Week 134 (27/12/2021-02/01/2022)

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The Dubai’s Expo 2020 may face a possible closure due to the outbreaks of COVID-19 among staff. | Picture: Karim Sahib/AFP

AFRICA AND THE MIDDLE EAST

The Dubai’s Expo 2020 may face a possible closure due to the outbreaks of COVID-19 among staff (28/12). The cases also increase rapidly across the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In the last three weeks following the Omicron variant, the country has seen the cases multiple 37 times.

Researchers in Egypt has unveiled the face of Pharaoh Amenhotep I using an advanced digital 3D imagery, and thus preserving his funerary mask (28/12). The mummy was found in Luxor in 1881. The digital imagery not only showed Amenhotep I’s face, but also revealed his age and health condition, as well as the mummification techniques used for him. 

To escape Lebanon’s prolonged economic crisis, many of its well-off citizens move to Cyprus (29/12). The Mediterranean island nation has seen more than 12,000 Lebanese moving into its territory in the past two years. It became an attractive option for the Lebanese because its location and the facilities it offers, including residency for a certain level of investment.

A governor in Nigeria encouraged people to buy guns to defends themselves from bandits (29/12). Aminu Masari, the governor of the Katsina State, said that security officials alone cannot tackle terror group attacks in the region. All guns bought by civilians must be registered with the police to make sure they are not misused.

ASIA

Indonesia has intercepted and sent back (25/12) at least 100 Rohingya refugees after the latter’s boat ran into trouble off the coast of Aceh province. Before attempting to send the group back, the Indonesian authorities had first provided supplies, clothes and fuel, as well as a technician to fix their damaged boat. The Indonesian authorities said they will monitor the group until they reach Malaysia. 

A person from South Korea has been detected defecting to North Korea. The person crossed the heavily fortified border around 10:40 pm on Saturday (01/01), but the South couldn’t confirm whether he/she was alive. Meanwhile, Seoul has appealed for the person’s safety, but the North hasn’t responded.  

Pakistani security forces raided two Pakistan Taliban hideouts on Friday (31/12) as part of its attempt to quash the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)—a separate movement that shares common roots with the Afghan Taliban that took power in Afghanistan in August. The raids occurred in two places; first in Tank district during which two armed fighters were killed, and in North Wiziristan district, where the forces managed to capture a fighter but lost four of its soldiers in the fighting. 

Reported in CNA (01/01), Sri Lanka’s food prices has hit an all-time high last month on a year-on-year basis since the Colombo Consumer Price Index (CCPI) was launched in 2013—last month the country also recorded an inflated figure of 17.5. Meanwhile, the overall inflation was also at a record 12.01 per cent in December, the highest since the CCPI. Sri Lanka’s food shortages have been worsened by the government's ban on agrochemical imports, which was lifted in November after widespread crop failures and intense farmer protests—earlier a top agricultural official was fired for appealing to implement an orderly food rationing scheme to avoid an impending famine.

AUSTRALIA AND OCEANIA 

Tonga has announced its new government (29/12). The island kingdom’s new prime minister, Siaosi Sovaleni, has named his 12 members of the Cabinet and two Governors for Vava’u and Ha’apai. For the most part, the new cabinet was elected from members of parliament. In addition, the prime minister also held the first cabinet meeting and took the members’ ministerial oaths. 

Palau’s President Surangel Whipps, Jr., has signed the Digital Residency Identification bill into law (29/12). The new law will allow non-Palauan citizens to be digital residents of Palau without having to physically live in the country. However, it does not guarantee a citizenship and is not equivalent to having the same rights and privileges as a citizen. The bill was signed to diversify the country’s economy which has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Fiji and Australia has signed a new regulation on the placement of Australian experts, advisors, volunteers, and specialists in Fiji (30/12). The arrangement was signed by Permanent Secretary, Office of the Prime Minister Yogesh Karan and the Acting Australian High Commissioner to Fiji Paul Wilson. Karan said this collaboration occurred at the right time as Fiji was in the middle of the typhoon season, and the deployment of experts could help dealing with natural disasters. 

