Writing contributed by Adam Hilelly, Ben Richmond, and Benjamin Barth.

LATIN AMERICA & THE CARIBBEAN

Tensions Between Argentina, Brazil at MERCOSUR Summit
The annual MERCOSUR summit took place in southern Brazil on December 4 and 5, and the discussions were pervaded by tensions between the host country and Argentina. MERCOSUR is a South American trade bloc established in 1991 and includes Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Uncertainty over what direction newly-elected left-wing President Alberto Fernandez will take Argentina in permeated discussions with Brazil’s right-wing president, Jair Bolsonaro, and Uruguay’s right-wing president, Luis Lacalle Pou. President Donald Trump’s recent decision to impose tariffs on metal imports from Argentina and Brazil added to the tense atmosphere at the summit.

INDO-ASIA-PACIFIC

Huawei Faces Domestic Backlash
The Chinese technology company Huawei is facing backlash in China over its treatment of a former employee. The former employee, Li Hongyuan, resigned from the company in January 2018 after working there for 12 years. Li later filed a lawsuit against Huawei for its failure to pay his year-end bonus in November last year. After filing the lawsuit, Li was detained by authorities under charges of embezzlement for having a Huawei worker transfer him the year-end bonus. Li was detained for 251 days until August of this year but eventually walked free due to insufficient evidence. Li gave an interview to a Chinese media outlet on December 1 detailing his arrest. According to Quartz, in response to recent efforts by Huawei to drum up support for imprisoned CFO Meng Wanzhou on social media, users criticized the company over its treatment of Li.

MIDDLE EAST & CENTRAL ASIA

Reports Say Iran May Have Killed More Than 1,000 In Protests
U.S. Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook told reporters during a briefing on December 5 that Iran may have killed more than 1,000 of its citizens during protests that originated over gas price hikes in mid-November. Hook reported that at least 12 of those killed were children and that thousands of Iranians were wounded. Hook also noted that at least 7,000 Iranians were detained, but Iran’s government is withholding information about the total number of those killed, wounded, and detained. The human rights organization Amnesty International documented at least 208 deaths, making these the deadliest protests in Iran since the Islamic Revolution in 1979 that brought the Ayatollah and Islamic clerics to power.

EASTERN EUROPE & RUSSIA

Permafrost Pup Displayed in Siberia
Russian scientists showed off a prehistoric puppy believed to be 18,000 years old that was found in permafrost in the country's Far East. The puppy was discovered last year in a lump of frozen mud near the city of Yakutsk, and is unusually well-preserved with its hair, teeth, whiskers, and eyelashes still intact. In recent years, Siberia has provided many artifacts for scientists studying the remains of ancient animals. As the permafrost melts due to climate change, more and more parts of woolly mammoths, canines, and other prehistoric animals are being discovered.

AFRICA

ANC Regains Control of Johannesburg
South Africa’s African National Congress (ANC) has retaken political control of Johannesburg, the country’s largest city. Geoff Makhubo, the ANC candidate, received 137 councilors’ votes, defeating the second-place candidate by 36 votes. The mayoral post became vacant after an abrupt resignation by Mayor Herman Mashaba, who said that his political party was not keen on tackling racial inequality in the country. The newly-elected mayor has announced that he plans to tackle poor infrastructure, including getting traffic lights working again. Mashaba’s party has responded to the election by claiming Makhubo faced corruption allegations. Observers believe that the ANC is sure to benefit from the outcome as the electoral victory comes amid growing discontent with President Cyril Ramaphosa’s rule.

WESTERN EUROPE & CANADA

France Facing Biggest Strike in Years
Around 800,000 people across France have come out in protest of French President Emmanuel Macron’s planned pension reforms. The demonstrations have impacted transportation both on the ground in Paris as well as in the air due to traffic and airline workers going on strike. Teachers have walked out as well, resulting in officials having to cancel school days in a number of districts. The proposed reforms would mean people either retire at a later age than they currently do in order to receive full payouts or retire early and receive a reduced pension. France’s current retirement age of 62 is one of the lowest among OECD countries.