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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 | Putin will not attend BRICS summit: South African Presidency
Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend the BRICS summit by mutual agreement, the South African Presidency said on Wednesday.
Russia will be represented by its Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, the presidency added in a statement.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has confirmed South Africa's readiness to host the 15th summit of BRICS nations – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
It will be the first BRICS summit to be hosted in person since the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Top 2 | Thai court suspends Pita as parliament votes for new PM
Thailand's Constitutional Court ordered a temporary suspension of prime ministerial candidate Pita Limjaroenrat from parliament on Wednesday after accepting a case against him alleging he was unqualified to run in the May 14 election.
Pita has argued his ownership of shares in a media company was not a violation of election rules. He has 15 days to respond, the court said in a statement.
Pita's election-winning Move Forward Party said the suspension should not affect Pita's nomination for the prime ministerial vote, as a second round of voting is underway in Thailand's parliament to elect a new prime minister.
Top 3 | Wang Yi to attend BRICS meeting, visit Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Türkiye
China's senior diplomat Wang Yi will attend the 13th Meeting of BRICS National Security Advisers and High Representatives on National Security in Johannesburg, South Africa from July 24 to 25, and visit Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa and Türkiye before and after the meeting, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning announced on Wednesday.
Wang, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, was invited by Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni of South Africa and the governments of Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa and Türkiye, Mao said.
When asked about China's expectation for the meeting, Mao said China looks forward to taking this meeting as an opportunity to conduct in-depth exchanges with BRICS partners on the current international security situation and issues of common concern, build consensus, deepen cooperation, inject positive energy into the world and make political preparations for the BRICS summit to be held in August this year.
Top 4 | Nearly 200,000 people displaced in Sudan last week: UN
The conflict in Sudan continues to displace civilians at an alarming rate, the United Nations said on Tuesday.
Last week alone, nearly 200,000 people were displaced by the fighting inside Sudan, said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, citing new figures from the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Since the start of the conflict three months ago, more than 2.6 million people have been internally displaced in the country, according to the IOM.
Top 5 | Biden, Israeli president meet at White House
U.S. President Joe Biden met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog at the White House in Washington on Tuesday.
Biden stressed the need to take additional measures to improve the security and economic situation in the West Bank and prevent acts of terrorism, according to a White House statement.
The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday overwhelmingly passed a resolution to reaffirm the U.S. ally is not a "racist state" and to condemn antisemitism.
Top 6 | UN says will enable access to Ukraine, Russia after grain deal ends
The United Nations said it will continue its efforts to facilitate the access to global markets of food and fertilizers from Ukraine and Russia as Russia withdrew from the Black Sea grain deal on Monday.
The Kremlin on Monday said it was exiting a major agreement to facilitate Ukraine grain exports. "The grain deal has ceased. As soon as the Russian part (of the agreements) are fulfilled, the Russian side will immediately return to the grain deal," said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
Moscow has for months complained about the implementation of the grain pact, saying that elements of the deal allowing the export of Russian food and fertilizers have not been honored.
Top 7 | Parents killed, child injured due to 'emergency' on Crimean Bridge
A child's parents were killed and the child was injured due to "an emergency" situation on Crimean Bridge linking the Crimean Peninsula to the Russian region of Krasnodar, Russia's Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Monday.
Traffic was stopped temporarily on the Russian-built bridge.
There is damage to the roadway on the Crimean Bridge. The details of pillars supporting the bridge were not confirmed by the Ministry of Transport, according to RIA news agency.
Top 8 | Sudan government representatives arrive in Jeddah to resume talks with RSF
Sudanese representatives have arrived in Saudi Arabia's Jeddah to resume talks with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), according to Reuters on Saturday.
Previous talks in Jeddah facilitated by Saudi Arabia and the United States were suspended by both countries in early June after numerous ceasefire violations. Saudi Arabia and the U.S. have yet to confirm the resumption of talks between Sudan's warring factions.
Separately, a mediation attempt launched by Egypt began on Thursday, an effort welcomed both by the Sudanese army and the RSF.
Top 9 | Wallace to stand down as UK defense secretary at next reshuffle
Ben Wallace, a prominent advocate of military support for Ukraine, is to stand down as the UK's defense secretary when Prime Minister Rishi Sunak next reshuffles his top team and quit as a Conservative MP at the next election.
Sunak is widely expected to reshuffle his cabinet by September, putting in place a younger and fresher team to fight an election likely to be held in May or October next year.
Wallace confirmed his intention to quit in an interview with The Sunday Times after rumors about his plans were leaked to the media in recent days. "I'm not standing next time," the 53-year-old, whose constituency is being dissolved at the next election, told the newspaper. However, he said he would not resign "prematurely" and force a by-election.
Top 10 | IAEA chief denies advising Japan on nuclear wastewater discharge
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) does not have the competence to advise Japan on where to dispose of wastewater from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said on Tuesday.
On a visit to the Cook Islands, where he briefed the Pacific Island Forum (PIF) on the IAEA's findings that Japan's plans to discharge treated wastewater from the plant met international safety standards, Grossi was asked at a press conference why the IAEA did not advise Japan how to deal with the water within the country if the organization believes the water is safe.
The IAEA released a report on July 4 saying the controversial plans to release over one million tons of wastewater into the ocean over the next three decades after treating it with an advanced liquid processing system (ALPS) were consistent with international safety standards and would have "negligible radiological impact on people and the environment".
(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)
