APD | Weekly top 10 hot news (Nov 05- Nov 11)

APD NEWS

text

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 |**Trump takes aim at Ron DeSantis, suggesting he's a 2024 rival

Donald Trump on Thursday escalated his criticism of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, suggesting he views DeSantis as a potential challenger in the 2024 Republican presidential primary.

In a lengthy statement -- echoed on his social media website, Truth Social -- Trump jabbed at DeSantis as an "average" governor who benefited from "great Public Relations."

In his statement, which also included characteristic complaints about his media coverage and repeated unfounded claims of election fraud, Trump touted himself as being a key endorser during the 2018 Florida gubernatorial primary, when DeSantis ran against Adam Putnam for the GOP nomination.


Top 2 |****'Putin's chef' admits to interfering in U.S. elections

Yevgeny Prigozhin, an entrepreneur known as "Putin's chef” because of his catering contracts with the Kremlin, on Monday admitted he had interfered in U.S. elections and said he would continue to do so for the first time confirming the accusations he has been rejecting for years.

Prigozhin, a dozen other Russian nationals and three Russian companies were charged with operating a covert social media campaign aimed at fomenting discord and dividing American public opinion ahead of the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

The Justice Department in 2020 moved to dismiss charges against two of the indicted firms, Concord Management and Consulting LLC and Concord Catering, saying they had concluded that a trial against a corporate defendant with no presence in the United States and no prospect of meaningful punishment even if convicted would likely expose sensitive law enforcement tools and techniques.


**Top 3 |**Xi exchanges congratulations with Madagascar's president over 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday exchanged congratulatory messages with President of Madagascar Andry Rajoelina on the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Since the establishment of diplomatic ties five decades ago, China-Madagascar relations have been developing in a sound and steady way, no matter how the international landscape evolves, Xi said in his message.

In recent years, he said, the two countries have set up a comprehensive cooperative partnership, with increasing political mutual trust and fruitful exchanges and cooperation in various fields.


**Top 4 |**U.S. midterm elections: Florida's DeSantis re-elected, but key spots still undecided

Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis was among a wave of incumbents who easily won re-election on Tuesday in U.S. midterm elections, early in a night that could usher in an era of divided government and scale back Democratic President Joe Biden's power in Washington.

DeSantis, a possible contender for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, turned away Democratic Representative Charlie Crist, Edison Research projected. Seven Republicans also won U.S. Senate seats, according to Edison, though none was unexpected.

With the majority of polls closed in half of the 50 U.S. states, the initial returns would not alter the balance of power in the 50-50 Senate, which Democrats currently control with a tie-breaking vote. Senate incumbents including Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and senior Republican John Thune won re-election, yet control of the Senate could come down to tight races in Pennsylvania, Nevada, Georgia and Arizona.


**Top 5 |**China calls on developed countries to fulfill climate finance promise

The developed countries should fulfill their promise of providing $100 billion in climate finance as soon as possible and draw a road map for doubling the adaptation fund, China's Special Envoy for Climate Change Xie Zhenhua said Tuesday.

Xie, also special representative for Chinese President Xi Jinping, made the remarks in an address to the Climate Implementation Summit at the 27th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP27) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) held in Egypt's coastal city of Sharm El-Sheikh.

Facing the grave challenges posed by the frequent extreme weather events that have caused heavy losses on every continent and by the emergence of energy and food crises this year, multilateralism, solidarity and cooperation remain the only way out of the predicament, Xie said.


Top 6 | Putin signs law to conscript people charged with serious crimes

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law to conscript people charged with serious crimes, including murder, robbery, larceny, drug trafficking and other outstanding criminal activities, into military service under the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, multiple media outlets reported.

The move legitimizes hundreds of thousands of Russian citizens previously forbidden from serving in the military, including those sentenced to probation and those released from colonies.

Criminals who committed sex crimes against minors, treason, spying, terrorism and other extreme offenders were exempted from the decree.


**Top 7 |**Iranian FM says U.S. should prove 'real will' in nuclear negotiations

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on Saturday called on the United States to prove its "real will" in the negotiations aimed at the revival of 2015 Iranian nuclear deal, according to the Foreign Ministry's website.

The United States should prove that it would not "violate" its obligations by imposing sanctions, Amir-Abdollahian said at the first meeting of the national coordinators of the Group of Friends in Defense of the Charter of the United Nations, which kicked off in the Iranian capital Tehran on Saturday.

He pointed to Washington's unilateral withdrawal from the nuclear pact, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), in 2018, saying that it showed Washington's "disregard for its international obligations and its clear violation of the resolution approved by the United Nations Security Council."


**Top 8 |**UN General Assembly resolution demands end of U.S. embargo on Cuba

The United Nations (UN) General Assembly on Thursday adopted a resolution to demand an end to the decades-old U.S. embargo on Cuba.

The resolution was adopted with 185 votes in favor, two against, and two abstentions. The United States and Israel voted against the draft. Brazil and Ukraine abstained.

The resolution expresses concern about the continued promulgation and application of laws and regulations, such as the 1996 Helms-Burton Act, the extraterritorial effects of which affect the sovereignty of other states, the legitimate interests of entities or persons under their jurisdiction, and the freedom of trade and navigation.


**Top 9 |**Energy crisis: Hungary hotel bucks trend of hibernating hostelries with energy-saving smart tech

The energy crisis is taking a toll on Hungary's hotels and spas. Across the country, some properties have opted to close for a few months rather than face the steep rise in energy bills.

But one hotel in Budapest is beating the impact of rising energy costs with world-class smart technologies and design ingenuity that allows it to have almost zero energy waste.

Budapest's Aria Hotel is a home-away-from-home to the stars.


**Top 10 |**NATO chief says 'time to welcome' Finland, Sweden into alliance

Sweden and Finland are committed to working with Türkiye to address its concerns about their membership in the alliance, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said on Thursday, adding it is time to welcome them.

Türkiye, along with Hungary, has not yet finalized the process of ratifying the NATO memberships for the two Nordic countries despite signing the initial protocol in July.

Türkiye has repeatedly stated that before the process could be finalized, Finland and Sweden must take "concrete steps" to ease Türkiye's concerns, including signing criminal extradition protocols and lifting sanctions on Türkiye's defense industry.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)