South Asia
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a virtual summit with his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc on Monday. The two signed nine agreements in key areas such as defence, scientific research, renewable energy, nuclear energy, petro-chemicals, and cancer treatment demonstrating the expanding ties and existing potential for increased cooperation. [Hindu Business Line]
India and Bangladesh will hold the 51st round of Director General Level Talks (DGLT) from December 22-26 in Guwahati. Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and Director General Major General Md Shafeenul Islam will lead an 11-member Bangladesh delegation while India’s 12-member delegation of the Border Security Force (BSF) will be led by Rakesh Asthana at the routine border conference. [India Today]
Central Asia and the Caucasus
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s visit to the southeastern province of Syunik was forced to cut-short as anti-government protests erupted, amid mounting anger over last month's cease-fire deal with Azerbaijan. While addressing his supporters in the town of Sisian, Pashinian condemned the blockade as a “provocation” and announced he would not travel to Goris, Kapan, and other towns in Syunik Province. [RFE/RL]
East and Southeast Asia
The Patimban seaport was inaugurated in the town of Subang on Sunday by Indonesian President Joko Widodo. He said that the new gateway would have a “strategic” role in boosting the nation’s pandemic-hit economy. The $3.07 billion port is one of the government’s priority infrastructure projects and is aimed at boosting the Indonesian economy and easing pressure on Jakarta’s congested Tanjung Priok port. [Reuters]
Over 7,000 people in Malaysia’s coastal states of Kelantan and Terengganu have been housed in relief shelters since Sunday morning due to heavy flooding caused by days of rains. Relief centres include public and school halls and evacuees might have to remain there for several days to several weeks. [Strait Times]
Europe
Russia’s ‘Sputnik V’ developer, the Gamaleya Institute, and the UK’s AstraZeneca announced on Monday the signing of an agreement to test combination COVID-19 shots to see if it could boost the efficacy of the British vaccine. [Reuters]
Latin America and the Caribbean
The United Nations estimates that Honduras sustained roughly $1.9 billion in damage as a result of Hurricanes Eta and Iota, which is curiously far below the government's estimate of $10 billion. It is not clear why there is such a large discrepancy in the two figures, but the UN's report was commissioned by Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández and was compiled with the support of the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank. [NBC News]
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro denounced Pfizer for washing its hands of any responsibility for possible side effects of its coronavirus vaccine, He said, “In the Pfizer contract, it’s very clear. ‘We’re not responsible for any side effects.’ If you turn into a crocodile, that's your problem.” He added, “If you become superhuman, if a woman starts to grow a beard or if a man starts to speak with an effeminate voice, they [Pfizer] won’t have anything to do with it.” Against this backdrop, Bolsonaro has said that the vaccine is an “interference in people’s lives” and said that he himself will not take it and will not force citizens to take it either. [Telesur]
Chile’s Public Ministry and the Investigation Police have launched an investigation into around 800 current and former army officials on charges of corruption. [Telesur]
Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
On Monday, Lebanon’s parliament passed a monumental law criminalising sexual harassment under which the offenders could spend up to four years in prison and pay fines up to 50 times the national minimum wage. Additionally, the new legislation will provide protection to both the victims and any witnesses who testify against the accused. [Al Jazeera]
North America
US President-elect Joe Biden received his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine live on TV on Monday to help boost public confidence in its safety. [Reuters]
The United States on Monday issued additional visa restrictions on certain Chinese officials accused of engaging in abuses against ethnic minorities, dissidents and other groups. [Al Jazeera]
US Attorney General William Barr unsealed new charges against a third Libyan national in the 1988 bombing of a Pan Am jet over Lockerbie, Scotland, that killed 270 people, including 190 Americans. The suspect, Abu Agila Mohammad Mas’ud is a Libyan intelligence official and is charged with two criminal counts related to the bombing. [The New York Times]
Oceania
Following a new outbreak of new coronavirus cases in New South Wales, all states and territories have closed their borders to Greater Sydney. [ABC News]
Sub-Saharan Africa
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari unveiled the $35.8 billion budget this week. His administration set the daily oil production rate set at 1.86 million per barrel and the Oil Benchmark Price at $40 per barrel. It also set a GDP growth target of 3% for the following year. [Premium Times]
The Malawian government plans to plant over 60 million trees by April 2021 in order to combat the rapidly deteriorating forest cover in the country. Malawi loses roughly 32,000 hectares of forest land each year, with many citizens still relying on firewood for cooking. [Afrik 21]
A new mutant strain of the coronavirus, Sars-CoV-2, which was originally detected in the United Kingdom, has now been reported in South Africa. [The East African]
World News Monitor: 22 December, 2020
A quick look at events from around the globe.
December 23, 2020
US President-elect Joe Biden receiving his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine on Monday. SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS