Portal:Current events/December 2021

Armed conflicts and attacks

• 2021 Afghanistan–Iran clashes
  • Clashes occur between the Taliban and Iran on the Afghanistan–Iran border after Iranian farmers crossed the border. (Bloomberg)
• Mexican drug war
  • 2021 Tula prison break
    • Armed cartel members break into a prison in Tula, Hidalgo using vehicles, detonating several car bombs. Nine inmates are freed, including a local drug lord. Two law enforcement officers are injured. (The Guardian)
• Porga attack
  • Two soldiers are killed and others are wounded during an attack at a security post by Islamic extremists in Porga, Benin. It is the second confirmed Islamic extremist attack in the country's history. (Yahoo! News)

Disasters and accidents

• Bagwai boat disaster
  • At least 29 people, mostly schoolchildren, drown after an overloaded boat capsizes in Bagwai, Kano State, Nigeria. (BBC News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan, COVID-19 vaccination in Japan
      • Japan begins administering booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to healthcare workers amid growing concerns over the Omicron variant that has already been detected in the country. (The Independent)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia
      • Saudi Arabia reports its first case of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in a citizen who travelled from North Africa. (Al Arabiya)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • South Korea reports a record 5,123 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 452,530. (CNBC)
      • South Korea reports its first five cases of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in a fully vaccinated couple who travelled from Nigeria and later tested positive, along with two of their family members and a friend. (The Straits Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Arab Emirates
      • The United Arab Emirates reports its first case of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in a citizen who travelled from Africa. (Gulf News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Andorra
      • The Andorran government announces a ten-day quarantine for all travelers coming from southern Africa countries. (Diari d'Andorra)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Denmark
      • Denmark reports a record 5,120 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (Yahoo! News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Iceland
      • Iceland reports its first case of the Omicron variant. (Morgunblaðið)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland
      • Ireland reports its first case of the Omicron variant in a person who recently travelled from southern Africa. (The Irish Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
      • Italy reports 103 deaths of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, making it the deadliest toll since June 8. (Il Sole 24ore)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Poland, COVID-19 vaccination in Poland
      • Polish prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki receives a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. (The New Indian Express)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in California
        • The United States reports its first case of the Omicron variant in a person who travelled from South Africa to California. (CNN)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico, COVID-19 drug development
      • Mexican health regulator COFEPRIS approves the emergency use of Eli Lilly and Company's injectable combination of bamlanivimab and etesevimab to treat mild to moderate COVID-19 cases in people over the age of 12 years who weigh at least 40 kg (88 lb). (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana
      • Ghana reports its first case of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in a traveller who arrived at Kotoka International Airport in Accra. (The EastAfrican)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Zimbabwe
      • Zimbabwe announces a nine-hour curfew and compulsory 14-day quarantine for anyone arriving in the country, to prevent the spread of the Omicron variant, becoming the first country in southern Africa to enact such restrictions. (VOA)
• Aftermath of COP26
  • Micronesian president David W. Panuelo condemns the outcome of the climate summit, stating that industrialized nations must increase their commitments in order to help countries switch from fossil fuels to renewable energy. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Australian Parliament House sexual misconduct allegations
  • Former Attorney-General of Australia Christian Porter announces he will retire from politics following sexual assault allegations published earlier in the year, and controversy surrounding his reliance on a blind trust in a legal battle against the Australian Broadcasting Corporation over their reporting of the allegations. (The Guardian)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Syrian civil war
  • Ten oil workers are killed and another is injured during an ISIL attack on a bus in Deir ez-Zor, Syria. (Reuters)
• 2021 Solomon Islands unrest
  • The New Zealand Defence Force and Police travel to Honiara, Solomon Islands, in order to help stabilize the country and maintain peace after days of rioting, looting and unrest that killed three people. (RNZ)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Karnataka
        • India reports its first case of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in two foreigners who travelled to Karnataka. (NDTV)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines, COVID-19 vaccination in the Philippines
      • The Philippine Department of Health announces that all adults over the age of 18 years can receive a booster dose at least six months after receiving their second dose or a least three months after receiving their single dose. (Rappler)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore
      • Singapore reports its first cases of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in two fully vaccinated people, age 44 and 41, who returned from Johannesburg. (The Straits Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • South Korea reports a record for the second consecutive day of 5,266 new cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 457,612. (Anadolu Agency)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Finland
      • Finland reports its first case of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in a person who travelled from Sweden. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Greece
      • Greece reports its first case of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in a man who travelled from South Africa to Crete. (Ekathimerini)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, COVID-19 drug development
      • The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency approves GSK and Vir Biotechnology's sotrovimab antibody treatment, after a clinical trial found that the treatment reduced the risk of hospital admission and death by 79% in vulnerable adults if administered within five days of symptoms developing. (The Guardian)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Minnesota
      • Minnesota reports its first case of the Omicron variant in a person who traveled from New York City. (KSTP-TV)

International relations

• Algeria–Morocco relations, Morocco–Turkey relations
  • Morocco buys six Bayraktar TB2 drones from Baykar amid rising tensions between Morocco and Algeria. (Morocco World News)

Law and crime

• A group of four former Serbian state security officers, including Radomir Marković, are found guilty of the murder of Slavko Ćuruvija. Two have been sentenced to 20 years in prison, while Marković and the remaining officer will serve a 30-year sentence. (Balkan Insight)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Australian Parliament House sexual misconduct allegations
  • Alan Tudge stands down as Minister for Education and Youth after Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced an investigation into domestic abuse allegations against Tudge from a former staffer who claimed that the two were involved in an extramarital affair. (The Guardian)

Sports

• 2021 Major League Baseball lockout
  • Major League Baseball implements a lockout after the collective bargaining agreement they had with the Major League Baseball Players Association expired yesterday. This is the league's first labor stoppage since the players' strike of 1994 and 1995. (ESPN)
• 2021–22 NBA season
  • In basketball, the Memphis Grizzlies defeat the Oklahoma City Thunder 152–79, making it the largest blowout in the history of the National Basketball Association. (ESPN)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Insurgency in the Maghreb
  • Mali War
    • Mopti bus massacre
      • Militants attack a bus carrying civilians in Mopti Region, killing the driver, before setting it on fire and killing 31 passengers. The majority of the victims are women who were on their way to work at the local market. (BBC News)
• Islamic State insurgency in Iraq
  • Seven Peshmerga fighters and three civilians are killed by Islamic State gunmen in a village in Makhmour, Erbil Governorate, Kurdistan Region, Iraq. (Al Jazeera)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Belgium
      • Two hippos at Antwerp Zoo test positive for COVID-19 in Antwerp, Belgium. (Deutsche Welle)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
      • Germany surpasses six million cases of COVID-19. (Urdu Point)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland
      • Taoiseach Micheál Martin announces that due to fears of the Omicron variant, from December 7 until January 9, nightclubs will be closed and restaurants and bars will only be allowed to offer table service for groups of no more than six people. Additionally, indoor services can only operate at 50% capacity and families can only have visitors from three other households. (Sky News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Slovakia
      • Slovakia reports a record 15,278 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 712,749. (AP)
    • Europe surpasses 75 million cases of COVID-19. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • Malaysia reports its first case of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in a 19-year-old student who travelled from South Africa on November 19 and is in quarantine. (CNA)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka
      • Sri Lanka reports its first case of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in an unvaccinated woman who travelled from Nigeria. (Ada Derana)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico
    • Mexico reports its first case of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in a 51-year-old man who travelled from South Africa. (Anadolu Agency)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa
      • South Africa surpasses three million cases of COVID-19. (CNN)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Tunisia
      • Tunisia reports its first case of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in a Congolese man who travelled from Istanbul. (Arab News)

International relations

• France–United Arab Emirates relations
  • French president Emmanuel Macron meets UAE crown prince Mohammed bin Zayed at Expo 2020 in Dubai. The two men sign a major arms deal between the two nations. (The National News)

Law and crime

• 2021 Oxford High School shooting
  • The parents of Ethan Crumbley, James and Jennifer Crumbley, accused of terrorism and murder in the shooting deaths and injuries at Ethan's school, are charged with manslaughter for their role in the incident. They are caught after fleeing the police. (CNN)
• Islam in Kosovo
  • A Kosovar man is arrested for terrorism due to his ties to the Islamist al-Nusra Front in Syria. (The Public's Radio)
• Police in Bosnia and Herzegovina arrest seven suspected war criminals in Bijeljina and Sokolac due to their reported massacre of 22 civilians during the Bosnian Genocide. (CTV News)

Politics and elections

• Portuguese Minister of Internal Administration Eduardo Cabrita resigns after a series of scandals, including an incident where his official car was involved in a car accident that killed a highway worker. (AP)

Sports

• Magnus Carlsen defeats challenger Ian Nepomniachtchi in Game 6 of the 2021 World Chess Championship in a marathon 136 move game. It is the first decisive result in a regulation World Chess Championship game in more than 5 years and is also the longest game in World Chess Championship history. (The Guardian)

Arts and culture

• COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil, List of events affected by the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Rio de Janeiro mayor Eduardo Paes cancels the city's New Year's Eve celebrations on Copacabana Beach due to the worldwide spread of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (Sky News)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021 Semeru eruption
  • One person is killed and 41 others are injured as the Semeru volcano erupts in East Java, Indonesia. (BBC News)
• Twenty-three people drown after the bus they are travelling in plunges into the Enziu River in Mwingi, Kenya. (BBC News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands
      • Former queen Beatrix of the Netherlands tests positive for COVID-19. (AP)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Romania
      • Romania reports its first cases of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in two citizens who travelled from South Africa on November 30. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Chile
    • Chile reports its first case of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in a fully vaccinated foreigner who travelled from Ghana on November 25. (ABC News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the Cook Islands
    • The Cook Islands reports its first case of COVID-19 in a 10-year-old boy who travelled on a repatriation flight from New Zealand with his family on December 1 and is in quarantine. (ABC News Australia)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
    • South Korea reports a record 5,352 new cases and 70 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 467,907 and the nationwide death toll to 3,809. (Yonhap News Agency)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Zambia
    • Zambia reports its first three cases of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in two citizens who travelled internationally and another citizen who had no travel history. (Khaleej Times)

International relations

• Pakistan–Saudi Arabia relations
  • The Pakistani Minister of Finance announces that the country has received a $3 billion (11.3B SAR, ₨.530B) one-year loan from Saudi Arabia. (Reuters)

Law and crime

• An improvised explosive device is discovered in the personal vehicle of a Turkish police officer who was to be part of the security detail for a rally in Siirt featuring Turkish President Recep Erdoğan. The bomb was discovered before the officer had left for the rally, and was defused by bomb squads. (Bloomberg)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Gambian presidential election
  • Gambians go to the polls to elect their president. Approximately 960,000 people are eligible to vote. (BBC News)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• 2021 Apure clashes
  • Venezuelan intelligence officials announce the death of Hernán Darío Hernández, the leader of a FARC dissident group, after an ambush carried out by a commando of the Venezuelan Armed Forces. Hernández was responsible for the 2003 El Nogal Club bombing that killed 36 people and injured over 200 others. (El Tiempo)
• Mali War
  • Militants bomb two UN camps in Gao, with no fatalities. (Voice of America)
• 2021 Niger attacks
  • Hundreds of insurgents on motorcycles attack an international military base in Tillabéri. Seventy-nine of the rebels and 29 soldiers are killed during the battle. (Deutsche Welle)
• 2021 Nagaland killings
  • Indian soldiers of the Assam Rifles mistakenly open fire on a group of miners returning home from work in Nagaland, believing them to be militants. Thirteen miners and a soldier are killed, with the soldier and seven miners being killed in a subsequent confrontation with angry locals. (BBC News)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021 Semeru eruption
  • The death toll from yesterday's eruption of the Semeru volcano in East Java, Indonesia, increases to 14, with 56 others injured. (BBC News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, COVID-19 vaccination in Australia
    • The Therapeutic Goods Administration provisionally approves the usage of the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children between the ages of 5 and 11 years. Vaccination rollout for this age group will begin on January 10, once ATAGI gives its recommendation. (The Guardian)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Maldives
    • Maldives reports its first case of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in a tourist that arrived in the country. (Raajje)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia, COVID-19 vaccination in Saudi Arabia
    • Saudi Arabia grants the approval for people vaccinated with Russia's Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine to enter the country beginning from January 1, 2022 in a move that will enable Muslims to take part in religious pilgrimage. (CNA)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Senegal
    • Senegal reports its first case of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in a 58-year-old man who attended an international meeting in Dakar with 300 people from different countries on November 24 and 25. (Khaleej Times)

