Key Storylines
- AFRICA: Algeria recorded 203 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the North African country to 122,311.
- AMERICAS: Republican Susan Wright of Texas, the widow of the first member of Congress due to COVID-19, advanced to a U.S House runoff for her late husband’s seat.
- ASIA: Taiwan sent medical supplies to India as the South Asian country continued to fight a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases.
- EUROPE: British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab announced that the Group of Seven richest countries will look at a proposal to create a rapid response mechanism to counter Russian “propaganda” and disinformation.
- MIDDLE EAST: The Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen reported that Saudi air defenses intercepted and destroyed an explosive-laden drone launched by Iran-aligned Houthis towards the Saudi city of Khamis Mushait.
- TECH & COMMUNICATIONS: SpaceX safely returned four astronauts from the International Space Station, making the first U.S. crew night splashdown since the Apollo 8 moon shot.
Top Story
- North Korea: The nation lashes out the Biden Administration’s change of strategy regarding the denuclearization.
- North Korea branded US diplomacy “spurious”, rejecting the idea of talks with Washington a day after the Biden administration said it was open to diplomatic negotiations on denuclearization, state media reported.
- North Korea added that the U.S. President Joe Biden made a “big blunder” after he called Pyongyang’s nuclear program a serious threat, warning the U.S. will face a “worse and worse crisis beyond control.”
- Another statement attributed to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s sister, Kim Yo Jong, stated that South Korea would face consequences after North Korean defectors used balloons to send leaflets into North Korean territory.
- White House press secretary Jen Psaki gave little indication of what kind of diplomatic overtures the administration will make but suggested that Biden had learned from the experience of past administrations.
- Reporting: AFP, YNA, CNN, The Guardian,
Africa
- Algeria: The nation recorded 203 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the North African country to 122,311. (Xinhua)
- Libya: Germany is providing 5 million euros (6 million U.S. dollars) to help the nation with its vaccination campaign against COVID-19. (Xinhua)
- South Africa: President Cyril Ramaphosa paid respect to the workers for doing a stellar job during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Xinhua)
Americas
- El Salvador: The new Legislative Assembly, controlled by President Nayib Bukele’s New Ideas party, held its first sessions where lawmakers voted to remove the magistrates of the constitutional chamber of the Supreme Court. (AP)
- United States: Mitt Romney was loudly booed at the Utah Republican party convention on his vote for impeachment against former president Trump; being called a “traitor” and a “communist” as he tried to speak. (The Guardian)
- United States: Republican Susan Wright of Texas, the widow of the first member of Congress due to COVID-19, advanced to a House runoff for her late husband’s seat. (AP)
Asia
- Region: Taiwan sent medical supplies to India as the South Asian country continued to fight a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases. (DPA)
- Australia: Perth faces prospects of its second snap lockdown in two weeks, after a hotel quarantine security guard and two of his roommates tested positive for COVID-19. (Reuters)
- China: The Shandong aircraft carrier task group recently completed an exercise in the South China Sea. (Reuters)
- India: With hospitals struggling to secure enough oxygen, and more COVID-19 patients dying due to the shortages, a court in New Delhi said it would start punishing government officials for failing to deliver the life-saving items. (AP)
Europe
- Region: British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab announced that the Group of Seven richest countries will look at a proposal to create a rapid response mechanism to counter Russian “propaganda” and disinformation. (Reuters)
- Russia: Yulia Tsvetkova, a native LGBT activist and artist has declared a hunger strike to protest the proceedings of her closed-door trial on pornography charges. (RFE)
- Russia: Health Minister Mikhail Murashko stated that the situation with COVID-19 in the nation remains tense, with more than 300,000 infected patients under supervision. (TASS)
- Spain: The hard-right Vox party is expected to enter a regional coalition with conservatives in Madrid after a confrontational election campaign that featured death threats. (Telegraph)
Middle East
- Region: The Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen reported that Saudi air defenses intercepted and destroyed an explosive-laden drone launched by Houthi rebels towards the Saudi city of Khamis Mushait. (Reuters)
- Iran: Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif apologized for critical statements he was heard saying about the country’s political system in a leaked audio recording. (DPA)
- Israel: The nation held a day of national mourning to remember the 45 people who died in a stampede at a religious festival drawing thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews two days ago. (DPA)
Tech & Communications
- Space: SpaceX safely returned four astronauts from the International Space Station, making the first U.S. crew night splashdown since the Apollo 8 moon shot. (AP)
World
- Cyclones: Nothing to report.
- Hurricanes: Nothing to report.
- Earthquakes: Nothing to report.
- Volcanoes: Nothing to report.
- Global Disease Outbreaks:
- COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease: Global (as of 02May21)
- Confirmed cases: 152,240,390
- Total recovered cases:
- Deaths: 3,193,325
- Countries with confirmed cases: 192
- Sourcing: John Hopkins University
- Ebola Virus Disease: Guinea (as of 18APR21)
- Confirmed cases: 16
- Deaths: 12
- Sourcing: WHO
- Ebola Virus Disease: DR Congo (as of 18APR21)
- Confirmed cases: 11
- Deaths: 6
- Sourcing: WHO
- COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease: Global (as of 02May21)
Tomorrow’s Outlook (03MAY21)
- Global: U.N. Human Rights Council opens Universal Periodic Review.
- Global: ECOSOC Partnership Forum.
- Global: World Press Freedom Day.
- Europe: Ministers arrive in London ahead of G7 Foreign and Development Ministers Meeting.
- North America-Middle East: U.S. team mediating Israel-Lebanon maritime boundary negotiations travels to Lebanon.
- France: Pupils start returning to schools, with travel ban also lifted.
- United Kingdom: U.S Secretary of State Blinken visits the nation.
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