Finalized at the twenty-sixth Conference of Parties (COP26) on Saturday, the Glasgow Climate Pact established rules for an international carbon market (Reuters) and maintained unprecedented language (Economist) on the need for countries to reduce coal use and fossil fuel subsidies, though the text didn’t call on them to completely phase either out. While countries’ current emissions-reduction targets for 2030 still put the world on track for 2.4°C (4.3°F) of warming by 2100, according to a Climate Action Tracker projection, countries also pledged to update those targets next year.  

Highlights of the two-week UN climate conference also included a U.S.-China agreement (State Dept.) to cooperate on decarbonization efforts and a partnership for wealthy countries to help South Africa transition away from coal, which could become a model for other developing countries. 

It will be the third conversation between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping since Biden took office in January. Biden is expected to raise concerns (SCMP) about Taiwan, industrial subsidies, and allegations of forced labor in Xinjiang. 
 
For Foreign Affairs, Danny Russel writes that diplomacy between Washington and Beijing can prevent disaster.
 
Japan: Washington and Tokyo agreed to begin negotiations (Kyodo) aimed at resolving a dispute about U.S. tariffs on Japanese steel and aluminum imports that were imposed by the Donald Trump administration.

The rate of new COVID-19 cases in the country has remained under twenty thousand per day (Nikkei) for over a month, down from more than four hundred thousand per day in May.

Myanmar: American journalist Danny Fenster was released (NYT) from a Myanmar jail and will fly back to the United States following a diplomatic push by former U.S. Ambassador Bill Richardson.

Saif al-Islam al-Qaddafi, son of former Libyan dictator Muammar al-Qaddafi, registered to run (FT) in the December 24 election.
 
Egypt: The country’s national research organization announced it will begin trials (AP) for a domestically produced COVID-19 vaccine. At least 14 percent of Egyptians have been vaccinated, officials said.
 
This In Brief looks at a year of progress and inequity in COVID-19 vaccinations.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken kicks off a five-day tour of Kenya, Nigeria, and Senegal today. He is expected to focus on “revitalizing democracies” on the continent, the pandemic, and climate change, an unnamed official told Foreign Policy.

Sudan: Security forces arrested Al Jazeera’s Sudan bureau chief after raiding his home. They did not provide an explanation, Al Jazeera reported.

The centrist We Continue the Change party held 25.4 percent of votes (Reuters) with 61 percent of ballots counted. Two previous elections in April and July were inconclusive.
 
Belarus: The European Union (EU) is today expected to widen its economic sanctions (Politico) against Belarus, including those aimed at airlines and travel agencies that transport migrants to the country, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said.

Authorities have blocked (WaPo) journalists and activists from leaving their homes ahead of pro-democracy demonstrations planned for today.
 
Argentina: After midterm elections yesterday, the country’s ruling coalition is on track to lose its Senate majority (Bloomberg) for the first time since 1983.

Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen told CBS that the pandemic is to blame for inflation in the United States.
 
CFR’s Roger W. Ferguson Jr. discusses how much inflation in the United States is too much.