Chief Executive Carrie Lam invoked a colonial-era emergency law to issue a sweeping ban on face coverings (SCMP) at public assemblies, prompting demonstrators to take to the streets to denounce the measure. The ban is set to take effect (NYT) at midnight tonight.

Face masks have been common (CNN) among pro-democracy protesters as a way to protect against tear gas or conceal their identities. Their use will now be punishable by up to a year in prison and a fine of more than $3,000. Lam said the measure is aimed at making it easier to identify protesters who resort to violence. Protesters have vowed to defy the law (BBC). 

The number of new HIV cases has more than doubled (WSJ) in the past five years, the fastest growth rate of any country, according to the UN AIDS agency. Researchers say the rise in popularity of mobile dating apps may have played a role.

More than one hundred journalists in India-administered Kashmir held a silent protest (Reuters) as mobile-network and internet shutdowns continued across the territory. The reporters say a media center set up by the Indian government is insufficient.

In Foreign Affairs, Pratap Bhanu Mehta writes that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is winning Kashmir, but gutting Indian democracy.

Afghanistan: High vote tallies from polling centers that reported low turnout are raising concerns about fraud in last weekend’s presidential election, according to a New York Times report.

The Saudi energy minister said production has stabilized (FT) at around 9.9 million barrels per day following a drop in output in the wake of attacks on oil facilities last month. 

CFR’s Amy Myers Jaffe explains why the scale and nature of the attack make it unique.

Iraq: Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi, in a televised address, pledged to work on providing a basic income, improving housing availability, and stepping up anticorruption measures. The speech came amid nationwide protests (AP), with demonstrators defying a ban by gathering in Baghdad’s Tahrir Square today.

The leaders of Nigeria and South Africa, at a summit in Pretoria (Bloomberg), signed dozens of trade agreements aimed at strengthening sectors including agriculture and manufacturing. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa also condemned recent xenophobic violence against Nigerians and other foreigners in South Africa.

Tanzania: More than five hundred refugees from Burundi were sent home (VOA), according to a Tanzanian official, as the start of a repatriation effort that aims to send 184,000 Burundians back to their home country by the end of the year.

The two countries committed to giving each other’s law enforcement agencies quicker access to electronic communications (FT) from suspected criminals in investigations. The deal must still be approved by Congress and the House of Commons.

France: A man who worked at a Paris police station killed at least four officers (AFP) with a knife before he was shot and killed.

President Lenin Moreno declared the emergency as transit workers across the country blocked roads to protest the government’s decision to end decades-old fuel subsidies (Reuters) and implement a new fiscal reform package.

Peru: President Martin Vizcarra swore in a new cabinet (Reuters), after dissolving Congress earlier this week. New legislative elections are set for January, though opposition lawmakers say they will challenge the move at Peru’s top court.

President Donald J. Trump, speaking on the White House lawn, encouraged China (PBS) to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden, a leading candidate in the 2020 election, and his son over their business dealings in the country. Trump’s similar request to Ukraine, now the subject of an impeachment inquiry, reportedly included (NYT) a draft statement for Ukraine’s president that would commit the country to investigate Trump’s political rivals.  

CFR’s James M. Lindsay answers five questions about the impeachment inquiry.