South Asia
Bhutanese Prime Minister Lotay Tshering announced a seven-day nationwide lockdown amidst a concerning surge in COVID-19 cases in the Himalayan Kingdom. This is in addition to restrictions on inter-district movement already in place in Bhutan. [Hindustan Times]
The Pakistani military released a statement accusing India of an “unprovoked ceasefire violation” along the Line of Control. According to the release, three civilians have been wounded and one killed as a result of the attack. [Al Jazeera]
Central Asia and the Caucasus
Georgian lawmakers approved the preliminary draft of a bill that withholds state funding for parties boycotting the parliament. Six of the eight opposition parties that won seats in the parliament in the October 31 elections have boycotted the parliament as they believe that the polls were rigged and new elections must be held. [RFE/RL]
Kyrgyz lawmakers have approved a controversial economic-amnesty bill that paves way for individuals who obtained financial assets through illegal means to avoid prosecution by turning the assets over to the State Treasury. The bill is expected to save at least 1,300 Kyrgyz citizens from crimes of tax evasion, financial fraud, smuggling, and other economic misdeeds. [RFE/RL]
East and Southeast Asia
Hong Kong’s pro-democracy activist, Jimmy Lai, was released on bail on Wednesday. Three weeks ago, the media tycoon was arrested on charges of violating Hong Kong’s controversial Beijing-imposed national security law for colluding with a foreign country. Lai and his popular newspaper, Apple Daily, are both known to be openly critical of Chinese interference. [NPR]
In what is expected to be a huge blow to Thailand’s tourism sector, the government recently discovered an active cluster of the virus among seafood workers near Bangkok. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha has said that he will assess whether more restrictive curbs are required after a week. [The Print]
Europe
After nationwide protests demanding the government to step down, Moldova’s pro-Russia Prime Minister Ion Chicu resigned on Tuesday, paving the way for early elections. President-elect Maia Sandu, who will take office on Thursday, can now either nominate a new PM or dissolve the parliament if there are two failed attempts at finding a successor. [Euronews]
France has now lifted the travel restrictions that it imposed on passengers from the United Kingdom over concerns about the spread of the new strain of the coronavirus. According to an announcement made by the French Transport Minister Jean-Baptiste Djebbari, air travel and Eurostar trains are set to resume on Thursday morning for “French nationals, people living in France and those with a legitimate reason.” However, all travellers will mandatorily have to present a negative report. [Al Jazeera]
Latin America and the Caribbean
In spite of the emergence of various coronavirus vaccines, Brazilian Foreign Affairs Minister Ernesto Araujo continues to promote the use of hydroxychloroquine as an effective cure to the virus, saying that those who dismiss these claims are “politically motivated”. [Telesur]
Three opposition parties in Mexico—the conservative National Action Party, the centrist Revolution Party, and one left-of-centre Democratic Revolution Party—have joined hands ahead of the election in June, when they hope to unseat President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who still holds a commanding 57% approval rating. [Associated Press]
Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
Tunisia has announced that it will not, in any case, normalise relations with Israel. The Tunisian Foreign Ministry said: “Tunisia respects the sovereign positions of all states. However, we reaffirm our firm and principled position and we will never be affected by global changes.” [Middle East Monitor]
On Monday, veteran Bulgarian diplomat Nickolay Mladenov informed the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in a letter that he would not lead the UN mission in conflict-stricken Libya due to “personal and family reasons.” Mladenov has been a special coordinator for the UN Middle East Peace Process since 2015. [Al Jazeera]
North America
Pfizer will supply an additional 100 million doses of the company’s Covid-19 vaccine to the United States (US), the Trump administration announced on Wednesday. The US will pay the drugmaker $1.95 billion for the shipment. [NPR]
US President Donald Trump pardoned 15 people on Tuesday. The recipients included two people who pleaded guilty in the special counsel’s Russian election interference inquiry, four Blackwater guards convicted in connection with the killing of Iraqi civilians, and three corrupt former GOP lawmakers. [The New York Times]
Oceania
Despite an outbreak of new coronavirus cases in New South Wales (NSW), the Australian Defence Force (ADF) has said that it will not be providing troops for border patrol. Earlier this week, Victoria requested 200-300 ADF troops be deployed to its border with NSW, but was rejected. [The Age]
Sub-Saharan Africa
Political activists and opposition in Uganda are once again calling on the United States to impose sanctions on senior officials within the police force, after the lawyer of opposition candidate Bobi Wine was arbitrarily arrested. [The East African]
World News Monitor: 24 December, 2020
A quick look at events from around the globe.
December 25, 2020
Ugandan opposition candidate Bobi Wine. SOURCE: THE ECONOMIST