World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Europe Hans Kluge warned that COVID-19’s spread in the region is of “grave concern” (AFP) and that half a million people could die of COVID-19 complications in the next three months as countries struggle with the Delta variant (NYT). Today, Germany recorded its highest-ever number of new infections (CNN) for the second day in a row.
 
Kluge said the surge across the region is also due to relaxed mask wearing and lagging vaccination rates in certain countries. His warning came as the United States passed its own grim milestone (WaPo) this week of 750,000 COVID-19 deaths.

Yoon Seok-youl is currently neck and neck (Nikkei) with Lee Jae-myung, the ruling party’s candidate, in polls ahead of March’s presidential election.
 
Japan: Two death row inmates are suing the Japanese government (Guardian) over the practice of telling prisoners their execution times only hours before they are hanged.

The countries join South Africa (Reuters), which earlier this week said it will benefit from a multibillion-dollar initiative funded by rich countries to aid the transition from coal to clean energy.
 
Pakistan: The country announced a $709 million subsidies program (Al Jazeera) for households struggling with rising food prices.

The State Department notified Congress (CNN) of the proposed sale, which would be the second to the country under the Joe Biden administration. It would include 280 missiles that the State Department said are for air defense and cannot be used to attack ground targets.
 
CFR President Richard Haass argues that U.S. interests require maintaining ties with Riyadh.
 
Lebanon/Saudi Arabia: The Lebanese presidency tweeted that Prime Minister Najib Mikati agreed to a roadmap (Reuters) for resolving a diplomatic crisis with Saudi Arabia. The tensions arose over a Lebanese official’s criticism of Saudi Arabia’s involvement in the war in Yemen.

Groups opposing the Ethiopian government, including the Oromo Liberation Army, joined Tigrayan rebels (AP) in a formal alliance that is pushing for a negotiated political transition in the country as their forces move closer to the capital.
 
The World Next Week podcast discusses Ethiopia’s intensifying civil war.
 
Sudan: State television reported that General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who seized power in a coup last week, ordered the release (Al Jazeera) of four detained ministers.

The United Kingdom (UK) approved the antiviral pill (FT) for people who have at least one risk factor for developing severe illness, the pill’s manufacturer Merck said.

Brazil opened the public tender process (Reuters) for investments in its 5G wireless network. The United States has pressed Brazil to exclude the Chinese firm Huawei from the network on security grounds. Brasilia announced it will build a separate network for government communications that effectively excludes the company.
 
Nicaragua: The U.S. Congress approved new sanctions (Al Jazeera) on President Daniel Ortega’s government ahead of a presidential election on Sunday. Ortega is all but certain to win the election after jailing his opponents and dissidents.   
 
For Foreign Affairs, Ryan C. Berg and Lauri Tahtinen discuss how Washington can help reverse Latin America’s democratic recession.

Over twenty financial institutions and countries, including the United States and UK, pledged to end financing (Politico) by next year for oil and gas projects abroad that are unabated, or do not capture their carbon emissions. Many of the world’s biggest backers of such projects, including China, did not sign on.
 
Thousands of young climate activists, including Greta Thunberg, are marching (BBC) through Glasgow today. They include participants in COP26 and students aligned with the Fridays for Future climate movement.