Week 133 (20-26/12/2021)

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Bangladesh and Maldives signed three important bilateral instruments. | Picture: Corporate Maldives

AFRICA AND THE MIDDLE EAST

Patrick Eyi, Gabon’s national youth football team coach, has been arrested (20/12). He was accused of raping and sexually abusing minor players in his team—accusations he denied. However, one alleged victim told British newspaper The Guardian that sexual abuse had been “the reality of Gabonese football for decades”. The country’s sports ministry is currently launching an inquiry into the allegations.

Israel has entered its fifth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic due to the Omicron variant (20/12). In a televised address, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said that foreign nationals are now banned from entering Israel. He also called on Israelis to maintain COVID-19 measures.  

A coalition forces led by Saudi Arabia has targeted an airport in Sanaa, Yemen, claiming it was used to launch cross-border attacks (21/12). It has, however, been a United Nations (UN)-led humanitarian operation center. The coalition forces said that it was only aiming at a limited number of sites believed to be legitimate military targets and that the UN workers had been urged to evacuate before the air strikes were carried out.

Scientists in South Africa are investigating the origin of the Omicron variant (21/12). The latest COVID-19 variant is suspected to link to mutation from infected people who already have weak immune system, including that caused by HIV. The study is conducted at the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation in Cape Town. But as scientists are pushing ahead with their research, they are also worried that it will only worsened the stigmatization of people with HIV.

ASIA

Kazakhstan’s lawmakers have ratified (22/12) an updated military cooperation deal with Russia, which was signed earlier by Russian President Vladimir Putin at the end of May. In the new agreement, both countries agreed to replace a previous emphasis on issues like nuclear disarmament in favor of regional security, anti-terrorism and cybersecurity. Meanwhile, the earlier document, which had been in force since 1994, was considered outdated and failed to reflect current security challenges faced by the partner nations.

China placed (23/12) its city of Xi’an into lockdown to clamp down on the community spread of the COVID-19. The snap lockdown was enforced after 127 infections were found in a second round of mass testing. In the new regulation, all residents of the city are barred from leaving their houses except to buy living necessities every other day or for emergencies. In addition, travel to and from the city is also suspended save for in exceptional circumstances requiring official approval.

Reported in The Daily Star (23/12), Bangladesh and Maldives have signed three bilateral instruments, which included agreement on avoidance of double taxation and prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income, MoU in the areas of healthcare and medical sciences (renewal), and MoU on cooperation in the area of youth and sports development. The instruments were signed during Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to Maldives, during which she handed over 13 military vehicles to the Maldives government. In a bilateral dialogue at the Maldives President’s Office, the two countries’ leaders discussed a wide spectrum of topics, including cooperation in health, education, trade, climate change, counterterrorism, etc.

Dead bodies of different sizes, including children, women, and old people, were found (25/12) burned in Myanmar’s conflict-torn Kayah state, near the village of Moso, Hpruso town. The Karen Human Rights Group, which found the dead bodies, has condemned the inhumane and brutal killing, which violates human rights. Meanwhile, previously the ruling military, who could not immediately be reached for comment on the finding, said it had shot and killed an unspecified number of “terrorists with weapons” from the opposition armed forces in the village.

AUSTRALIA AND OCEANIA

New Zealand pledged to donate a total of 2.4 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine for Pacific and Asian countries through the COVAX scheme (21/12). It has delivered 1.18 million doses, with about 58% of those were sent to Indonesia. Meanwhile, Fiji and Papua New Guinea (PNG) received more than 100,000 doses each. International affairs commentator Josie Pagani said vaccination was important given that the Omicron variant could hamper the economic growth for decades to come. In addition to sending vaccines to Asia-Pacific, New Zealand also donated NZD 26 million to COVAX.

