South Asia
In what is being celebrated as a major victory for women’s rights activists in Pakistan, the High Court in Lahore passed a judgement prohibiting medico-legal examiners from conducting virginity tests on rape survivors. Shunning the “humiliating practice”, Justice Ayesha A. Malik called for an immediate ban on the practice. [Al Jazeera]
The Indian Supreme Court has approved the central government’s plan to construct a new Parliament, holding that there are no violations of environmental or land-use norms as a result of the construction project. This comes as a major relief to the Modi-led government, whose vision to leave behind an ambitious legacy was temporarily endangered after the court had previously ordered a temporary suspension of the project. [Straits Times]
Central Asia and the Caucasus
Armenian President Armen Sarkisian tested positive for Covid-19 during his latest visit to the United Kingdom (UK). The 67-year-old visited London for his leg surgery where he experienced symptoms associated with the coronavirus. [RFE/RL]
East and Southeast Asia
Following the ban on Australian coal, several Chinese cities are facing blackouts, as authorities limit power usage due to coal shortage; coal prices in China have also skyrocketed since. However, Chinese authorities have attributed the shortage to exceptionally high demand. [CNBC]
After months of claiming to not have any COVID-19 cases, North Korea has finally requested access to the vaccine. Gavi, which leads the COVAX initiative that North Korea is also part of, has yet to respond to or comment on North Korea’s request. [Independent]
Europe
The Kremlin said on Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin had spoken with German Chancellor Angela Merkel over the phone regarding the potential for joint production of a coronavirus vaccine. The talks come after Putin’s admission that equipment shortages could delay the mass production of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine. Numerous reports have also suggested that Moscow needs assistance with scalability and quality control. [The Moscow Times]
Amidst a concerning surge in COVID-19 cases in the United Kingdom, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called for a nationwide lockdown in England, urging citizens and residents to “stay at home.” He said that this decision was made as the country needs measures that are “tough enough to contain this variant.” [Reuters]
Latin America and the Caribbean
Brazil is seeking to secure the Indian-made shipment of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, which is being produced by Bharat Biotech. Brazil’s death toll from the virus is nearing 200,000, putting it second only to the United States. [MercoPress]
The now-former Communication Minister Jorge Rodríguez has been appointed as the new president of Venezuela’s National Assembly. This follows the country’s recent parliamentary election, during which parties allied with President Nicolás Maduro secured a majority in the parliament, which had been under the control of the opposition since 2015. [Telesur]
Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
Iran has reported its first case of the highly contagious coronavirus variant that first emerged in the UK. The infection came through an Iranian arriving back to the country from the UK, Iranian Health Minister Saeed Namaki said on Tuesday. [Reuters]
On Tuesday, Israel appointed Eitan Na’eh, its former ambassador to Turkey, as the country’s top diplomat to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), in preparation for the establishment of a permanent embassy in the oil-rich nation. The announcement comes following the normalisation deal signed between UAE and the Jewish State last September. [Middle East Monitor]
North America
US intelligence agencies said on Tuesday that Russia was likely behind “most or all of the recently discovered, ongoing cyber compromises of both government and non-governmental networks”. The announcement, which came in the form of a rare joint statement by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the National Security Agency (NSA), the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), rejects claims from President Donald Trump that the hack may have been China’s doing. [cisa.gov]
Kenosha County District Attorney Michael Graveley announced on Tuesday that he will not pursue charges against a police officer who shot Jacob Blake, a Black man, seven times in the back last year. The city council passed an emergency declaration the night before the announcement to allow the mayor to implement a curfew once the decision was made public, in anticipation of unrest. [The New York Times]
Oceania
Former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has said that the Scott Morrison administration’s decision to initiate its coronavirus vaccination drive in March is “very dangerous” and called on the current leader to “act fast” and “accelerate” the process. [news.com.au]
Sub-Saharan Africa
United Nations peacekeeping mission MINUSMA released a report holding Malian law enforcement agencies responsible for brutality against protesters in July 2019, when 14 people were killed and 158 were injured during anti-government protests. The demonstrations ultimately led to the ouster of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta via a military coup in August. [The Africa Report]
President Faustin-Archange Touadéra secured re-election in the Central African Republic, with 53.92% of the votes. His nearest challenger, former Prime Minister Anicet Georges Dologuele, garnered just 21.01% of the votes. [The New Times]
At least 21 people were killed by an Islamist rebel attack in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), with some locals blaming the Allied Democratic Forces, which has its roots in Uganda but has been active in the DRC since 1995. [Africa News]
World News Monitor: 6 January, 2021
A quick look at events from around the globe.
January 7, 2021
CAR President Faustin-Archange Touadéra SOURCE: AFP - ALEXIS HUGUET via RFI