*) Biden, Putin to hold video call on Russia-Ukraine tensions

US and Russian presidents will hold a video conference amid reports that Moscow is planning an incursion into Ukraine.

The White House says it will offer diplomatic alternatives to military conflict, but the Kremlin is warning against any interference in regional affairs.

This will be the first time Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin have spoken since July, and the call is set to tackle key national security concerns.

*) Court to consider appeal in Israeli war crimes case

A Dutch court will today rule on war crimes accusations against Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz.

Dutch-Palestinian Ismail Ziada filed the civil case against Gantz and another official, after six of his relatives were killed in an Israeli air strike on Gaza in 2014.

Last year, a lower court dismissed the case, saying Gantz had immunity in civil cases, but Ziada appealed on the grounds that immunity does give cover war crime accusations

*) Turkey, Qatar to improve relations

Turkey's President Erdogan is in Qatar for a two-day state visit aimed at expanding cooperation between the two countries.

He'll preside over the 7th strategic cooperation meeting between Ankara and Doha along with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani.

The visit comes as Turkey works to improve ties with Gulf countries.

*) US boycotts Beijing Olympics on diplomatic level

The US says all of its diplomats will boycott the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, over China's human rights record.

New Zealand also joined the boycott saying none of its ministers will attend.

Athletes, however, will attend and have the full backing of their countries.

And finally…

*) NYC mayor extends vaccine mandate to private sector

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a blanket Covid-19 vaccine mandate for private sector workers.

In a first for the US, De Blasio cited the emergence of the Omicron variant, cold winter weather and holiday gatherings as additional challenges to tackling the pandemic.

Additionally, children aged five to 11 must show proof of at least one dose of vaccine for restaurants and other activities while those aged 12 and over must prove they've had two shots.

*) Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi gets 4 year sentence

Myanmar's ousted leaders Aung San Suu Kyi and Win Myint were each sentenced to four-years each on charges of incitement and violations of a law on natural disasters.

The ruling is the first in a series of cases brought against the former leaders since a military coup on February 1.

The coup came after the army, whose allied party lost many seats, claimed massive voting fraud, but independent election observers did not detect any major irregularities.

*) Anti-Covid restriction protests turn violent in Brussels

Tensions flared in Brussels as anti-lockdown protesters clashed with riot police.

Police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse demonstrators, who gathered to oppose compulsory health measures against the pandemic.

Belgium also imposed the use of Covid-19 passes for people to access bars and restaurants, as the country struggles to stem the rising number of cases.

*) Casualties in northern Iraq as Daesh, Peshmerga fight

In northern Iraq, Daesh militants killed four Peshmerga soldiers and a civilian, and wounded six others in an attack to take over a village.
The group also captured another village a day after attacking it.
The two villages are in a remote territory claimed by both Iraq and the govt in Erbil.
*) Thousands rally against France’s Eric Zemmour
Scuffles broke out between anti-racism activists and supporters of far-right French presidential candidate Eric Zemmour at a rally in Paris.

Zemmour, who's been dubbed 'France's Donald Trump', promises a "reconquest" against what he called "decades of decline".

The 63-year-old evoked the historic period, when Christian forces drove Muslim rulers from the Iberian peninsula in Spain and Portugal.

And finally…
*) Pope calls on govts to stop using migrants as pawns
Pope Francis is calling on governments to stop using migrants as pawns in international politics.
The pontiff is currently on a visit to Lesvos in Greece, where he's meeting with refugees at a migrant camp on the island.
The Pope is on a five-day trip across the country, aiming to highlight the struggles of refugees.

*) US reports Omicron cases in multiple states

Hawaii has found a case of the Omicron coronavirus variant, officials said, becoming the fifth US state to detect the variant.

This brings the total number of reported infections in the country to nine. Earlier, New York reported five such cases.

Scientists have been working to understand how dangerous is the new variant, which was first detected in South Africa and has now spread to many parts of the world.

*) UN urged to investigate war crimes in Yemen

More than 60 activist groups, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, have called on the UN to investigate possible war crimes by all sides in Yemen's conflict.

They accused Saudia Arabia and the United Arab Emirates of an "aggressive lobbying campaign" to quash that Geneva-based expert panel set up four years ago.

More than 100,000 people have been killed and 4 million displaced in the war marked by Saudi-led coalition air strikes as well as shelling and missiles by Iran-aligned Houthi rebels.

*) US, EU and allies hit Belarus with coordinated sanctions

The United States, European Union, Britain and Canada have slapped simultaneous sanctions on dozens of officials, organisations and companies in Belarus.

The EU, meanwhile, imposed travel bans and asset freezes on 17 more people, including senior border guard and military officials, government representatives and judges.

Belarus has has been accused of encouraging migrants to illegally cross the border into the EU in revenge for previous sanctions slapped on Minsk over human rights abuses.

*) Iran offers European parties new commitments to restore nuclear deal

Iran has provided European powers with drafts on sanctions removal and nuclear commitments as world powers and Tehran try to reinstate the nuclear deal.

