South Asia
Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla convened a meeting with the envoys from the United States, Russia, France and Japan, to present an “information docket” on Pakistan’s repeated attempts to “destabilise” the already vulnerable situation in Jammu and Kashmir. [NDTV]
Ahead of a meeting in Geneva that is likely to result in the reduction of international humanitarian funding in Afghanistan, the United Nations refugee chief Filippo Grandi has called upon the international community to continue to support the region, its refugees and its internally displaced individuals. He said that despite the ongoing peace negotiations in Doha, the region is in “acute need” of humanitarian assistance. [Al Jazeera]
Central Asia and the Caucasus
Hundreds of people protested in below-freezing weather in Bishkek on November 22 against proposed changes to the constitution that will award sweeping powers to the president and lay the grounds for the future of the authoritarian rule. [Central Asia News]
At least eight people were killed when several rockets struck densely populated parts of Kabul, marking the latest big attack in a wave of violence sweeping the Afghan capital. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack. [Central Asia News]
East and Southeast Asia
Two Thai high school student leaders will be charged for joining a banned protest last month, police said, a day after embattled Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha threatened tougher action against protesters. [Al Jazeera]
China hails the successful launch of Chang’e-5 mission to collect moon samples. The Long March-5 rocket blasted off at 4.30am Beijing time from the Wenchang Space Launch Centre in Hainan. This is the first such mission by any country since the 1970s, underscoring Beijing’s ambitions in space. [SCMP]
Europe
Hungarian foreign minister Peter Szijjarto has said that the country will move ahead and test the Russian ‘Sputnik V’ COVID-19 vaccine “for safety and effectiveness”, after becoming the first European country to receive samples last week. [RFE/RL]
The European Union’s Chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, said that trade talks with the United Kingdom were continuing to be obstructed by “fundamental differences.” However, he said that both sides were “working hard” to finalise the deal. [Reuters]
Latin America and the Caribbean
Following the brutal and fatal assault on a Black Brazilian man by a security guard in a supermarket, there have been protests across the nation that have echoed the sentiments of the Black Lives Matter movement in other countries. [MercoPress]
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has denied reports by Reuters that suggested that he agreed to arrest a notorious drug cartel leader in exchange for the release of former Mexican defence minister Salvador Cienfuegos from US custody. [Al Jazeera]
Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
Stephanie Williams, the United Nations acting envoy for Libya, said that rival groups of the region have convened for the second round of negotiations to establish a procedure for choosing a transitional government. The first round of discussions, which were held in Tunisia, were conducted last week but did not lead to any fruitful conclusion. [Al Jazeera]
According to a statement by an Israeli official, the country’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Monday. However, Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister, Faisal bin Farhan, refuted the reports and said that the meeting was only conducted between representatives of the Kingdom and the United States. [CNN]
North America
US General Services Administration (GSA) chief Emily Murphy on Monday formally recognized President-elect Joe Biden as the winner of the US presidential election, authorizing his advisers to begin coordinating with Trump administration officials. Trump said that he had directed his team to cooperate with Biden’s, but vowed to keep up the fight. [The New York Times]
President-elect Joe Biden unveiled his top Cabinet picks on Monday, naming his secretary of state, homeland security chief, and director of national intelligence, among others. Longtime Biden advisor Antony Blinken is slated to be the State Department head, and Jake Sullivan, a former senior aide to Hillary Clinton and Biden will be national security advisor. Alejandro Mayorkas has been nominated to lead the DHS, Avril Haines to be the director of national intelligence, and Linda Thomas-Greenfield to be the UN ambassador. Former Secretary of State John Kerry has been chosen to serve as the presidential envoy for climate. [CNN]
Oceania
After the Australian federal government hinted that the guaranteed increase to the country’s superannuation pension payment may be delayed beyond 2025 due to the coronavirus pandemic, Former Prime Minister Paul Keating accused the Scott Morrison administration of trying to rob citizens. [news.com.au]
Sub-Saharan Africa
Senegalese President Macky Sall hosted Spanish Foreign Minister Arancha González to address the rising migration to the Canary Islands from West African countries. The pair discussed facilitating greater border cooperation between Spain, the European Union, and Senegal. [Africa News]
Somalia Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble has sought to allay fears of vote-rigging in the nation’s upcoming parliamentary elections, when “specially selected delegates” will appoint 54 senators and 275 MPs for the Lower House who will then elect the president. [Nation]