MORNING NEWS BRIEF [January 20, 2022]

HOT NEWS

1. President Macron outlined priorities for the EU to have a new collective security pact to deal with NATO and Russia amid tensions in Ukraine, as France took over EU presidency. Source: Deutsche Welle
2. The US will consider any military movement of the Russian forces across Ukrainian border a renewed invasion and it will be met with swift, severe and united response. Source: TASS
3. The WHO advised that proof of vaccination should not be the only condition for international travel given the vaccine scarcity and that international traffic should be relaxed. Source: China.org.cn

WORLD

1. Secretary Blinken vowed to provide military assistance to Ukraine amid the severe escalation with Russia, but committed to pursue diplomacy as long as it could. Source: France24
2. France, Germany, Italy, and Spain jointly urged Israel to permanently halt eviction and demolition of Palestinian structures in east Jerusalem after Sheikh Jarrah eviction. Source: Haaretz
3. The European Commission said they would be withholding funds worth millions of euros for Poland, following their refusal to pay legal fines over the Turow coal mine row. Source: Taiwan News

REGIONS

1. Slovenia’s PM announced the country will be establishing a representative office in Taiwan, stressing that it would be on the same level as many of the EU member countries. Source: Taipei Times
2. Pyongyang is considering restarting all of their temporarily suspended activities related to its nuclear and ICBM tests while vowing to confront the U.S. hostile policy. Source: Yonhap News Agency
3. Vietnamese health authorities reported that they had detected the first three cases of the Omicron variant in the community, urging the people to be more vigilant. Source: Reuters

CAMBODIA

1. Cambodia and Bangladesh pledged to further strengthen their mutual ties and cooperation as Dhaka has been seeking to become a dialogue partner of ASEAN. Source: The Phnom Penh Post
2. WB and IDA have agreed to provide nearly  $70 million to Cambodia in order to improve its equitable access to basic education and response to crises affecting education. Source: Khmer Times
3. The MoJ recently established a task force that consists of 28 members to tackle money laundering and the financing of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and terrorism. Source: The Phnom Penh Post