Australia’s most populous state, New South Wales, declared a state of emergency (CNN) for the second time in two months as bushfires burned across the state, killing two volunteer firefighters and prompting Prime Minister Scott Morrison to cut short a vacation.
 
The fires have grown along with rising temperatures; Tuesday and Wednesday each registered as Australia’s hottest day on record. Morrison said he deeply regretted (SMH) taking time off during the crisis. Though Australia is one of the highest per capita emitters of carbon dioxide in the world, Morrison has argued (TIME) that the country’s greenhouse gas emissions and the severity of the fires are unrelated. His administration was accused of thwarting negotiations (Guardian) at last week’s UN climate summit.

Kazakhstan’s president announced that protests in the country will no longer need approval (Reuters) from authorities, punishments for hate speech and libel will be reduced, and requirements for forming political parties will be eased.

Hassan Diab, a former education minister backed by the militant group Hezbollah, has been named the country’s next prime minister (CNN), the president’s office announced.
 
Libya: The internationally recognized Libyan government activated a military pact requesting Turkey’s assistance (Guardian) in defending Tripoli from an assault by renegade General Khalifa Haftar.
 
CFR’s Global Conflict Tracker looks at the most recent developments in Libya’s civil war.

South African police said two former managers at state-run power utility Eskom were among a group of people arrested for suspected (Reuters) corruption and fraud worth $51 million.
 
Guinea: President Alpha Conde will seek a referendum (Reuters) on a new constitution, he announced. Critics say he may try to extend the two-term limit on the presidency.

A gunman opened fire (Moscow Times) near the entrance of Russia’s Federal Security Service headquarters in Moscow, killing at least one person and wounding five others, state media reported.
 
Europe: The European Union will prioritize deeper economic ties with China next year, European Council President Charles Michel told the Wall Street Journal.
 
This CFR Backgrounder looks at how the European Union works.

Canada’s Supreme Court ruled that the son of Russian agents who spied on Canada and the United States can keep (AP) his Canadian citizenship, rejecting a previous ruling.
 
Ecuador: The International Monetary Fund approved the disbursement (Reuters) of nearly $500 million in new loans to Ecuador despite the country’s October withdrawal of an IMF-backed fuel subsidy cut.

The House of Representatives approved a new version (WaPo) of a trade pact with Canada and Mexico in an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote.
 
For the Renewing America blog, CFR’s Jennifer Hillman discusses how Congress can leverage the deal to reassert its authority over trade.

Global cholera cases decreased by 60 percent (UN) in 2018 compared to the previous year, and the downward trend continued into 2019, the World Health Organization announced.