Week 130 (29/11-05/12/2021)
Former prime minister of Lesotho, Thomas Thabane, has been charged with murdering his estranged wifeLipolelo Thabane. | Picture: Sunday Express
AFRICA AND THE MIDDLE EAST
The government of Israel will reimpose travel ban for foreign travelers to prevent the spread of COVID-19 Omicron variant (29/11). The ban will last for 14 days. In addition, returning fully vaccinated Israelis will have to quarantine for three days. Whereas Israelis who return from abroad, but have not been vaccinated have to undergo a seven-day quarantine.
New soldiers in South Sudan will carry sticks instead of guns on their graduation parade due to a shortage of weapons in the country (01/12). South Sudan has been experiencing a lack of arms and guns since the United Nations (UN) embargoed the country three years ago. However, the United States (US)’ acting ambassador to South Sudan said that the country suffered from food shortage, not weapons.
Former prime minister of Lesotho, Thomas Thabane, has been charged with murdering his estranged wife Lipolelo Thabane (01/12). Lipolelo died in 2017, and Thabane stepped down in May 2020 after he was named a suspect. Thabane’s current wife, Maesaiah, who lived with him at the time of the murder, has been charged with the same crime in 2020. The case was a shock to a relatively small and reserved country.
The city of Marib in Yemen has been the heart of the country’s war that started in 2015 (01/12). Despite its bustling city center, most of the population cannot afford to buy food. Its hospitals are full of wounded civilians and soldiers alike, as well as malnourished children. One surgeon said that the hospitals are lacking doctors, with the available ones were desperately exhausted. Since 2015, the city has received almost one million people fleeing from war.
ASIA
Singapore-headquartered Grab, Southeast Asia’s biggest ride-hailing and food delivery firm, has been listed (02/12) on Nasdaq following its USD 40 billion merger with special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC) Altimeter Growth Corp (AGC.O). The deal becomes the world's biggest ever by a blank-check company and the biggest United States (US) listing by a Southeast Asian firm.
The World Health Organization (WHO) urged (03/12) countries in South-East Asia region to further strengthen COVID-19 response measures to curtail the spread of the virus and its variants. The messages include urging countries to strengthen surveillance to rapidly detect importation of any new variant and transmission of existing virus and its variants; implementing calibrated public health and social measures; and scaling up vaccination coverage. The announcement came a day after India confirmed two cases of Omicron, a new variant of concern.
ASEAN member countries and Russia have concluded (04/12) a three-day naval exercise off the coast of Indonesia’s Sumatra Island. The exercise, which is the first joint exercise between the two entities, aimed at increasing interoperability between ASEAN member states and the Russian navy in the strategic maritime area. It comes amid rising tension between major powers in South China Sea. Meanwhile, Aleksei Bolotnikov, commander of the Russian warship Admiral Panteleyev, hoped the next ASEAN-Russia exercise could take place in Vladivostok.
At least 13 civilians died (04/12) in a botched ambush by Indian security forces near the Myanmar border. Attempting to ambush separatist militants, an army patrol mistakenly opened fire on miners returning home after work, killing six. The killing has angered the locals, leading to seven more civilians and an Indian soldier died when the former confronted the troops. Responding to the incidence, India’s Home Minister Amit Shah said he was “anguished” and vowed to investigate.
AUSTRALIA AND OCEANIA
Australia has confirmed its first Omicron community case (30/11). It is Australia’s sixth case of the new COVID-19 variant, but the first where the infected person was active in the community. Everyone who was on the same return flight to Australia with the person were required to undergo quarantine for 14 days regardless of their vaccination status. Australia has now postponed the reopening of its international borders by two weeks to halt the spread of the Omicron variant, which according to the World Health Organization is potentially more infectious than the previous variants.
New Zealand will follow Australia, Fiji, and Papua New Guinea (PNG)’s example of deploying troops to the Solomon Islands (01/12) to restore peace after deadly riots in Honiara. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said they were concerned about the unrest in the Solomon Islands so that they had to act quickly to provide help in restoring law and order. The riots in Honiara started as peaceful protests demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare whom they deemed incompetent to address national issues.
Despite global concerns about the new COVID-19 variant, the Omicron, Fiji has reopened its border for travelers from Australia in almost two years (01/12). Australian travelers who have been fully vaccinated and can provide a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken 72 hours before departure can enter Fiji without quarantine. But they also need to provide a negative rapid antigen test during their first 48 hours in Fiji. Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama remarked that his country had suffered for nearly two years and now was just starting to recover from the economic downturn. Meanwhile, Australian travelers who want to return to their country have separate rules to follow depending on which state or territory they are going to.
