01APR21 Global Overnight Overwatch Report

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
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

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