Sports

• 2021 Bathurst 1000
  • Chaz Mostert and Lee Holdsworth win the 2021 Bathurst 1000 in Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia. (ABC News Australia)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Tigray War
  • The Ethiopian military says that they have recaptured the strategic Amharan towns of Dessie and Kombolcha from rebel forces. (Al Jazeera)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Croatia
      • Croatia reports its first cases of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in two people who had not travelled abroad. (N1)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
      • Italy begins to implement the Super Green Pass, which allows a person to enter theatres, cinemas, music venues, sports events, restaurants and bars if they are vaccinated or have recovered from COVID-19 within the past six months. (BBC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
      • Russia reports its first 10 cases of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in a group of citizens who travelled from southern Africa. (RFE/RL)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India, COVID-19 vaccination in India
      • It is announced that over 50% of India's eligible adult population is now fully vaccinated. India is targeting 100% COVID-19 adult vaccination by December 31. (Khaleej Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Nepal
      • Nepal reports its first two cases of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in a 71-year-old Nepali national and a 66-year-old foreigner. (The Himalayan Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
      • Thailand reports its first case of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in a 38-year-old U.S. citizen who had travelled from Spain nearly a week ago. (The New York Times)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, COVID-19 vaccination in the United States
    • COVID-19 pandemic in New York
      • COVID-19 pandemic in New York City
        • Outgoing New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announces a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for all private-sector employees, which will take effect on December 27. (The New York Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Connecticut
      • Connecticut reports its first case of the SARS-COV-2 Omicron variant. (WTIC-TV)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina
    • COVID-19 vaccination in Argentina
      • Argentina approves the usage of the single-dose Sputnik Light COVID-19 vaccine as a standalone vaccine and as a booster dose. (Reuters)
    • Argentina reports its first case of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in a 38-year-old fully vaccinated person who traveled from South Africa on November 30. (Anadolu Agency)

International relations

• 2021 Belarus–European Union border crisis, Foreign relations of Belarus
  • Belarus bans airlines and imports of certain goods from the European Union and United Kingdom in retaliation for sanctions imposed on the country by Western nations. (ABC News)

Law and crime

• In Madagascar, twenty people, including two French nationals, are charged with crimes including criminal conspiracy, criminal association, rebellion against the president and possession of illegal weapons, for allegedly plotting to kill president Andry Rajoelina. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Solomon Islands unrest
  • Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare survives a no-confidence vote in the National Parliament after his management of the riots. (Reuters)
• Karl Nehammer is sworn in as the new Chancellor of Austria after the resignation of Alexander Schallenberg on December 2. (ABC News)

Sports

• 2022 Winter Olympics
  • The United States announces a formal diplomatic boycott of the upcoming Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, China. The White House says that no official delegation will be sent to the Games due to concerns regarding China's human rights record. (BBC Sport)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Syrian civil war
  • Israel's role in the Syrian civil war
    • Israeli Air Force warplanes bomb the Port of Latakia, Syria's main seaport. At least five explosions are reported, with a Syrian military official stating that several missiles struck the container area of the port. It is the first Israeli attack on the facility through which Iran and Hezbollah import weapons into Syria. (The Times of Israel) (Reuters)
• Islamic State insurgency in Iraq
  • Four civilians are killed and four more are injured in an ISIL motorcycle bombing near a hospital in Basra, Iraq. (The New Arab)
• Nigerian bandit conflict
  • Sokoto bus massacre
    • Bandits ambush and set fire to a passenger bus in Sokoto State, Nigeria, killing 30 people. (Reuters)

Business and economy

• Evergrande liquidity crisis
  • Chinese property developer Evergrande Group misses a deadline for the payment of debt for the first time at the end of a 30-day grace period, pushing the property developer closer to formal default. (Reuters)
• The United Arab Emirates says that weekends in the country will occur from Friday afternoon to Sunday, effective January 1. (CNBC)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021 Semeru eruption
  • The death toll from the eruption of the Semeru volcano in East Java, Indonesia, increases to 34. (BBC News)
• Gitega prison fire
  • At least 38 people are killed and 69 more are injured during a fire at an overcrowded prison in Gitega, Burundi. (BBC News)
• 2021–22 European windstorm season
  • European Windstorm Barra causes at least 56,000 power outages across the United Kingdom and Ireland. (BBC News)
• Thirteen people are killed in a collision between a minibus and a truck in Chernihiv Oblast, Ukraine. (RFE/RL)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Northern Ireland
        • Northern Ireland reports its first cases of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in two people from the same household in the greater Belfast area and a third unrelated person. (The Independent)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Norway
      • Norway restricts the number of visitors in private homes to 10 people and reduces the hours that bars and restaurants can serve alcohol until midnight due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. (The Irish Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Spain, COVID-19 vaccination in Spain
      • The Spanish Public Health Commission approves the usage of the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children between the ages of 5 and 11 years. Vaccination rollout for this age group will begin on December 15. (El Pais)
    • European Union response to the COVID-19 pandemic
      • The EMA and the ECDC approves the mixing and matching of two different COVID-19 vaccines for both initial and booster doses. (France 24)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Illinois
        • Illinois reports their first case of the Omicron variant in a Chicago resident. (Chicago Tribune)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Missouri
        • Around 70% of adults in Missouri have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. (KTVI)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Martinique
      • The French overseas territory of Martinique orders a nightly 8 p.m. curfew beginning tomorrow amid a worsening situation of the COVID-19 epidemic in the territory. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Mexico
        • President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and his cabinet ministers receive COVID-19 vaccine booster doses as the government begins administering booster doses for people over the age of 60. (Yahoo! News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina, COVID-19 vaccination in Argentina
    • President Alberto Fernández receives a COVID-19 vaccine booster dose. (Buenos Aires Times)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Uganda
    • Uganda reports its first seven cases of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in travellers from four countries. (Anadolu Agency)
  • A trial of a plant-based COVID-19 vaccine conducted by GSK and Medicago shows an overall 71% efficacy against disease caused by the predominant SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern observed during most of 2021, and 75% efficacy specifically against disease caused by Delta. The study excludes the Omicron variant, which was not in circulation at the time of the clinical trials. (The Hill) (GSK)

Law and crime

• LGBT rights in the Americas
  • LGBT rights in Canada
    • A bill to criminalize the widely discredited practice of conversion therapy passes the Senate in Canada without opposition, one week after it passed the House of Commons without opposition; the bill now awaits royal assent to become law. (CTV News)
  • LGBT rights in Chile
    • A bill to legalize same-sex marriage in Chile is approved by both chambers of the National Congress. (The New York Times)
• A policeman kills six people, including his wife, and injures two others during a killing spree in Kabete, Kenya, before committing suicide. (Al Jazeera)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Russo-Ukrainian War
  • War in Donbas
    • U.S. President Joe Biden rules out deploying American troops unilaterally to Ukraine in order to deter a potential Russian invasion, saying that the option "was not on the table". (Reuters)

Arts and culture

• The bones of over 100 Indigenous Australian Kaurna people are repatriated from the South Australian Museum and buried in a ceremony in Adelaide. (The Guardian)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021 Indian Air Force Mil Mi-17 crash
  • Chief of Defence Staff Bipin Rawat and 12 other people are killed when their Indian Air Force Mi-17V-5 crashes near Coonoor, Tamil Nadu, while flying from Sulur Air Force Station to Wellington. Another person was injured. (BBC News)
• 2021 Semeru eruption
  • The death toll from the eruption of the Semeru volcano in Indonesia increases to 39. (France 24)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China, COVID-19 drug development
      • China's National Medical Products Administration approves the use of the neutralizing antibody cocktail developed by BRII Biosciences to treat COVID-19 in adults and teenagers. (Financial Post)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India, COVID-19 vaccination in India
      • India's Serum Institute announces that it will halve the production of its COVID-19 vaccine because it has no new orders for the vaccine. (BBC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Kuwait
      • Kuwait reports its first case of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in a fully vaccinated European citizen who travelled from an African country. (Anadolu Agency) 
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • South Korea reports a record 7,175 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 489,484. (The Japan Times)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • COVID-19 pandemic in England
        • British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announces new "Plan B" restrictions that include working from home for those who can beginning on December 13, and an extension of mandatory face mask wearing to more indoor venues beginning on December 10. The restrictions also include usage of the mandatory NHS COVID pass in order to enter nightclubs and other venues with large crowds, as well as daily tests for people who had contact with a person who tested positive for the Omicron variant. (Sky News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Denmark
      • The Danish government announces that schoolchildren will be sent home early from December 15 and nightlife establishments will close on December 10 due to persistently high number of COVID-19 cases. (Daily Sabah)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Romania
      • Romania lifts its nighttime curfew and mandatory outdoor face mask policy, allows shops and restaurants to close at 10 p.m. and allows entry to non-essential venues for those with a negative COVID-19 test as the number of cases declines. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa, COVID-19 vaccination in South Africa
    • The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority approves the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine booster dose for people over the age of 18 that can be administered six months after their second dose, as well as immunocompromised people aged above 12 years that can be administered 28 days after their second dose. (BusinessTech)

Law and crime

• 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal
  • The Court of Appeal of Malaysia upholds the conviction against former Prime Minister Najib Razak of all seven counts of abuse of power, money laundering and criminal breach of trust for his involvement in the 1MDB scandal. (CNA)

Politics and elections

• Aftermath of 2021 German federal election
  • The Bundestag elects Olaf Scholz as the new Chancellor of Germany, replacing Angela Merkel after 16 years in office. (BBC News)

Sports

• Concerns and controversies at the 2022 Winter Olympics
  • Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom join a U.S.-led diplomatic boycott of the upcoming Winter Olympic Games in Beijing citing China's human rights abuses in the Xinjiang region and Beijing's ongoing freeze on ministerial contact with Canberra. (Yahoo! News) (Politico) (The New York Times)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Turkish–Kurdish conflict
  • PKK fighters kill three Turkish soldiers in northern Iraq, before Turkish fighter jets reportedly kill six PKK fighters during airstrikes. (Al Jazeera)

Disasters and accidents

• Mexico–United States border crisis
  • Chiapas truck crash
    • A tractor-trailer transporting more than 180 illegal migrants, mostly Guatemalans and Hondurans, crashes in Chiapas, Mexico, killing 55 people and injuring 105 others. (The Washington Post)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong, COVID-19 apps
      • Hong Kong mandates usage of its COVID-19 tracing app for all adults under the age of 65. The app logs a person's presence at 18 types of premises, including bars and restaurants, and enables tracing of infections if an outbreak is reported. (CNA)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Jordan
      • Jordan reports its first two cases of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in a citizen who had travelled from South Africa and another who had no travel history. (Petra News Agency)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore
      • Singapore reports its first locally transmitted case of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in a 24-year-old airport employee with no recent travel history. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Cuba
      • Cuba reports its first case of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in a person who travelled from Mozambique. (The Straits Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, COVID-19 vaccination in the United States
      • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people as young as 16 years receive a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. This comes after the FDA authorized the usage of the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine as a booster dose for people in that age group. (CBS News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Austria
    • The government announces plans to make COVID-19 vaccination compulsory for the general population, setting a minimum age of 14 years and requiring unvaccinated persons to pay fines of up to 3,600 euros every three months. The rules will be in effect from February 1 until January 2024. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 vaccine
    • The World Health Organization recommends that people who are immunocompromised or received an inactivated COVID-19 vaccine should get their COVID-19 booster dose due to reducement of vaccine effectiveness against virus variants. (The Hill)
• HIV vaccine development
  • An mRNA vaccine candidate against the human immunodeficiency virus, developed by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Moderna and other institutes, shows a 79% efficacy rate and no major side effects in animal trials on rhesus macaques, according to a peer-reviewed paper published in Nature Medicine. (France 24)

