Axios

A Colombian national has been arrested and charged in the U.S. in connection with the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse, the Justice Department said in a statement Tuesday.

Why it matters: Mario Antonio Palacios, 43, faces charges of "conspiracy to commit murder or kidnapping outside the U.S. and providing material support resulting in death," according to the release.

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday that he wants to “piss off” unvaccinated people as part of his strategy to fight COVID-19.

What he’s saying: Speaking to Le Parisien, a French newspaper, Macron said policies that ban unvaccinated people from cafes and theaters and otherwise limit their social activities are intended to be frustrating, adding: "I really want to piss them off. And so we will continue to do so, to the bitter end. That's the strategy."

Tesla has opened a showroom in China's Xinjiang region, the province where the Chinese government has been accused of carrying out genocide against Uyghur Muslims and other ethnic minorities.

Why it matters: Human rights advocates panned Tesla's decision, which comes weeks after President Biden signed into law a bill banning imports from Xinjiang unless there's "clear and convincing evidence" that they weren't made with forced labor, and imposing sanctions on those responsible for the forced labor.

Canada announced Tuesday that it has reached agreements in principle totaling CA$40 billion ($31.5 billion) to compensate Indigenous children who were forced into foster care and reform the welfare system.

Why it matters: Indigenous communities have said for years that the government's underfunding of First Nations child and family services is discriminatory and causes irreparable harm. The dispute has led to a human rights complaint and several lawsuits.

From politics to public health to real estate and tech, here are the China stories to watch in 2022.

The big picture: This will likely prove a key year, as Chinese President Xi Jinping moves to implement groundbreaking new policies and cement China's position as a global superpower.

Novak Djokovic has been granted a medical exemption from the COVID-19 vaccine requirement at the Australian Open and will be competing in the tournament, Djokovic announced and the Australian Open confirmed on Tuesday.

Why it matters: Djokovic, the world's No. 1 tennis player, had so far not revealed his vaccination status and it was unclear whether he would play in the tournament, per the Washington Post.

Elected officials, a major newspaper and the oldest Latino civil rights organization in the U.S. have all spoken out strongly in recent weeks against the continued use of "Latinx," the gender-neutral term promoted by progressives to describe people of Spanish-speaking origin.

Why it matters: The pushback highlights some generational, class and regional divisions among Latinos as their numbers and influence grow in the U.S. It also reflects a movement by some Latinos to define themselves rather than be labeled by predominantly white progressives and Latino academics who advocate for using the term.

Independent media is struggling to survive in Hong Kong, as the Chinese Communist Party looks to tighten its grip on pro-democracy voices.

Why it matters: Hong Kong's media environment, once among the freest in Asia, is growing gradually more similar to that of mainland China.

Chinese surveillance giant Hikvision is going after its top U.S. media critic as part of a ramped-up policy fight aimed at staving off a federal ban on its products, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: Hikvision's quiet offensive against the surveillance technology trade publication IPVM is a significant escalation in its fight against measures it considers contrary to law. They are aimed at cracking down on what federal regulators have dubbed potential national security threats by Chinese technology companies.

In New York City, 85,476 people tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday. In Xi’an, which has a larger population, that number was 122. But it’s the central Chinese city that’s currently living under the world’s strictest lockdown.

Why it matters: The Chinese government is going to drastic lengths to maintain its “zero COVID” policy even with more contagious variants like Omicron emerging and the rest of the world largely learning to live with the virus — including countries like Australia and New Zealand that had previously tried to keep all cases out.

South African police have arrested and charged a suspect in connection with the fire that engulfed South Africa’s Parliament complex on Sunday.

Driving the news: The fire, which destroyed the main chamber of a historic building, reignited Monday, AP reported.

ANKARA — Turkey’s year-on-year inflation rate jumped to 36% according to December’s consumer price index (CPI), released Monday. That's the highest rate since 2002.

The big picture: President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has continued to push for cuts to interest rates amid soaring inflation, arguing it will strengthen Turkey's exports and the construction sector. But that unorthodox approach has seen prices fluctuate wildly and the purchasing power of working class Turks decrease significantly.

Former President Donald Trump endorsed Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán for re-election Monday, throwing his "complete support" behind the nationalist leader.

Why it matters: Orbán, a far-right, populist leader who says he's turned Hungry into an "illiberal state," has changed election laws to benefit his party, the New York Times notes.

Ontario, the most populous province in Canada, will delay the return to in-person school and will move to online learning, as well as close all restaurants, gyms and movie theaters due to the rapid spread of the Omicron COVID variant, Ontario's Premier Doug Ford announced on Monday.

Why it matters: Omicron is causing a record number of new infections and leading to concerns about hospital capacity, per AP. Hospitals will also be forced to pause all "non-emergent and non-urgent" surgeries.

Terra Firma is seeking a buyer for British residential property owner Annington Homes, at an asking price north of £9 billion (including assumed debt), per Sky News.

Why it matters: Annington is one of the U.K.'s largest private landlords. Most of its 40,000 homes are occupied by British military personnel, per a 200-year agreement with the Ministry of Defense.

Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok resigned Sunday amid widespread pro-democracy protests that have rocked the country since a military coup in October.

Why it matters: It's the latest blow to Sudan's fragile transition to a democracy, which comes more than two years after an uprising led to the fall of dictator Omar al-Bashir.

Hong Kong's Citizen News, an independent online news outlet, announced Sunday it will close days after a separate pro-democracy media outlet was shuttered last week, according to AP.

Why it matters: Citizen News is now at least the third Hong Kong news outlet to close in a matter of months as China tightens its grip on the once semi-autonomous city by cracking down on rights and freedoms previously enjoyed by those living there.