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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 | China, U.S. agree to take action to bring ties back to right track after Switzerland meeting
China and the U.S. agreed to take action and work together to bring bilateral relations back to the right track of sound and steady development during their latest round of key talks in Zurich, Switzerland on Wednesday.
The consensus was reached during talks between Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, and the U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.
The two sides, in a candid manner, had a comprehensive and in-depth exchange of views on China-U.S. relations as well as international and regional issues of common concern. The meeting was described as constructive, and conducive to enhancing mutual understanding.
Top 2 | Biden, Kishida underline strength of U.S.-Japan alliance
Japan's new prime minister, Fumio Kishida, held a phone conversation with U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday during which they agreed to strengthen the alliance between their countries.
Biden congratulated Kishida and said he looks forward to working closely with him to strengthen cooperation in the months and years ahead.
"The historic partnership between our two democracies and our two peoples will continue to be a critical asset as we work together to take on the challenges of our time," the president said.
Top 3 | Philippine vice president Robredo to run for president in 2022
Philippine Vice President Maria Leonor Robredo on Thursday filed her certificate of candidacy hours after she officially announced that she will run for president in the May 2022 elections.
Robredo, 56, submitted her certificate to the Commission on Elections with her daughters and left the poll body without telling the media who her running-mate will be.
"I will fight. We will fight. I offer myself as a candidate for the presidency in the 2022 elections," Robredo said in a news conference earlier.
The opposition coalition 1Sambayan endorsed Robredo to be its presidential candidate.
Top 4 | Mali summons French ambassador over Macron's 'regrettable' comments
Mali's foreign ministry summoned France's ambassador to Bamako on Tuesday over comments by President Emmanuel Macron that it said were unfriendly and disagreeable.
This is the latest salvo in a tense dispute between Mali and its key military partner France over reports Bamako could recruit Russian mercenaries as Paris reshapes its 5,000-strong counter-terrorism mission in the region.
Mali's prime minister has accused France of abandoning it in the joint fight against Islamist insurgents. Macron last week rejected the charge and questioned the legitimacy of the Malian authorities overseeing a transition to elections after two coups in just over a year.
Top 5 | China, Russia reaffirm conviction to prohibit biological and toxin weapons
China and Russia have reaffirmed their conviction to rule completely out the possibility of biological agents being used as weapons, according to a statement released by the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Thursday.
Foreign ministers from both countries agreed that the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on their Destruction (BWC) is essential as a pillar of international peace and security, and expressed their determination to safeguard the authority and effectiveness of the convention.
The two sides reiterated the need for the BWC to be fully complied with and further strengthened, including through its institutionalization and the adoption of a legally binding protocol to the convention with an effective verification mechanism, as well as through regular consultations and cooperation in resolving any issues related to implementation.
Top 6 | U.S. Pledges to Help End Political Discord in Haiti as Migration Continues
A senior U.S. official pledged Thursday that the U.S. would help Haiti find stability after years of political discord and amid a continuing migration crisis among the country's residents, the Associated Press reported. The official, who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity, said that the U.S. would back a "broad-based dialogue" to help Haiti find political balance and prevent future recurrences of its past instability.
Years of turmoil in Haiti's government places even higher importance on next year's upcoming presidential and legislative elections, the AP reported. The senior official said that the U.S wants to aid Haiti in establishing voting conditions that allow the country to hold free, fair and safe elections.
Between September 19 and October 3, the U.S. sent more than 7,000 Haitian migrants back to Haiti through 65 expulsion flights, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The official said that the U.S. government is looking to begin conversations on a regional level so that it can collaborate with countries also affected by the migration movements from Haiti.
Top 7 | Emotional Merkel, marking German reunification, calls for tolerance
Angela Merkel urged Germans on Sunday to forge a common future that draws on their diverse backgrounds, harking back to the 2015 decision to admit 1 million refugees that was a defining moment of her long chancellorship.
Merkel appeared close to tears during an address to mark the 31st anniversary of reunification that may be the last before she steps down, although talks to build a new ruling coalition following last month's election could take months.
She said the freedoms that came with German reunification 31 years ago had brought "so many new opportunities" for people from the former Communist East, where she grew up, but that many of them suddenly "found themselves in a dead end".
With a voice that betrayed her emotion, she recalled how a journalist had written last year she "wasn't a true born German" after she told reporters in 2015 that "if we have to start apologising" for showing a friendly face during the refugee crisis, "then this is not my country".
Top 8 | Moscow, Tehran ready to resume nuclear talks in Vienna: Lavrov
Moscow and Tehran have agreed that negotiations on the Iran nuclear deal in the Vienna format should resume as soon as possible, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday.
Russia opposes attempts of some countries to link the preservation of the Iran nuclear deal with Tehran's concessions on other issues, Lavrov said during a joint press conference with visiting Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian following their talks in Moscow.
Lavrov said that the international community is still waiting for the United States to return to the nuclear deal and lift "illegal restrictions" on Iran and its economic partners.
Top 9 | Romanian government collapses in censure motion
Romania's coalition government led by Prime Minister Florin Citu collapsed on Tuesday after it lost a no-confidence vote initiated by the main opposition Social Democratic Party (PSD) and supported by all opposition parties in Parliament.
The motion was passed by 281 votes, much more than the required minimum of 234 or 50 percent plus one of the 467-seat bicameral Parliament.
Citu's cabinet was toppled 10 days after he was elected leader of the ruling National Liberal Party (PNL) and less than 10 months after his cabinet took office on December 23, 2020.
Under the Constitution, the current cabinet shall continue to fulfill only the acts required for the administration of public affairs until the members of a new government take the oath, Ludovic Orban, speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, said after the vote.
Top 10 | U.S. Senate passes 30-day extension for highway funding
A temporary extension of the Highway Trust Fund has been passed by the U.S Senate on Saturday ensuring that about 3,700 federal employees will not be furloughed.
The extension is now slated to go to President Joe Biden for assent having passed the Senate by unanimous consent.
The House of Representatives had already approved a resolution extending funding for the Highway Trust Fund on Friday night.
The passing of the resolution by the House, however, happened hours after funding for the program had lapsed at midnight.
(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)
