The Donald J. Trump administration has allowed the federal government’s transition to the incoming Joe Biden administration to formally begin, while the president-elect continues to build his cabinet.
 
After three weeks of falsely claiming election fraud and delaying the transition (WaPo), President Trump accepted that starting the process is “in the best interest of our country,” though he did not concede. Designating Biden as the victor will allow his team to access federal funds and resources (NYT) and coordinate with Trump administration officials. President-Elect Biden is already taking steps in the formal transition, including changing his website from .com to .gov. Yesterday, he named members of his foreign policy and national security teams (Reuters), including Antony J. Blinken as secretary of state, Linda Thomas-Greenfield as ambassador to the United Nations, Jake Sullivan as national security advisor, and Avril Haines as director of national intelligence. Biden also created a new position to focus on climate change, which will be filled by former Secretary of State John Kerry.

Hundreds of flights were canceled at one of China’s busiest airports after Shanghai reported several local COVID-19 infections (AFP) linked to Pudong International Airport in recent days. Tens of thousands of staff there have been tested. China has largely controlled the virus but is dealing with outbreaks in multiple cities.
 
Thailand: Police will deploy thousands of officers outside the building of an agency that manages the royal family’s fortune ahead of planned pro-democracy protests (Bangkok Post) tomorrow.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance will decide in February (TOLO) whether to maintain its troop presence in Afghanistan, describing it as a “difficult choice.” His statement follows the Trump administration’s announcement last week that it will withdraw U.S. troops from the country.

This CFR timeline traces the U.S. war in Afghanistan.

India: The Supreme Court criticized several states and territories (Times of India), including Delhi, for failing to prevent the spread of the coronavirus as cases rise. It called on state governments to file reports detailing their plans to combat the virus.

Turkey lodged a complaint with the European Union’s Libya mission after German forces tried to search a Turkish ship (Reuters) suspected of taking weapons to Libya in violation of a UN arms embargo. Turkey, which backs the internationally recognized government in Libya, claimed that the ship was carrying humanitarian aid.

CFR’s Steven A. Cook writes that Turkey does not have a plan for Libya.

Israel: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced plans to visit Bahrain (Jerusalem Post), which normalized ties with Israel in September. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister denied (Al-Monitor) that Netanyahu met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Sunday.

The Tigray People’s Liberation Front rejected the Ethiopian government’s call for its forces to surrender (Guardian) ahead of a threatened assault tomorrow, raising global alarm over a conflict that has killed hundreds and displaced many more. The UN Security Council will hold its first meeting on the situation today.

DRC: Former militia leader Ntabo Ntaberi Sheka was sentenced to life in prison (BBC) for committing crimes against humanity, including murder and rape, in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s restive North Kivu Province.

The United Kingdom’s government is discussing whether to remove British judges (FT) serving on Hong Kong’s top court following Beijing’s imposition of a new national security law there earlier this year.

France: The interior minister said he will launch a probe (France24) into the police’s use of tear gas and excessive force to clear a migrant camp of about five hundred tents in Paris.

This CFR In Brief examines countries’ policies on tear gas.

The Roman Catholic Church canceled the annual pilgrimage (AP) for the Virgin of Guadalupe due to the pandemic. The celebration, which is considered the world’s largest Catholic pilgrimage and usually draws millions of people, would have concluded in Mexico City.

Guatemala: The government chose not to ratify a budget (Reuters) that sparked violent protests over the weekend. Instead, its 2021 budget will be based on this year’s.