Law and crime

• Smoking in New Zealand
  • The government announces that it will begin increasing the legal age by one year for purchasing tobacco every year beginning in 2025, effectively preventing future generations from legally purchasing tobacco products. The plan also involves decreasing the nicotine content of tobacco, limiting licenses for the sale of tobacco, and increasing funding for anti-addiction services. Electronic cigarettes, which are more popular among younger generations in New Zealand, will not be subject to the ban. (The Guardian)
• Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, Human rights in the Philippines
  • The Supreme Court of the Philippines partially upholds provisions of the contentious Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 while declaring unconstitutional the designation of terrorists on the request of foreign jurisdictions as well as the qualifier on harmful dissent. (Rappler)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Israeli–Palestinian conflict
  • A man is killed and others are wounded as Israeli soldiers open fire on a group of Palestinian people protesting against Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. (Al Jazeera)

Disasters and accidents

• Tornado outbreak of December 10–11, 2021
  • A tornado outbreak hits Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee and Kentucky, United States. Around 50 people are feared dead. (BBC News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Laos
      • Laos reports a record 1,645 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 86,148. (The Laotian Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore, COVID-19 vaccination in Singapore
      • The Health Sciences Authority approves the usage of the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children between the ages of 5 and 11 years, with vaccine rollout for this age group to begin before the end of the year. (CNA)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • South Korea surpasses 500,000 cases of COVID-19. (Yonhap News Agency)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Cyprus
      • Cyprus reports its first case of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in three Greek Cypriots who travelled from South Africa in Limassol. (Cyprus Mail)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Germany, COVID-19 vaccination in Germany
      • The Bundestag and Bundesrat approve a revised Infectious Disease Protection Act that would require healthcare workers and other health professionals to be vaccinated or to have recovered from COVID-19. The new legislation also requires the closure of bars, restaurants and theatres in high-risk areas, as well as the suspension of cultural and sporting events in those areas. (Deutsche Welle)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Czech Republic
      • The Czech government announces the compulsory COVID-19 vaccination for people aged above 60 years, as well as healthcare workers, police officers, firefighters and the military, beginning from March 1, as the country experiences the world's highest infection rate. (The Times of India)

International relations

• Foreign relations of Nicaragua, Foreign relations of Taiwan, Foreign relations of China
  • Nicaragua severs diplomatic relations with Taiwan and establishes diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China. (The Hill)

Law and crime

• The London High Court accepts an appeal from the U.S. government to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to the United States. The judge cited that certain conditions have been met for his decision. However, the extradition will not take place immediately as Assange has a right to appeal the decision. Assange's fiancée says that they will appeal the decision "at the earliest possible moment". (CNBC)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz says he has instructed the Israel Defense Forces to prepare military options for potential use against Iran, that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action yielded "no progress", and that world powers "understand that the Iranians are playing games". (Haaretz)
• The Gulf Cooperation Council calls for Iran to take action to salvage the nuclear deal and proposes to take part in the talks as a regional power. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

• Tornado outbreak of December 10–11, 2021
  • The death toll from the tornado outbreak in Kentucky, United States, increases to 70 and will likely continue to increase as more bodies are counted, according to a statement from Governor Andy Beshear. (AP)
• 2021 Ravanusa explosion
  • Seven people are dead and two more missing after a residential building explodes and collapses due to a gas leak in Ravanusa, Agrigento, Sicily, Italy. (BBC News)
• Storm Barra
  • Two deaths are reported in Navarre due to flooding in northern Spain. (ABC.es)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh
      • Bangladesh reports its first cases of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in two female cricketers of the Bangladesh Cricket Team who travelled from Zimbabwe. (Asian News International)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • South Korea reports a record 80 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 4,210. (The Korea Herald)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan
      • Taiwan reports its first cases of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in three people who travelled from the United Kingdom, Eswatini, and the United States. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malta
      • Malta reimposes one of the EU's strictest mask mandates that requires people to wear masks outdoors, with fines of €50 to €100 for failure to comply. (Times of Malta)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
      • Turkey reports its first six cases of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in five people from the province of Izmir and one person from Istanbul. (TRT World)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina, COVID-19 pandemic in Uruguay
    • At midnight, terrestrial transport between Argentina and Uruguay reopens as buses resume service to border crossings between the two countries. Both countries require a proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test in order to board the buses and enter both countries. (Misiones Cuatro)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Mauritius
    • Mauritius reports its first cases of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in two people who travelled from South Africa. (Daily Times)

Law and crime

• A court in Benin sentences opposition leader Reckya Madougou to 20 years in prison after finding her guilty of "financing terrorism". The case has been highly controversial, with a judge in the case fleeing to France and denouncing the case as "entirely politically motivated". (The Washington Post)

Sports

• MLS Cup 2021
  • New York City FC defeats the Portland Timbers 4–2 in a penalty shoot-out, winning their first title. (ESPN)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Somali Civil War
  • Four Burundian soldiers are killed as their vehicle hit a roadside bomb in Burane, Somalia. Al-Shabaab has claimed responsibility for the attack. (All Africa)
• Three Hamas members are killed and six more injured during a dispute with Fatah gunmen in Tyre, Lebanon, at the funeral of a Hamas member killed two days ago during an accidental explosion at the Burj el-Shemali camp. (Al Jazeera)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Austria
      • Austria ends its nationwide lockdown for people who are vaccinated or who have recovered from COVID-19 as the number of new cases decreases. There will now be an 11 p.m. curfew for restaurants and people must use an FFP2 mask on public transport and in indoor spaces. (Euronews)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
      • Russia surpasses 10 million cases of COVID-19. (CNA)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • The United Kingdom raises its COVID-19 Alert level to Level 3 due to the rapid spread of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, which has resulted in 3,137 cases. (France 24)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa
    • President Cyril Ramaphosa tests positive for COVID-19 with mild symptoms. (CNN)

Law and crime

• 2021 Banco de Oro hack
  • The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, the Philippines' central bank, issues a statement that it is currently monitoring an increase in complaints on social media regarding Banco de Oro clients losing money and having their accounts hacked. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

• 2021 New Caledonian independence referendum
  • Citizens in New Caledonia vote against independence and choose to remain part of France. Pro-independence parties boycotted the referendum in order to protest the alleged lack of time to campaign. (RNZ)

Sports

• 2021 Formula One World Championship
  • 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
    • At the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Max Verstappen wins the Driver's Championship, while Mercedes wins the Constructors' Championship. (The Guardian)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• 2021 Democratic Republic of the Congo attacks; Allied Democratic Forces insurgency
  • Congolese president Félix Tshisekedi assures his country that the presence of Ugandan troops in the DRC is only to prevent the ongoing insurgency by the Allied Democratic Forces. The president says that Uganda's intervention will be temporary. (Reuters)
• Kashmir conflict
  • Three policemen are killed and 11 others injured as Jaish-e-Mohammed gunmen open fire against a bus carrying Indian security forces in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir. (BBC News)
• One-hundred and six members of a Ukrainian "neo-Nazi" youth group are arrested in Russia, suspected of planning attacks, including mass murders. Russia has accused Ukrainian intelligence of financially funding the group. Ukraine alleges that the arrests and subsequent Russian media reporting are staged as part of Russian intelligence measures. (Reuters)

Arts and culture

• Miss Universe 2021
  • Harnaaz Sandhu of India is crowned Miss Universe in Eilat, Israel. (CNN)

Disasters and accidents

• Tornado outbreak of December 10–11, 2021
  • The death toll from the tornado outbreak in Kentucky, United States, increases to 74, making it the second deadliest tornado outbreak to occur in the state. Fourteen people are also killed in other U.S. states, with some towns being completely destroyed. (BBC News)
• A vehicle carrying migrants crashes while trying to avoid a police check in Mórahalom, Hungary, killing seven people and injuring four more. The Serbian driver has been arrested. (BBC News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Cyprus
      • Cyprus announces the approval of the COVID-19 vaccine administered for children ages 5 to 11 years and also allowing adults to receive booster dose two weeks sooner than six months after their second dose in order to curb the rise of COVID-19 cases following the first case of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (AP)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Hungary
      • Hungary reports its first two cases of the Omicron variant, which was first detected in South Africa. (Anadolu Agency)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Norway
      • The Norwegian government announces that alcohol sales at bars and restaurants will be banned and stricter rules will be implemented at schools due to the spread of the Omicron variant. The government also announces that the COVID-19 vaccine booster dose interval has been reduced to 4.5 months and that the military will assist with the booster dose campaign. (The Local Norway)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • Prime Minister Boris Johnson announces that at least one person in the UK has died after testing positive for the Omicron variant. (BBC News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China
      • China reports its first confirmed case of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in a person who travelled to Tianjin from overseas on December 9. (NDTV)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan
      • Pakistan reports its first confirmed case of the Omicron variant in a 57-year-old unvaccinated woman from Karachi. (The Express Tribune)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
    • The Australian state of Queensland reopens its land borders with New South Wales and Victoria to vaccinated domestic travellers. (The Guardian)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Pennsylvania
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Philadelphia
        • Philadelphia imposes a vaccine mandate for indoor activities such as dining, cinemas, and at the Wells Fargo Center for a 76ers or Flyers game. (The Philadelphia Inquirer)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in New York (state)
      • New York state reimposes a mandatory indoor mask mandate for businesses that haven't implemented a vaccination requirement amid threats of the COVID-19 surge and the Omicron variant in winter. (The New York Times)
    • The United States surpasses 50 million cases of COVID-19. (The Hill)

International relations

• Israel–United Arab Emirates relations
  • Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates discuss strengthening bilateral trade and cooperation in multiple areas, at the first meeting of the leaders of the two countries. (CNN) (NBC News)
• South Africa–Zimbabwe relations
  • South Africa cancels a plan to forcibly deport 200,000 Zimbabweans from the country amid an outcry and concerns over perceived xenophobia and human rights abuses. (Bloomberg)

Law and crime

• Eight people are injured as a teenager detonates an improvised explosive device, in an attempt to blow himself up, at a Russian Orthodox school near a convent in Serpukhov, Russia. The perpetrator is identified as a student at the school, and is currently hospitalised in critical condition. (BBC News)

Sports

• Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports
  • 2021 NFL season
    • The National Football League reports their first case of the Omicron variant in a Washington Football Team staffer. Additionally, 36 players tested positive for COVID-19 throughout the NFL. (WRC-TV) (NFL.com)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Colombian conflict
  • Two explosions at Camilo Daza International Airport in Cúcuta kill two law enforcement officials and one of the perpetrators. (Yahoo! News)

Disasters and accidents

• Cap-Haïtien fuel tanker explosion
  • At least 62 people are killed and more than 100 others injured when a fuel tanker explodes in Cap-Haïtien, Haiti. (BBC News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia, COVID-19 vaccination in Indonesia
      • Indonesia begins administering the COVID-19 vaccine for children between the ages of 6 and 11 years, with 100 children receiving the Sinovac Coronavac vaccine. (The Straits Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • South Korea reports a record 94 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 4,387. (Yonhap News Agency)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
      • The Italian Council of Ministers approves the extension of the COVID-19 state of emergency until March 31 and also rules that travellers from other EU countries must present a negative swab test prior to departure due to the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (Thomson Reuters Foundation)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands
      • Caretaker Prime Minister Mark Rutte announces that primary schools will be closed on December 20 and that existing restrictions requiring bars, restaurants, and non-essential shops to close at 5 p.m. have been extended until January 14 due to concerns over the spread of the Omicron variant. (Barron's)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • The United States surpasses 800,000 deaths from COVID-19, remaining the highest death toll in the world. (NPR)
  • COVID-19 drug development
    • The final results of a trial of Paxlovid conducted by Pfizer shows 89% cut of risk of hospitalization and death in high-risk patients and is likely to work against the Omicron variant. (Financial Times)

