Russian Attacks Kill Six Across Ukraine as Kyiv Mourns Deadly Strike 
DHS Investigates Cyber Breach in Homeland Security Information-Sharing Network 
Russian Attacks Kill Three in Eastern Ukraine as Civilian Casualties Mount 
US Ambassador Prioritizes Cook Islands Critical Minerals, Warns of China’s Pacific Influence 
Trump Administration Declines USMCA Renewal, Opens Talks on New Trade Changes 
US Appeals Court Limits ICE Detention Without Bond Hearings After 90 Days 
Taiwan Simulates Chinese Blockade and Invasion in Major Civil Defense Drill 
South Korea Warns Won Is Undervalued, Boosts FX Coordination With Japan 
Venezuela Interim President Defends Earthquake Response as Death Toll Climbs 
France Battles Mediterranean Wildfires as Heatwave Fuels Fire Risk 
EU Chip Industry Faces Growing Risks From China Export Controls and U.S. Technology Dependence: Report 
Air Force Investigates Officer After Capitol Protest Calling for Trump, Vance Impeachment 
Trump Marks America’s 250th Anniversary With National Mall Rally Amid Political Divide 
JD Vance Says Britain Needs Major Political Change as Leadership Transition Looms 
Moody’s Says Peru’s President-Elect Keiko Fujimori Could Boost Investor Confidence 
OpenAI Proposes 5% U.S. Government Stake Amid AI Policy Talks 
Amy Coney Barrett Faces Conservative Backlash After Key Supreme Court Rulings Against Trump 
It is no secret that president-elect Joe Biden will inherit a lot of problems either created or unresolved by the Trump administration. However, recent moves in foreign policies by the outgoing administration may be left for Biden to tackle.
Biden and his incoming administration are set to have some hurdles to jump over on an international front, seen as an attempt by the Trump administration to go out with a bang. The outgoing administration’s state department recently lifted diplomatic restrictions on the country’s contacts with Taiwan, labeled Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism, and labeled the Houthi rebels in Yemen as a terrorist organization. The trickiest out of them all would be the lifting of restrictions with Taiwan, as announced by outgoing Secretary of State Mike Pompeo this week.
Critics have expressed their concerns that the situation involving China and Taiwan would provide Beijing with leverage over the Biden administration. This is despite the country’s support for Taiwan and its independence being a bipartisan response. In terms of climate change and other key issues, Biden may also have to work with China, possibly in exchange for the US’ acknowledgment of Taiwan being part of the mainland.
However, according to other analysts, rather than adapting Donald Trump’s “maximum pressure” approach to China, Biden may likely look to uniting US allies to form a coalition. “What Biden should do is work with European allies to have an aligned strategy towards China but in order to do that, you need some time to build that,” said Chatham House US and the Americas program director Leslie Vinjamuri. “You don’t need more immediate issues getting in the way.”
Meanwhile, Biden is also focused on tackling the COVID-19 pandemic, which has affected the world since December 2019. Some hope was regained as the first vaccines for the disease have been rolling out to the public, with Biden and Harris being among the first to get vaccinated. Recently, a US hospitality industry group has sent a letter to the transition team, offering to have hotels all over the country be used as venues for COVID-19 vaccinations.
“America’s hotels stand ready to work alongside America’s governors as states continue to move forward in administrating the COVID-19 vaccine,” wrote the group’s president and CEO, Chip Rogers.
