More than 4,000 people died of COVID-19 in the United States yesterday, the most deaths ever reported (NYT) in a single day, bringing the country’s total death toll to more than 365,000. Additionally, a record number of people were hospitalized this week. December was the nation’s deadliest month for COVID-19, and health officials warn that January will likely be worse.

The virus is surging in several states (AP), including California and Florida, as a nationwide vaccination campaign ramps up after a slow start. Nearly six million people have received a dose of one of two COVID-19 vaccines approved for use in the United States. That number falls short of officials’ goal of vaccinating at least twenty million people by the end of 2020. At the same time, officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) believe a new, more contagious variant of the coronavirus first reported in the United Kingdom is likely present (WaPo) in many U.S. states. Scientists are still investigating whether vaccines will be less effective against COVID-19 variants.

Top Congressional Democrats and at least one Republican called for President Donald J. Trump to be stripped of his powers (NYT) under the Twenty-Fifth Amendment after a mob of his supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol building. Several high-ranking administration officials announced their resignations (WaPo), including Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao. For his part, Trump said he will work to ensure an “orderly” transition of power to President-Elect Joe Biden.

CFR’s Bruce Hoffman writes that the rioters were domestic terrorists.

Seoul District Court ordered Japan to compensate twelve so-called comfort women (Bloomberg) who were forced into sexual slavery during World War II. Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga called for the case to be dismissed.

Indonesia: Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Bashir, the former spiritual leader of the Jemaah Islamiyah terrorist group, has been released from prison (Straits Times). He is believed to have masterminded the 2002 Bali bombing, Indonesia’s deadliest terrorist attack. 

On Sunday, Kazakhs will vote in legislative elections (Economist), the first ever in which no genuine opposition parties appear on the ballot. Meanwhile, voters in Kyrgyzstan will cast their ballots for president (Nikkei Asia) and consider a referendum on moving to presidential rule instead of parliamentary rule. Nationalist politician Sadyr Japarov is expected to win the presidency.

Bangladesh/Pakistan: Pakistan lifted visa restrictions (Al Jazeera, Anadolu) for Bangladeshis after officials from both countries met in an effort to improve their frosty relationship. Bangladesh has not announced a similar easing of restrictions for Pakistanis.

Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei banned the Iranian government from importing COVID-19 vaccines (Reuters) from the United States and the United Kingdom, calling the countries “untrustworthy.” He said Iran could instead obtain vaccines from “reliable places,” possibly referring to allies China and Russia.

Qatar/UAE: The United Arab Emirates will reopen its borders and airspace to Qatar (AP) tomorrow, restarting commerce and travel between the two countries. Earlier this week, the UAE joined three other Arab countries in ending a yearslong boycott of Qatar.

The opposition presidential candidate known as Bobi Wine asked the International Criminal Court to investigate President Yoweri Museveni (Reuters) and senior officials for human rights abuses committed in the lead-up to Uganda’s presidential and parliamentary elections next week. Wine sent his family abroad (AFP) out of concern for their safety ahead of the elections.

Ethiopia: A new UN report highlighted fears of “massive community COVID-19 transmission” (AP) in Ethiopia’s troubled Tigray region. The report said transmission has been fueled by mass displacement and the collapse of health-care systems, both caused by the conflict between regional and government forces that erupted in November.

CFR’s Michelle Gavin writes that the crisis in Tigray has eroded Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s credibility.

New data by the Europe Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service found that 2020 tied 2016 as the world’s warmest year in recorded history (BBC). Europe also saw its warmest year on record; 2020 was 0.4°C warmer than 2019, which was previously the warmest year.

This CFR Backgrounder explains the successes and failures of global climate agreements.

France: The United States suspended plans to impose tariffs (WSJ) on $1.3 billion worth of French goods. The tariffs were initially announced in response to France’s tax on American tech companies, such as Amazon and Facebook.

A vaccine created by the Chinese company Sinovac showed a 78 percent efficacy rate (FT) in late-stage trials in Brazil. The announcement paves the way for the rollout of the vaccine in Brazil, where almost two hundred thousand people have died of COVID-19.

Guatemala: The former head of security for Central America’s largest nickel mine, located in eastern Guatemala, was found guilty of homicide (Guardian) for the fatal 2009 shooting of an indigenous community leader who opposed the mine. Personnel working for transnational mining companies in Central America rarely face prosecution.