December 31, 2021

*) Biden, Putin discuss Moscow’s military build-up, NATO US President Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin have spoken by phone. The Kremlin requested the call to ease tensions between the countries. The leaders discussed Russia's deployment of nearly 100-thousand troops near its border with Ukraine, a country Russia invaded in 2014. Moscow wants guarantees from the US that it will never allow Ukraine into NATO, a guarantee the US says it can't give. But Washington has signalled it's open to closer security coordination in the run-up to talks set for next month. *) Omicron cases skyrocket globally as New Year celebrations approach Global coronavirus infections have hit a record high over the past week, and the next 24 to 36 hours are going to be important. The number of daily new Covid-19 cases worldwide crossed one million for the first time on Thursday since the pandemic began two years ago. Experts say the highly transmissible Omicron variant is responsible for the latest surge in cases. Because of the danger of large public gatherings, Paris and London have already cancelled their usual New Year's Eve firework displays. New York is going ahead with a scaled back event in Times Square. ​​​*) Tens of thousands ordered to evacuate in Colorado amid wildfires At least 31-thousand residents in two communities in the US state of Colorado have been ordered to evacuate because of a wind-fuelled wildfire that engulfed parts of the area, burning hundreds of homes, a hotel and a shopping centre. At least half a dozen people were injured and nearly 600 homes were destroyed. Crews outside of Denver are still battling fierce flames fuelled by fierce winds. Some gusts are topping almost 180 kilometres per hour. *) Tens of thousands demand a civilian government in Sudan Tens of thousands of Sudanese protesters have defied a security lockdown to demand a transition to a full civilian government. In Khartoum, demonstrators came within a few hundred metres of the presidential palace, the headquarters of Gen