Global Beat is your weekly stop for news from around the world. Join us every Friday morning for important stories you should know about.

This week, Syrian government troops seize control of Aleppo’s opposition-held eastern sector; a Colombian court approves "fast track" status of the new peace accord with FARC rebels; China responds to President-elect Trump's phone call with Taiwan's president; and more.
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Americas

Colombia’s Constitutional Court ruled in favor of President Juan Manuel Santos’ plan to "fast track" a peace accord with the FARC rebels. The ruling allows the president to seek expedited congressional approval for legal and constitutional changes necessary for the implementation of the deal. It also means that opposition lawmakers will have little opportunity to amend the deal, as elected officials will have the power to pass the deal without another referendum. The agreement contains new concessions from FARC rebels, including financial reparations for victims. If the deal is approved, rebels will move into camps where the United Nations will oversee their disarmament.

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• Venezuela pulls highest-value banknote ‘to strike against mafia’ – BBC

Central and South Asia

A report released by human rights advocates says that people forced from their homes due to climate change in South Asia should receive the same protections as political refugees. Between 2008 and 2013, an estimated 46 million people in the region had to flee because of natural disasters such as earthquakes and flash floods. Advocates say that these people often lose assets such as savings and land, and should be recognized as refugees under international law in order to receive rights and protections. 

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• Indonesia and India pledge closer maritime ties – The Straits Times

China and East Asia

U.S. President-elect Donald J. Trump’s comments questioning the long-held U.S. position that Taiwan is part of "one China" drew strong rebukes from Beijing this week. In an interview with Fox News Sunday, Trump criticized China for its actions in the South China Sea and its relations with North Korea. Beijing responded to the remarks by saying that U.S.-China cooperation would be "out of the question" if the incoming president drops the longstanding policy.

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• South Korea votes to impeach President Park – Kim Hjelmgaard, USA Today

Europe and Russia

A wall built to stop migrants in the "Jungle" refugee camp in Calais, France, from trying to jump onto passing trucks has been completed. A local refugee advocate called the British-funded wall a "costly political point-scoring exercise," arguing that the money could have been better spent aiding refugees. A group of teenagers who were expelled from the camp are on a partial hunger strike to protest the British Home Office’s apparent cessation of refugee transfers to the UK.

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• Brexit talks could stretch 10 years, British official warns – Stephen Castle, The New York Times

Middle East and North Africa

Following a day of intense bombing, Syrian government troops seized control over Aleppo’s opposition-held eastern sector. Reports have surfaced of civilians, including many women and children, being killed by indiscriminate bombings or executed by Assad’s forces. An agreement between Turkey, Russia, and Syrian opposition forces to evacuate eastern Aleppo fell apart on Wednesday. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights charged the United States and other countries with inaction during the "wanton slaughter of men, women, and children" and described the situation in Aleppo as a "meltdown of humanity."

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• ISIL retakes ancient city of Palmyra – Euan McKirdy and Angela Dowan, CNN 

Southeast Asia and Oceania

There have been 5,927 deaths in Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s "war on drugs," according to statistics published by the national police force. China, which has voiced its support for Duterte’s stance on drugs, is exploring the possibility of supplying arms for the anti-drug campaign. Despite growing international opposition, the government cancelled an upcoming trip by the UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial killings on the grounds that the official did not agree to the Philippines’ conditions for the visit.

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• Cambodia and Philippines ink tourism, sports agreements – Bangkok Post

Sub-Saharan Africa

The World Health Organization’s World Malaria Report 2016 found that pregnant women and children in sub-Saharan Africa have greater access to malaria control now than ever before. Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for 90 percent of the world’s malaria cases and 92 percent of malaria deaths, but progress is being made. The use of preventative malaria treatment in pregnant women is up to 31 percent in 2015 from just 6 percent in 2010. Additionally, malaria mortality rates fell by 31 percent in the region, and diagnostic testing for children is on the rise.

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• Researchers project sub-Saharan Africa will not be able to feed itself by 2050 – Gigen Mammoser, VICE

Stay informed. We’ll see you here again next week.