Australia’s Trade Minister Dan Tehan welcomed the enforcement of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP) with New Zealand, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Japan, Laos, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam (01/01). South Korea will join the RCEP on February 1. Tehan said that the RCEP would improve the already existing trade agreements and allow Australian farmers and businesses to access the world’s largest free trade deal. Saturday also marked the enforcement of annual tariff cuts for Australia’s free trade deals, including the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the Korea-Australia Free Trade Agreement (KAFTA).

EUROPE 

COVID-19 cases in several European countries hit record highs, with France reporting the continent’s highest ever number of new daily cases of 179,807 (29/12). Meanwhile, Cyprus recorded 2,241 new cases, England 117,093, Italy 78,000, Greece 21,657, and Portugal 17,172. The surge in new cases has been driven by the more contagious Omicron variant.  

The new escalation of violence in Myanmar that saw more than 30 people being killed and having their bodies burnt prompted the European Union (EU) to impose further sanctions on the Southeast Asian country (30/12). The bloc also encouraged an international arms embargo on Myanmar. The EU has been sanctioning the Myanmar military and freezing the financial assistance to the Myanmar government since the military coup in February.  

Spain will broaden its official statistics on gender-based violence to include killings of women and children by men regardless of whether there was a prior relationship between the victim and killer (31/12). According to the country’s Equality Minister Irene Montero, the move was taken to “make visible all forms of violence” and thus making it easier to implement policies for prevention, early detection, and eradication of machista or sexist killings. It is the first time in Europe that all femicides are officially counted.  

The next government of the Netherlands will have a record number of women (02/01). Fourteen out of 29 ministers and secretaries of state will be women, with 10 of them making up the country’s 20 ministers. The new government will also see Prime Minister Mark Rutte entering his fourth term in office.

LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN 

Argentina has recorded the highest number of COVID-19 cases in six months. On Monday (27/12), Argentina recorded 20,263 daily cases. This increase in cases is thought to be due to the Omicron variant which has also been recorded in several neighboring countries. 

The United States (US) warns its citizens not to travel to Suriname. The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said (29/12) that the rate of transmission of the COVID-19 in Suriname is unknown. Furthermore, the vaccination rate in Suriname is also still low. 

Brazil refused Argentina’s offer to help in dealing with devastating floods in Bahia on Thursday (30/12). Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro rejected Argentina’s aid because the amount was deemed insignificant. However, he reiterated that Brazil remains open to international aid and donations. 

A statue of the President of Mexico in Atlacomulco, Central Mexico, was demolished on Saturday (01/01) after being the target of vandalism. The statue was opposed by the local community because of a different political affiliation. The prosecutor’s office will investigate this incident.

THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA 

Several provinces in Canada announced tougher crowd and mobility restrictions on Thursday (30/12). The provinces also announced they were delaying the return of children to school after the Christmas holidays. This is due to the high number of Omicron cases in Canada. 

The United States (US) doubts Canada’s ability to facilitate a fast pre-clearance border system for cross-border rail transport. Canada’s current border system forces travelers to stop for hours by the Canadian Border Patrol. The US wants (31/12) a fast pre-clearance system like cross-border air flights. 

The prime minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, announced his government’s 2022 priorities on Friday (31/12). Trudeau will prioritize booster vaccines as an effort to end the pandemic. Furthermore, Canada will also pay more attention to the indigenous people after the discovery of unmarked graves and traditional burial sites near a residential school. 

The US canceled 2,604 domestic flights as of Saturday (01/01). Furthermore, the US also delayed 3,447 more flights. The Omicron variant forced pilots and flight attendants to self-isolate and thus the flight was canceled. In addition, bad weather also forced flight cancellations in several cities.