After a 10-year-old boy tested positive for COVID-19, the Cook Islands confirmed its very first COVID-19 case since the pandemic started (04/12). The boy was quarantining with his family following a repatriation flight from New Zealand. Prior to the case, the Cook Islands had been preparing to reopen its borders for international travelers.
EUROPE
The European Union (EU), the United States (US), and 20 other countries condemned the Taliban after Human Rights Watch (HRW) released a report stating that at least 47 members of the Afghan National Security Forces have been killed or disappeared (05/12). After taking power in Afghanistan in August, the Taliban pledged that it would rule differently than it did in the 1990s. However, it continues to carry out violent punishments and allegedly has carried out reprisal killings.
Despite the AUKUS row, the defense links between France and the United Kingdom (UK) remain strong (05/12). The UK has completed France’s Polaris 21, a two-week sea exercise and one of the biggest international naval exercises. The exercise involved 6,000 military personnel from France, the UK, Greece, Italy, Spain, and the US. Although no name was mentioned, it was understood that the joint exercise aimed at countering “emerging threats” from China and Russia.
In his Mediterranean tour that included Cyprus and Greece, Pope Francis criticized Europe for its handling of migration crisis (05/12). In Cyprus, the Pope condemned the “slavery” and “torture” that migrants often experienced, comparing it to the Nazis or Stalin. Meanwhile in Greece, the head of the Roman Catholic church denounced the moves taken by many EU countries to build walls around their borders to prevent refugees from entering their territories.
Belarus’ Ministry of Defense has summoned Ukraine’s defense attaché after a Ukrainian helicopter allegedly flew over Belarusian airspace (05/12). Ukraine denied that it has violated Belarusian airspace. Tensions have been rising between the two countries after Ukraine held military drills involving 8,000 troops on the Ukraine-Belarus border. Belarus said the drills possessed a security threat. But Ukraine has been preparing for Russia’s attack, which it said could be launch from Belarus.
LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN
The United Nations (UN) reported on Tuesday (30/11) that Latin America and the Caribbean were the most vulnerable to famine. The COVID-19 pandemic is exacerbating hunger as millions of people lose their jobs. The report states that Guatemala is the Caribbean country most vulnerable to food insecurity. Meanwhile, in South America, Argentina is the most vulnerable country to food insecurity with a third of its population having limited access to food.
Brazil became the first South American country to report a case of the Omicron variant on Tuesday (30/11). This case was found in two people who arrived from South Africa. Both travelers are said to have mild symptoms and are being treated by Brazilian health authorities.
Airline industries urge (04/12) governments in the Caribbean and South America to harmonize aviation and travel policies through the European Digital COVID Certificate (DCC) system. The DCC will help restore the aviation industry as it frees passengers from quarantine in the destination country. DCC is the recommended system because it is interoperable and free of charge.
Chile also detected a case of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 on Saturday (04/12). A case of the Omicron variant was found in a traveler from Ghana. The patient was fully vaccinated and had only mild symptoms.
THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA
The United States (US) and Canada announced changes to their cross-border travel policies to anticipate the Omicron variant. On Tuesday (30/11), Canada required all travelers—except those from the US—to be tested upon arrival and self-isolate. Then on Thursday (02/12), the US required all air travelers—including those from Canada—to be tested the day before boarding their flight regardless of the vaccination status.
Canada announced orders for COVID-19 antiviral pills from two US multinational pharmaceutical companies, Merck and Pfizer. In total, there are two million pills ordered from the two companies. On Wednesday (01/12), Pfizer said it had processed the order and would deliver it to Canada as soon as possible.
Canada’s House of Commons has voted unanimously to ban LGBT conversion therapy on Thursday (02/12). This vote is a follow-up to PM Trudeau’s proposal to ban the therapy for children or people who don’t want it. This bill must then be passed by the Senate for it to become a binding legal provision.
Canada is getting impatient with the US’ uncooperativeness in trade negotiations (03/12). Over the past week, the Canadians have been trying to convince the US to change its policies that could severely affect Canada’s automotive sector. Canada has begun to hint that there will be trade actions against the US if the situation doesn’t evolve.