Situation Reports

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.

The European Council's secretary general announced that the Georgian Dream government promised to create a working group to amend the controversial "foreign agents" law that has stymied European integration, Civil Georgia reported Dec. 20.

President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Felix Tshisekedi pressed ahead with a major overhaul of the country's military leadership, Radio France Internationale reported on Dec. 19.

Kenyan President William Ruto nominated several allies of former President Uhuru Kenyatta to key ministerial positions as part of a Cabinet reshuffle, Business Daily Africa reported on Dec. 19.

Russia's central bank unexpectedly left its key interest rate at 21%, despite high inflation of 9.5%, The Wall Street Journal reported on Dec. 20.

Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan announced plans to urge overseas Pakistanis -- one of his key support bases -- to halt remittances unless the government fulfills his party's demands by Dec. 22, Arab News reported on Dec. 19.