The development came after three days of indirect talks between Iran and the United States on bringing both fully back into the deal.

In 2018, then-US President Donald Trump abandoned the deal, calling it too soft on Iran and reimposed harsh US sanctions, spurring Tehran to breach nuclear limits in the pact.

And finally…

*) Crippled by Israel, Palestinian amputees launch national football team

Players in besieged Gaza have used crutches and prosthetic legs to stretch and run as part of the first-ever Palestinian national team.

The team hopes to qualify for the Amputee Football World Cup.

The Palestinian team is in the isolated Gaza enclave, whose two million residents have been locked under a harsh Israeli blockade since Hamas took over in 2007.

And that’s your daily news brief from TRT World. For more, head to trtworld.com

*) First case of Omicron found in US

The United States has identified its first known Covid case caused by the Omicron variant.

The infected person, who had mild and improving symptoms, returned to the United States from South Africa on November 22. He tested positive seven days later.

The person is in self-quarantine and all of the patient's close contacts have tested negative, according to top US infectious disease official Dr Anthony Fauci.

*) Ethiopian army recaptures several towns near capital from Tigrayan rebels

Ethiopia has claimed it recaptured several towns after Tigrayan rebels took control of them last week as part of their advance towards the capital Addis Ababa.

Government spokesperson Legesse Tulu said forces recaptured towns on the Shewa front, including Shewa Robit, Mezezo, Molale, Rasa and its surroundings.

Meanwhile, the United Nations has announced its aid trucks have started to arrive in Tigray’s capital Mekelle after more than six weeks.
Flights between Mekelle and Addis Ababa have also resumed.

*) World Bank reportedly okays unfreezing $280M to aid Afghanistan

The World Bank's board has endorsed transferring $280 million from a frozen trust fund to two aid agencies to help Afghanistan cope with a brewing humanitarian crisis.

This is according to Reuters news agency, which cited two sources familiar with the matter.

The World Bank said that the 31 donors to the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund must approve the transfer before the funds could flow to the World Food Programme and UNICEF.
The donors are expected to meet on Friday.

*) EU to tighten asylum rules at Belarus border

The European Union has proposed curtailing some rights of refugees at its borders with Belarus.

Under the proposal by the EU Commission, refugees would be permitted to claim asylum only at designated locations, such as border crossings, and could be kept for up to 16 weeks at the border.
​​The new proposals are part of the latest EU attempt to deal with what it describes as a crisis manufactured by Belarus.
​​And finally…

*) WTA suspends all tournaments in China over Peng concerns
The Women's Tennis Association has announced the immediate suspension of all tournaments in China due to concerns about the well-being of former doubles world number one Peng Shuai.

Peng's whereabouts became a matter of international concern following a nearly three-week absence after she said that a top Chinese official had sexually assaulted her.

The WTA's decision was applauded by many leading figures in the tennis world but could cost the organisation hundreds of millions of dollars.

And that’s your daily news brief from TRT World. For more, head to trtworld.com

*) Vaccine likely to protect against severe Covid from Omicron: BioNTech CEO

BioNTech's Chief Executive Ugur Sahin says his company’s Covid-19 vaccine will "likely offer strong protection" against any severe disease from the new Omicron virus variant.

BioNTech's guarded confidence contrasts with a sense of alarm conveyed by the chief executive of rival vaccine maker Moderna, Stephane Bancel.

Bancel had raised the prospect of a material drop in protection against the new coronavirus lineage from current vaccines.

Sahin would not be drawn on whether Omicron will become as dominant as the Delta variant. "But even if, that in itself is no reason to panic," he said.


*) China 'hunting' Taiwan citizens abroad through deportation

Beijing has pressured foreign governments to deport hundreds of Taiwan nationals to China in what human rights activists describe as a "hunt for Taiwanese".

Over 600 Taiwanese people were extradited from various countries to China between 2016 and 2019 to "undermine Taiwanese sovereignty,” a report found.

Beijing has been pressuring governments to extradite hundreds of Taiwanese people, mostly accused of telecoms fraud to China, according to the rights group Safeguard Defenders.

Those extradited to China faced "arbitrary detention, torture, enforced disappearances, and forced televised confessions", the group said.

*) At least three people dead in Michigan high school shooting

In the US state of Michigan, a student has gone on a shooting rampage at a high school north of Detroit.

The 15-year-old suspect killed three students and injured eight other people, including a teacher.

Police say he was in possession of a semi-automatic handgun when taken into custody.

*) Castro set to become Honduras' president as rival concedes defeat

Honduras’ ruling party has conceded defeat in presidential elections, giving victory to leftist opposition candidate Xiomara Castro.

Nasry Asfura of the National Party said in a statement that he had personally congratulated Castro, despite only about half of the voting tallies having been counted.

Castro had 53 percent support to Asfura's 34 percent, according to the National Electoral Council.

