South Asia
The Taliban on Saturday ordered international NGOs to send their female employers back from Afghanistan. Several rights groups, including Save the Children, said the decision would impact their ability to provide aid and lifesaving assistance to children, women, and men in need. [Khaama Press News Agency]
On Sunday, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, leader of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), was appointed Prime Minister (PM) after former PM KP Sharma Oli led seven political parties and three independent candidates to form a post-poll alliance. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi responded to the development, saying that Dahal’s appointment would further India and Nepal’s “unique relationship.” [The Hindu]
Central Asia and the Caucasus
On Saturday, hundreds of Armenian citizens of Nagorno-Karabakh marched to the checkpoint of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Stepanakert to demand they resume the normal functioning of the Lachin corridor. The corridor, under blockade by Azerbaijan, is the only road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia. [Armen Press]
On Friday, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Uzbekistan’s draft Information Code bill “would violate freedom of expression, including media freedom.” Uzbekistan’s Information and Mass Communications Agency published a draft Information Code on December 14, which includes provisions to restrict information released during investigations and trials and information that is “insulting” or “shows disrespect for society, the state, state symbols, including obscenities.”[Human Rights Watch]
East and Southeast Asia
The South Korean foreign ministry’s director general for Asia and Pacific affairs, Seo Min-jung, met with her Japanese counterpart, Takehiro Funakoshi, for a working-level diplomatic consultation today to discuss the two countries’ wartime disputes, including the compensation for forced labour. [Korea Times]
A military court in Myanmar may announce the final verdicts in deposed democratic leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s 18-month trial next week. Suu Kyi has already been found guilty on 14 charges that include corruption, violation of the National Disaster Law, and the official secrets act. [Mizzima]
Europe
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard arrested seven individuals with links to the United Kingdom (UK), including several with dual Iranian and British citizenship looking to leave the country. The Iranian regime has often blamed the ongoing women’s rights protest on foreign influence and funding, including by countries like the UK, Israel, and Saudi Arabia. [Reuters]
On Sunday, Leonid Kasinsky, the Belarusian head of the Main Directorate of Ideology in the Defence Ministry, announced that the Russian Iskander tactical missile systems and the S-400 air defence systems, which have been deployed in Belarus, “are on combat duty today and they are fully prepared to perform tasks for their intended purpose.” It comes against the backdrop of Moscow pushing Minsk to aid its invasion of Ukraine. [Reuters]
Latin America and the Caribbean
A United States (US) federal judge on Saturday rejected a plea for diplomatic immunity from businessman Alex Saab, who is also a close ally of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Saab was arrested in 2020 in Cape Verde for participating in a corruption scheme involving Venezuela’s Socialist government and extradited to the US the following year. His lawyers claim that Saab should be granted immunity as he was on a diplomatic mission for the Venezuelan government. [Reuters]
The Panamanian government said on Saturday that authorities seized 126.5 tonnes of drugs, including cocaine, in 2022, setting a record for the second year in a row. Security forces conducted 471 anti-narcotics operations this year, arresting 619 people for trafficking drugs. [Reuters]
Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
On Thursday, Israeli officials confirmed that Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, with assets valued at $1.3 trillion, is in the process of reviewing its investments in the country to make sure that it is not financing any businesses that are linked to Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The move is reportedly influenced by the United Nations’ decision in 2020 to blacklist 112 companies suspected to have connections to West Bank settlements. Meitav Investment House, the Israeli firm that manages the Norwegian fund’s assets, claims it is not aware of this decision. [Haaretz]
According to a Channel 12 report citing Western intelligence officials, Russia is poised to provide Iran with Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets. The report, published on Saturday, states that the deal may include up to 24 jets that were initially intended for Egypt. Reportedly, Iranian pilots have already begun using these jets for training purposes. The West has already accused Iran of providing Russia with drones and ballistic missiles. [Times of Israel]
North America
Three families of United States (US) military personnel, who were killed by ISIS in Syria, sued French company, Lafarge, for paying off terrorist organisations for its “economic self interest.” Earlier this year, the US fined Lafarge $800 million following its guilty plea. “This lawsuit is intended to hold it accountable to the military families devastated by its heinous and unlawful conduct,” their lawyer Lee Wolosky affirmed, adding that they “expect more families to join the lawsuit.” [ABC News]
On Saturday, about 130 migrants were dropped off near United States (US) Vice President Kamala Harris’ home in Washington from Texas. In fact, Tatiana Laborde, Managing Director of SAMU First Response aid group, said that about nine busloads of migrants seeking asylum in the US were left in Washington last week. Texas has bused thousands of migrants to Washington, New York, and Chicago over the past few months due to the growing number of immigrants arriving in the country from its southern border. [Reuters]
Oceania
Minoli Perera has become Australia’s first Sri Lankan-born ambassador and has been appointed to Zimbabwe. Perera will also be accredited to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Congo — Brazzaville, Malawi, and Zambia. [Adaderana]
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong has condemned the Afghan Taliban’s decision to ban women from participating in non-government organisations operating on the ground in Afghanistan. Calling the order “appalling,” Wong said that the decision “seriously impacts the country’s ability to deal with a major humanitarian crisis.” “We support the UN which is leading discussions with the Taliban to annul this decision,” she said. [The West Australian]
Sub-Saharan Africa
At least 15 people have died, and over 320 have been injured in Johannesburg, South Africa, after a truck carrying liquefied petroleum gas exploded on Saturday. The explosion occurred when the truck got stuck under a low-lying bridge, and its top scraped it, causing sparks. [Associated Press]
The United Nations on Saturday condemned Burkina Faso’s decision to expel senior UN official Barbara Manzi, saying the country had no grounds to apply the doctrine of ‘persona non-grata’ to her. The country expelled Manzi for “discrediting the country and discouraging potential investors” after she warned that Burkina Faso is heading towards violence and insecurity if the government does not take steps to contain the rising Islamist insurgency. [Reuters]