Law and crime

• 2021 Colombian protests
  • A United Nations investigation into the 2021 Colombian protests found that the National Police of Colombia resorted to acts of police brutality that resulted in the massacre of 11 civilians. (CNN)
• COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
  • The House of Commons votes to approve "Plan B" measures that include the extension of the indoor mask mandate, vaccine passports, and mandating COVID-19 vaccines for NHS workers in England, despite large opposition from Boris Johnson's own Conservative Party. (Euronews)
• Indictment and arrest of Julian Assange
  • Australian Deputy Prime Minister and National Party Leader Barnaby Joyce and a small group of Liberal Party backbenchers join the Labor Party in criticising the Liberal-National Coalition Morrison Government's inaction on the United Kingdom's imminent extradition of Australian publisher Julian Assange to the United States, arguing that Assange has not broken any Australian laws. (The Guardian)
• A court in Minsk, Belarus, sentences opposition activist Sergei Tikhanovsky to 18 years in prison for several charges, including organising riots, following what was widely described as a "sham trial". Tikhanovsky's wife, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, left Belarus amid the protests that occurred in the country in 2020. (BBC News)
• Ugandan politician Bobi Wine is placed under house arrest in Magere, Wakiso District. (The EastAfrican)

Science and technology

• Living With a Star
  • Scientists announce that NASA's Parker Solar Probe became the first ever spacecraft to enter the stellar corona of the Sun during a flyby in April. (The Guardian)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• 2020–2021 Ethiopian–Sudanese clashes
  • The Sudanese Armed Forces announces that they are in "full control" of the disputed Al Fushqa District after clashing with Ethiopian forces in the border region. (Africa News)

Disasters and accidents

• A boat carrying Indonesian migrants capsizes off the southern coast of Malaysia, killing 11 people and leaving 25 others missing. (Al Jazeera)
• A privately-owned Gulfstream GIVSP jet crashes near Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, killing all nine people onboard, including Puerto Rican music producer Flow La Movie. (Reuters)
• A fire occurs at the World Trade Centre Hong Kong, injuring 13 people and leaving 300 others trapped within the building. (Al Jazeera)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Denmark
      • Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark tests positive for COVID-19. (7 News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France, COVID-19 vaccination in France
      • France begins to require people aged above 65 years to receive a COVID-19 vaccine booster dose or lose their Health Pass validity status unless they show proof of a negative test in the previous 24 hours. The requirement will be extended to all age groups from January 15. (France 24)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Hungary, COVID-19 vaccination in Hungary
      • Hungary begins administering the COVID-19 vaccine for children between the ages of 5 and 11 years using the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. (Hungary Today)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Slovenia
      • Slovenia reports its first cases of the Omicron variant in four samples from people in the Ljubljana region who tested positive between November 29 and December 6. (See News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • COVID-19 pandemic in England, COVID passports in the United Kingdom
        • The NHS COVID pass begins to be implemented in England as a precondition in order to enter nightclubs, indoor events with more than 500 people, outdoor events with more than 4,000 people, and all events with more than 10,000 people as part of "Plan B" measures that are intended to reduce the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (ITV News)
      • The United Kingdom reports a record 78,610 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (BBC News)
    • European Union response to the COVID-19 pandemic
      • The European Medicines Agency recommends that adults over the age of 18 years who received the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine should get a booster dose two months after receiving their first dose of the vaccine. (The Times of India)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Cambodia
      • Cambodia reports its first case of the Omicron variant in a 22-year-old woman who travelled from Ghana. (CNA)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
      • The Philippines reports its first two imported cases of the Omicron variant in an overseas Filipino who travelled from Japan on December 1 and a Nigerian national who arrived in the country on November 30. (Rappler)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • South Korea reports a record 7,850 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 536,495. (Yonhap News Agency)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Oceania
    • COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand
      • COVID-19 vaccination in New Zealand
        • The number of people who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in New Zealand surpasses 90%. (Stuff)
      • Auckland reopens its domestic borders to travellers who are vaccinated or who have tested negative in the previous 72 hours after closing its borders for four months due to an outbreak of the Delta variant. (RNZ)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
      • Australia reopens its borders to vaccinated skilled migrants and foreign students without an exemption, after a closure of more than 18 months due to the pandemic, despite the worldwide spread of the Omicron variant. (ABC News Australia)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Kenya
      • Kenya reports its first three cases of the Omicron variant. (Anadolu Agency)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Rwanda
      • Rwanda reports its first six cases of the Omicron variant in a group of travellers and their contacts, prompting the government to close all nightclubs and extend the quarantine for international travellers to three days. (MedicalXpress)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 pandemic in California
      • California reimposes its indoor mask mandate due to fears of the spread of the Omicron variant. The mandate will last until at least January 15. (The New York Times)

Law and crime

• Cannabis in Malta
  • Malta legalizes the personal use and limited cultivation of cannabis, becoming the first country in the European Union to do so. (Reuters)
• One person is killed, eleven others are injured and more people are unaccounted for after an arson attack at a four-storey block of flats in Reading, England. A suspect has been arrested. (BBC News)
• A court in Hanoi, Vietnam, sentences two Facebook users to lengthy jail sentences for "conducting propaganda against the state". One man was sentenced to 10 years in prison and five years of house arrest while another man was given a six-year prison term and three years of house arrest. (Reuters)
• David Fuller, a double murderer who sexually abused the corpses of more than 100 women, is sentenced to a whole life tariff. (BBC News)

Politics and elections

• Siaosi Sovaleni becomes prime minister-designate of Tonga. (RNZ)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Syrian civil war
  • Iran–Israel conflict during the Syrian civil war, Israel's role in the Syrian civil war
    • Israeli warplanes launch overnight airstrikes in southern Syria, with missiles originating from the Golan Heights, killing a soldier and causing some material damage, according to a Syrian military official. Syrian air defences engaged the Israeli missiles, with most missiles reportedly intercepted. (The Times of Israel)
  • Operation Shader
    • The United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence says a Royal Air Force Typhoon has shot down a "small hostile drone" over Syria. It is the first enemy aircraft shot down by an RAF pilot since the Falklands War. (BBC News)
• Israeli–Palestinian conflict
  • Gunmen open fire on a car carrying settlers near the outpost of Homesh, in the occupied West Bank, killing one person and wounding two more. (CNN)

Disasters and accidents

• Typhoon Rai
  • Thousands of people are evacuated from their homes in central and southern Philippines as Typhoon Rai, described as one of the strongest storms of the year, begins to make landfall in mid-eastern parts of the country, with warnings of very destructive typhoon-force winds. (Al Jazeera)
• Five children are killed and four others are injured after falling from an inflatable castle that was blown into the air in Devonport, Tasmania, Australia. (ABC News Australia)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Indonesia reports its first case of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in an hospital cleaning employee at the Kemayoran Athletes Village in Jakarta with no overseas travel history. (The Independent)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan, COVID-19 vaccination in Japan
      • Japan officially approves the usage of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine as a booster dose for people over the age of 18 years. This comes after health ministry experts recommended the vaccine yesterday. (CNA)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • The Malaysian government announces that due to the threat of the Omicron variant, there will be a ban on all large-scale Christmas and New Year's Eve celebrations. The government will also require people over the age of 60 as well as adults who received the Sinovac Coronavac vaccine to receive a booster dose before February in order to maintain their full vaccination status. (Malay Mail)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the State of Palestine
      • The Palestinian Authority reports its first cases of the Omicron variant in three people from different cities in the West Bank who travelled abroad. (AP)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Denmark
      • COVID-19 drug development
        • The Danish Health Authority approves the usage of the Molnupiravir antiviral pill developed by Merck & Co. for at-risk patients with symptoms, becoming the first EU country to authorize the usage of this drug. (NDTV)
      • Denmark reports a record 9,999 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (CPH Post)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Germany, COVID-19 vaccination in Germany
      • Germany administers a record 1.5 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine in the past 24 hours. (The Guardian)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Italy, Travel during the COVID-19 pandemic
      • Italy imposes mandatory COVID-19 testing for all travellers from European Union countries and mandates a five-day quarantine on arrival for those who are unvaccinated due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases and the spread of the Omicron variant in Europe. (Bloomberg)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Poland
      • Poland reports its first case of the Omicron variant in a 30-year-old Mosotho woman who is currently in isolation in a hospital in the city of Katowice. (The First News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • The United Kingdom reports a record for the second consecutive day of 88,376 new cases of COVID-19. (BBC News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Malawi
    • Malawi announces that public service workers, healthcare workers and journalists will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 beginning on December 20 amid an increase in the number of COVID-19 infections. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand
    • New Zealand reports its first case of the Omicron variant in a fully vaccinated person who travelled from Germany and is currently isolated at a managed isolation quarantine facility in Christchurch. (New Zealand Herald)
  • History of COVID-19 vaccine development
    • The WHO issues interim recommendations for mixing and matching COVID-19 vaccine for second and booster shot, where mRNA-based vaccines can be used as subsequent doses after initial doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine and vice versa, while these vaccines can be used after initial doses of Sinopharm's inactived vaccine. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

• Caretaker Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte is appointed as formateur and tasked with forming a new coalition government following the conclusion of the 2021 cabinet formation. (Politico)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Syrian civil war
  • Rojava conflict
    • Rioters burn down the office of the Kurdish National Council in Dirbêsiyê, Syria, injuring four people. (Kurdistan24)
• Israeli–Palestinian conflict
  • Israeli settlers burst into several villages in the occupied West Bank, beating and injuring at least two people. (Al Jazeera)
• Karen conflict
  • Around 2,500 Karen refugees cross the Myanmar–Thailand border into Thailand. (CP24)
• War in Donbas
  • A Ukrainian soldier is killed and another is injured after pro-Russian separatist forces targeted Ukrainian positions near Mariupol with rocket-propelled grenades and mortars. (The Guardian)

Business and economy

• 2018–2021 Turkish currency and debt crisis
  • The Turkish lira plunges to an all-time low of 17.0705 to the U.S. dollar, triggering a direct central bank intervention in the stock market. The lira has lost 55% of its value this year, including 37% in just the last 30 days. President Recep Erdoğan announces a 50% rise in the minimum wage from next year. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

• Typhoon Rai
  • Twelve people are killed as Typhoon Rai impacts the Philippines, causing severe damage. (Al Jazeera)
• Eight people are killed and many more are injured by floods in Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq. (Al Jazeera)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Cambodia
      • Cambodia surpasses 3,000 deaths from COVID-19. (The Star)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Mongolia
      • Mongolia reports no COVID-19 deaths in the past 24 hours for the first time since April 4. (Manila Bulletin)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Qatar
      • Qatar reports its first four cases of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in three fully vaccinated people and an unvaccinated person who all travelled abroad. (The Peninsula)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Finland
      • The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare reissues a nationwide face mask mandate recommendation in public space and public transport for adults aged 12 years and older due to the rising number of COVID-19 cases. (Yle)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France, COVID-19 vaccination in France
      • The French National Consultation Ethical Committee approves the administration of the COVID-19 vaccine for children between the ages of 5 and 11 years. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
      • President of Asturias Adrián Barbón is admitted to hospital when his health condition worsens after testing positive for COVID-19. (El Periódico)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • The United Kingdom reports a record for the third consecutive day of 93,045 new cases of COVID-19. (Sky News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
    • Australia reports a record 3,837 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, including a record 2,213 cases in New South Wales. (Anadolu Agency)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
    • Canada ends a travel ban on many African nations, including Nigeria and South Africa. (Peoples Gazette)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Egypt
    • Egypt reports its first three cases of the Omicron variant. (Asian News International)

International relations

• Russia–NATO relations
  • Russia demands that NATO end all military activity in Eastern Europe and never admit Ukraine as a member of the military alliance, saying that it wants a legally binding guarantee to end further eastward NATO expansion. Other demands include a Russian veto on Ukrainian membership in NATO, the removal of U.S. nuclear weapons from Europe, and the withdrawal of multinational NATO battalions from Poland and the Baltics. (Reuters)
  • A senior Biden regime official says that the U.S. is "prepared to discuss Russia's proposals" with its NATO allies, but says that "there are some things in those documents that the Russians know will be unacceptable." (Axios)

Law and crime

• 2021 Osaka building fire
  • Twenty-four people are killed and four more are injured during an arson attack at a medical clinic in Osaka, Japan. (The Japan Times)
• Facebook exposes a group of spy firms that could affect the private security of over 50,000 people. (The Times of India)

