Axios

Secretary of State Antony Blinken evaded questions about whether the U.S. would seek retaliatory actions against China for its handling of the coronavirus outbreak during an interview on CNN's "State of the Union" Sunday, instead saying that the focus should be on preventing another pandemic in the future.

Why it matters: The diplomat said there should be "accountability for the past," positioning himself in contrast to his predecessor Mike Pompeo, who had called for China to be punished, per CNN.

What they're saying: "I think the issue for us is to make sure that we do everything possible to prevent another pandemic, even as we're working through this one, or at the very least, to make sure that we can mitigate in much more effective ways any damage done if something happens in the future," Blinken said.

• A large part of preparing for a future pandemic, Blinken said, would be having "a system in place, including with the World Health Organization that features transparency, that features information sharing, and features access for international experts at the start of something like this."
• "[T]hat's going to require a lot of reform, and that's going to require China to do things that it hasn’t done in the past."

Blinken also expressed concern about a forthcoming WHO report on the origins of the coronavirus outbreak because of the Chinese government's role in helping author it.

Flashback: During his confirmation hearing in January, Blinken said the that China had misled the world with regards to the coronavirus outbreak, per the New York Times.

At least 19 worshippers were injured during an explosion in the Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral in the Indonesian city of Makassar on Palm Sunday, the first day of the Holy Week in the Christian faith, the New York Times reports.

Why it matters: Indonesian President Joko Widodo called the bombing a terrorist attack, though authorities are still investigating the blast.

• Similar attacks targeting Christian places of worship in recent years have been traced back to local affiliates of the Islamic State in Indonesia, the Times notes.

The defense chiefs of 12 countries, including the U.S., issued a joint statement on Saturday condemning Myanmar's military and security forces for its crackdown on anti-coup demonstrators.

Why it matters: The statement comes after the U.N. called Saturday the deadliest day of protests since the military last month overthrew the country's democratically elected government. Protesters have rallied to restore democracy in the country for nearly two months.

Cities around the world were turning landmark lights off Saturday for Earth Hour, with this year's theme highlighting the link between the destruction of nature and increasing outbreaks of diseases like COVID-19.

The big picture: City landmarks around the world went dark for an hour at 8:30p.m. to mark global action on climate change. Organizer WWF said in a statement, "COVID-19 has given us a stark warning of the risks, vulnerabilities and inequalities of our interconnected systems."

5,000 masked music fans packed into the Palau Sant Jordi arena in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday for a rock concert with no social distancing, as part of a study into the effectiveness of same-day COVID screenings.

Why it matters: Organizers say Spanish rock group Love of Lesbian's concert is the "first commercial event of this size held in Europe during the pandemic," AP notes. The event is an exception to Spain's four-person limits on gatherings in enclosed spaces, per Euronews.

The massive container ship that's captured the world's attention remained stuck in the Suez Canal six days on, but authorities expressed optimism it may be dislodged this weekend.

Why it matters: More than 300 cargo ships are blocked and waiting for rescuers to free the "Ever Given," per The New York Times. The ship — which is almost as long as the Empire State Building is tall — is also causing incredible downstream damage to the global economy.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Saturday night denounced retaliatory sanctions imposed by China on American and Canadian officials as "baseless."

Why it matters: In an escalating feud over human rights abuses in Xinjiang, China announced sanctions earlier Saturday on officials including USCIRF Chair Gayle Manchin, wife of Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), and USCIRF vice chair Tony Perkins.

Former President Trump told Fox News Saturday night he intends to visit the southern border soon, as he criticized the Biden administration's response to an uptick in migrants arriving there.

Details: Trump claimed on "Justice with Judge Jeanine" that "a lot of people want me to" visit, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol officials. After host Jeanine Pirro asked him when he'd go, Trump replied: "probably over the next couple of weeks."

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's Facebook page has been frozen by the tech giant for claiming without evidence that a herbal remedy was a "miracle" cure for COVID-19, Reuters first reported.

Driving the news: Facebook said it removed a video, posted in January, in which Maduro makes the claims about Carvativir, an oral solution derived from thyme. The tech company said the video violated its policy against false claims "that something can guarantee prevention from getting COVID-19 or can guarantee recovery from COVID-19."

Myanmar security forces on Saturday killed more than 100 people, including children, during anti-coup protests, several news agencies reported.

Why it matters: It's the bloodiest day of protests since the military last month overthrew the country's democratically elected government and comes as Myanmar’s military celebrates the annual Armed Forces Day holiday with a parade in the country's capital, Naypyidaw.

German officials warned Friday the third wave of the coronavirus in the country is going to be "harder to curb" and could be far worse than the previous two.

Why it matters: The number of new confirmed cases has jumped in recent weeks largely due to the more transmissible B.1.1.7 variant and the relaxation of some lockdown measures, according to Reuters.

China and Iran, both subject to U.S. sanctions, signed a 25-year cooperation agreement in Tehran on Saturday.

Why it matters: China agreed to invest $400 billion in Iran's economy over that time period in exchange for a steady and heavily discounted supply of oil from the country, according to a draft of the agreement obtained by the New York Times.

The Biden administration has concluded that China "is flirting with the idea of seizing control of Taiwan as President Xi Jinping becomes more willing to take risks to boost his legacy," the Financial Times reports.                     

Why it matters: An invasion of Taiwan, the self-governed island claimed by Beijing, would force the U.S. to decide whether to go to war with China to defend an implicit ally.

Hundreds of women, students and members of the LGBTQ community rallied in Istanbul on Saturday against Turkey's recent withdrawal from a Council of Europe treaty on preventing violence against women, according to AP.

Why it matters: Demonstrators demanded the government reverse its exit from the treaty, which comes amid a surge in femicides and domestic violence in Turkey, per Reuters.

Chinese officials briefed diplomats in Beijing on Friday on four possible ways the coronavirus arrived in Wuhan, AP reports.

Why it matters: The briefing comes ahead of the release of the World Health Organization's report on the virus' origin, and "is based on a visit earlier this year by a WHO team of international experts to Wuhan," the AP writes.