imabari Shipbuilding, whose subsidiary owns the Ever Given container ship that got stuck in the Suez Canal earlier this year resulting in a blockage of the key shipping route, said on Monday that insurance will cover "to some extent" the compensation it has to pay out.

The company held a press conference where Yukito Higaki, president of Imabari and its affiliate Shoei Kisen, told reporters that the accident will have "no major impact" on its earnings.

Ever Given was impounded at a lake in

HONG KONG -- At least 210 members of Hong Kong district councils have announced plans to resign ahead of their likely disqualification, as growing political pressure threatens the survival of the territory's pro-democracy movement.

The entirety of the pro-democracy bloc in the Legislative Council, Hong Kong's de facto parliament, stepped down last year. Though less powerful, the district councils have provided a key political foothold for pro-democracy members, who have controlled over 80% of the seats.

But

TOKYO -- Those in the business of mining cryptocurrencies are rushing to leave China, which had accounted for 60% of global bitcoin mining, as the nation tightens restrictions on such activities.

China, which is already testing a digital yuan, has moved early to rein in other virtual currencies, sparking widespread disruption.

The government in May announced tougher restrictions targeting cryptocurrency mining and transactions. Mining, an energy-intensive process that involves powerful computers performing difficult calculations, is not compatible with Beijing's pledge to achieve carbon

GUANGZHOU -- Tencent Holdings faces new scrutiny from Chinese authorities, hampering the company's efforts to consolidate its position as China's top gaming developer and giving rivals an opening to encroach on market share.

The latest state action came over the weekend when China's antitrust watchdog said it would block the merger of Tencent video game streaming sites Huya and DouYu, using unusually blunt language to explain the reasoning behind the move.

The planned merger would grant Tencent isolated management of upstream and downstream markets, the State Administration for

TOKYO -- Daiichi Sankyo plans to begin Phase 3 clinical trials for its coronavirus vaccine this autumn with the aim of bringing it to the public in 2022, finally pushing forward Japan's effort to locally develop COVID-19 shots.

A few other Japanese drugmakers are also making progress in vaccine development, including Shionogi, which says it would be able to supply enough doses for 60 million people a year if a reduced dose proves to be as effective as the previously proposed amount.

Since March,

Dr. Nancy Snow is Pax Mundi (World Peace) Professor of Public Diplomacy at Kyoto University of Foreign Studies.

At this point, there seems to be no reversing the arrival to Tokyo of tens of thousands associated with the Olympics and Paralympics. All spectators are now banned, creating yet another level of access absurdity at the prospect of broadcast media showcasing empty stadiums and arenas but for the VIPs and sponsors in attendance to cheer on the athletes.

Homegrown protesters have been heard but largely ignored. Even the present emperor's

BANGKOK -- Thailand's Bumrungrad International Hospital has launched a clinic for LGBTQ patients, bringing together specialized services catering to this minority demographic.

The high-end private hospital operator's new Pride Clinic will offer gender confirmation surgery, hormone treatments, cosmetic surgery and health checkups. These services had been scattered across multiple facilities.

The clinic aims to tap demand from LGBTQ people, who are often part of double-income households with no children and have relatively high spending power. The country moved last year to legalize same