Omicron cases soar, prompting Australia to reimpose COVID-19 restrictions. On Thursday (23/12), the states of New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria extended the order to wear a mask indoor as well as reintroducing QR code check-ins and overcrowding. The number of COVID-19 cases in some states also increased. NSW reported 5,715 cases, South Australia 484 cases, Queensland 369 cases, Tasmania 26 cases, Australian Capital Territory (ACT) 85 cases, and the Northern Territory five cases.

Australia has ended its peacekeeping mission in the Solomon Islands (23/12). About 40 Australian defense personnel will be repatriated in the next two days, whereas the Fijian army has left Honiara on Wednesday (22/12). More than 200 peacekeepers from Australia, Fiji, PNG, and New Zealand were deployed to Honiara to bring back law and order following protests triggered by government policies. Fueled by poverty, unemployment, and local grievances, the protests later turned violent.

The Solomon Islands announced two positive cases of Omicron and Delta (26/12). Two people tested positive during routine tests at the isolation center in Honiara. One patient is a 10-year-old boy who had been repatriated from Fiji and had not been vaccinated because of his age. He is suspected to have the Delta variant. Meanwhile, the other patient just returned from Dubai and has been fully vaccinated. He is suspected to be infected with the Omicron variant. Samples will be sent to Australia to confirm the types of the COVID-19 variant as the state lab was unable to perform genome sequencing.

EUROPE

Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama, North Macedonia’s Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, and Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vučić attended the Open Balkan Summit on Tuesday (21/12) to talk and agree on furthering their political and economic ties. The Summit was initiated by France and Germany to promote the Western Balkan regional development. Albania, North Macedonia, and Serbia are at different stages on the path to become a European Union (EU) member. The other three Western Balkan countries, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, and Montenegro, have not joined the Open Balkan initiative yet.

Governments in Europe have reimposed strict COVID-19 measures as the number of COVID-19 cases in the continent skyrocketing (23/12). In some parts, the new cases have been consisted of the Omicron variant. Some countries are now targeting the unvaccinated, as well as starting the vaccination for children.

During his annual press conference, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin said that he did not want conflict with Ukraine and blamed the West for making Ukraine “anti-Russia” and escalating tensions in the region (23/12). On the other hand, Putin said that there has been a “positive” response from the United States (US) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies regarding Russia’s security proposal. In the conference, Putin also addressed Russian economy and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

A refugee boat accident in the Aegean Sea, Greece, left at least 30 people dead (25/12). The boat, which headed to Italy from Turkey, is believed to have carried around 80 people. Greek coastguards have arrested two people suspected to be the smugglers.

LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) announced a funding plan for Latin America and the Caribbean for up to USD 19.5 billion on Monday (20/12). The funding will be focused on recovery efforts from COVID-19 and providing economic access in the region through digitalization.

Protesters in Guadeloupe rushed into the Regional Council meeting on Thursday (23/12). They oppose the mandatory vaccination of essential workers in the country. France denounced this action as a threat to democracy and public health.

Environmental groups across Latin America urge (24/12) the United States (US) to reduce exports of plastic waste. The US is the largest exporter of plastic waste into Latin America in 2020.

Brazil announced (24/12) that it will continue the key projects to develop greener fuels and biofuels to reduce carbon emissions. Brazil will also test renewable diesel in January.

THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA

The United States (US) President Joe Biden announced emergency measures to anticipate Omicron spikes on Tuesday (21/12). Biden has purchased more than 500 million test kits. Furthermore, his administration also deployed military medical personnel and increased hospital capacity.

Canada reported 14,995 cases of Covid-19—the highest since the start of the pandemic—on Wednesday (22/12). The high number of cases is due to the spread of the Omicron. To deal with the spikes, Canada is reintroducing some restrictions and encouraging people to change their festive plans.

The US announced on Friday (24/12) that it would lift travel restrictions on eight African countries. The restrictions were ineffective because the Omicron variant had spread locally. The US is also confident that its vaccines can prevent deaths caused by the variant.

Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau called on western countries to unite against China on Saturday (25/12). Trudeau accused China of trying to provoke western countries against one another for economic access. This confrontation could exacerbate the cold relations between China and Canada.