Politics and elections

• Elections in the United Kingdom
  • 2021 North Shropshire by-election
    • Helen Morgan of the Liberal Democrats wins North Shropshire, a seat in the British House of Commons which the Conservative Party has held since the constituency's creation. (BBC News)
• Brazil, Denmark, Latvia, Poland, Slovakia, the United Kingdom and the United States issue a joint condemnation of the worldwide persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses. (The Washington Times)

Arts and culture

• Strictly Come Dancing
  • EastEnders actress Rose Ayling-Ellis becomes the first deaf person to win the BBC show after she and her professional partner Giovanni Pernice beat the show's first male same-sex couple containing TV chef John Whaite and his professional partner Johannes Radebe in the final. (BBC News)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021 Karachi explosion
  • Fourteen people are killed and several others are injured by a gas explosion in a sewage system in Karachi, Pakistan. (BBC News)
• Three workers are killed and three other people are injured when two cranes collapse on a street in Turin, Piedmont, Italy. A residential building is also damaged. (BBC News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France, Travel during the COVID-19 pandemic
      • France imposes a ban on British citizens from entering the country without compelling reasons due to the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in the United Kingdom. French and EU citizens returning from the UK must self-isolate for seven days unless they show a negative COVID-19 test result on arrival, which will reduce the self-isolation to 48 hours. (France 24)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal, COVID-19 vaccination in Portugal
      • Portugal begins administering COVID-19 vaccines for children between the ages of 5 and 11 years. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine
      • Ukraine reports its first case of the Omicron variant in a person who travelled from the United Arab Emirates. (The Times of India)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • COVID-19 pandemic in England
        • The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan declares a "major incident" in effort to ease pressure of hospitals amid a record-breaking COVID-19 cases in the UK caused by the Omicron variant. (The Guardian)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 pandemic in New York (state)
      • New York state reports a record for the second consecutive day of 21,908 new cases of COVID-19. (WCBS-TV)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina, COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
    • At midnight, Argentina and Brazil reopen their borders for tourists with a mandatory proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test. (La Voz)

International relations

• Israel–Ukraine relations
  • Ukrainian ambassador to Israel Yevhen Korniychuk says that Ukraine might recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. (Times of Israel)

Law and crime

• An armed land dispute between the residents of the Nahualá and Santa Catarina Ixtahuacán municipalities, in Guatemala, results in the death of 12 people. (Al Jazeera)
• Former Ukrainian President and oligarch Petro Poroshenko leaves Ukraine on a "pre-planned diplomatic tour" of Turkey and Poland after the National Bureau of Investigation attempts to issue a summons regarding charges of abetting terrorism. The National Bureau of Investigation claims that Poroshenko was involved in looting national resources from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. (Deutsche Welle)

Disasters and accidents

• Typhoon Rai
  • The death toll in the Philippines from Typhoon Rai increases to 375. At least 500 more people are injured. (BBC News)
• 2021 Semeru eruption
  • The Semeru volcano in Java, Indonesia, erupts for the second time this month, spewing a two-kilometre-high ash column. The first eruption killed at least 46 people on December 4. (Reuters)
• A light plane crashes off Australia's east coast of Queensland, killing all four people on board, including two children. (The Guardian)
• A "tornado-like" severe weather event impacts Sydney's Northern Beaches on Australia's east coast, downing trees and cutting power to thousands of residents. One woman is killed and two women are in a critical condition in Sydney's Royal North Shore Hospital after a "large" pine tree fell in Narrabeen. (ABC News)
• A child dies in hospital three days after an inflatable castle was lifted into the air in Devonport, Tasmania, Australia, bringing the death toll from the accident to six. (News.com.au)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Iran
      • Iran reports its first case of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in a person who travelled from the United Arab Emirates. (The Jerusalem Post)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka
      • Sri Lanka announces that it will require a proof of COVID-19 vaccination certificate for entry into public places beginning on January 1 in an attempt to reduce the number of COVID-19 cases. (Associated Press)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands
      • The Netherlands imposes strict lockdown measures that restrict visitors to two people, closes all non-essential shops, bars, and restaurants until January 14, and closes schools until January 9, due to an increase in COVID-19 cases caused by the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (The Hill)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland
      • Ireland introduces an 8:00 p.m. closure time for bars and restaurants, restricts the capacity of most indoor and outdoor events to 50%, and allows a maximum of 100 guests for weddings in order to reduce the spread of the Omicron variant. (Medical Xpress)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Peru
    • Peru reports its first four cases of the Omicron variant in one person who travelled from South Africa and another three who had no travel history. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Chilean general election
  • Chileans go to the polls to elect their president in a run-off between leftist Gabriel Boric and right-wing candidate José Antonio Kast. (Euronews)
  • With over 50% of votes counted, Boric is declared the winner as Kast publishes a tweet conceding defeat. (CNN)
• 2019–2021 Sudanese protests
  • Tens of thousands of protesters demonstrate against the October 2021 Sudanese coup d'état, leading to government forces spraying protesters with tear gas in an attempt to halt the demonstrations, one of the largest in Sudan's history. (CBC News)
• A man in India is beaten to death by guards at the Golden Temple, the holiest place in the world according to the Sikh religion. Authorities allege he may have tried to harm the Guru Granth Sahib. (BBC News)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Allied Democratic Forces insurgency
  • 2021 Democratic Republic of the Congo attacks, 2021 Uganda bombings
    • The governments of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo reveal that they have captured 35 rebels and destroyed numerous enemy strongholds within the past week. (Voice of America)
• Israeli–Palestinian conflict
  • The Israeli Defense Forces report that they have arrested more than 100 members of the Palestinian Islamist organization Hamas, amid a recent increase in tensions. (Times of Israel)
• Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
  • Three members of the Islamic State are killed in Faqeerabad, Peshawar, during an operation by the Pakistani police. (Dawn)
• Internal conflict in Myanmar
  • An investigation by the BBC discovers that a massacre of 40 civilians took place in July, in Kani Township, a People's Defence Force stronghold in Sagaing Region. (BBC News)

Disasters and accidents

• Cap-Haïtien fuel tanker explosion
  • The death toll from the fuel tank truck explosion in Cap-Haïtien, Haiti, six days ago rises to 90. (Al Jazeera)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Thailand
        • Thailand's Food and Drug Administration approves the usage of the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children between the ages of 5 and 11 years. (Inquirer)
      • Thailand reports its first locally transmitted case of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in a 49-year-old woman. (Bangkok Post)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India, COVID-19 vaccination in India
      • It is announced that more than 85% of eligible Indians have been partially vaccinated, and that over 55% have received both doses. (BBC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Israel
      • Israel's government agrees to ban all travel to Germany, Italy, Belgium, Hungary, Morocco, Portugal, Canada, Switzerland, Turkey, and the U.S. without special permission beginning on December 22 due to the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (NBC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Kuwait
      • Kuwait will require incoming travellers who fully vaccinated against COVID-19 more than nine months ago to receive booster dose beginning from January 2 and also requires them to self-isolate for 10 days unless they received a negative PCR test within 72 hours of their arrival beginning from December 26. (Al Arabiya) (Times of Oman)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France, COVID-19 vaccination in France
      • The French Haute Autorité de santé approves the usage of the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children between the ages of 5 and 11 years. (France 24)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Germany, Travel during the COVID-19 pandemic
      • Germany bans all travel from the United Kingdom and imposes a mandatory 14-day quarantine and proof of a negative PCR test from the previous 48 hours for German residents and citizens returning from the UK, amid the spread of the Omicron variant in Britain. (Euronews)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • The United Kingdom ends its travel ban on Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. (Times of India)
    • European Union response to the COVID-19 pandemic
      • The European Commission authorizes the use of the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine after the European Medicines Agency recommended the use of the vaccine, becoming the fifth vaccine to be approved for use by the European Union. (Euronews)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Quebec
        • Quebec closes all bars, gyms, spas, cinemas, and concert halls as well as suspends in-person learning and mandates remote working after the province reported a record 4,857 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (Global News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Texas
        • The United States reports its first confirmed death related to the Omicron variant in an unvaccinated man in his 50s in Harris County, Texas who had underlying health issues. (U.S. News and World Report)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Costa Rica
      • Costa Rica reports its first case of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in an eight-year-old boy who recently travelled from the United States along with his family. (Tico Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Panama
      • Panama reports its first case of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in a 50-year-old person who recently travelled from South Africa. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina, COVID-19 pandemic in Bolivia
      • Argentina donates 1 million doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to Bolivia. (Infobae)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Colombia
      • Colombia reports its first case of the Omicron variant in two Colombia people who travelled from the United States and a U.S. citizen who travelled from Spain. (Reuters)

International relations

• Russia–NATO relations
  • Poland and Lithuania join Ukraine in calling for stronger Western sanctions on Russia, with Polish President Andrzej Duda saying that "everything must be done" to prevent a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine, and that he was "absolutely against any policy of concessions to Russia". (RFE/RL)
  • Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby says a small Department of Defense team has returned from Ukraine after assessing the country's air defences. (The Drive)

Law and crime

• The trial of Aung San Suu Kyi is delayed by Burmese courts until December 27. (Al Jazeera)

Politics and elections

• Human rights in Egypt
  • Egyptian blogger and activist Alaa Abdel Fattah is sentenced to five years in prison by Egyptian authorities for spreading fake news. His family continues to protest the verdict. (Al Jazeera)
• The Nagaland Legislative Assembly publicly demands that the Government of India repeal the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, which has been in effect since 1958. This comes after a massacre occurred in Mon district, Nagaland on December 4. (Sangai Express)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Yemeni Civil War
  • Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen
    • The Saudi-led coalition launches airstrikes on Sanaa International Airport in the Yemeni capital Sanaa. The air raid targeted six sites, including places used for "launching drone attacks", according to a statement from the coalition. (Reuters)
• Insurgency in the Maghreb
  • The French Army announces that they have killed Soumana Boura, a leading member of the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara, the previous day. Boura was involved in the killings of six French aid workers and their two Nigerien guides in a mass shooting in August 2020 in Kouré, Niger. (Al Jazeera)
• Tigray War
  • The Tigray Defense Forces withdraws all its troops from the Afar and Amhara regions of Ethiopia. (PM News)

Disasters and accidents

• December 2021 Malaysian floods
  • Heavy floods continue to affect eight Malaysian states for the third day, killing 14 people and partially submerging several towns and villages. (BBC News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Germany
        • The Standing Committee on Vaccination recommends the shortening of the interval between the second dose and booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to three months and urges all citizens over the age of 18 to receive a booster dose of an mRNA-based vaccine after receiving their first two doses in order to reduce the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (Politico.eu)
      • German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and 16 state premiers agree to tighten the restrictions beginning on December 28, including limiting the number of people in private gatherings to 10 and banning spectators at large-scale musical, sporting and cultural events due to concerns related to the spread of the Omicron variant. (Deutsche Welle)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
      • COVID-19 pandemic in the Community of Madrid
        • The Community of Madrid reports a record 11,221 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (ABC.es)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal
      • Prime Minister António Costa announces that nightclubs and bars will be closed and all people will work from home for at least two weeks beginning on December 25 in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19. There will also be capacity restrictions at shops and people will require a negative COVID-19 test in order to enter events. (Bloomberg)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden
      • The Swedish government announces that several new measures will begin on December 23, including limiting the number of people at private gatherings to 50, requiring the use of a vaccination pass for public events with a capacity of more than 500 people, and recommending work from home where possible, due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. (Reuters)
    • European Union response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Travel during the COVID-19 pandemic
      • The European Commission announces a binding proposal that will make the EU Digital COVID Certificate only valid for travel within the European Union for nine months without a booster dose after a person's primary vaccination schedule in order to standardize different travel requirements in the member states. The new rules will be mandatory for all 27 EU member states beginning on February 1. (RFI)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Israel
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Israel
        • The Health ministry recommends that Israelis over the age of 60 years and healthcare workers should receive a fourth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, becoming the world's first country to administer a fourth dose of the vaccine. The move is welcomed by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett. (Sky News)
      • Israel reports its first confirmed death related to the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in a man in his 60s with pre-existing health conditions who died at the Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba. (The Times of Israel) The hospital later states that the death was actually because of the Delta variant. (The Times of Israel)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines, COVID-19 vaccination in the Philippines
      • The Philippine Food and Drug Administration reduces the interval of the COVID-19 vaccine booster dose to three months for people who received a two-dose vaccine and two months for people who received a single-dose vaccine in order to reduce the effects of variants. (GMA News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
      • Thailand reinstates its mandatory hotel quarantine for all incoming foreign travellers and suspends the "sandbox" program for places other than Phuket after the country reported its first locally transmitted case of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (Rappler)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina
    • COVID-19 vaccination in Argentina
      • The provinces of Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Santa Fe, Río Negro and Santiago del Estero begin implementing the usage of a "sanitary pass" for large events. (Página/12)
    • Argentina reports 9,336 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, the highest daily total in 4 months, thereby bringing the nationwide total of cases to 5.4 million. (IProfesional)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand
    • New Zealand postpones a phased reopening of the border for quarantine-free travel to the end of February in order to strengthen the country's defence against the spread of the Omicron variant. (The Guardian)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, COVID-19 vaccination in the United States
    • COVID-19 pandemic in California
      • California Governor Gavin Newsom announces that healthcare workers will be required to receive a COVID-19 vaccine booster dose in order to keep their "fully vaccinated" status, becoming the second state to impose such mandate. (NBC News)

