China Braces for Fresh COVID-19 Wave |
Chinese authorities are preparing new vaccines (WaPo) for variants of coronavirus that have caused COVID-19 cases to rise in the country. The XBB omicron subvariants are expected to infect (Bloomberg) as many as sixty-five million people per week by the end of June, according to modeling by respiratory disease specialist Zhong Nanshan. Ahead of the surge’s expected peak, China’s center for disease prevention stopped updating its weekly statistics.
The new COVID-19 wave could be the largest since China abruptly ended its “zero COVID” approach in December, though infections are expected to be milder due to increased immunity. Some Chinese hospitals have begun advising residents to resume wearing masks and suggested elderly and immunocompromised patients take extra precautions. |
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“Deaths will be less, but that could still be a large number,” the University of Hong Kong’s Ben Cowling tells the Washington Post. “Even when we think this is a milder wave, it could still be quite a substantial health impact on the community.”
“Part of Beijing’s resilience [after lifting restrictions in December] was due to its control of information. Through obfuscation, stonewalling, and misinformation, the government managed to deflect the frustration of ordinary people away from itself,” CFR’s Yanzhong Huang writes for Foreign Affairs.
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U.S., Micronesia Extend Political, Security Ties |
The extension of a twenty-year-old deal gives the United States (AFP) continued access to military facilities across the Pacific and grants Micronesia security and budget guarantees. It comes as China also seeks to increase its sway in Micronesia. |
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Australia, India Make Deals on Migration, Green Hydrogen |
In Sydney, the leaders of the two countries agreed to make it easier (AP) for students, graduates, researchers, and businesspeople to travel between the countries. They also agreed on the terms of a joint task force to promote green hydrogen, an energy source produced without using fossil fuels.
Pakistan: Former Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari became the latest (Bloomberg) in a series of high-profile members to leave Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the party of former Prime Minister Imran Khan. The exodus follows a crackdown on party members by Pakistan’s military establishment. |
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Middle East and North Africa |
Western Lawmakers Call for Oil Exec to Step Down as COP28 Chief |
A letter from more than 130 lawmakers from the United States and the European Union (EU) said that fossil fuel companies are exerting “undue influence” (Politico) over the upcoming UN climate talks in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and called for the head of the UAE’s state oil company to step down from his role as COP28 chair.
Lebanon: The Financial Action Task Force, an international financial crime watchdog, is preparing to add Lebanon to a “gray list” of countries at risk of money laundering and terrorism financing, Reuters reported.
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Congo Asks ICC to Probe Alleged Abuses by Rwandan Forces, M23 Rebels |
The Democratic Republic of Congo formally requested (Reuters) that the International Criminal Court (ICC) probe alleged human rights violations by the March 23 Movement (M23) rebel group. Kinshasa says Rwanda has assisted the group’s attacks in the eastern Congo, which Kigali denies. This timeline by James McBride looks at the legacy of foreign intervention in the eastern Congo. Sudan: Residents of the capital, Khartoum, said there has been relative calm in the city (BBC) amid a seven-day cease-fire between Sudan’s warring military factions, though some fighting was reported shortly after the truce began on Monday night.
This In Brief by Mariel Ferragamo and Diana Roy assesses the humanitarian crisis triggered by Sudan’s latest conflict.
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Russian Court Extends American Reporter’s Detention by Three Months |
The pretrial detention of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who was arrested in March, will last (NPR) until at least August 30. The U.S. embassy in Moscow said it is “deeply concerned” by the decision and the continued denial of consular access to Gershkovich.
Turkey: Far-right politician Ümit Özdağ endorsed opposition candidate (MEE) Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu ahead of a May 28 presidential runoff. On Monday, Sinan Oğan, the far-right candidate who finished third in the first-round vote, officially backed incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. CFR’s Steven A. Cook discusses how to read Turkey’s first-round election results. |
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Ecuador Sets August 20 as New Election Date |
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Surgeon General: Social Media Presents Mental Health Risk to Young People |
In a new report, the nation’s top medical official warned that social media can have “a profound risk of harm” (NYT) to children’s and adolescents’ mental health and encouraged parents and tech companies to better police its use. |
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