Key Storylines
- AFRICA: South African President Cyril Ramaphosa urged citizens to get vaccinated as the country battles a surge in cases driven by the new Omicron variant.
- AMERICAS: The foreign minister for Venezuela’s interim government Julio Borges said he would leave his post, further weakening the opposition just weeks after it was routed in regional elections.
- ASIA: China’s foreign ministry called on US politicians to stop calling for a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics and avoid hurting bilateral ties.
- EUROPE: Interior Minister Karl Nehammer is due to be sworn in as Austria’s third chancellor capping a turbulent few days in the country’s politics.
- MIDDLE EAST: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will visit Oman on the first stop of his gulf tour meeting neighboring leaders and allies.
- TECH & COMMUNICATIONS: Hong Kong’s government warned the Wall Street Journal it may have violated the law by publishing an editorial that said casting blank ballots was one of the “last ways” for residents to voice dissent.
Top Story
- Myanmar: A court sentenced deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi to four years in prison.
- A court in military-ruled Myanmar jailed deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi for four years on charges of incitement and breaching COVID-19 restrictions.
- Aung San Suu Kyi was detained in a military coup in February and is facing a maximum imprisonment of 102 years on a total of 11 charges.
- Yanghee Lee, the former U.N. Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Myanmar, described the charges and the verdict as “bogus,” declaring that any trial held in the country is unfair as the judiciary is subservient to the military government.
- UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet slammed the junta in a statement saying, “The conviction of the State Counsellor following a sham trial in secretive proceedings before a military-controlled court is nothing but politically-motivated.”
- Suu Kyi is next due in court on 14 December, when she will face charges of possessing illegal walkie-talkies.
- Reuters, NYT, AP, AFP, BBC
Africa
- Niger: The interior ministry said that extremists attacked a military camp near the West African country’s border with Burkina Faso, killing at least 12 soldiers. (AP)
- South Africa: President Cyril Ramaphosa urged citizens to get vaccinated as the country battles a surge in cases driven by the new Omicron variant. (AFP)
- Sudan: The UN warned that thirty percent of the population will need humanitarian aid next year, saying the rate is “the highest in a decade.” (AFP)
- The Gambia: Adama Barrow defeated Yahya Jammeh, who was forced into exile after refusing to accept the result. (BBC)
Americas
- Argentina: The health ministry detected its first case of the Omicron coronavirus variant in a person who had travelled from South Africa. (Reuters)
- Colombia: Hernán Darío Velásquez, nicknamed El Paisa and a dissident former leader of the country’s FARC rebels was killed in an ambush in Venezuela’s Apure state. (BBC)
- United States: Former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole died at the age of 98. (CNN)
- Venezuela: Foreign minister for the country’s interim government Julio Borges said he would leave his post, further weakening the opposition just weeks after it was routed in regional elections. (Reuters)
Asia
- Cambodia: The country will work with Myanmar’s military regime, breaking ranks with fellow ASEAN nations in the regional bloc. (AFP)
- China: The foreign ministry called on US politicians to stop calling for a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics and avoid hurting bilateral ties. (Reuters)
- India: A top elected official in the northeast region called for the withdrawal of emergency powers granted to troops. (AP)
- Indonesia: Mount Semeru spewed more ash forcing rescuers to suspend the search for survivors as aerial images showed the extent of the devastation unleashed by the volcano’s deadly weekend eruption. (AFP)
- Solomon Islands: Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare survived a no-confidence motion in parliament after accusing the Pacific island nation’s most populous province of being “Taiwan’s agent” and anti-government protesters of attempting a coup. (Reuters)
Europe
- Austria: Interior Minister Karl Nehammer is due to be sworn in as the country’s third chancellor capping a turbulent few days in the country’s politics. (AFP)
- France: Far-right presidential candidate Eric Zemmour promised a “reconquest” against decades of decline at his first political rally. (Reuters)
- Germany: Chancellor-designate Olaf Scholz named Karl Lauterbach, an epidemiologist who has been a prominent voice of caution during the COVID-19 pandemic as the new health minister. (AP)
- Russia: President Vladimir Putin is set to arrive in India for his second overseas trip since the start of the coronavirus pandemic as the two countries are expected to sign several agreements bolstering military and energy ties. (DW)
- United Kingdom: London slammed Myanmar’s generals after ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi was jailed for four years for incitement against the military and breaching Covid-19 restrictions. (AFP)
Middle East
- Region: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will visit Oman on the first stop of his gulf tour meeting neighboring leaders and allies. (AP)
- Region: The national security adviser of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed al Nahyan met with his Iranian counterpart Ali Shamkhani and the country’s hardline president in Tehran. (WaPo)
- Iran: Foreign ministry spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh blamed France for ‘militarization’ of the region, saying arms trade is ‘the source of turmoil.’ (AFP)
- Qatar: Doha and Ankara are set to sign dozens of agreements during Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to the country. (Reuters)
- Syria: Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad said a visit to Damascus last month by the United Arab Emirates’ foreign minister Abdalla bin Zayed had been “a courageous” move. (Reuters)
Tech & Communications
- Media: Hong Kong’s government warned the Wall Street Journal it may have violated the law by publishing an editorial that said casting blank ballots was one of the “last ways” for residents to voice dissent. (AFP)
World
- Cyclones: Nothing to report.
- Hurricanes: Nothing to report.
- Earthquakes: Nothing to report.
- Volcanoes:
- Mount Semeru, Indonesia
- Explosive activity continues
- Erupting
- Source
- La Palma, Spain
- Explosive activity continues
- Erupting
- Source
- Global Disease Outbreaks:
- COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease: Global (as of 06DEC21)
- Confirmed cases: 265,963,133
- Deaths: 5,258,465
- Countries with confirmed cases: 192
- Sourcing: John Hopkins University
- COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease: Global (as of 06DEC21)
- Mount Semeru, Indonesia
Tomorrow’s Outlook (07DEC21)
- Event: Heritage Foundation discussion on US Nuclear Declaratory Policy.
- Event: Stimson Center discussion on cyber accountability.
- Australia: 4th anniversary of legalizing gay marriage.
- Austria: World Space Forum. (to 09DEC)
- Belgium: Finance ministers from eurozone countries to meet in Brussels to discuss 2022 budgets.
- Europe: European Union to approve renewal of sanctions against China for Xinjiang labor abuses.
- Europe: The EU releases its latest growth figures.
- Iran: Students Day.
- Pakistan: Main leaders of Pakistan Democratic Movement party to convene summit.
- South Korea: UN Peacekeeping Ministerial.
- Timor-Leste: Memorial Day.
- Turkey: President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to visit Qatar.
- United States: Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on US-Russia policy.
- United States: US Global Leadership Coalition Tribute Celebration.
- United States: National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.
END
