Situation Reports

Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso rejected proposals by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for a six-month grace period following their formal departure from the regional bloc slated for Jan. 29 and stressed that their exit would take effect immediately, Bloomberg reported Dec. 22.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Dec. 22, in a visit that had not been announced in advance, the Financial Times reported the same day.

The United States State Department authorized the sale of $5 billion worth of military equipment to Egypt, including $4.69 billion in equipment for M1A1 tanks, $630 million Hellfire air-to-surface missiles and $30 million in precision-guided munitions, Times of Israel reported Dec. 21.

United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai announced on Dec. 23 the initiation of a Sec. 301 probe into China's policies and practices in targeting the semiconductor industry for dominance, the Office of the United States Trade Representative declared.

Mozambique Constitutional Council, the country's top court, ruled on Dec. 23 that presidential candidate Daniel Chapo of the ruling Frelimo party won the disputed Oct. 9 presidential election, officially confirming his victory over opposition candidate Venancio Mondlane, Reuters reported Dec. 23.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf said the United States would scrap its $10 million bounty on Abu Mohammed al-Golani, Syria's de facto transitional leader and the head of Turkey-backed Syrian militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, after a meeting between the two, the Financial Times reported on Dec. 20.

The leader of Canada's left-wing New Democratic Party, Jagmeet Singh, said in a letter addressed to the Canadian people that his caucus plans to present a formal motion of no-confidence against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau after Parliament returns from the winter break on Jan. 27, 2025, Reuters reported on Dec. 20.

Australia announced a four-year, $118 million commitment to expand the Solomon Islands' police force, Reuters reported on Dec. 20.

China lifted its four-year import ban on Australian rock lobsters, China's final blanket ban on Australian imports after bans ended on coal, barley, wine and beef, The Wall Street Journal reported on Dec. 20.

The opposition Kuomintang and Taiwan People's Party pushed through Taiwan's legislature three measures, including one that requires at least 10 of 15 Constitutional Court judges to be present to hear a case and at least nine judges to rule something "unconstitutional," up from the current simple majority, Focus Taiwan reported on Dec. 20.