With the highest number of coronavirus infections in Southeast Asia, Indonesia is keen to start vaccinating in the coming weeks. However, one thing stands in the way of the hundreds of millions of Muslims: is the vaccine halal?

After waiting months for responses from Sinovac, the Chinese manufacturer whose shot is being distributed there, the clergy received a one-sentence answer that said: The vaccine was “made free of pig materials”. Religious leaders want more details as even the smallest amount of pork DNA could deter some devout Muslims from taking it.

President Joko Widodo has rejected concerns, saying the emergency situation is the greater priority. It is possible for a fatwa to be issued, as has been done in the past. Islamic authorities in other countries with large Muslim populations such as Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates have already declared the vaccine legal.

The goal: Indonesia hopes to vaccinate 181.5 million adults within 15 months.

Here are the latest updates and maps of the pandemic.

Voters take part in the elections in Georgia to decide which party has control of the Senate. On Wednesday, Congress will meet to confirm President-elect Joe Biden’s victory, while Republicans make one last attempt to scrap the election results.

The elections in Georgia are turning into a nail biter. In November, no candidate received 50 percent of the vote. Early voting data and polls show that the race is very close again.

If the Republicans keep control of the Senate, it will be much harder for Mr Biden to get his agenda through. Republicans need only win one of the two races to retain control of the Senate. Democrats need both to regain control. There is something to see here.

Next Up: Voting in Congress to confirm the results of the presidential election is a procedural step that Americans would ignore in most elections. But it has taken on new meaning in a year the president tried to derail the process.

Some Republicans are planning a final showdown to invalidate Mr Biden’s win, but they will almost certainly fail. Follow our latest updates here.

For the first time since the census was recorded, the number of newborns in South Korea fell below the number of deaths last year. A shrinking and rapidly aging population could lead to a long-term crisis in one of the world’s major economies.

The coronavirus pandemic may have contributed to the problem: Although the death toll was low at around 1,000 people, the health crisis may have deterred people from having children or from marrying. Successive governments have tried to provide financial incentives for couples to have more children without success.

The payment: There were 275,815 births, a decrease of 10.65 percent from 2019 and 307,764 deaths, an increase of 3.1 percent from 2019. South Korea’s birth rate is the lowest in the world.

Residents of the Pigeon Pavilion in California wake up in private rooms with views of the forested Santa Cruz Mountains and relax in landscaped courtyards throughout the day. It might sound like a resort, but the center is a mental health facility that opened in June.

Psychiatric hospitals have been a dire situation for decades. However, new research into the health effects of our surroundings is driving the development of mental health facilities that are cozy, calming, and supportive, with private spaces and more greenery.

Vietnam journalists: Three journalists were sentenced to 11 and 15 years’ imprisonment, including a prominent reporter who wrote for foreign news organizations and campaigned for the freedom of the press. As Congress draws closer to the ruling Communist Party, the authorities arrested or prosecuted its loudest critics.

Death penalty for China: Lai Xiaomin, the former chairman of Huarong Asset Management, was sentenced to death Tuesday. This is a rare and dramatic example of Beijing’s use of the death penalty for economic crimes. He was convicted of $ 277 million in bribes.

Blockade in Qatar: Representatives of several Gulf states signed an agreement to ease Qatar’s isolation from its Arab neighbors, who have blocked the country since 2017 when neighbors accused it of coordinating too closely with Iran. The deal came a day after Saudi Arabia agreed to reopen its borders and airspace to Qatar.

Snapshot: Above, a group in a rented igloo between curling games in New York City. Restaurants and cafes that can only dine outdoors get creative in a gloomy winter. Heated huts, igloos and games like ice stock sport are popping up in the city.

What we read: This Der Spiegel interview with BioNTech founders Özlem Türeci and Uğur Şahin. It contains reassuring information about the virus variant (yes, the vaccine will continue to be effective against it) and insight into the amazing life of this “first pair of medicines”.

Cook: This yam and plantain curry with crispy shallots is an adaptation of Asaro, a dish made from starchy root vegetables cooked in a flavored tomato and chili-based sauce and served in southern Nigeria and other parts of West Africa.

Read: “Himalaya: A Human History” by Ed Douglas, journalist and climber, tells the story of the highest mountains in the world and its equally enormous impact on humanity.

To do: Imagine you are in Cartagena. The Colombian city is so magical that it has inspired entire books by Gabriel García Márquez.

Whether books or baking, we have everything for you. At home, you have ideas for what to read, cook, see, and do while being safe at home.

David Vecsey, a Times editor, wrote about the gaffes and mistakes that can keep him up at night. Here is an excerpt.

It’s a feeling every editor knows. At 3 am you wake up from a deep sleep with your eyes open and say to yourself: Did I misspell “Kyrgyzstan” last night? And nine times out of ten, you can easily go back to sleep knowing you’ve done it.

Copy editors have an almost photographic memory when it comes to the words that pass before our eyes. Unfortunately, the cameras we use are those old-fashioned tripods that use flaming magnesium for a flash and take hours or even days to develop the images.

But at some point it all comes back in a rush of clarity. You might be pushing your toddler through the park on a glorious, sunny day off if you suddenly wonder: Did I say Dallas was the capital of Texas last week? Yes. Yes you did You idiot.

My job, put simply, is to get things right. So there’s no worse feeling than realizing that you’ve put a correctable mistake on the press and that a day or two later a correction will come up to say, “Because of an editing error …”

The Times has strict guidelines for correcting it: if it’s wrong, even if it’s online or in a print issue for a few minutes, get it corrected. It is this commitment to accuracy that deserves the trust of our readers.

Reading proofs in the New York Times is like taking a guided tour through the pitfalls of journalism. Here you will discover the Ginsberg-Ginsburg Vortex, a black hole that has engulfed many journalists who have confused the names of the poet and justice.

When I’ve learned one thing, there is one thing you need to shrug off your mistakes and move on. And one day I’ll learn from God how to do that.

That’s it for this briefing. Until next time.

– Melina

Many Thanks
To Theodore Kim and Jahaan Singh for the break from the news. You can reach the team at briefing@nytimes.com.

PS
• We listen to “The Daily”. Our latest installment is part 2 of a series about the Georgia Senate runoff races.
• Here is our mini crossword puzzle and a clue: Enthusiastic (five letters). You can find all of our puzzles here.
• Katie Glueck, our main reporter for the Biden campaign, joins Metro as Chief Political Correspondent.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR