South Asia
On Monday, Pakistan approved its National Security Policy for 2022 to 2026. The document primarily focuses on economic security and has been lauded by the Pakistani government for its “citizen-centric approach,” which it says will strengthen the economy and yield knock-on benefits for military and human security. [Times of India]
Several political parties in the Maldives have voiced their opposition to former President Abdulla Yameen’s #IndiaOut campaign. Yameen has sought to generate momentum for the campaign since his release from house arrest, which followed his acquittal on corruption charges by the Supreme Court last month. [Hindustan Times]
Central Asia and the Caucasus
Azerbaijan defused around 139 mines and munitions in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region from December 20 to December 25, the Mine Action Agency reported on Monday. Azerbaijan has accused Armenia of deliberately planting mines during last year’s Nagorno-Karabakh war. [Azer News]
Armenian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Vana Hunanyan said on Monday that the special envoys of Armenia and Turkey could meet in Moscow and that talks are underway to set a timeframe for the meeting. Both Yerevan and Ankara have expressed willingness to normalise ties, which have been strained since the 1990s over the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute. [Armen Press]
East and Southeast Asia
On Monday, The United Nations’ new special envoy on Myanmar, Dr. Noeleen Heyzer, expressed concern about the growing violence in the country. She called for a new year’s ceasefire to extend humanitarian aid, including to the hundreds forced to flee the violence. [The Straits Times]
With 200 new COVID-19 cases recorded on Monday, China reported its largest daily increase in infections in almost 20 months. Among the 162 domestic cases, 150 were reported in Xi’an, which has been in a citywide lockdown since last week due to rapidly rising infections. [Global Times]
Europe
During a press conference on Monday, French Prime Minister Jean Castex said that starting on Tuesday, citizens will be able to receive a booster shot three months after their second dose. He added that there will be no curfew for New Year’s Eve. However, the government has limited indoor gatherings to 2,000 people and outdoor gatherings to 5,000 people amid a record number of new infections and hospitalisations. [Euronews]
On Monday, Polish President Andrzej Duda vetoed a controversial media law that would have forced American media company Discovery Communications to reduce its ownership in Polish network TVN, which has been critical of the current right-wing government. In a statement, Duda said, “Poland does not need more problems at the moment,” citing constitutional concerns as well as the risk of jeopardising relations with the United States. [The Warsaw Voice]
British Health Minister Sajid Javid clarified that the government would not bring in any fresh COVID-19 restrictions before the new year. While cases have surged to record levels, Prime Minister Boris Johnson remains reluctant to announce a lockdown, largely due to the unpopularity of the move within his own party. [Reuters]
Latin America and the Caribbean
The Nicaraguan government has reportedly transferred Taiwan’s now-former embassy and all its diplomatic offices in the country to China, after the Ortega administration severed ties with Taiwan earlier this month. Prior to leaving the country, Taiwanese diplomats stipulated that they wished for the properties to be handed over to the Roman Catholic archdiocese of Managua. Nicaragua, however, declined this request, which Taiwan’s foreign ministry has now said is “gravely illegal” and a violation of Article 45 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. [Associated Press]
Chilean President-elect has declined an invitation from incumbent leader Sebastián Piñera to join him in attending summits of the Forum for the Progress and Integration of South America (Prosur) and the Pacific Alliance in Colombia next month. Boric said that this is not a rejection of regional partners and that he will “develop [his] own regional agenda” when he enters office in March. He added that he has already spoken with the leaders of Mexico and Colombia, as well as Peru’s foreign ministry. [Telesur]
Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, also known as Farmaajo, suspended Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble on corruption charges. Roble denied the charges and accused Farmaajo of plotting an “open coup attempt” against the government. Roble also accused the President of derailing the ongoing elections. [Reuters]
The Iraqi Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal filed by Iran-backed parties contesting the results of the parliamentary election held in October. Parties aligned to Iran lost heavily in the election, winning only 17 seats, down from the 48 seats they won in the 2018 election. [Associated Press]
North America
On Monday, the United States’ Chief Medical Advisor to the President, Dr. Anthony Fauci, said that the government should consider a vaccine mandate on domestic air travel, after thousands of flights were cancelled over the weekend due to a massive surge in cases. Airlines cited staffing problems due to employees testing positive. Fauci suggested the mandate might act as an incentive for more people to get vaccinated. [The Washington Post]
On Monday, Idaho’s Attorney General, Lawrence Wasden, said that local governments are eligible to join the nationwide $26 billion opioid settlement against pharma giant Johnson & Johnson and distributions companies, AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health, and McKesson. The state can now get up to $119 million in settlements that will go to the state and local governments. [Newsweek]
Oceania
On Tuesday, Australia’s three most populous states—New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland—recorded another surge in the COVID-19 infections, reporting almost 10,000 new cases. Due to the highly contagious Omicron variant, the latest surge has disrupted the economy’s reopening, with state leaders sparring among themselves over border controls and containment measures. [Reuters]
New Zealand recorded 18 new COVID-19 cases and one coronavirus related death in 24 hours. In addition, five cases of the highly contagious Omicron variant have also been found at the border. The Ministry of Health said 54 people are currently in the hospital with COVID-19, among which eight are in intensive care. New Zealand’s total active case count stands at 1,334. [Newshub]
Sub-Saharan Africa
The United States (US) announced that travellers from the southern African countries of South Africa, Mozambique, and Malawi can once again enter the US starting on January 1. Last month, Washington suspended flights from the region due to fears about the spread of the Omicron variant. The Biden administration has now said that the travel bans serve no purpose as the new variant is already highly prevalent in the US. [Africa News]
South Africa’s National Institute For Communicable Diseases reported yesterday that of the 17,230 tests COVID-19 tests conducted over the last 24 hours, 3,782 people tested positive, indicating a 22% positivity rate. A further 15 people died from the virus, bringing the country’s death toll to 90,829. [News24]