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Every Saturday, 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 | Britain and EU reach historic deal on Brexit divorce terms
Britain and the EU reached a historic deal on Friday on the terms of the Brexit divorce after Prime Minister Theresa May rushed to Brussels for early morning talks.
The European Commission said it "recommends sufficient progress" had been made by Britain on separation issues including the Irish border, Britain's divorce bill, and citizens rights.
The agreement paves the way for EU leaders at a summit on December 14-15 to open the second phase of Brexit negotiations, covering trade talks and a transition period.
Top 2 | U.S. recognizes Jerusalem as Israel's capital, world reacts strongly
U.S. President Donald Trump has recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital despite intense Arab, Muslim and European opposition to a move that would upend decades of U.S. policy and risk potentially violent protests.
"I have determined that it is time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, " Trump said, speaking in the White House's Diplomatic Room.
Trump will instruct the State Department to begin the multiyear process of moving the American embassy from Tel Aviv to the holy city, U.S. officials said Tuesday.
It remains unclear, however, when he might take that physical step, which is required by U.S. law but has been waived on national security grounds for more than two decades.
Top 3 | Putin announces 2018 re-election bid, ends long speculation
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday he would seek re-election next year in a race he is poised to win easily, putting him on track to become the nation's longest-serving ruler since Soviet dictator Josef Stalin.
Putin's approval ratings regularly top 80 percent, making him all but certain to win the March election by a broad margin. While few doubted the 65-year-old leader would run, the delay in his declaring so fueled some conspiracy theories and was seen as the Kremlin's political maneuvering.
The 65-year-old Russian leader's potential rivals include several luckless candidates from past contests and a notable newcomer — TV host Ksenia Sobchak, 36, the daughter of Putin's one-time boss.
The president chose to make his re-election announcement at the GAZ automobile factory in the city of Nizhny Novgorod. The factory is a symbol of Russian's industrial might, and Putin found an enthusiastic audience in the blue-collar workers who make up the core of his base.
Top 4 | DPRK blasts US-S.Korea joint air force exercises "extremely reckless"
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Tuesday blasted as "extremely reckless" the ongoing U.S.-South Korean air force exercises, which are the largest ever in scale of their joint annual drills.
The official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) made the remark in a commentary on the U.S.-South Korea "Vigilant Ace" joint exercises.
"Involved in the rehearsal to last until Dec. 8 are the 5th, 7th, 11th and 12th air forces, marine corps and naval forces of the U.S. deployed in its mainland and the Pacific operational theater including Guam and Japan and more than 140 planes of various missions including nuclear strategic bomber B-1B, stealth fighters F-22A, F-35A, F-35B and electronic jamming plane EA-18G and all troops and 90-odd planes of the South Korean puppet air force," said the KCNA in a commentary.
Top 5 | Russia banned from Winter Olympics over state-sponsored doping
Russia’s Olympic Committee has been banned from the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang and ordered to pay $15m in costs after making what the International Olympic Committee called an “unprecedented attack on the integrity of the Olympic Games and sport”.
Tellingly the IOC also accepted, for the first time, that the Russian state had been involved in widespread institutional doping by banning the then minister of sport, Vitaly Mutko, and his then deputy minister, Yuri Nagornykh, from any participation in all future Olympic Games.
It is the first time the IOC has imposed a ban on a country competing under its own flag for doping. However Russia’s athletes were, however, thrown a lifeline by the IOC president, Thomas Bach, who confirmed they would be able to compete in South Korea in February provided they were not involved in a massive state-sponsored doping programme that corrupted the Sochi Winter Olympics in 2014.
Such athletes will have to compete under the Olympic flag and in a uniform bearing the name “Olympic athlete from Russia”. If any Russian athlete wins a gold, the Olympic anthem will be played at the medal ceremony.
Top 6 | Catalan arrest warrants withdrawn by Spain's Supreme Court
A Spanish judge has withdrawn European arrest warrants for ousted Catalan President Carles Puigdemont and four other ex-ministers.
They fled to Belgium a month ago after declaring unilateral independence in a referendum ruled illegal by Spain.
Despite the move, the judge said they still faced possible charges for sedition and rebellion. Rebellion is considered one of the most serious crimes in Spain, carrying a jail term of up to 30 years.
Spanish Supreme Court judge Pablo Llareno announced the warrant's withdrawal on Tuesday morning, citing the willingness the Catalan leaders had shown to return ahead of fresh regional elections being held on 21 December.
Top 7 | Iran embassy in Yemen attacked, set ablaze in Houthi-Saleh clashes
A fire ripped through the Iranian embassy in the Yemeni capital Sanaa on Sunday during clashes between the Houthis and loyalists of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, a Xinhua reporter on the scene witnessed.
The fire broke out after the embassy was attacked by heavy weapons, but it remained unknown who were responsible for the incident.
A security official said about 20 staff members of the embassy were trapped inside the building.
An official from the Houthi-controlled Interior Ministry told Xinhua that at least 200 militants from both warring sides had been killed and more others were wounded in the clashes near the Iranian embassy.
Top 8 | Trump: Flynn's actions during transition were lawful
Donald Trump has responded to a guilty plea by his former national security adviser Michael Flynn, saying Mr Flynn's actions as a member of his transition team "were lawful".
Mr Flynn has entered a plea deal and agreed to co-operate with an inquiry into alleged collusion with Russia.The deal, for a lesser charge than he might have faced, prompted speculation that he has incriminating evidence.
The president wrote on Twitter on Saturday that he had "nothing to hide".
Mr Flynn is cooperating with Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is leading an investigation into alleged ties between the Trump campaign and Russia ahead of the 2016 election.
Top 9 | Australian parliament approves same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage will become legal in Australia after a historic bill was passed in the House of Representatives.
An overwhelming majority of MPs voted to change the Marriage Act, eight days after a similarly decisive result in the Senate.
The vote set off immediate celebrations in parliament, prompting cheers, applause and even a song.
The result brings an end to more than a decade of robust and often bitter debate on the issue.
"What a day for love, for equality, for respect," said Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.
Top 10 | US top court allows Trump travel ban go into full effect
The US Supreme Court said Monday that the government could fully enforce a revised ban on travelers from six mainly Muslim countries pending appeal, backing President Donald Trump in the year-long battle over the controversial measure.
The court stayed October rulings from two lower courts that had blocked implementation of the open-ended ban on visitors from Chad, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen while legal challenges to it continued.
The third version of Trump's travel ban, unveiled in September, drew immediate challenges in federal appeals courts in Richmond, Virginia and San Francisco, California.
Related:
APD Review | Embarrassment under the Olympic Flag
(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)
