South Asia
A 5.6 magnitude earthquake hit Afghanistan on Monday resulting in the death of at least 20 people. In addition, over 700 houses have been damaged, according to an official from the Ministry of State for Emergency Affairs. [CNN]
Indian pharmaceutical company, Gennova Biopharmaceuticals, is in the process of developing an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine that specifically targets the Omicron variant. A company spokesperson said that the candidate will be ready for human clinical trials soon. [Reuters]
Central Asia and the Caucasus
Armenian President Armen Sarkissian visited the United Arab Emirates on Monday and met with Emirati Sovereign Wealth Fund CEO Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak to discuss investments in “large-scale” infrastructure projects in Armenia. Sarkissian noted that Armenia is interested in the presence of Emirati companies and stressed the need for long-term cooperation. [Public Radio of Armenia]
Two more relatives of former Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev were removed from their posts in state-owned companies and government offices, as current President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev continues his purge against Nazarbayev’s relatives, following the violent riots earlier this month. [RFE/RL]
East and Southeast Asia
China’s birth rate fell to a record low in 2021. There were 7.52 births for every 1,000 people last year, down from the 8.52 in 2020. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, 10.62 million babies were born in the world’s most populous country last year, which is an 11.5% drop from the 12 million in 2020. [The Straits Times]
Indonesia’s planned new capital in the eastern province of Kalimantan will be named Nusantara, National Development Planning Minister Suharso Monoarfa announced on Monday. [Channel News Asia]
Europe
Speaking about reports that show evidence of several parties attended by government officials during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s former aide, Dominic Cummings, said that the premier was informed that the event was not work-related. This comes in response to Johnson’s claim that he had merely attended the party as he believed that it was a work event. [BBC]
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock visited Ukraine and Russia amid fears of another Russian invasion of the eastern European country. During her first official trip to the country, Baerbock sought a diplomatic solution to the brewing crisis between Ukraine and Russia. In addition, she warned Moscow of a firm response if the latter resorted to military escalation. After concluding her trip to Kyiv, Baerbock arrived in Moscow on Monday evening to hold talks with her Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday. [DW]
On Monday Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko announced plans to conduct joint military drills with ally Russia in February. The ex-Soviet state leader said that the “Allied Resolve” drills would be perfect to “confront Western powers,” such as Poland and Ukraine. The announcement came after talks between the US, its European allies and Russia over the Ukraine crisis yielded no progress. The drills will take place near the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation’s (NATO) eastern borders and near Ukraine’s borders. [The Moscow Times]
Latin America and the Caribbean
The Omicron variant of COVID-19 has increased the infection rates across Latin America and has even affected hospital staff, leaving facilities understaffed to deal with rising Omicron cases. Argentina, Bolivia, and Brazil, in particular, have been badly affected by the ‘third wave.’ [Associated Press]
A Mexican photojournalist covering gang violence was shot dead in Tijuana on Monday. The incident was the second time a journalist was killed in Mexico this year. Mexico is one of the most dangerous places for journalists and according to reports, there have been 145 registered murders of journalists from 2000 to 2021. [Reuters]
Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
A senior United Nations official told The Associated Press that there is a “very reasonable and possible” chance that Libya’s elections would be held by June after it was postponed in December. Moreover, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Monday that “the holding of free, fair, inclusive and credible presidential and parliamentary elections as soon as possible,” is crucial to maintaining Libya’s security. [Associated Press]
Violence erupted between Palestinian families in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood in East Jerusalem and the Israeli police on Monday, as Israeli authorities came to evict them from the disputed property. Sheikh Jarrah is claimed by both Israeli settlers and the Palestinians living there. Most of the international community views the eviction of Palestinians as a violation of international law. [Associated Press]
North America
The United States (US) Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, during a speech on Monday, acknowledged that the US economy, “has never worked fairly for Black Americans or for any American of colour.” Yellen’s remarks came on Martin Luther King Day, a day dedicated to commemorating the influential black civil rights activist. Yellen also said that the US Treasury needs to do more work to “narrow racial wealth divide.” [HuffPost]
On Monday, the family of an elderly Palestinian-American man called for the United States and the United Nations to investigate his death after he was detained by Israeli troops last week. Witnesses suggest 78-year-old Omar Assad allegedly was already dead when Israeli soldiers left him blindfolded on the ground. The Israeli military has confirmed that it is conducting an investigation into the matter adding that Assad was alive when authorities released him. [The Washington Post]
Oceania
Victorian authorities activated a ‘code brown’ emergency for all metropolitan hospitals and six major regional hospitals amid chaos driven by the Omicron variant of COVID-19. The government introduced the measure due to the high number of healthcare professionals testing positive for COVID-19. Deputy Premier James Merlino said that the emergency will last for four to six weeks. [News.com.au]
On Monday, a spokesperson for New Zealand’s Foreign Ministry confirmed two casualties following an underwater volcanic eruption that sent tsunami waves towards the island nation and across the Pacific coast. In addition, officials reported significant damage along the western coast of Tonga, including the capital, Nuku’alofa. The volcano eruption covered the island in ash, cut the power supply, and severed communication. [Axios]
Sub-Saharan Africa
Around two thousand Sudanese took to the streets on Monday as they demanded an end to the military rule and called for the establishment of a civilian government. The rallies came as the United States’ (US) newly appointed envoy to the Horn of Africa, David Satterfield, and Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Molly Phee are expected to arrive in Khartoum this week. The US diplomats aim to facilitate a renewed civilian-led transition to democracy in the country. [Africa News]
Hungarian President János Áder began his four-day state visit to Kenya on Monday. It is the longest yet by a European leader on Kenyan soil. Áder said that Hungary has similar objectives as Africa: building democracies that respect rule of law and human rights and improving trade and security. [The East African]