And finally…

*) World Aids Day: Covid-19 diverted resources from AIDS fight

The Covid-19 pandemic has diverted scientific and financial resources from the fight against AIDS, according to top US infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci.

Marking World Aid Day, Fauci told the United Nations General Assembly global efforts to achieve the UN goal of ending AIDS by 2030 have been impeded by the pandemic.

Fauci said that tackling Covid-19 has also disrupted supply chains and increased the risk for people with HIV of being infected with another deadly virus.

And that’s your daily news brief from TRT World.
For more, head to trtworld.com

*) Barbados becomes world's newest republic

Barbados has removed Britain's Queen Elizabeth as head of state, severing its last remaining colonial bonds nearly 400 years after the first English ships arrived at the Caribbean island.

During the ceremony, the Royal Standard flag was lowered and the governor-general, Dame Sandra Mason, was sworn in as the nation's first president.

Hundreds of people lined Chamberlain Bridge in the capital, Bridgetown to watch a dazzling display of Barbadian dance and music, complete with speeches celebrating the end of colonialism.

*) Pentagon orders new probe into 2019 air strike in Syria
The US defence secretary orders a review of air strikes in Syria that killed at least 70 civilians.

In March 2019, US jets dropped two bombs on the town of Baghuz, along the Euphrates river.

Washington said they were targeting Daesh, but a New York Times investigation published earlier this month found that mostly women and children were killed.

*) Biden promises no new Covid-19 curbs in wake of Omicron panic

US President Joe Biden has warned Americans not to panic about the new Omicron variant, as global concern is growing over the spread of the heavily mutated strain of Covid-19.

Speaking at the White House, Biden said it was inevitable that the new variant would reach the US, but he also said the country has the tools necessary to protect Americans - particularly the approved vaccines and booster shots.

Biden said he was not considering any widespread lockdown, and that the country is making contingency plans with pharmaceutical companies if new vaccines are needed.

*) Myanmar junta court postpones verdict in Suu Kyi incitement trial

A Myanmar junta court has postponed giving a verdict in the incitement trial of ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

The court adjourned the verdict "until December 6," to allow testimony from an additional witness, Dr. Zaw Myint Maung, according to a legal official.

The Nobel laureate faces three years in prison if found guilty of incitement against the military, as well as a catalogue of other charges that could see her jailed for decades.

*) Sexual harassment widespread in Australian parliament
One in three people working in Australia's parliament have experienced sexual harassment, an independent inquiry into parliamentary workplace culture found.

The government-backed report found that more than half of the people who responded had experienced at least one incident of sexual harassment, bullying or actual or attempted sexual assault.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the findings were "appalling" and "disturbing" and called on parliament to clean up its act.

*) US warns of ‘other options’ to add pressure on Iran as nuclear talks resume

The United States has warned it is "prepared to use other options" including military force to ramp up pressure on Iran if nuclear talks collapse.

The US National Security Council's coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa, Brett McGurk, issued the warning over the weekend, according to CNN.

McGurk said “military force to prevent” Iran “from obtaining a nuclear weapon” is “a very achievable objective”

International talks on Iran's nuclear programme will restart in Vienna on Monday with analysts foreseeing major obstacles to any speedy resumption of the 2015 nuclear deal.

*) Opposition candidate takes big lead in Honduras presidential election

Left-wing opposition candidate Xiomara Castro has taken a commanding lead in Honduras' presidential election, preliminary results showed.

With 16 percent of votes counted, former first lady Castro had taken almost 53.5 percent compared to ruling party's Nasry Asfura at 34 percent.

Castro, whose husband Manuel Zelaya was deposed in a coup in 2009, is hoping to become the first female president of Honduras.

*) EU border agency plane to monitor Channel migrant crossings

Ministers from several European countries have agreed to deploy a plane around the clock, to tackle what they call "migrant trafficking" in the English Channel.

The aircraft will monitor the area from France to the Netherlands, starting Wednesday.

The ministers met in France on Sunday, after 27 people died a few days earlier trying to cross the English Channel to Britain.

The British home secretary Priti Patel was disinvited from the meeting after Boris Johnson called on France to take back the people who crossed over to the UK.

*) African leaders call for reverse of Omicron-linked travel bans

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on countries to reverse scientifically "unjustified" travel bans linked to the discovery of the new coronavirus variant Omicron.

Dozens of nations have blacklisted the country and its neighbours since South African scientists flagged Omicron on November 25.

Ramaphosa's Malawian counterpart Lazarus Chakwera accused Western countries of "Afrophobia" for shutting their borders.

*) Louis Vuitton creative director dies of cancer at 41

One of fashion's most influential designers, Virgil Abloh has died from cancer at the age of 41.

Abloh was the first Black creative director for the world's biggest luxury brand Louis Vuitton.

The Ghanaian-American founded his own label Off-White in 2013.

He was also an important figure in the music industry, collaborating on album covers with artists like Kanye West and Jay-Z.