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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 |**Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany reaffirm Ukraine ceasefire
Advisors to the heads of state of Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany, who met on Wednesday for talks in Paris, published a joint statement on the website of the French presidency to reaffirm their commitment to upholding the ceasefire that was agreed upon within the "Minsk agreements."
"They support unconditional compliance with the ceasefire regardless of differences on other issues related to implementing the Minsk agreements," the statement declared.
The Minsk agreements, reached in September 2014 and February 2015 respectively, outline the steps needed to end the conflict between government troops and armed groups in Donbas, which has left some 14,000 dead since April 2014.
**Top 2 |**DPRK fires 2 unidentified missiles into East Sea: media reports
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) fired two unidentified missiles into the East Sea, the Republic of Korea's (ROK) Yonhap News Agency reported Tuesday citing unnamed military sources.
The ROK military detected the two missiles, believed to be cruise missiles, launched from the DPRK into the eastern waters on Tuesday morning, the sources said.
The launch of cruise missiles is not in violation of the UN Security Council resolutions, which ban Pyongyang from test-firing ballistic missiles.
Earlier this month, the DPRK conducted four missile tests – a hypersonic missile on January 5 and January 11 each, two railway-borne short-range ballistic missiles on January 14, and two tactical guided missiles on January 17.
**Top 3 |**Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan agree on full cessation of hostilities on border
Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have agreed on a full cessation of hostilities on the border, Sputnik reported on Friday citing the Kyrgyz border service.
"During the negotiations ... the following agreements were reached: on a complete ceasefire; on the withdrawal of additional forces and means sent to the border to places of permanent deployment by each of the parties; on opening traffic on the Batken-Isfana highway; on joint patrolling border regions by law enforcement officers of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in order to prevent conflicts," a Kyrgyz border service spokesman was quoted as saying.
Kyrgyz and Tajik border guards exchanged fire on Thursday amid a standoff over a blocked road.
The fresh clash left one Tajik civilian dead and 17 border guards and civilians from both sides wounded, according to early media report.
**Top 4 |**Pelosi announces she is running for reelection
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced Tuesday she is running for reelection.
"While we have made progress much more needs to be done to improve people’s lives. This election is crucial: nothing less is at stake than our Democracy. But we don’t agonize-we organize. I am running for re-election to Congress to deliver For The People and defend Democracy. -NP," Pelosi said in a tweet.
As rumors continued to swirl over Pelosi's possible retirement, she is putting them to bed -- for now.
**Top 5 |**Iran plans stronger ties with Turkey
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi vowed on Saturday to strengthen ties with Turkey to ensure regional stability, according to Iran's presidential website.
"Iran has a long-term and comprehensive vision of relations and cooperation with Turkey, and we welcome planning for strategic cooperation with Turkey," Raisi said in a phone conversation with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Raisi also stressed the need to respect national sovereignty and territorial integrity as the only way to ensure long-term regional security and stability.
Erdogan said Turkey has prepared a list of diverse economic projects to strengthen relations with Iran, and he expressed his hope to visit Tehran soon.
**Top 6 |**Moscow denies alleged plan to install pro-Russian leader in Kiev
The Russian Foreign Ministry has described a claim by the British Foreign Office that Moscow plans to install a pro-Russian leader in Ukraine as "disinformation" and said it was further evidence that NATO countries are "escalating tensions around Ukraine."
"Disinformation circulated by @FCDOGovUK is yet another indication that it is the @NATO Members led by the Anglo-Saxon nations who are escalating tensions around #Ukraine," Russia's Foreign Ministry said in a tweet.
Earlier on Saturday, the UK alleged that it had acquired information that Moscow was "looking to install a pro-Russian leader in Kiev."
**Top 7 |**U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer to retire, letting Biden nominate successor
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer plans to retire, lawmakers said on Wednesday, giving President Joe Biden the opportunity to fulfill a campaign promise to appoint the first African American woman to the nation's top judicial body.
Biden's fellow Democrats hold a razor-thin majority in the Senate, which under the U.S. Constitution confirms Supreme Court nominees. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said that Biden's nominee to replace Breyer will receive a "prompt hearing" and will be considered and confirmed with "all deliberate speed."
**Top 8 |**No intention of putting U.S. or NATO troops in Ukraine: Biden
U.S. President Joe Biden reiterated Tuesday that there is no intention in his administration or within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to send troops into Ukraine, but that Russia will face serious economic consequences if it invades the former Soviet republic.
"We have no intention of putting American forces or NATO forces in Ukraine," Biden told reporters when he was at a store in Washington buying gifts for his wife and grandson. "But I said there are going to be serious economic consequences if (Russian President Vladimir Putin) moves" Russian troops into Ukraine.
**Top 9 |**UK 'extremely unlikely' to send soldiers to defend Ukraine, says Raab
UK Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab said on Sunday that the country is "extremely unlikely" to send soldiers to defend Ukraine, as he spoke to broadcaster Sky News.
However, he warned that Russia will face severe economic sanctions if it installs a puppet regime in Ukraine. "There'll be very serious consequences if Russia takes this move to try and invade but also install a puppet regime," he said.
The remark came after Britain claimed that the Kremlin was considering a candidate as a pro-Russian leader in Kiev, which Moscow has later dismissed as "disinformation."
The British foreign ministry said it had information the Russian government was considering former Ukrainian lawmaker Yevhen Murayev as a potential candidate to head a pro-Russian leadership.
Top 10 | Nomination period for HKSAR chief race begins on February 20
The two-week nomination period for China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) chief executive race will begin on February 20.
The Electoral Affairs Commission (EAC) announced the dates of the nomination period, which will conclude on March 5, and disclosed its latest elections guidelines.
"The guidelines are prepared on the basis of the edition released in October 2016, with appropriate and necessary amendments," the EAC said.
The HKSAR's amended electoral laws came into force on May 31 last year after China's top legislature National People's Congress (NPC) adopted a decision on improving the region's electoral system.
(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)
