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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 |Diego Maradona: Thousands bid farewell as Argentina grieves
Thousands of fans are paying their final respects to Argentine football legend Diego Maradona at the presidential palace in Buenos Aires.
Three days of national mourning have begun in Argentina after the national hero died following a heart attack on Wednesday at the age of 60.
Some wept, others blew kisses and said prayers as they filed past the coffin being displayed at the Casa Rosada.
A million people are expected to visit his casket.
Maradona's coffin - draped in Argentina's national flag and football shirt, bearing his trademark number 10 on the back - is expected to be on public display until Thursday afternoon.
There were tense scenes when the Casa Rosada opened its doors, as some fans pushed and shoved against the barriers, which were lined with security forces. His family and former teammates took part in a private ceremony earlier in the day.
Top 2 | Pompeo says U.S. State Department transition process started
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday indicated that the State Department has begun the transition process after the General Services Administration (GSA), the federal agency that must sign off on presidential transitions, on Monday told President-elect Joe Biden he could formally begin the handover.
"Today we began the process to see what the GSA's decision was, and will do everything that's required by law. We'll make this work," Pompeo said in an interview with Fox News.
The projected winner of the U.S. presidential election Joe Biden's team welcomed the formal start of the transitional process.
The United States will be "ready to lead" again on the global stage, turning the page on incumbent President Donald Trump's "America First" policies as he pledged to work together with the nation's allies, Biden said on Tuesday.
Top 3 | Chinese, Ethiopian presidents exchange congratulations on 50th diplomatic ties anniversary
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Ethiopian President Sahle-Work Zewde on Tuesday exchanged congratulations on the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries.
In his message to Zewde, Xi said that the mutual political trust between China and Ethiopia has been deepening with the fruitful outcomes of the two countries' cooperation in various areas.
China and Ethiopia have been understanding and supporting each other regarding issues of both countries' core interests and co-operating closely in regional and international affairs, Xi added.
The two countries have set an example for China-Africa joint efforts in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic by helping each other since its outbreak, Xi added, stressing that China attaches great importance to the bilateral ties.
Ethiopian President Zewde said that since the establishment of diplomatic relations 50 years ago, Ethiopia's relations with China have been deepening and the bilateral cooperation has yielded fruitful results.
Top 4 | White House approves intelligence brief for Biden: official
The White House has given approval for projected winner of the U.S. presidential election Joe Biden to receive the president's daily classified intelligence brief, an administration official said on Tuesday.
The decision means Biden will have access to the latest intelligence reports about major national security threats around the globe.
Biden later told reporters in Wilmington, Delaware, that he has not had an intelligence briefing but that it had been offered.
On Monday, the General Services Administration (GSA), the federal agency that must sign off on presidential transitions, told Biden he could formally begin the hand-over process. GSA Administrator Emily Murphy said in a letter that Biden would get access to resources that had been denied to him because of the legal challenges taken by the incumbent president seeking to overturn his win.
Top 5 | Pompeo Confirms U.S. Withdrawal From Open Skies Treaty
The U.S. has withdrawn from the Open Skies Treaty due to non-compliance by Russia, Secretary of State Michael Pompeo said Sunday, making good on a planned move by the outgoing Trump administration.
The move was immediately criticized by a top Democrat, who urged President-elect Joe Biden to reverse the decision next year.
“Today, pursuant to earlier notice provided, the United States withdrawal from the Treaty on Open Skies is now effective,” Pompeo tweeted. “America is more secure because of it, as Russia remains in non-compliance with its obligations.”
The treaty, which was signed in 1992 and came into force in 2002, allows countries to fly over each other’s territory for unarmed reconnaissance flights. It was intended by its almost three dozen ratifiers to reduce the risk of war.
Top 6 | French ex-President Sarkozy stands trial for corruption
Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy goes on trial Monday on charges of corruption and influence peddling in a phone-tapping scandal, a first for the 65-year-old politician who has faced several other judicial investigations since leaving office in 2012.
Sarkozy is being accused of having tried to illegally obtain information from a magistrate about an investigation involving him in 2014.
He stands trial in a Paris court along with his lawyer Thierry Herzog, 65, and the magistrate, Gilbert Azibert, 73.
They face a prison sentence of up to 10 years and a maximum fine of 1 million euros ($1.2 million). They deny any wrongdoing.
Top 7 | France demands Pakistan rectifies Macron Nazi jibe
France’s foreign ministry has demanded Pakistan authorities withdraw comments made by one of its ministers that President Emmanuel Macon was treating Muslims like Nazis had treated Jews in World War 2.
The comments posted on Twitter by Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari on Saturday came as part of a clash between Pakistan and France over the publication of images of the Prophet Mohammad by a French magazine. The images have sparked anger and protests in the Muslim world, especially in Pakistan.
“Macron is doing to Muslims what the Nazis did to the Jews - Muslim children will get ID numbers (other children won’t) just as Jews were forced to wear the yellow star on their clothing for identification,” Mazari said in a tweet linking to an online article.
Top 8 | Xi Jinping calls for a global COVID-19 'firewall' at G20 summit
Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed the Group of 20 (G20) to build a global "firewall" against the COVID-19 pandemic in his speech at the G20 summit on Saturday.
Xi made the remarks via video link at the invitation of Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
"The COVID-19 pandemic exposed a weakness in the global governance," Xi said. He also emphasized that the G20 should "play a bigger role" in the global coordination of fighting against the pandemic.
Xi expressed his opinion on the priority of the fight against the novel coronavirus. The G20 should respect the World Health Organization (WHO) and create a global mechanism coping with pandemics.
Top 9 | Turkish, Saudi leaders speak by phone ahead of G20 summit
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke with Saudi Arabia’s King Salman by phone ahead of the G-20 virtual summit hosted by the kingdom, the president’s office said Saturday.
The leaders discussed improving relations between the two countries, the statement said.
Ties between Turkey and Saudi Arabia deteriorated sharply after the 2018 killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, adding to tensions over Turkey’s support for the Muslim Brotherhood, viewed by Riyadh as a terrorist group.
“President Erdogan and King Salman agreed to keep channels of dialogue open to improve bilateral ties and overcome issues,” the Turkish presidency said.
Saudi Arabia is hosting the virtual meeting of G-20 leaders on Saturday and Sunday in line with coronavirus restrictions.
Top 10 | Pompeo makes unprecedented visits to Israeli-occupied West Bank and Golan Heights
Mike Pompeo on Thursday became the first U.S. secretary of state to visit an Israeli West Bank settlement and the Golan Heights.
The visits came a year after Pompeo broke with decades of U.S. foreign policy to announce that the United States under Trump no longer viewed Israel's settlements in the West Bank as "inconsistent with international law".
Trump delighted Israel in 2019 by recognizing Israel's claim to sovereignty over the area of the Golan Heights that it captured from Syria in a 1967 war and annexed in 1981.
These and other decisions were greeted with dismay by the Palestinians, who accused the Trump administration of consistent pro-Israel bias.
On Thursday morning, Pompeo appeared alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said both Pompeo and Trump were long-standing friends of Israel.
Related news:
Pompeo says U.S. State Department transition process started
Diego Maradona: Thousands bid farewell as Argentina grieves
(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)