International relations

• Lithuania–United States relations, Second Cold War
  • The U.S. State Department approves the sale of 341 FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank guided missiles and 30 command launch units to NATO ally Lithuania amid rising tensions with Russia. (Reuters)

Law and crime

• Capital punishment in Japan
  • Three inmates in Japan are executed by hanging, marking the first executions in the country in nearly two years. One inmate was the perpetrator of a 2004 mass stabbing in which he killed seven of his relatives. (Euronews)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Syrian civil war
  • Rojava conflict
    • Two soldiers and four civilians are killed in clashes between the Kurdish SDF and the Turkish-backed SNA in Tell Tamer. (The New Arab)

Arts and culture

• Hong Kong national security law
  • The University of Hong Kong removes the Pillar of Shame overnight, a monument dedicated to the victims of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre in China. (Hong Kong Free Press)

Disasters and accidents

• Jade trade in Myanmar
  • 2021 Hpakant jade mine disaster
    • Dozens of people are missing following a landslide at a jade mine in Hpakant, Kachin State. (Reuters)
• 2021 Madagascar shipwreck
  • At least 64 people are confirmed dead following a boat accident off the coast of Antseraka, Analanjirofo, Madagascar, on Monday, with 24 others still missing. (France 24)
  • Madagascar's police minister Serge Gellé is rescued after swimming for 12 hours to shore after his helicopter crashed off the country's northern coast during the boat accident rescue operation. President Andry Rajoelina hails Gellé's survival. (Deutsche Welle)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Northern Ireland
        • Northern Ireland reports a record 3,231 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (The Irish News)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Wales
        • First minister Mark Drakeford announces new restrictions, including limiting the number of people in events to 50 people outdoors and 30 people indoors, no more than six people in a group at bars, restaurants, and cinemas, and imposing a face mask mandate due to the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. These measures will be in effect beginning on December 26. (BBC News)
      • The United Kingdom reports a record 106,122 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, the first time that the country has reported more than 100,000 new cases in a single day. (The Independent)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Austria
      • The government announces a series of new restrictions, including closing restaurants at 10 p.m. beginning on December 27, discourage large-scale New Year's Eve celebrations, capacity restrictions of indoor and outdoor events, and imposing strict entry requirements for travellers from the UK, Denmark, Norway, and the Netherlands where the Omicron variant is already dominant in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and its variant. (AP)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Belgium
      • Prime Minister Alexander De Croo announces that, due to the spread of the Omicron variant, water parks, cinemas, theatres and concert halls will be closed, and all indoor events and outdoor events using a tent will be banned. Additionally, shopping will only be allowed in pairs and professional and amateur sport events will be held without spectators. These measures will begin on December 26. (The Brussels Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey, COVID-19 vaccination in Turkey
      • The Health ministry approves the emergency use of the country's first homegrown COVID-19 vaccine named Turkovac. (Anadolu Agency)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • COVID-19 pandemic in British Columbia
        • British Columbia closes all bars, nightclubs, gyms, fitness centres, and dance studios, and bans all indoor gatherings due to the spread of the Omicron variant. (CBC)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Jamaica
      • Jamaica reports its first case of the Omicron variant in a person who travelled from the United Kingdom. (Nation News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, COVID-19 drug development
      • The Food and Drug Administration grants emergency use authorization for Pfizer's antiviral COVID-19 oral pill named Paxlovid for at-risk people over the age of 12 years, becoming the first at-home oral treatment to be approved by the FDA. (NBC News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria
      • Nigeria destroys 1,066,214 doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine with short shelf lives that expired in November. (Punch)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Tunisia
      • Tunisia begins to implement the usage of a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination pass in order to enter cafés, state institutions, banks, and shopping centres despite popular opposition and criticism from Amnesty International. (Barron's)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Israel
      • The Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba clarifies that the man thought to be Israel's first Omicron death had actually had the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant, following the final laboratory results regarding his condition. (The Times of Israel)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • Japan reports its first locally transmitted cases of the Omicron variant in three people from Osaka Prefecture with no international travel history. (The Japan Times)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, COVID-19 vaccination in Australia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Western Australia
      • Western Australia will become the first state and territory to mandate a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine for essential, mining, and healthcare workers, due to the spread of the Omicron variant. (News.com.au)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Venezuela
    • Venezuela reports its first seven cases of the Omicron variant in a group of people who had travelled from another country, such as Spain, Dominican Republic, Panama, and Turkey. (Reuters)

Law and crime

• Animal welfare and rights in Australia
  • A landowner and an earthmoving business each face 126 charges for the deaths of 70 koalas last year at a partially cleared tree plantation in Cape Bridgewater, Victoria, Australia. (BBC News)
• Animal welfare and rights in Italy
  • Italy bans fur farming and orders all remaining mink farms to shut down by June 2022, while a ban on breeding animals for their fur becomes effective immediately. (Greek Reporter)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Insurgency in the Maghreb
  • Gunmen ambush a column of a civilian militia in Loroum, Burkina Faso, killing 41 people. It is one of the deadliest single-day attack against the militia. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021 Madagascar shipwreck
  • Twenty-four more people are found dead after the boat accident off the coast of Analanjirofo, Madagascar, three days ago, bringing the total death toll to 85. (France 24)
• European migrant crisis
  • Eleven people are dead as a boat carrying migrants sinks in the Aegean Sea. Around 90 other people are rescued. (Al Jazeera)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Brunei
      • Brunei reports its first case of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in a person who travelled from the United Kingdom. (The Scoop)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Kuwait
      • The Kuwaiti Directorate General of Civil Aviation announces that all citizens who wish to travel, but who were fully vaccinated more than nine months ago, must receive a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine beginning on January 2. (Times of Oman)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines, COVID-19 drug development, COVID-19 vaccination in the Philippines
      • The Philippine Food and Drug Administration approves the emergency use of the Molnupiravir drug made by Merck & Co. for high-risk adult patients and also approves the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children between the ages of 5 and 11 years. (The Straits Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore, Travel during the COVID-19 pandemic
      • Singapore suspends new ticket sales for the quarantine-free Vaccinated Travel Lane until January 20 in an attempt to reduce the number of imported cases of the Omicron variant. (CNBC)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • South Korea reports a record 109 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 5,015. (ABC News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Andorra
      • Prime Minister Xavier Espot tests positive for COVID-19 with mild symptoms. (Diari d’Andorra)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France
      • France reports a record 91,608 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, surpassing the previous record set in November 2020. (Bloomberg)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
      • Germany reports its first confirmed death related to the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (Deutsche Welle)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
      • The Italian government announces a ban of New Year's Eve celebrations as well as all mass gatherings and closes nightclubs and bars until the end of January. The government also agree to reintroduce mandatory mask wearing outdoors and will reduce the validity of vaccine certificate to six months beginning from February 1. (MedicalXpress)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malta
      • Malta reports its first two cases of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, prompting the health ministry to ban all standing events except for weddings and funerals beginning on December 17 and restrict entry to the hospitality sector and sporting events to only those with a valid vaccine certificate. A 1 a.m. curfew will also be imposed for all businesses beginning on January 17. (Times of Malta)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
      • Russia surpasses 600,000 deaths from COVID-19. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • The United Kingdom reports a record for the second consecutive day of 119,789 new cases of COVID-19. (Sky News)
      • Preliminary data from the United Kingdom suggests the hospitalization rate of the COVID-19 Omicron variant is between 50% to 70% lower than the Delta variant. (Deutsche Welle)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Honduras
      • Honduras begins administering a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine for all adults aged above 18 years using the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, COVID-19 drug development
      • The Food and Drug Administration grants emergency use authorization for Merck & Co.'s antiviral COVID-19 oral pill named Molnupiravir for at-risk individuuals. (Global News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina, COVID-19 vaccination in Argentina
      • Argentina receives more than 2.6 million doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for use as booster doses. (La Vos)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Ecuador, COVID-19 vaccination in Ecuador
      • Ecuador's Minister of Public Health announces that the COVID-19 vaccination will be mandatory for all citizens over the age of 5 years unless they have a medical exemption due to the spread of SARS-CoV-2 variants and an increase in the number of new cases. (BBC News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in New South Wales
      • New South Wales reports a record 5,715 cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant becoming the dominant strain in the state. The NSW Government reintroduces mask-wearing in indoor settings, despite the state having a 93.5% vaccination rate. (ABC News Australia)
      • Australia reports a record 8,697 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, surpassing the previous record set on December 22. (ABC News Australia)

International relations

• China–United States relations
  • Uyghur genocide
    • President Joe Biden signs the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act into law banning imports from China's Xinjiang region citing concerns about the use of forced labour. China denies human rights abuses in Xinjiang. (Al Jazeera)
• Japan–United States relations, Taiwan–United States relations
  • The United States and Japan approve a plan for a joint military operation in response to a possible "Taiwan emergency". The operation would consist of deploying U.S. Marines on the Ryukyu Islands near Taiwan, while the Japan Self-Defense Forces would provide logistical support such as ammunition and fuel supplies. (Reuters)

Law and crime

• 14-Year-Old Valentina Orellana-Peralta killed in LAPD response
  • While responding to multiple reports of a violent assault suspect at a Los Angeles clothing store, LAPD officers fired upon one male subject. Valentina Orellana-Peralta was sheltering with her mother and other patrons and was killed by an errant shot. Valentina and the suspect both succumbed to their injuries in the store. Several patrons were injured by the suspect prior to officers' arrival. [1]
• Political impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Lithuania
    • The Seimas votes 89–17 with 19 abstentions to approve a law that would require MPs to have a health pass, which shows proof of vaccination, a negative test result from the previous 72 hours, or that a person has recovered from COVID-19, in order to attend hearings beginning in January. (Barron's)
• Workfare
  • The Australian Government pays a A$2,000,000 settlement to the Shire of Ngaanyatjarraku to end a class action lawsuit in the Federal Court over the controversial Community Development Program, which saw unemployed Ngaanyatjarra and other Indigenous Australian people in remote communities working up to 25 hours a week otherwise unpaid in order to receive the JobSeeker payment, which is generally considered to be less than the cost of living and which is provided to other Australians in exchange for completing a fortnightly quota of job applications. The Ngaanyatjarra accused the program of being racist and a form of modern slavery. (The Guardian)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Yemeni Civil War
  • Houthi–Saudi Arabian conflict
    • The Houthis launch a missile strike on the Saudi Arabian city of Jizan, killing two people and injuring seven more. (Reuters)
    • Three people are killed and six others are injured during coalition air raids in Ajama, Yemen. (Al Jazeera)
• 2021 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
  • Russian president Vladimir Putin demands that NATO guarantee that it will not move its forces into Ukraine, accusing NATO and the U.S. of "trying to send Ukraine and Russia into direct armed conflict." (The Irish Independent)
• Iran–Israel proxy conflict
  • After five days of military training, Iran fires sixteen ballistic missiles at a target in a show of force against Israel. The incident is part of a wider increase in tensions between the two countries. (RFI)
• Insurgency in the Maghreb; 2021 Niger attacks
  • Jihadists kill six soldiers in Niger, resulting in the ensuing deaths of twenty-two of the attackers. (The Guardian)

