Our daily travels around the world

🇪🇺 Four people, including a high-ranking EU official, were arrested by Belgian police for allegedly participating in a bribery scheme. Prosecutors didn’t reveal the names of those arrested, but sources say they include Greek politician Eva Kaili, one of the EU Parliament’s 14 vice-presidents. Officials seized $630,000+ in cash as part of the arrests, and accused the four individuals of having received bribes from “a Gulf state” to influence decisions in Parliament. According to multiple sources, that Gulf state is Qatar – though the country has officially denied the claims.

🇮🇩 Indonesia’s ban on sex and cohabitation outside of marriage won’t be applied to foreigners, per officials. Last week, the country’s parliament approved new laws that criminalized premarital sex or cohabitation for all residents and foreigners – but Indonesia’s minister of human rights clarified yesterday that non-citizens won’t be prosecuted under those articles. The country received 16+ million tourists in 2019, with the industry accounting for nearly 5% of its overall GDP.

🇮🇷 Iran carried out its second execution of an anti-government protester yesterday, with more on the horizon. 23-year-old Majidreza Rahnavard was arrested on November 19, and sentenced to death for allegedly killing two Iranian security officials and wounding four others during a protest. The director of nonprofit org Iran Human Rights said that a public execution so soon after an arrest indicates the other 23 protesters who’ve already been sentenced to death could also be executed soon. Iran is the world’s second-most prolific user of the death penalty after China (and excluding North Korea).