Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed faces his first real test at the ballot today in national and regional elections (CNN) that have been marred by conflict and drawn criticism from international observers.   

Abiy, who was appointed the head of Ethiopia’s ruling coalition in a 2018 internal deal, says today’s elections are proof of the country’s democratic progress. At least one-fifth of parliamentary constituencies are not voting (Guardian) due to violence, logistical problems, or the conflict between federal and regional forces in the country’s northern Tigray region. The opposition Oromo Liberation Front is boycotting the vote (News24). The European Union previously withdrew its election observers, saying Ethiopia failed to guarantee their security and independence, and the U.S. State Department cited grave concerns over the recent detentions of opposition politicians and harassment of the media.

Venues at the Tokyo Olympics will be allowed to fill to 50 percent capacity (Kyodo), up to a maximum of ten thousand spectators, organizers announced. They said they will still consider holding the games without spectators if Japan’s COVID-19 situation worsens before the games begin next month.
 
North Korea: After the U.S. envoy for North Korea offered to meet with North Korean officials “anywhere, anytime, without preconditions,” Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, said Washington has the  “wrong” expectations about dialogue (Yonhap).

The leader of Myanmar’s junta and the secretary of Russia’s Security Council affirmed their commitment to strengthening security ties (Reuters) and boosting other cooperation during a meeting in Moscow. Defense cooperation between the two countries has increased in recent years.
 
Afghanistan: Taliban fighters gained control of the Imam Sahib district (AP) in Kunduz Province and encircled the province’s capital city of Kunduz. The province is near Afghanistan’s northern border with Tajikistan, which is a major route for imports from Central Asia.   

Iranian President-Elect Ebrahim Raisi said in his first press conference that he will not negotiate (NPR) over Tehran’s ballistic missile program or its support for regional militias. He also said the team currently negotiating Iran’s return to the 2015 nuclear deal will stay in place (Al-Monitor), and that Iran will return to compliance with the deal after the United States, which left the agreement in 2018, fully reenters it.
 
Iraq: The United Kingdom’s newest aircraft carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth, is taking on the “lion’s share” (National) of operations against the self-proclaimed Islamic State in Iraq, a UK military commander said.

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced its support for the establishment of a hub in South Africa where manufacturers from developing countries will receive training in how to produce mRNA vaccines (UN News).

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s Civil Contract party won a snap election (AFP) that he called after protests erupted against a peace deal he signed to end fighting with Azerbaijan last year.
 
This In Brief looks at what to know about Armenia’s postwar crisis.
 
Spain: Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez plans to pardon nine Catalan separatists (BBC) who were arrested for sedition over a failed independence push in 2017. Tens of thousands of people have protested against the potential pardon in recent weeks.

Argentina and Mexico recalled their ambassadors (Buenos Aires Times) amid a crackdown against Nicaragua’s political opposition, citing the country’s “worrying” actions in a joint statement.
 
For the Pressure Points blog, CFR’s Elliott Abrams writes that democracy is being destroyed in Nicaragua.
 
South America: The continent has become the world’s COVID-19 epicenter (WSJ), accounting for one-quarter of the reported global death toll despite being home to only 5 percent of the world’s population. Brazil surpassed five hundred thousand casualties this weekend.

Of the eighty million COVID-19 vaccine doses the Joe Biden administration pledged to share globally by the end of the month, around forty-one million (CNN) will go to the WHO’s COVAX mechanism for countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, the White House said. Fourteen million doses will be sent to handpicked countries including Afghanistan, Colombia, South Africa, and Yemen.
 
For Foreign Affairs, Helene Gayle, Gordon LaForge, and Anne-Marie Slaughter write that the United States can—and should—vaccinate the world.