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Every weekend, Asia Pacific Daily will provide you with a run-down of the latest hot news.
This week, the following hot news you should know:
Top 1 | Botswana set to receive over 38,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine
Botswana is set to received 38,400 doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine on Sunday, the government announced on Thursday.
The Southern African country launched its mass vaccination drive in late March, initially targeting the elderly, frontline healthcare workers and those with underlying conditions.
Sunday’s vaccines arrival will bring reprieve for the country that has struggled to obtain the life-saving jabs. Other African countries are also lagging behind in vaccination efforts due to the unavailability of the vaccines.
The vaccines will be given as second doses to those who had received their first shots.
Top 2 | China calls for unity, making vaccines global public good
The first meeting of the International Forum on COVID-19 Vaccine Cooperation on Thursday highlighted the need to make vaccines a global public good, ensure fair and equitable distribution of vaccines, and increase the vaccine production capacity of developing countries.
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi chaired the meeting held via video link under the theme of "strengthening international cooperation on vaccines, promoting fair and equitable distribution of vaccines around the world."
China builds global immunity barrier
Hailing China's contributions in global vaccines cooperation, Wang noted several aspects in which China takes the lead, such as sharing the genetic sequence of the novel coronavirus with the world, providing vaccines to developing countries in need, cooperating with developing countries in vaccine production, and actively providing vaccines to the UN peacekeepers and the International Olympic Committee.
Top 3 | Majority of New York state Assembly support beginning process to impeach Cuomo: AP
Over 80 New York state Assembly lawmakers said they would support starting the process of impeaching Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) if he decides not to resign, one day after an independent inquiry found that the governor had sexually harassed at least 11 women.
Of the legislative body's 150 members, at least 86 lawmakers told The Associated Press or have publicly stated that they would support beginning the process to impeach Cuomo if he does not step down, the wire service reported.
AP reported that an impeachment trial can be authorized if a majority of lawmakers support the motion. However, 76 votes are required for the assembly to send articles of impeachment to the state Senate.
Top 4 | Wang Yi to attend series of foreign ministers' meetings on East Asia cooperation
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will attend the ASEAN-China Ministerial Meeting, the ASEAN Plus Three Foreign Ministers' Meeting, the East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers' Meeting and the ASEAN Regional Forum to be held via video conference from August 3 to 6, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying announced Monday.
Wang will attend the events at the invitation of Haji Erywan, second minister of Foreign Affairs of Brunei, the rotating chair of ASEAN.
"The overall sound momentum in East Asia cooperation at present has strengthened regional countries’ efforts to combat COVID-19 and revitalize the economy. At the same time, resurgence and fluctuation in the global pandemic situation and flare-up of regional hotspot issues have added more complexity to East Asia cooperation," the ministry said in a statement.
China would like to take the opportunity of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of China-ASEAN dialogue relations to call on all regional countries to continue to focus on cooperation, seek common development, jointly address challenges and safeguard peace, stability, development and prosperity in the region, the ministry added.
Top 5 | HKSAR govt 'deeply' regrets U.S., EU officials' remarks on court decision
The law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region took effect at 23:00 local time on Tuesday.
English translation of the Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
The promulgation of the law was signed by HKSAR Chief Executive Carrie Lam and published in the Gazette, according to a statement of the HKSAR government.
Top 6 | DPRK leader's sister warns Seoul against joint drill with Washington
A senior official of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Sunday warned the Republic of Korea (ROK) against carrying out a planned military exercise with the United States later this month, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.
If the joint drill goes ahead, it will damage the resolve of Pyongyang and Seoul to rebuild relations, said Kim Yo Jong, vice department director of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea and the younger sister of DPRK leader Kim Jong Un.
Kim Yo Jong also said a recent decision to restore hotlines between the DPRK and the ROK should not be seen as anything more than reconnecting "physical" ties, and that it would be "thoughtless" to assume that summits are around the corner.
Top 7 | U.S., Britain blame Iran for Israeli-managed tanker attack off Oman
The United States and Britain said on Sunday they believed Iran carried out an attack on an Israeli-managed petroleum product tanker off the coast of Oman on Thursday that killed a Briton and a Romanian. Iran earlier on Sunday denied it was involved in the incident, after it was blamed by Israel.
"Upon review of the available information, we are confident that Iran conducted this attack, which killed two innocent people, using one-way explosive UAVs," U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement, adding there was "no justification" for the attack.
British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said earlier in the day that UK assessments had concluded that it was highly likely that Iran had used one or more drones to carry out the "unlawful and callous" attack.
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett had accused Iran of being behind the deadly attack. "I declare unequivocally: Iran carried out the attack against the ship," Bennett said at the start of a weekly cabinet meeting.
Top 8 | Deal to end tension in Syria's Daraa reached under Russian mediation: war monitor
A deal to end the recent flared up tension in Syria's southern province of Daraa was reached on Saturday under a Russian mediation, a war monitor reported.
The deal will see an end to the military showdown in Daraa, where the army and local armed men have been engaged in heavy battles over the past few days, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The UK-based watchdog group said 130 wanted armed men will depart to rebel-held areas in the northwestern province of Idlib under the deal.
Also, the Eighth Corps, which is backed by Russia, will enter areas in Idlib and assume military positions.
Top 9 | New Zealand starts mass vaccination in Auckland to raise current low jab rate
New Zealand has started mass vaccination in Manukau, south of Auckland, with the aim of jabbing more than 5,000 people each day.
The government launched the first and largest mass rollout earlier this week, with a goal to have 16,000 people jabbed in three days. Auckland District Health Board (DHB) said the event is designed to get large groups of people vaccinated efficiently and safely in a short period of time at a single venue.
Andy Zhang, who received his first jab here on Saturday, told Xinhua that more than 200 booths were set up in the Vodafone Events Center, an iconic arena designed for conferences and concerts.
Top 10 | Biden’s Last-Ditch Effort to Stop Evictions Frustrates Allies
The day before a moratorium on evictions is set to expire, President Joe Biden faces criticism from some of his allies for his hasty effort to preserve it -- and for not acting sooner to prevent what they view as an imminent housing crisis.
Biden asked Congress on Thursday to act swiftly to extend the ban on evictions, set to expire on Saturday. But Democratic lawmakers are divided on how much longer the moratorium should remain in place, and it isn’t clear whether there’s much Republican support for any extension.
White House aides have long been aware that the moratorium would expire on July 31. But the administration was caught off guard by the recent surge in Covid-19 cases fueled by the delta variant, said a senior White House official. The pandemic’s turn for the worse -- combined with the slow dispersal of federal emergency rental assistance money in states and cities -- has lent sudden urgency to the plight of Americans struggling to stay in their homes.
(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)
