Fiji calls in military to maintain order over election disputes

The nation is waiting for the president to recall parliament so that lawmakers can vote for a new prime minister. [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [View in your browser]( [Top of The World]( --------------------------------------------------------------- What The World is following Fiji calls in military to maintain order over election disputes [People's Alliance Party leader Sitiveni Rabuka gestures during a church service at the Fijian Teachers Association Hall in Suva, Fiji, Dec. 18, 2022.] Credit: Mick Tsikas/AAP Image via AP Fiji Fiji has had to [call in the military]( to maintain order following disputes over last week’s election that resulted in a hung parliament. The nation is waiting for the president to recall parliament so that lawmakers can vote for a new prime minister. The country has seen [four military coups]( in the past 35 years. The two main contenders this year for the role of prime minister were also former coup leaders themselves. India India is on alert for [potential new COVID-19 variants]( from the current spike in infections sweeping across neighboring China. The health minister, Mansukh Mandaviya, has advised people to get vaccinated and wear masks. India has also begun to randomly test foreign travelers at airports for COVID-19. Mandaviya also urged state governments to send samples of all positive cases to [genome sequencing laboratories](. Israel Designated Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Wednesday that he has [formed a new coalition](. He will now be able to return to power, leading the most right-wing Israeli government ever to hold office. His coalition partners still have to [finalize their their power-sharing deals]( with his Likud Party. Netanyahu, who won in the November election, will serve a historic sixth term as the country’s prime minister. --------------------------------------------------------------- From The World [The new Dikan Center in Ghana displays a collection of photography from across Africa]( [The exterior of the newly opened Dikan Center for photography in Accra, Ghana.]( Credit: Courtesy of the Dikan Center Paul Ninson joins The World's host Marco Werman to discuss the opening of the [new photography library]( that he created, called the Dikan Center, in Accra, Ghana, to showcase work by Africans and African Americans. [This Vermont couple created a home for Ukrainian refugees with a focus on children with disabilities]( [Joseph Arana Sanchez (center) rehearses on his guitar ahead of a benefit concert for fellow Ukrainians living in Vermont.]( Credit: Mikaela Lefrak/The World Theresa and Scott Cianciolo founded Agape Ministries, a Christian nonprofit that works with children and adults with developmental disabilities in Ukraine. After they stopped traveling to Ukraine due to the war, they raised money to create a [home for refugees and children with disabilities]( in Vermont. Time is running out to support The World before 2023. There is only about a week left before our fundraiser ends, but we’re still short of our goal. We need just 244 listeners to donate $100 or pledge $10 monthly in order to sustain our nonprofit newsroom for another year. If you rely on The World to keep you connected and informed, please join the hundreds of listeners who have already donated and [make your gift today](. We can’t do it without you. --------------------------------------------------------------- Bright spot Venice has installed [a set of glass barriers]( around the iconic 900-year-old St. Mark’s Basilica. It’s an attempt to keep its marble columns and valuable mosaics safe from seawater-induced erosion. Salt crystals are usually left behind after water evaporates, which corrode the marble bases and the floor mosaics, so the barriers are intended to help preserve them. [A thin layer of seawater surfaces during a moderately high tide in St. Mark's Square in Venice, northern Italy, Dec. 7, 2022.] Credit: Domenico Stinellis/AP/File photo In case you missed it on The World --------------------------------------------------------------- Don't forget to subscribe to The World's Latest Edition podcast using your favorite podcast player: [RadioPublic](, [Apple Podcasts](, [Stitcher](, [Soundcloud](, [RSS]( [The World logo]( [The World on Facebook]( [The World's Twitter account]( [Donate]( | [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [Edit your subscription]( | [Unsubscribe]( | [View in your browser]( Top of the World is written weekday mornings by the team at [The World](. [The World]( is produced by [PRX]( and [GBH](.