The United States and Russia held another round of nuclear arms control talks (DW) today in Helsinki, according to Finnish officials. The discussions built on negotiations held over the summer in Vienna.
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The countries are aiming to reach an agreement to replace the U.S.-Russia New START treaty, which expires in February (AP). It is the last remaining nuclear arms control pact between the United States and Russia. The Donald J. Trump administration is reportedly scrambling for a deal (WaPo) in order to score a diplomatic victory ahead of the U.S. presidential election in November.

Tokyo filed an official complaint against a new Chinese digital museum (SCMP) that details Beijing’s sovereignty over the disputed Senkaku/Diaoyu islands in the East China Sea, a Japanese government spokesperson said. Analysts said the website could force new Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga to take a harder line on the issue.

​This CFR timeline details China’s maritime disputes.

U.S./China: Thousands of companies, including Coca-Cola, Disney, and Ford, have filed lawsuits challenging tariffs (FT) the Trump administration imposed on hundreds of billions of dollars worth of Chinese goods. The cases come as the window to appeal some of the tariffs is set to close.

Opposition parties in Kyrgyzstan held rallies in the capital city of Bishkek to challenge the results (RFE/RL) of the weekend’s parliamentary elections, which were won by parties close to pro-Russia President Sooronbay Jeenbekov. The opposition alleges that vote buying and other irregularities tipped the election. 

​Afghanistan: President Ashraf Ghani is leading a delegation (TOLO) of top government officials to Kuwait and Qatar today. The trip comes amid peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban that have yet to move beyond preliminary meetings more than twenty days after the opening ceremony.

A limited number of pilgrims were allowed access to Islam’s holiest site (Al Jazeera) in the city of Mecca on Sunday as Saudi Arabia eased coronavirus lockdown measures. The country suspended the umrah pilgrimage—which typically draws millions of Muslims each year—in March due to the pandemic.

​Iran: Fariba Adelkhah, a French-Iranian academic sentenced to six years in jail on national security charges, was temporarily released (BBC) by Iranian authorities and is now with her family in Tehran. Dozens of foreign and dual citizens have been arrested in recent years.

The transitional government in Sudan and a coalition of rebel groups signed a peace accord (Al Jazeera) to end the war that has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and displaced millions. The deal is being guaranteed by Chad, Egypt, Qatar, the African Union, the European Union, and the United Nations.

​Mali: The United States welcomed Mali’s formation of a transitional government (Reuters) as an “initial step” toward restoring constitutional order. An eighteen-month transition to civilian rule is in place following the ouster of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita in August.

Armenia and Azerbaijan’s conflict in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh escalated on Sunday (RFE/RL), with both sides accusing the other of targeting civilians. Authorities in the territory—which is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan but controlled by ethnic Armenians—said the capital Stepanakert and the nearby city of Shushi were hit with missiles and artillery. Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry said the city of Ganca, the country’s second largest, was similarly attacked.

​CFR’s Global Conflict Tracker monitors the violence in Nagorno-Karabakh.

As much as 40 percent of the Amazon Rainforest is at risk of becoming an open savanna (Guardian) as a result of climate change, researchers warned in a new study. Prolonged droughts and fires can cause areas to lose trees and become a mix of grass and woodland, a process that is difficult to reverse.

This CFR InfoGuide examines deforestation in the Amazon.

​Nicaragua: Rights groups criticized President Daniel Ortega for pushing legislation (FT) that would allow political opponents and publishers of “fake news” to be jailed. Critics said proposed laws, which the government has defended as necessary for national security, were part of a strategy of repression ahead of elections next year.

A number of doctors, including a physician at Walter Reed Medical Center, criticized President Trump (Axios), for riding in an SUV to wave at supporters outside the hospital where he is being treated for COVID-19. Dr. James Phillips tweeted that it was “insanity” for Trump to risk the lives of the Secret Service agents who were with him inside the hermetically sealed vehicle.

Pope Francis said the coronavirus pandemic has provided evidence for what he called a failure of market capitalism (AP) in his latest encyclical, a letter considered to be the most authoritative form of papal teachings. He also lamented the lack of a coordinated global response (NYT) to the pandemic.