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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 | Key member of White House immigration team retiring: report
Esther Olavarria, the deputy director for immigration of the Biden administration's Domestic Policy Council (DPC), is retiring from her position.
A White House spokesperson confirmed Olavarria's pending departure from her position to Politico and CNN.
A source told Politico that Olavarria hasn't decided when her last day at the White House will be and will continue to work with the administration for the time being.
Top 2 | Kazakhstan declares emergencies in cities hit by unrest
Kazakhstan's president imposed states of emergency in the largest city Almaty and an oil-rich western region Wednesday after unprecedented protests that began over a regional energy price hike engulfed other parts of the country.
The southeastern city of Almaty, Kazakhstan's financial capital, was in chaos from late Tuesday as police fired tear gas and stun grenades to quell unrest that began in the west of the country over a spike in local prices for liquified petroleum gas (LPG).
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed orders on states of emergency in Almaty and the hydrocarbon-rich western region of Mangystau effective from January 5 until January 19, the presidential website reported.
Top 3 | OPEC+ agrees to increase oil output
A key group of the world's major oil producers has agreed to increase output moderately next month.
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and their allies (OPEC+) decided on Tuesday to raise production in February by additional 400,000 barrels per day (bpd).
The decision was widely expected for two main reasons - crude supply disruptions in Libya - one of Africa's leading exporters - and the limited impact of the Coronavrius Omicron variant on the market.
Rystad Energy's analyst Bjornar Tonhaugen said OPEC+ was confident in part because global transport data suggested Omicron had not yet significantly impact oil demand.
Top 4 | California bill would make it easier to sue gun-makers
Some Democratic California lawmakers want to make it easier for people to sue gun companies for liability in shootings that cause injuries or deaths, a move advocates said Tuesday is aimed at getting around a U.S. law that prevents such lawsuits and allows the industry to act recklessly.
But critics call the bill, which is modeled after a New York law passed last year, an illegal overreach. They say its true purpose was to force gun manufacturers out of business.
In general, when someone is injured or killed by gunfire it's very hard for the victim or their family to hold the gun manufacturer or dealer responsible by suing them and making them pay for damages. A federal law prevents most of those types of lawsuits, which advocacy groups say is unique to the gun industry.
Top 5 | China, Kazakhstan exchange congratulations on 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday exchanged congratulations with First President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Hailing China-Kazakhstan relations as a good example of neighborly friendship, Xi spoke highly of Nazarbayev's efforts in promoting bilateral relations and deepening cooperation on the Belt and Road Initiative.
Since the establishment of diplomatic ties, the two countries have achieved fruitful outcomes in Belt and Road cooperation, bringing tangible benefits to the two peoples, Xi told Tokayev.
Top 6 | HKSAR holds oath-taking ceremony for 7th-term LegCo members
An oath-taking ceremony for the 90 lawmakers elected to the seventh-term Legislative Council (LegCo) was held in China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Monday.
The lawmakers swore allegiance to the HKSAR and took an oath to uphold its Basic Law one by one, after jointly singing the national anthem of China together with HKSAR Chief Executive Carrie Lam, the oath administrator, at the Chamber of the LegCo Complex.
The oath-taking ceremony began at 11:00 a.m. local time, and at around 5:15 p.m., Lam announced in a statement that she had determined that the oaths taken by all the 90 members-elect of the LegCo were valid.
Top 7 | Botswana's president in isolation after testing positive for COVID-19
Botswana's President Mokgweetsi Masisi is in mandatory self- isolation after testing positive for COVID-19 in routine testing, a government spokesperson said on Monday.
Vice President Slumber Tsogwane will assume the president's responsibilities until further notice while Masisi is in isolation, Dipowe said.
New coronavirus infections have risen sharply in the diamond-rich Southern African country since the detection of the Omicron variant late last year, to an average of 2,500 every three days from under 300 over the same period before Omicron.
Top 8 | Britain makes omicron contingency plans for hospitals, schools
The British government has been making contingency plans in case hospitals, schools and other workplaces are hit by major staff shortages amid the country's record-breaking spike in coronavirus infections.
Public sector workplaces have been preparing for staff absences ranging from 10 percent to 25 percent even as the pandemic sees more sick people or forces them to isolate, the Cabinet Office said.
The highly transmissible omicron variant has caused Britain's daily new caseload to surge over Christmas and the New Year, with a new daily high of 189,000 on December 31. About 1 in 25 people in England — or about 2 million people — had COVID-19 in the week before Christmas, the Office of National Statistics estimated. In London, the figure was 1 in 15.
**Top 9 |**U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin tests positive for COVID-19
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has tested positive for COVID-19, he said on Twitter on Sunday.
He further stated that his meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden was on December 21, more than a week before his symptoms began.
"I tested negative that very morning. I have not been in the Pentagon since Thursday, where I met briefly and only with a few staff. We were properly masked and socially distanced throughout," Austin added.
The defense secretary said he will quarantine at home for the next five days, attend key meetings virtually and retain all authorities.
Top 10 | France to ease COVID-19 isolation rules: government
France will relax COVID-19 isolation rules from Monday, the government announced, in a bid to ease their impact on society and the economy.
Fully vaccinated people who test positive will only have to isolate for seven days regardless of the coronavirus variant they were infected with, but can leave quarantine after five days if they show an antigen or negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test.
There will be no quarantine for fully inoculated individuals who have a close contact test positive. However, people must respect protective measures and "undergo regular testing," French Health Minister Olivier Veran said in an interview with local media.
(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)
