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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 | WHO reaches draft consensus on future pandemic treaty
Member states of the World Health Organization (WHO) have reached a tentative consensus to negotiate a future agreement on preventing pandemics, bridging the gap between sides led by the European Union and the United States, diplomats said on November 28.
The draft resolution, hammered out in negotiations over the weekend, will be presented for adoption to health ministers at the WHO's three-day special assembly that opens on November 29, they said.
The diplomatic breakthrough came amid growing international concern over the new coronavirus variant Omicron, first detected in South Africa this month, which has spread further around the world.
A global agreement to strengthen pandemic prevention and responses, expected to be ready in May 2024, would cover issues such as sharing of data and genome sequences of emerging viruses, and of any potential vaccines and drugs derived from research.
Top 2 | Xi calls for efforts in cultivating military talents in new era
Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for efforts to implement the strategy of "strengthening the military through talent cultivation" in the new era.
Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), made the remarks when speaking at the Central Military Commission's conference on talent-related work, which was held from Friday to Sunday in Beijing.
Top 3 | Belarus calls on EU to solve refugee problem at border
President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko on Friday met with refugees stranded on the border between Belarus and Poland and called on the European Union to resolve the migration crisis as soon as possible.
According to BelTA News Agency, Lukashenko arrived at the gathering place of refugees near the Bruzgi border checkpoint. He called on Germany to accept them as soon as possible since German Chancellor Angela Merkel had agreed to the refugee reception plan.
However, a German government spokesperson said the assertions that Berlin had agreed to take in 2,000 migrants stranded in Belarus were false.
Lukashenko said he also hoped that Poland would allow them to pass because the refugees want to go to Germany.
Top 4 | China, ROK pledge to enhance bilateral ties
China and the Republic of Korea (ROK) on Thursday agreed to strengthen high-level exchanges and deepen practical cooperation in fields such as economy and trade, culture, and anti-epidemic efforts.
The consensus was reached when Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, held consultations with the ROK National Security Advisor Suh Hoon in Tianjin.
Yang, also director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, said that this year and 2022 are the China-ROK cultural exchange years determined by the two heads of state.
Top 5 | EU, Russia, Iran optimistic after resumption of nuclear talks
Diplomats from the European Union (EU), Russia and Iran on Monday expressed optimism amid a fresh round of Iran nuclear talks aimed at reviving the 2015 nuclear deal after a hiatus of more than five months.
"I feel extremely positive about what I have seen today," said Enrique Mora, deputy secretary-general of the European External Action Service, who chaired the talks after the meeting.
There is "clearly a will" by the Iranian delegation to bring the JCPOA back to life, Mora added, referring to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) that inked the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.
Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia's permanent representative to international organizations in Vienna, said on Twitter that the participants agreed on further immediate steps during the seventh round of negotiations which started "quite successfully."
Iran's top negotiator and Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani also expressed optimism after the talks.
Top 6 | France rejects deal with UK over migrants
France has rejected Boris Johnson's call for an agreement to return migrants crossing the Channel, accusing the UK prime minister of exploiting the crisis for political purposes.
French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin told Britain that any deal on migration would have to be done with the European Union (EU), saying France is ready for a serious discussion with Britain on issues relating to illegal migration, but will not be held hostage to London's domestic politics.
Darmanin said Britain should make itself less attractive to illegal immigrants and agree to allow genuine asylum seekers to cross the Channel legally from France.
The two countries are already at loggerheads over post-Brexit trading rules and fishing rights. Last week, relations soured further after 27 people died trying to cross the Channel.
Top 7 | Peru President pledges support for earthquake victims
Peruvian President Pedro Castillo Terrones on Sunday pledged support for citizens affected by a 7.5-magnitude earthquake in the country's north.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the earthquake took place at 5:52 a.m. local time (1052 GMT). The epicentre, with a depth of 99 km, was around 40 km northwest of the coastal city of Barranca, and about 550 km northeast of the capital Lima.
"All my solidarity with the people of Amazonas in the face of the strong earthquake. I have arranged for the ministries and members of the executive branch to implement immediate action," Terrones tweeted.
"You are not alone, brothers. We will support those affected by structural damage."
Terrones added that he would be leaving shortly to visit affected areas in the Amazonas region.
Top 8 | U.S. Supreme Court deliberates key abortion rights case
The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Wednesday in a case involving abortion rights. Now, many around the nation are curious to see how the highest court will rule in the matter.
The Jackson Women's Health Organization clinic in Mississippi, the last abortion clinic in the state, is at the center of this case.
In Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, the clinic is challenging a state law that bans abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy.
Abortion rights advocates and supporters are concerned because if the Supreme Court upholds the Mississippi state law, it will reverse a precedent that keeps states from interfering with abortion rights at that stage.
Top 9 | Congress avoids shutdown after House, Senate vote to extend government funding into February
Both chambers of Congress passed a bill on Thursday to fund the government through Feb. 18, narrowly avoiding a government shutdown before a Friday deadline.
The Senate voted 69-28 late Thursday to pass the short-term measure that the House approved hours earlier. The measure, which President Joe Biden is expected to sign, gives Congress several more weeks to work on a longer-term funding plan covering the entire fiscal year.
A group of Republican senators nearly forced a shutdown after they threatened to delay passage of the bill in the upper chamber. They wanted language preventing the use of federal money to carry out a Biden administration mandate on workplace vaccinations, but the amendment to do that failed 48-50.
Kansas Republican Sen. Roger Marshall, who introduced the amendment along with Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, said the president's order will displace a significant number of workers.
Top 10 | UN warns violation of Palestinian rights threatens two-state solution
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Monday that constant violation of the rights of Palestinians threatens the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
"On this International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, continues to pose a significant challenge to international peace and security. Persistent violations of the rights of Palestinians along with the expansion of settlements risk eroding the prospect of a two-state solution," the UN chief said in a message marking the day.
Even though he was "encouraged" by recent engagements between senior Israeli and Palestinian officials, the top UN official said, "Containing the situation is not sufficient."
(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)
