Key Storylines
- AFRICA: Malawi began its coronavirus vaccination campaign with the use of AstraZeneca’s vaccines it received through the WHO’s COVAX scheme.
- AMERICAS: US President Joe Biden will hold his first cabinet meeting since taking office, in an effort to promote his new infrastructure plan.
- ASIA: UN Special Envoy Christine Schraner Burgener warned that Myanmar faces the possibility of civil war “at an unprecedented scale”.
- EUROPE: The WHO called Europe’s coronavirus vaccination campaign “unacceptably slow”, saying the slow pace of the campaign would prolong the coronavirus pandemic in the continent.
- MIDDLE EAST: Yemen’s Houthi rebels claim to have struck four targets with drones in Saudi Arabia’s capital of Riyadh.
- TECH & COMMUNICATIONS: A new Russian law making it mandatory for smart devices purchased in the country to come pre-installed with Russian software has taken effect.
Top Story
- China: Hong Kong convicts democracy activists over 2019 protests.
- Seven prominent Hong Kong pro-democracy activists have been convicted of unlawful assembly over the 2019 protests in Hong Kong.
- The convicted include Margaret Ng, media tycoon Jimmy Lai, and Martin Lee, who is credited with helping found Hong Kong’s democracy movement.
- Opposition politician Leung Kwok-hung, detained on national security charges, was also convicted.
- All seven of the convicted pro-democracy activists pled not guilty to the charges but now face the prospect of time in prison.
- Reporting: BBC, NYT, WaPo, WSJ, AP, Reuters, AFP, DPA
Africa
- Malawi: The country began its coronavirus vaccination campaign with the use of AstraZeneca’s vaccines it received through the WHO’s COVAX scheme. (AP)
- Mozambique: The UN said more than 8,000 survivors of a jihadist attack on the town of Palma have reached safety. (AFP)
- Niger: The government confirmed that security forces thwarted an attempted military coup yesterday. (AP)
- Nigeria: Doctors working at government hospitals are striking over inadequate pay and facilities. (AFP)
Americas
- Brazil: The Defense Ministry announced new commanders for the three branches of its armed forces a day after the surprise dismissal of the previous three chiefs. (Reuters)
- Colombia: The government gave provisional approval to ExxonMobil Corp’s fracking project in the country’s Valle Medio del Magdalena basin. (Reuters)
- Mexico: The country’s electoral tribunal ruled that President Andrés Manuel López Obrador cannot promote his administration’s achievements in the run-up to midterm elections. (AP)
- United States: President Joe Biden will hold his first cabinet meeting since taking office, in an effort to promote his new infrastructure plan. (AP)
Asia
- Region: Taiwan has opened a travel bubble, its first of the coronavirus pandemic, with the island nation of Palau. (Reuters)
- India: The government began vaccinating people over the age of 45 against the new coronavirus amid an alarming increase in coronavirus cases. (DPA)
- Myanmar: UN Special Envoy Christine Schraner Burgener warned that the country faces the possibility of civil war “at an unprecedented scale”. (AP)
- Vietnam: The country received doses of AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine through the WHO’s COVAX facility for the first time. (DPA)
Europe
- Region: The WHO called Europe’s coronavirus vaccination campaign “unacceptably slow”, saying the slow pace of the campaign would prolong the coronavirus pandemic in the continent. (AFP)
- Russia: The country’s prison service dismissed opposition politician Alexei Navalny’s complaints of being subjected to sleep deprivation and of not receiving medical care. (Reuters)
- Slovakia: The country’s new coalition government led by new Prime Minister Eduard Heger was sworn-in. (AP)
- Ukraine: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba over the phone and affirmed Washington’s support for Kyiv “in the face of Russia’s ongoing aggression”. (Reuters)
Middle East
- Region: Yemen’s Houthi rebels claim to have struck four targets with drones in Saudi Arabia’s capital of Riyadh. (Reuters)
- Region: Popular Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti, who is imprisoned by Israel, submitted his own parliamentary list for May’s elections. (AP)
- Israel: Health officials said they plan to administer the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine to children aged 12-15 in May. (AFP)
Tech & Communications
- Tech Regulation: A new Russian law making it mandatory for smart devices purchased in the country to come pre-installed with Russian software has taken effect. (Reuters)
World
- Cyclones: Nothing to report.
- Hurricanes: Nothing to report.
- Earthquakes:
- New Zealand
- Location: Kermadec Islands, New Zealand
- Magnitude: 6.3
- Depth: 10 km
- Map
- New Zealand
- Volcanoes: Nothing to report.
- Global Disease Outbreaks:
- COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease: Global (as of 01APR21)
- Confirmed cases: 128,991,488
- Total recovered cases: 73,177,393
- Deaths: 2,817,908
- Countries with confirmed cases: 192
- Sourcing: John Hopkins University
- Ebola Virus Disease: Guinea (as of 21MAR21)
- Confirmed cases: 18
- Deaths: 9
- Sourcing: WHO
- Ebola Virus Disease: DR Congo (as of 21MAR21)
- Confirmed cases: 12
- Deaths: 6
- Sourcing: WHO
- COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease: Global (as of 01APR21)
Tomorrow’s Outlook (02APR21)
- Global: The UN’s World Autism Day – 2008
- Global: Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry will visit the United Arab Emirates, India, and Bangladesh. (to 09APR)
- Global: A G20 Finance and Central Bank Deputies meeting will be held virtually.
- Global: A meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) will be held in Russia.
- Global: Maintenance work will be carried out on the Russia to China Power of Siberia gas pipeline. (to 07APR)
- Asia: US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan will meet with his counterparts from Japan and South Korea – National Security Secretariat Secretary General Shigeru Kitamura and National Security Advisor Suh Hoon.
- Europe: Russian Foreign minister Sergei Lavrov will meet his counterparts from Armenia and Azerbaijan.
- China: South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong will visit and meet with his counterpart Wang Yi. (to 03APR)
- China: Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi will visit and meet with her counterpart Wang Yi.
- China: The Philippines’ Foreign Minister Teodoro Locsin will visit and meet with his counterpart Wang Yi.
- China: Malaysian Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein will visit and meet with counterpart Wang Yi.
- China: Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan will visit and meet with counterpart Wang Yi.
- Niger: New President Mohamed Bazoum will begin his term in office.
- Russia: Turkmenistan’s Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov will visit.
- Vietnam: The country’s next president is expected to take the oath of office.
END