Business and economy

• Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
  • The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa warns that the effects of the pandemic on Africa's economy could push the number of "extremely poor" Africans to 514 million people. The World Bank also announced a recession as the economies of African countries continue to shrink. (AP)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021 Bangladesh ferry fire
  • At least 39 people are killed and 100 others are injured after a ferry catches fire in Jhalakathi. (BBC News)
• Sixteen people are dead as a boat carrying migrants overturn and sink near the island of Paros, Greece. Sixty-three more people are rescued. (Al Jazeera)
• A surfer is killed an apparent shark attack in Morro Bay, off the coast of California, United States. It is the first fatal shark attack in the area since 2003. (BBC News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France
      • COVID-19 vaccination in France
        • The French Haute Autorité de santé recommends that booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine can be administered as soon as three months after the primary vaccination schedule due to the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (Politico.eu)
      • France reports a record for the second consecutive day of 94,122 new cases of COVID-19. (Barron's)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Greece
      • Greece cancels all public Christmas and New Year's Eve celebrations, as well as mandates mask wearing outdoors and requiring people to wear two masks or a high-protection mask in order to use public transport and enter supermarkets due to the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (The Independent)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
      • Italy reports a record for the second consecutive day of 50,599 new cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 5.57 million. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
      • Catalonia reimposes a curfew between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m. in municipalities where the infection rate surpasses 250 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, limits the number of people in social gatherings to 10, closes nightclubs, and restricts the capacity of the hospitality sector due to the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. These measures will be in effect until at least January 7. (MedicalXpress)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • The United Kingdom reports a record for the third consecutive day of 122,186 new cases of COVID-19. (ITV News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Bhutan, COVID-19 vaccination in Bhutan
      • Bhutan begins administering booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine for people over the age of 65 years, overseas travellers, healthcare workers, people with underlying health conditions, and adults living in high risk areas. (U.S. News and World Report)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore
      • Singapore reports no deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours for the first time since September 19. (Rappler)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
      • Thailand reports its first domestic cluster of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in 21 people from Kalasin province. The outbreak originated in a couple who travelled from Belgium earlier this month. (CNA)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
      • Ecumenical Patriarch of the Eastern Orthodox Church Bartholomew I of Constantinople tests positive for COVID-19 and is showing mild symptoms. (ABC News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa
    • The South African Health Department suspends COVID-19 contact tracing and quarantine for people with asymptomatic cases due to 80% of the population being vaccinated or recovered from COVID-19. (Bloomberg)

Law and crime

• Former South Korean president Park Geun-hye is pardoned by the South Korean Justice Ministry. (Deutsche Welle)
• Former Gambian President Yahya Jammeh is accused of numerous different crimes, including rape, torture, mass murder, and killing journalists by the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission. (Voice of America)

Politics and elections

• Hong Kong national security law
  • Hong Kong authorities remove the Hong Kong Goddess of Democracy from the Chinese University of Hong Kong campus and a memorial to the Tiananmen Square massacre from Lingnan University campus. (Al Jazeera)

Sports

• Japan decides not to send government delegates to the 2022 Winter Olympics, although the Japanese team will still be present. (CBC)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Allied Democratic Forces insurgency; 2021 Democratic Republic of the Congo attacks
  • A suicide bomber blows himself up at a restaurant during Christmas celebrations in Beni, Democratic Republic of the Congo, killing five people and injuring 13 others. (BBC News)
• Internal conflict in Myanmar
  • Human rights groups and media outlets uncover a massacre of 30 civilians in Hpruso, Kayah State, that occurred the day before. Two Save the Children staff are also reported missing. (CNN)

Business and economy

• Internet censorship in China
  • The global version of video game digital distribution service Steam is reportedly blocked in China. The China-only version of the service, launched in February of this year, remains accessible. (The Verge)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021 Cumbre Vieja eruption
  • The scientific committee (Pevolca) of the Canary Islands government declares that the Cumbre Vieja volcano's eruptions on La Palma island stopped after 10 days of inactivity. However, the authorities do not consider the emergency situation to be over. (RTVE)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Sarawak
        • Malaysia reports its first locally transmitted case of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in a fully vaccinated 38-year-old Chinese woman from Sarawak with no international travel history. (The Star)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India, COVID-19 vaccination in India
      • The Drug Controller General of India approves the emergency use of the Covaxin vaccine manufactured by Bharat Biotech for children between the ages of 12 and 18 years. (Hindustan Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Israel, COVID-19 drug development
      • The Israeli government finalizes an agreement with Pfizer to purchase 100,000 courses of the anti-viral drug Paxlovid for high-risk patients over the age of 12 years, with delivery expected to begin in one week. (The Times of Israel)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Turkmenistan
      • Turkmenistan becomes one of the first countries to approve the usage of the single-dose Sputnik Light COVID-19 vaccine. The health ministry also purchases 600,000 doses of the two-dose Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine. (Anadolu Agency)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France
      • France reports a record for the third consecutive day of 104,611 new cases of COVID-19, which is also the first time that the country has reported more than 100,000 new cases since the beginning of the pandemic. (Al Arabiya)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
      • Italy reports a record for the third consecutive day of 54,762 new cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 5.62 million. (Il Sole 24 Ore)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland
      • Ireland reports a record for the second consecutive day of 13,765 new cases of COVID-19. (Irish Examiner)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in New South Wales
      • New South Wales reports a record 6,288 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (ABC News Australia)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the Dominican Republic
    • The Dominican Republic reports its first case of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (Reuters)

Science and technology

• James Webb Space Telescope, Ariane flight VA256
  • The James Webb Space Telescope is successfully launched using the Ariane 5 rocket from the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana. (CNN)
• Rail transport in Japan
  • Asa Coast Railway announces a dual-mode vehicle that can operate on roads and railways. (Dawn Magazine)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Iran–Israel proxy conflict
  • Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps releases a video on social media threatening to destroy the Israeli city of Dimona and a nearby nuclear facility in the Negev desert. (The Jerusalem Post)

Arts and culture

• A massive Roman castrum dated to the reign of Caligula is discovered in Velsen, Netherlands. The site is the most northern fort found by archaeologists, and believed to be a stationing port of Caligula’s failed invasion of Britain. (The Guardian)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China
      • China reports 206 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which is the highest single-day total of new cases in 21 months, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 101,077. (The Straits Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Iran, Travel during the COVID-19 pandemic
      • Iran bans all travellers from the United Kingdom, France, Denmark and Norway for 15 days and indefinitely suspends all land travel to Turkey due to the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (Arab News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Oman, Travel during the COVID-19 pandemic
      • Oman's Supreme Committee announces that all incoming expatriates over the age of 18 years who want to enter the country must show proof of at least two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine as well as a negative PCR test from the previous 72 hours. They also announce that the ban on travelers from South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, and Mozambique will be lifted. (Gulf News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the State of Palestine
      • The Gaza Strip reports its first locally transmitted case of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (The Times of Israel)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Northern Ireland
        • Northern Ireland imposes tightened COVID-19-related restrictions, which include closing nightclubs and banning indoor seating at events, restricting socialization to three households, and reintroducing the rule of six at bars, restaurants, and pubs that only offer table service. (RTÉ News and Current Affairs)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Kosovo
      • Kosovo reports its first cases of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in two people who travelled from the United States, a person who travelled from France, two people who travelled from the United Kingdom, and four people with no international travel history. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in New South Wales
      • New South Wales reports a record for the second consecutive day of 6,394 new cases of COVID-19. (The Independent)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Australia
      • South Australia reports a record 744 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the statewide total of confirmed cases to 4,324. (ABC News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Algeria
    • Algeria begins to implement vaccine passports as a precondition for people to enter or leave the country and also for people to enter a wide range of public venues such as sports facilities, theatres and museums as part of an attempt to increase the country's low COVID-19 vaccination rate. (Ahram Online)
• Climate change in Alaska
  • Kodiak, Alaska sets the highest temperature ever recorded in December in the state of Alaska, reaching 19.4 °C (66.9 °F). The Aleutian Islands and island communities in West Alaska have seen abnormally high temperatures since mid-December, including eight straight days of over 10 °C (50 °F) in Unalaska, including 13.3 °C (55.9 °F) on Christmas Day, the warmest Christmas temperature on record for the state. Temperature anomalies for late December reach 10–15 °C (18–27 °F) in some areas. The state also lately experiences unusually wet spells of weather. (The Guardian) (The Weather Network)

Politics and elections

• The Taliban regime dissolves Afghanistan's Independent Election Commission, saying that "there is no need for these commissions to exist and operate". (Al Jazeera)

Disasters and accidents

• Late December 2021 Bahia floods
  • Flooding in the Bahia state of Northeast Brazil kills 18 people. (NBC News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Kerala
        • The Indian state of Kerala imposes a nighttime curfew from December 30 to January 2 in order to reduce the spread of the Omicron variant. (Khaleej Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Israel, COVID-19 vaccination in Israel
      • The Sheba Medical Center near Tel Aviv, Israel, begins the world's first clinical trial of fourth doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, involving 150 medical personnel, in order to determine if a fourth dose can provide extra immunity against COVID-19. (Voice of America)
      • The health ministry reduces the interval between the second dose and booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to three months, citing concerns about the spread of the Omicron variant. (The Times of Israel)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea, COVID-19 drug development
      • South Korea authorizes the emergency use of the anti-viral oral drug Paxlovid manufactured by Pfizer for high-risk patients over the age of 12 years, becoming the first drug to be approved for use in the country. (Yonhap News Agency)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Arab Emirates
      • The Ministry of Health and Prevention approves the emergency use of Sinopharm's new recombinant protein vaccine. (Khaleej Times)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Switzerland
      • COVID-19 drug development
        • Swissmedic approves the use of the monoclonal antibody cocktail Ronapreve developed by Roche and Regeneron to treat severe COVID-19 patients. (Swissinfo)
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Switzerland
        • Swissmedic approves the use of the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine as a booster dose for people over the age of 18 years, which can be administered two months after the first dose, or six months after a person receives mixed vaccinations with mRNA-based vaccines. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France
      • French prime minister Jean Castex announces that, for the next three weeks, all public gatherings will be limited to 2,000 people indoors and 5,000 people outdoors. Work from home will be mandated where possible, and outdoor mask wearing will be mandatory in city centres. The interval between the second dose and the booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine will also be reduced to three months in response to the rapid spread of the Omicron variant. (The Guardian)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Greece
      • The Greek government announces new restrictions that will be in effect from January 3 until at least January 16, which include mandatory high-protection or double mask wearing in supermarkets and on public transport, closure of entertainment and hospitality venues at midnight, reinstating work from home policies for up to 50% of employees, and reducing the capacity of sports stadiums to 10%. This comes after the country reported a record 9,284 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (Kathimerini)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Iceland
      • Iceland reports a record 672 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (Mint)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in New South Wales
      • New South Wales reports Australia's first confirmed death from the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in a fully vaccinated man in his 80s who had experienced breakthrough infections and also had underlying health conditions. (The Hill)
      • Sydney's St. Vincent's Hospital incorrectly issues premature negative COVID-19 test results to 1,395 people who had actually tested positive in the past 48 hours. (ABC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Australia
      • South Australia reports a record 842 new cases in the past 24 hours. The state also reports their first death from COVID-19 since April 2020 in a 92-year-old woman. (ABC News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
    • Canada surpasses two million cases of COVID-19. (CTV News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Paraguay
    • Paraguay reports its first cases of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in three people who travelled outside the country earlier this month. (Reuters)
• 2020–2021 H5N8 outbreak
  • A bird flu outbreak in northern Israel kills at least 5,200 migratory cranes and forces farmers to slaughter hundreds of thousands of chickens in what authorities say is the deadliest wildlife disaster in the nation's history. (The Washington Post)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Iran–Israel conflict during the Syrian civil war
  • Syrian state media reports that Israel has bombed the Port of Latakia. If this is confirmed by the IDF, it would be the second airstrike on the facility this month. Secondary explosions are believed to be from Iranian munitions stored at the facility. (The Times of Israel)
  • Massive damage at the port is reported from the air raid with most of the port on fire, although there are no immediate reports of casualties from the attack. Videos on social media show multiple large explosions and anti-aircraft fire over the city. A hospital, shops, and some residential buildings were also badly damaged. (Al Jazeera)

