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US 'non-compliance' 

Iran’s top security official calls the proven US non-compliance the most significant threat to any agreement, as talks on the revival of the 2015 Iran deal are underway in Austria’s capital. Ali Shamkhani says verification and guaranties, the two main demands set out by Iran, are the integral part of a good agreement. In a tweet posted hours ago, he noted that the real removal of sanctions means that Iran would enjoy reliable and sustainable economic benefits. Back in 2018, the US unilaterally pulled out of the Iran deal and brought back the sanctions. Now, Iran and the remaining signatories are engaged in intensive negotiations to restore the agreement. Earlier, Iran's foreign minister spoke with his British counterpart over the phone, and urged all parties to show seriousness in the ongoing talks. Hossein Amir-Abdollahian added that the recent progress made is due to the logical approach Tehran has adopted. Meanwhile, China, also a party to the deal, has called the US the culprit in the ongoing stand-off, and urged Washington to take active measures to resolve the remaining issues in the earliest possible time. 

Canada state of emergency 

The Canadian prime minister invokes rarely-used emergency powers to end prolonged protests against Covid restrictions that have shut down some border crossings and paralyzed parts of the capital. Justin Trudeau says he cannot allow the blockades to continue as they are harming Canada’s economy and endangering public safety. The powers allow the federal government to override the provinces and authorize special measures to protect security during national emergencies. This comes amid growing frustration over what critics see as a permissive approach by police to demonstrations in some areas. The protests started by Canadian truckers opposing obligatory vaccination for cross-border travels. The movement has turned into a rallying point for people opposing various policies of Trudeau’s government. The Canadian parliament has seven days to decide whether to approve the use of the emergency measures. Four provinces have already opposed the plan, saying it is unnecessary. 

Myanmar 'war crimes'

Human rights groups are accusing Myanmar's military of committing a series of atrocities in the eastern state of Karenni that may constitute war crimes. Fortify Rights says troops have massacred civilians and used them as human shields while attacking churches, homes and camps for displaced people in the flashpoint state. The group says its evidence shows at least 60 civilians have been killed in Karenni since May, when the military began a crackdown on local ethnic militias. The fighting has forced nearly 180,000 people, more than half of the state’s population, to flee to safety. Two other groups also say soldiers burnt some forty villagers alive in their vehicles on Christmas Eve. They are now calling on regional nations to impose an arms embargo on Myanmar’s junta over the crimes. The army seized power last February following a coup d'état.

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