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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 | Kerry in Brussels for climate change talks with EU officials
U.S. special envoy for climate John Kerry traveled to Brussels on Tuesday to discuss transatlantic cooperation with European officials in the wake of President Joe Biden's decision to rejoin the global effort to curb climate change.
Like EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Biden has said that fighting global warming is among his highest priorities. Biden had the United States rejoin the Paris climate accord in the first hours of his presidency, undoing the U.S. withdrawal ordered by predecessor Donald Trump.
Kerry will meet with the EU Commission vice-president in charge of climate action, Frans Timmermans, and discuss preparations for the next U.N. climate summit in Glasgow in November. He will also talk with von der Leyen and join a weekly commission meeting on transatlantic climate action.
Top 2 | Kremlin Got No Invitation for Putin to Participate in Biden's Climate Summit
The Kremlin has not yet received an invitation for Russian President Vladimir Putin to take part in the climate summit organised by US President Joe Biden, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday.
"You know, the president has no plans so far. I have no information that there has been some invitation. If there were some contacts through diplomatic channels, I think you better consult with the foreign ministry to check," Peskov said at a briefing.
The summit will reportedly be held on 22 April or a bit earlier. Reporters asked Peskov if Russia had received an invitation and if Putin planned to participate in the event.
Top 3 | Iran rejects "step-by-step plan" to settle nuke disputes
Iran is opposed to a step-by-step plan for the resolution of its disputes with the United States over the 2015 nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a senior Iranian security official told Press TV on Wednesday.
Iran would only accept the lifting of sanctions by the United States in a verifiable manner before the latter returns to the JCPOA, said the official on the condition of anonymity.
The new U.S. government has failed to lift the sanctions that the ex-team at the White House imposed on Iran after leaving the JCPOA in May 2018, he noted.
Top 4 | India, world's top vaccine maker, denies shortage at home
India’s federal government on Tuesday denied any shortage of coronavirus vaccine doses in a big northwestern state and said it was sending supplies around the country based on demand and consumption patterns.
The world’s biggest vaccine maker has so far given 23 million doses to some 17 million people, with the pace picking up significantly since last week after more people were made eligible.
And as demand has risen in India after a slow start and initial hesitation among people, Rajasthan this week became the first state to publicly seek urgent replenishment of its stock.
Top 5 | WHO says it did sound 'highest level of alarm' for novel coronavirus
Almost one year since the coronavirus outbreak was declared a pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) clarified on Monday that it did use the "highest level of alarm" to urge responses from all countries in early 2020.
Asked at Monday's press conference whether the organization should have used the word "pandemic" sooner, Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO's technical lead on COVID-19, said that the WHO announced a Public Health Emergency of International Concern as early as January 30 last year.
On January 30, 2020, the WHO declared the outbreak, later named COVID-19, as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, following two days of discussion by a team of international experts.
Top 6 | S. Korea, U.S. to kick off combined military drill this week: report
South Korea and the United States will conduct its springtime military exercise this week, but the joint drill will be smaller than usual because of the coronavirus pandemic, Seoul said on Sunday.
The allies will begin a nine-day "computer-simulated command post exercise" on Monday, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said in a statement.
The drills will not include outdoor maneuvers, which have been carried out throughout the year, and the number of troops and equipment will be minimized due to the pandemic, Yonhap news agency reported.
Top 7 | Ge****orgia prosecutor investigating Trump election interference has hired a top racketeering attorney
The Georgia district attorney investigating former President Donald Trump's actions surrounding the state's presidential election has hired a lawyer with expertise in racketeering cases, Reuters reported Sunday.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said last month prosecutors were launching a criminal investigation to determine whether Trump had illegally interfered in attempts to overturn his loss in the state.
Willis tapped John Floyd to assist in cases that involve racketeering, including the investigation into Trump, Reuters reported. The outlet said that Floyd has written a guide on prosecuting racketeering cases.
Top 8 | Vietnam begins COVID-19 vaccinations after successful virus containment
Vietnam launched its COVID-19 vaccination programme on Monday with healthcare workers first in the queue, even as the Southeast Asian country looked set to contain its fourth outbreak of the coronavirus since the pandemic began.
Vietnam has been lauded globally for its record fighting the virus. Thanks to early border closures, targeted testing, and a strict, centralised quarantine programme, Vietnam has suffered fewer disruptions to its economy than much of Asia.
Vietnam has kept the total number of infections in the country of 96 million at around 2,500 and reported just 35 deaths. It crushed a first wave of cases in February last year, and a larger cluster detected among foreign tourists in April.
Top 9 | Egypt president el-Sissi visits Sudan amid rapprochement
Egypt’s president arrived in Sudan on Saturday, his first visit to the country since a popular uprising led to the military’s overthrow of longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir in 2019.
President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi landed at Khartoum international airport and headed to a meeting with Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, head of the ruling Sovereign Council, at the presidential palace. There, they inspected a military guard of honor.
The Egyptian leader was scheduled to discuss with Sudanese officials an array of issues, including economic and military ties and the two nations’ dispute with Ethiopia over a massive dam it is building on the Blue Nile, Egypt’s presidency said.
Top 10 | Defense secretary says US still assessing who carried out Iraq rocket attack
In an interview with ABC News, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the U.S. is still assessing who was responsible for the recent rocket attack on a base in Iraq that houses U.S. forces.
He made his comments in a wide-ranging interview with ABC News' "This Week" co-anchor Martha Raddatz set to air on Sunday.
On Wednesday, 10 rockets were fired at the sprawling Al Asad airbase in western Iraq that is home to many of the 2,500 American troops still in Iraq. No service members were wounded, but a civilian American contractor died from a heart attack while sheltering during the rocket attack.
(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)
