The chief scientist for the World Health Organization (WHO), Soumya Swaminathan, said that the world is unlikely to achieve herd immunity (AP) against COVID-19 this year. She urged countries to keep social-distancing and other measures in place even as they begin vaccinating their populations.

Many wealthy nations have launched vaccination campaigns, with Israel, the United Kingdom, and the United States among the countries that have administered the most doses (Our World in Data) per one hundred people. However, some of the world’s poorer countries have yet to begin, and wealthy nations have purchased most of the world’s COVID-19 vaccines. India, which has the world’s second-highest number of infections after the United States, is expected to start giving shots (AFP) on Saturday, while Russia is testing whether its Sputnik V vaccine is effective with one dose instead of two. In the United States, the Donald J. Trump administration is expected to issue new guidelines today (Axios) asking states to allow vaccinations for anyone older than sixty-five and to stop holding back second doses.

King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah approved the government’s request to declare a state of emergency (Straits Times) as COVID-19 cases increase throughout Malaysia. The state of emergency is set to last until August 1, and Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said there will be no elections or parliamentary or state assembly sittings until it is lifted.

China/India: China has withdrawn around ten thousand troops from its disputed border with India in recent weeks, unnamed sources told the South China Morning Post, adding that Beijing predicts little change in the border conflict during the winter. The countries have been locked in a standoff since June.

CFR’s Alyssa Ayres explains the China-India border dispute.

The Supreme Court halted the implementation of new farm laws (NYT) put forth by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government that have prompted tens of thousands of farmers to protest outside of New Delhi for weeks. A committee of experts will be appointed to try to resolve the dispute between the government and the farmers.
 
Afghanistan: The U.S. military has continued to withdraw troops from Afghanistan (Reuters) despite a new American law prohibiting further reductions without a risk assessment sent to Congress by the Pentagon.
 
This CFR timeline traces the U.S. war in Afghanistan.

An eleven-day lockdown with a twenty-four-hour curfew will begin in Lebanon (AP) on Thursday due to a surge in COVID-19 cases. People swarmed grocery stores following reports that they would only be able to use food delivery services during the lockdown.

Oman: Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said announced a new basic law (Reuters) that includes the appointment of a crown prince for the first time and new rules on how parliament will work.

President Cyril Ramaphosa extended coronavirus restrictions that were set to expire this week and announced that twenty land borders will be closed (CNN) until February as the country struggles to contain the spread of a new COVID-19 variant.

This CFR In Brief explains the dangers of new COVID-19 strains.

East Africa: The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization warned that immature locust swarms could migrate (Anadolu) from eastern Ethiopia and central Somalia to southern Ethiopia and northern Kenya. An outbreak of locusts in the region last year jeopardized food security.

During a meeting in Moscow facilitated by Russia, the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed to work together to develop the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh (WSJ), where conflict erupted between the countries last year. They have yet to agree on the role of Russian peacekeepers, the resettlement of displaced people, and the future of captured fighters.
 
Ireland: The government will release a new report (BBC) today about homes for unwed mothers and their babies established across Ireland in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The report is expected to show that nine thousand children died in the eighteen institutions investigated.

The U.S. State Department designated Cuba (Miami Herald) as a state sponsor of terrorism, accusing the country’s government of providing support for “murderers, bombmakers, and hijackers.” In 2015, the Barack Obama administration removed Cuba from the list, which also includes Iran, North Korea, and Syria.
 
Brazil: U.S. automaker Ford will stop manufacturing in Brazil (Detroit Free Press) in 2021. The company will close two plants immediately and shutter a third later this year in an effort to cut costs and increase efficiency.

Democrats in the House of Representatives introduced an article of impeachment (NYT) against President Trump and scheduled a vote for tomorrow if Vice President Mike Pence does not move to strip Trump of his powers first.