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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 | Blinken says U.S. considering enhancing security assistance to Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday discussed the security situation and reforms with visiting U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Kiev, the president's press service said.
At the talks, Zelensky said that Blinken's visit is a signal to Europe and Russia of U.S. support for Kiev in the wake of the massive military buildup by Russia in recent weeks along its border with Ukraine.
Zelensky has informed that currently Ukraine's conflict-hit region of Donbas is witnessing a decrease in sniper fire and the number of casualties, while the tensions on the Ukrainian-Russian borders have eased after the partial withdrawal of Russian troops from the frontier.
Top 2 | U.S. trade chief says to access phase-one deal with China soon
China and the U.S. are expected to assess the implementation of their phase-one trade deal "in the near term," with the outcome to influence the future of bilateral trade ties, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai said at the Financial Times Global Boardroom forum on Wednesday.
When testifying before Congress last month, Tai said she would meet Liu He, Chinese vice premier and the country's top trade official, "at the right time."
Asked whether the Biden administration might remove tariffs on some $370 billion worth of annual Chinese imports imposed by the Trump administration in the near term, Tai said much would hinge on the conversations with China and the effectiveness of the phase-one deal.
Top 3 | Biden aims to vaccinate 70% of American adults by July 4
President Joe Biden set a new vaccination goal to deliver at least one shot to 70% of adult Americans by July Fourth as he tackles the vexing problem of winning over the “doubters” and those unmotivated to get inoculated.
Demand for vaccines has dropped off markedly nationwide, with some states leaving more than half their available doses unordered. Aiming to make it easier to get shots, Biden on Tuesday called for states to make vaccines available on a walk-in basis and he will direct many pharmacies to do likewise.
His administration for the first time also is moving to shift doses from states with weaker demand to areas with stronger interest in the shots.
Top 4 | 20 soldiers killed in Afghanistan's western Farah province
Twenty soldiers lost lives as militants attacked a military post in Balablok district of the western Farah province on Monday, deputy to provincial council Khair Mohammad Norzai said.
The Taliban dug a tunnel to a military post in Balablok district and detonated it in the wee hours of Monday, Norzai told Xinhua, noting that the casualties could be higher as there were gunshots after the blast.
In the meantime, governor of Farah province Taj Mohammad Jahed confirmed the incident and said it took place in Shiwan area of the restive Balablok district after the militants exploded a military checkpoint early Monday killing six soldiers and another went missing.
Top 5 | Iran negotiator: Possible to lift U.S. sanctions on oil, banks
Iran's chief nuclear negotiator said on Saturday Tehran expects U.S. sanctions on oil, banks and most individuals and institutions to be lifted based on agreements so far in Vienna talks, Iranian media reported, while Washington again played down the prospect of an imminent breakthrough.
"Sanctions ... on Iran's energy sector, which include oil and gas, or those on the automotive industry, financial, banking and port sanctions, all should be lifted based on agreements reached so far," Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi was quoted as saying by Iranian state media.
Araqchi did not say under which mechanism sanctions would be lifted or refer to how Tehran would meet Washington's demands and return to its commitments under the deal.
Asked to comment, the U.S. State Department referred back to past statements, including remarks on Friday from U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, who said the talks were in "an unclear place."
Top 6 | Kamala Harris to lead Trump-revived National Space Council
The White House has announced that Vice President Kamala Harris will lead the National Space Council, a sign that the Biden administration plans to keep former President Donald Trump’s space program intact.
"The council's basic objectives — national security, basic science, technological development, contributions to U.S. economic growth and the commercial sector — will all be maintained," a senior administration official told a group of reporters on Saturday. "To that, I would just want to add that the vice president also intends to put her own personal stamp on the council."
Harris’s position on the space council, which was revived in 2017 by the former president, will allow her to lead the country’s space policies and direct America’s activities in space.
The position will also allow Harris to pursue the "sustainable development of commercial space activity," as well as explore the possibilities for using such technology to combat climate change, the official added.
Top 7 | George W. Bush Calls for Reform, Says 'There Is a Real Issue in Police Accountability'
Former President George W. Bush has called for police reform while insisting that there is "no question there needs to be police."
Bush gave the country an "A" grade following the conviction of former police officer Derek Chauvin for murdering George Floyd during an interview on The Dispatch podcast recorded Thursday. The former president gave "police people" his slightly less enthusiastic approval, saying he believes law enforcement is necessary but "there is a real issue in police accountability."
"The Floyd verdict causes me to give the grade, you know, A. Because I think the trial was fair and justice was served," Bush said. "The question is, 'What grade do you give police people?' And the answer to that is overall good, except police departments need to learn to weed out those who don't hold our fellow citizens in the same regard as they hold themselves."
The former president went on to say that Americans should be "encouraged" that "the institutions held" following the violent breach of the U.S. Capitol on January 6. Bush made a similar comment during an interview on NBC's Today show only hours before the Chauvin trial verdicts were announced, while adding that he believed "one of the institutions that's really important for the confidence of the American people is a fair judicial system."
Top 8 | Iraq warns of double-mutant coronavirus variant identified in India
Iraqi health officials on Friday warned of the new double-mutant variant of the coronavirus identified in India, saying the strain could reach Iraq.
"The health authorities have not recorded any infection with the strain in Iraq so far, but everything is possible due to non-compliance with health prevention measures and the reluctance of citizens to take the vaccine, as well as travelling to the affected countries," Falah added.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health reported 6,405 new coronavirus cases during the past 24 hours in Iraq, raising the total nationwide number to 1,065,199.
A statement by the ministry also reported 32 new deaths, bringing the death toll from COVID-19 to 15,465. The total recoveries in Iraq climbed to 942,046.
Top 9 | India cases up as scientists appeal to Modi to release data
Indian scientists appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to publicly release virus data that would allow them to save lives as coronavirus cases climbed again Friday, prompting the army to open its hospitals in a desperate bid to control a massive humanitarian crisis.
With 386,452 new cases, India now has reported more than 18.7 million since the pandemic began, second only to the United States. The Health Ministry on Friday also reported 3,498 deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 208,330. Experts believe both figures are an undercount, but it’s unclear by how much.
India’s pandemic response has been marred by insufficient data and the online appeal — signed by over 350 scientists Friday afternoon — asks government to release data about the sequencing of virus variants, testing, recovered patients and how people were responding to vaccines.
Top 10 | Palestinian president announces postponement of elections
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced early Friday that the legislative elections scheduled for May 22 will be postponed until further notice.
"We have decided to postpone the elections until the participation of our people in East Jerusalem is guaranteed," Abbas said.
The Palestinian president made a televised speech after a leadership meeting of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in the West Bank city of Ramallah.
On Thursday evening, the PLO convened a leadership meeting to decide whether the first Palestinian vote in 15 years would be postponed.
(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)
