South Asia
Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai said that Afghanistan faces a security threat from ISIS in Pakistan. The statement came in response to Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan’s address at a summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, wherein he said that attacks from ISIS in Afghanistan were increasing in frequency. [Times of India]
United Nations special rapporteur for human rights in Myanmar Tom Andrews said that Bangladesh alone cannot be held responsible for the Rohingya crisis. He urged the international community to “do more” to find the solution to the issue, which he said lies in Myanmar and not Bangladesh. [Al Jazeera]
Central Asia and the Caucasus
Charges of corruption against former Kyrgyz President Askar Akaev have been dropped according to his associates. The move was likely made as Akaev has been helping the Kyrgyz government by providing testimony against officials involved in granting arbitrary concessions to Canadian company Centerra Gold for operating the Kumtor Gold Mine. The mine was the centre of international attention when the Kyrgyz government took over operations of the mine in May to address environmental and safety violations. [RFE/RL]
Two Azerbaijani soldiers who were arrested by the Armenian border service last week were returned to Azerbaijan on Monday for “humanitarian reasons and with the mediation of Russia,” the Armenian Defence Ministry said. [Armen Press]
East and Southeast Asia
A cluster of COVID-19 infections linked to the United States (US) military base on Japan’s Okinawa Island has grown to 180, the government said on Monday, raising fears over the spread of the virus in nearby communities. Japan called on the US to ensure that all personnel “abide by the instructions and take strong measures if there are any violations.” [Reuters]
Pro-Beijing candidates swept Hong Kong’s legislative election that was held on Sunday. Despite the voter turnout of 30.2%, the lowest since the British handed Hong Kong over to China in 1997, Chief Executive Carrie Lam said she was “satisfied” with the result. [Associated Press]
Europe
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is facing increasing pressure from the opposition to impose a lockdown during the Christmas period amid the rampant spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19. For now, Johnson has said that the situation is “under constant review.” [Al Jazeera]
Utopia 56, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), filed a lawsuit against French and British authorities for manslaughter and their failure to rescue 27 migrants who died on the English Channel last month. Citing testimonies of survivors and their relatives, the NGO said, “Distress calls were reported to the French and English rescue services before the bodies were discovered by a fishing boat. No help has reportedly been given to them immediately.” [Euronews]
On Monday, the heads of state of Poland, Lithuania, and Ukraine signed a declaration of solidarity and support for Ukraine amid concerns of a possible Russian invasion. The declaration was signed at a Lubin Triangle meeting, a regional cooperation format consisting of the three countries. Polish Prime Minister Andrzej Duda and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Guta, Western Ukraine as the three leaders called for a stronger response against Russian aggression. [The First News]
Latin America and the Caribbean
Argentina’s ruling party, Frente de Todos, has rejoiced at left-wing candidate Gabriel Boric’s victory in the Chilean presidential election. Boric is expected to form close ties with Argentina, particularly because he has in the past voiced his support for the country’s claims of sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, or the Malvinas, which are currently owned by the United Kingdom. [MercoPress]
Electoral authorities in Honduras have officially confirmed the leftist Libre party's Xiomara Castro as the president-elect, meaning that she will now take over from Juan Orlando Hernández on January 27, 2022. [Telesur]
Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) rebels have withdrawn from the Afar and Amhara regions to Tigray, spokesperson Getachew Reda said on Monday. The move could pave the way for a possible ceasefire agreement between the TPLF and the government, in light of the recent territorial gains made by the military. [Reuters]
The mobile phone of Kamel Jendoubi, a United Nations investigator who was looking into possible war crimes committed in Yemen, was targeted with Israeli company NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware, a forensic analysis of the phone has revealed. The device was targeted just weeks before Jendoubi released a report, which claimed that the Saudi-led coalition violated humanitarian laws and could be held responsible for committing war crimes. [The Guardian]
North America
On Monday, the Biden administration announced that it is raising the vehicle mileage standards for vehicles in America in an effort to reduce carbon emissions. New standards beginning in 2023 envision reaching 40 miles per gallon by 2026, a significant jump from targets set by the Trump administration. In a statement, Environmental Protection Agency official Michael Regan called the move “a giant step forward” as Biden plans to cut American emissions by half by 2030. [The Voice of America]
A spokesperson for Ohio-based Christian Aid Ministries on Monday confirmed that 12 American missionaries who were kidnapped by Haitian gang 400 Mawozo for two months escaped captivity overnight. The group included an infant and three children who saw a way to open the door and navigated their way out of the woods using stars despite heavy security. The Haitian gang had released a few hostages in November, although it was not confirmed whether the group was paid the $1 million ransom it demanded. [The Washington Post]
Oceania
New Zealand has delayed plans to reopen its borders until the end of February, citing the global spread of the Omicron variant of the COVID-19. New Zealand was to ease international border restrictions from January and allow foreign tourists from April. However, the government has now pushed non-quarantine travel until the end of February. In addition, the government said they would increase the length of stay in quarantine facilities from seven days to ten days. [The Canberra Times]
New Zealand’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Nanaia Mahuta, expressed concern over the erosion of democracy in Hong Kong’s Legislative Council elections. New Zealand urged China to adhere to international obligations to safeguard rights and fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong. Hong Kong’s general legislative elections recorded the lowest voter turnout, with pro-Beijing candidates sweeping the seats under the new rules. [RNZ]
Sub-Saharan Africa
Hundreds of protesters took to the streets of the Congolese city of Goma to protest against the alleged deployment of Rwandan police to the city. Violent clashes resulted in four deaths, one of them a policeman, and several injuries. The Democratic Republic of Congo’s national police commissioner has denied claims that there will be any external police officers in Goma. However, the Rwandan and DRC police did sign a memorandum of understanding last week on cross-border cooperation to tackle different forms of trafficking. [Africa News]
Officials from the African Peer Review Mechanism and the African Union’s Peace and Security Council are holding an inaugural meeting in Durban, South Africa. They are discussing how to better respond to conflicts before they get out of hand, with a focus on promoting democracy, human rights, rule of law, and the integration of states across the continent. [Africa Feeds]