The European Union began a sweeping campaign (NYT) to provide coronavirus vaccines to hundreds of millions of people across the bloc. 

The arrival of vaccines comes as a highly transmissible coronavirus strain, first detected in England, spreads in Europe (WaPo) and around the world. Scientists do not believe the variant is more deadly or more resistant to vaccines. EU leaders have signed contracts (NPR) with multiple suppliers for more than two billion vaccine doses for the inoculation campaign. Vaccinations were supposed to begin in a coordinated rollout yesterday, but some took place ahead of schedule, including in Germany and Hungary.

A court in Shanghai sentenced citizen journalist Zhang Zhan to four years in prison for reporting on the coronavirus outbreak (SCMP) in the Chinese city of Wuhan. Zhang began a hunger strike in June to protest her arrest and attended her trial in a wheelchair, one of her lawyers said.

Japan: The government suspended entries by foreigners (Kyodo) through the end of January as it seeks to prevent the spread of a new, more contagious coronavirus strain.

The Indian government requested a new round of talks (Scroll) with farmers this week after more than a month of protests in the capital. Tens of thousands of farmers, mostly from the states of Punjab and Haryana, have camped on major highways to oppose three agricultural reform laws they fear will hurt their livelihoods by ending government-supported prices.

Bangladesh: The government continues to relocate Rohingya refugees (Guardian) to a remote island despite concerns from international rights groups about safety and security.

This CFR Backgrounder unpacks the Rohingya crisis.

Egyptian officials visited the Libyan capital (Al Jazeera) of Tripoli for talks with the UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA). It was the highest-level Egyptian delegation to visit the city since 2014. The two parties discussed the implementation of a cease-fire agreement between the GNA and rebels commanded by Khalifa Haftar, who is backed by Cairo, among other issues.

This CFR In Brief explains who’s who in Libya’s war. 

Saudi Arabia: One of the country’s most prominent women’s rights activists, Loujain al-Hathloul, was sentenced to nearly six years (AP) in prison under a vague antiterrorism law. She could be released as early as March based on time already served, a rights group said.

The country held presidential and legislative elections (BBC) over the weekend despite clashes between the government and rebel forces near the capital; three UN peacekeepers were killed ahead of the vote. Initial results are expected next week.

Niger: Presidential and legislative elections occurred yesterday (AP) that could lead to the country’s first democratic transfer of power since independence in 1960. Several candidates are vying to replace President Mahamadou Issoufou. A runoff election will be held if no candidate secures a majority.

The British government warned businesses that there could be some “bumpy moments” (AP) as the United Kingdom’s post-Brexit trade deal with the European Union takes effect at midnight on Thursday. The deal came together on Christmas Eve, just a week before the Brexit transition period ends. EU ambassadors unanimously approved the deal today, and the British Parliament is expected to vote on it on Wednesday.

Venezuela’s opposition-held National Assembly voted to extend its term (Reuters) after President Nicolas Maduro’s allies won an overwhelming majority in an election earlier this month that was mostly boycotted by the opposition. The term extension will allow opposition leader Juan Guaido, whom the United States and dozens of other countries recognize as Venezuela’s interim president, to remain speaker. 

Argentina: The Senate will debate a bill legalizing abortion (MercoPress) tomorrow. If it passes, Argentina will be the largest Latin American country to legalize the procedure. The bill is backed by Vice President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, who opposed legalizing abortion when she was president.

President Donald J. Trump reversed course and signed legislation (NYT) yesterday to fund the government and provide $900 billion worth of pandemic relief. He previously opposed the bill, which had been negotiated for months in Congress and by his administration. In a statement, Trump made a series of demands for congressional action, including removing wasteful spending from the law and providing bigger stimulus checks, though it’s unclear if Congress will act.