November 30, 2021

Daily News Brief

November 30, 2021

Top of the Agenda

Iran Makes Maximalist Demands in New Round of Nuclear Talks

Iran called for an immediate lifting of U.S. sanctions (NYT) against it in negotiations yesterday with other parties to the 2015 nuclear deal, European Union delegate Enrique Mora said, a demand the United States is unlikely to accept. While Mora called the talks “extremely positive” (Reuters) and said they built on previous negotiations, Iran’s top nuclear negotiator, Ali Bagheri Kani, told Iranian state television that everything previously discussed was a “draft” (AP).

Talks continue today with a working group on U.S. sanctions and tomorrow with a working group on Iran’s nuclear activities. UN nuclear inspectors remain unable to fully monitor Iran after Tehran limited their access earlier this year.    

Analysis

“These negotiations will yield little, no matter how much money Washington releases or how ardently [Joe] Biden administration officials describe any follow-on talks as important steps toward a diplomatic solution,” CFR’s Ray Takeyh and the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ Reuel Marc Gerecht write for the Wall Street Journal.

“Close cooperation with U.S. allies in the region to put pressure on Iran won’t produce a fundamentally different result than what the [Donald] Trump administration attempted and produced the worst of all words: an Iranian nuclear program that is now closer to nuclear weapons than ever and an Iran that is more aggressive in the region and more repressive at home,” the International Crisis Group’s Ali Vaez tells the Hill. 

This Backgrounder unpacks the Iran nuclear deal.

Pacific Rim

Philippine President’s Preferred Successor Backs Out of Election

Senator Bong Go, President Rodrigo Duterte’s favored candidate for next year’s presidential election, said he will drop out (Rappler) of the race.

China: President Xi Jinping said China will supply one billion COVID-19 vaccines (SCMP) to African countries by next year, six hundred million of which will be donated.

For Think Global Health, Samantha Kiernan, Serena Tohme, and Gayeong Song look at the mixed record of vaccine diplomacy and donations.

South and Central Asia

Watchdog: Taliban Killed or Disappeared Over One Hundred Former Afghan Security Officers

The summary executions and forced disappearances occurred after the Taliban took over Afghanistan in August, according to a new Human Rights Watch report.

Sri Lanka: Armed troops reportedly broke up memorial events (AFP) for Tamils who died in the country’s civil war and assaulted Tamil journalists covering a ceremony at a former battle site.

Middle East and North Africa

Kuwaiti Opposition Members Return Home After Pardon

A royal pardon ended a decade of self-exile (AP) for several prominent opposition members. The measure was aimed at ending political paralysis in the country.

This Day in History: November 30, 1995

Bill Clinton becomes the first sitting U.S. president to visit Northern Ireland. In a speech in Belfast, Clinton calls for an end to the Troubles conflict, urging citizens to “weave disparate threads into remarkable fabrics.”

Sub-Saharan Africa

DRC, Uganda Launch Air Strikes Against Armed Group

The Ugandan military, in partnership with forces from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), launched air strikes (Al Jazeera) against the Allied Democratic Forces, which Ugandan authorities blamed for suicide bombings in Kampala earlier this month.

Rwanda: Rwanda is now offering COVID-19 booster doses (Bloomberg), joining a few other African nations in doing so.

Europe

Far-Right French TV Pundit Announces Presidential Candidacy

Eric Zemmour said on social media that he will run in France’s presidential election in April. An analysis of polls by Politico projected he would earn 14 percent of votes, less than President Emmanuel Macron’s 24 percent and far-right National Rally party leader Marine Le Pen’s 18 percent.

Brussels: Eurozone annual inflation is expected to reach 4.9 percent (Politico) in November, the highest level since the euro was launched in 1999.

Americas

Barbados Cuts Ties to British Monarchy

Barbados officially became a republic when it swore in its first president (NYT), Sandra Mason, last night. Mason replaces British Queen Elizabeth II as the head of state.

This In Brief examines Queen Elizabeth’s global role.

U.S./Mexico: U.S. prosecutors will request a sentence (Reuters) today for Emma Coronel Aispuro, the wife of imprisoned Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman. Coronel pleaded guilty to drug charges in June.

United States

Moderna Chief Predicts Omicron Will Challenge Existing Vaccines

The head of pharmaceutical company Moderna predicted a “material drop” (FT) in the effectiveness of existing vaccines against the coronavirus variant, saying more data is needed to assess their exact effectiveness.

This In Brief explains how the emergence of new variants is underscoring the risks of uneven vaccine distribution.

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