Disasters and accidents

• At least 38 people are killed in the collapse of a private gold mine in En Nahud, Sudan. (Al Jazeera)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Delhi
        • Delhi enters Level 1 "Yellow alert" which closes cinemas, schools, colleges, and gyms, imposes a nighttime curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., and restricts the capacity of public transport, restaurants, funerals and weddings, due to an increase in the number of Omicron variant cases. (The Times of India)
      • COVID-19 vaccination in India, COVID-19 drug development
        • The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare issues emergency use authorizations for the Covovax vaccine manufactured by the Serum Institute of India and the Corbevax vaccine. The ministry also issues an emergency use authorization for Merck & Co.'s anti-viral drug Molnupiravir. (The Hindu)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh, COVID-19 vaccination in Bangladesh
      • Bangladesh begins administering booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine for people over the age of 60 and frontline workers who have been fully vaccinated more than six months ago as the country attempts to reduce the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (Bdnews24.com)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China
      • China issues stay-at home orders for hundreds of thousands of people in Yan'an due to the spread of COVID-19 cases, which also resulted in a lockdown in Xi'an, the country's largest lockdown since last year. (France 24)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam
      • Vietnam reports its first case of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in a person who travelled from the United Kingdom on December 19. (VnExpress International)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Cyprus
      • Cyprus reports a record for the second consecutive day of 2,241 new cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 154,926. (Financial Mirror)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France
      • France reports a record 179,807 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (Radio France Internationale)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Greece
      • Greece reports a record for the second consecutive day of 21,657 new cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1,105,885. (Kathimerini)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
      • Italy reports a record 78,313 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal
      • Portugal reports a record 17,172 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1,303,291. (The Portugal News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • The United Kingdom reports a record 138,831 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (The Guardian)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario
        • Ontario reports 8,825 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases since March 2020 to 715,405. (CFTO-DT)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in California
        • California becomes the first U.S. state and the world's first subnational entity to surpass five million cases of COVID-19. (ABC News)
      • The United States reports a record 512,553 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours. (Deadline Hollywood)
      • The seven day average of child hospitalizations reaches a record level, with 378 children under 18 admitted each day. (ABC)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa
    • South Africa postpones a plan to end COVID-19 contact tracing and suspend some quarantine measures in order to consider additional comments about the policy after the government received many inquiries about the plan. (Bloomberg News)

Law and crime

• Russian police arrest two allies of opposition politician and activist Alexei Navalny, Kseniya Fadeyeva and Zakhar Sarapulov, under extremism charges. Leonid Volkov, another ally of Navalny, had tried to persuade Fadeyeva and Sarapulov to leave Russia as he and others have done, but they refused. (Barron's)
• The Supreme Court of Russia orders the liquidation of human rights group Memorial for violating the Russian foreign agent law. (BBC News)

Politics and elections

• Social Democratic Union of Macedonia leader Dimitar Kovačevski is confirmed as North Macedonia's Prime Minister-designate following the resignation of Zoran Zaev. (Reuters)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• 2021 Somali political crisis
  • Troops loyal to Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble gather outside the presidential palace in the capital Mogadishu after President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed tried to suspend the Prime Minister in what has been described as an attempted self-coup. (The National)
• War in Darfur
  • A night curfew is imposed in North Darfur, Sudan, after armed groups looted and burned a United Nations World Food Programme warehouse and UNAMID facilities in Al-Fashir, stealing around 1,900 tonnes of food. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

• Three people are killed and four others are injured in a fire at a candlelit vigil in Kosiv, Ukraine. (BBC News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France
      • France reports a record for the second consecutive day of 208,099 new cases of COVID-19, which is also the highest daily total recorded in any European nation since the beginning of the pandemic. (Le Parisien)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Greece
      • Greece reports a record for the third consecutive day of 28,828 new cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1,134,713. (Greek Reporter)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
      • Despite the number of new cases caused by the Omicron variant reaching a record 98,030 cases, Italy completely lifts the mandatory quarantine for those who received COVID-19 vaccine booster shot and reduces it to five days for the vaccinated people whose most recent dose was more than 120 days before exposure. (Bloomberg)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malta
      • Malta reports a record for the second consecutive day of 1,337 new cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 49,625. (The Malta Independent)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
      • Despite the number of cases caused by the Omicron variant reaching a record high, Spain reduces the isolation period for people who test positive for COVID-19 and the mandatory quarantine for people who had close contact with someone who tested positive to seven days due to staffing shortages and disruptions in some industries. (Thomson Reuters Foundation)
      • Spain reports for the first time more than 100,000 cases of COVID-19 in one day. (El Periódico)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • The United Kingdom reports a record for the second consecutive day of 183,037 new cases of COVID-19. (The Independent)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Oceania
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
      • Australia reports a record for the ninth consecutive day of 18,243 new cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 341,437. Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania all report record numbers of new cases. (COVID-LIVE) (ABC News Australia)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand
      • New Zealand reports its first community exposure of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in a fully-vaccinated man who travelled from the United Kingdom to Auckland on December 16. (Stuff)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Tunisia
      • The Tunisian Health Ministry authorizes the use of the Russian Sputnik Light vaccine as a booster dose. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Zambia
      • Zambia reports a record 5,255 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 243,638. (Anadolu Agency)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina
    • Argentina surpasses 5.5 million cases of COVID-19 after reporting a record 42,032 new cases in the past 24 hours. (Ámbito)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico, COVID-19 vaccination in Mexico
    • The Mexican health regulatory authority COFEPRIS approves the emergency use of the Cuban-made Abdala COVID-19 vaccine. (Le Jornada)

International relations

• Belarus–Russia relations
  • Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko announce that Belarus and Russia will hold war games early next year. (The Washington Post)
• A Russian law requiring foreign travellers and migrant workers to undergo mandatory medical checks, including blood tests and X-rays, and submit fingerprints and biometric data enters into force. (DW)

Law and crime

• Hong Kong national security law
  • Pro-democracy digital media website Stand News shuts down in Hong Kong as police raids its offices and arrest senior executives. The senior executives are later charged with sedition in the latest crackdown related to the national security law. The Hong Kong government says that the news site's assets have been frozen and that more arrests could occur. (Forbes)
• British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, an associate of Jeffrey Epstein, is found guilty of sex trafficking by a court in New York City. (ABC News)

Science and technology

• A team of Greek divers led by Kostas Thoctarides announce the discovery of the wreck of the Italian submarine Jantina south of Mykonos in the Aegean Sea. The submarine was sunk on July 5, 1941, after being torpedoed by the British submarine HMS Torbay. (Reuters)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Mali War
  • Jihadists ambush an army patrol near the town of Nara in Koulikoro Region, Mali, killing four soldiers and injuring more than a dozen others. (Voice of America)

Business and economy

• Tesla orders a recall of over 475,000 Model 3 and Model S cars due to safety defects found in their backup cameras and hoods, respectively. (NPR)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021–2022 Boulder County fires
  • Grass fires in Colorado, United States, prompt the evacuation of the town of Superior and the cities of Louisville and Broomfield. (CNN)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Greece
      • Greece bans music at New Year's Eve celebrations and orders all entertainment venues to close at midnight due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases caused by the Omicron variant. (The Hill)
      • Greece reports a record for the fourth consecutive day of 35,580 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1,170,293. (Ekathimerini)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
      • Italy reports a record for the third consecutive day of 126,888 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 5.98 million. (ANSA)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland
      • Ireland reduces the mandatory quarantine for those who received the booster dose or completed their primary vaccination course and had COVID-19 within the previous three months, to seven days despite a record 20,554 new cases being reported. (The Irish Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal
      • Portugal reports a record for the third consecutive day of 28,659 new cases of COVID-19. The country also reduces the mandatory quarantine for asymptomatic people who test positive from COVID-19 and high-risk contacts to seven days due to concerns about the spread of the Omicron variant. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
      • Russia surpasses Brazil for the second highest Covid death toll in the world, with 658,634 deaths. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey, COVID-19 vaccination in Turkey
      • Turkey begins to roll-out its domestically-developed Turkovac inactive vaccine as part of its COVID-19 vaccination program. This comes after the health ministry issued an emergency use authorization for the vaccine. (Daily Sabah)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • The United Kingdom reports a record for the third consecutive day of 189,213 new cases of COVID-19. (The Guardian)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Quebec
      • Premier of Quebec François Legault announces a curfew between 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. on New Year's Eve, bans private gatherings involving more than one household bubble, and closing dine-in restaurants amid the spread of COVID-19 cases caused by the Omicron variant. (Global News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Israel, COVID-19 vaccination in Israel
    • The Israeli Health ministry approves fourth doses of the COVID-19 vaccine for immunocompromised people, becoming the first country to do so. (AP)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa
    • South Africa lifts its midnight curfew, allowing alcohol sales to return to normal hours in certain premises, and also allowing gatherings of up to 1,000 people indoors and 2,000 people outdoors, due to a decrease in the number of new COVID-19 cases. (Business Insider South Africa)

Law and crime

• Crime in London
  • A 16-year-old boy is stabbed to death in Hillingdon, west London, making him the 30th teenage homicide in the British capital in 2021. It is now the deadliest year on record for killings of teenagers, surpassing a previous peak of 29 homicides in 2008. (BBC News)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
  • Four soldiers and two militants are killed during gunfights between the Pakistan Army and the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan in Mir Ali, North Waziristan. (Al Jazeera)
• Six soldiers from Niger and Nigeria are killed and 16 others are wounded during a fight with ISWAP militants in the Lake Chad region of Borno State, Nigeria. Twenty-two militants are also killed and 17 more are captured. (Reuters)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Metro Manila
        • Metro Manila moves into Alert Level 3 from January 3 to 15 amid an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases and the detection of local cases of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (Philippine Daily Inquirer)
      • The Philippines reports its first three locally transmitted cases of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (CNN Philippines)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong
      • Hong Kong reports its first potential community cluster of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, which are also the first locally transmitted cases reported by the city since June. (Bloomberg)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Israel, COVID-19 vaccination in Israel
      • Israel extends fourth doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to elderly people in care facilities and begins administering fourth doses for vulnerable people, citing the high-risk of infection. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Florida
        • Florida reports 75,900 cases of COVID-19, a new single-day record. (WFTV)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in New York (state)
        • New York reports a new record of 85,476 cases, with 22% of all tests being positive. (The New York Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • COVID-19 pandemic in New Brunswick
        • New Brunswick premier Blaine Higgs tests positive for COVID-19. (CBC News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France
      • Paris begins to implement mandatory outdoor mask wearing for people over the age of 11 years. This comes as France reports a substantial increase in new cases of the Omicron variant nationwide. (France 24)
      • France reports a record 232,200 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which is also the highest daily total recorded in any European nation since the beginning of the pandemic. (Arab News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Cyprus
      • Cyprus reports a record for the fifth consecutive day of 5,048 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 166,827. (In-Cyprus)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Greece
      • Greece reports a record for the fourth consecutive day of 40,560 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1,170,293. (Greek Reporter)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
      • Italy reports a record for the fourth consecutive day of 144,243 new cases of COVID-19. (ANSA)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, COVID-19 drug development
      • The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency approves the use of Pfizer's anti-viral oral drug Paxlovid for high-risk patients. (The Independent)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand
    • New Zealand moves COVID-19 traffic light settings for Auckland from red to orange, allowing bars, restaurants and cafes that enforce the vaccine pass requirement to remove crowd size limits and requirements to sit down, despite fears of community transmission of the Omicron variant. (The Guardian)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Niger
    • Niger reports its first case of the Omicron variant in the capital Niamey. (Anadolu Agency)