Key Storylines
- AFRICA: Beninese head to the polls with skepticism, with critics accusing President Patrice Talon of influencing the race in his favor by sidelining opposition leaders.
- AMERICAS: The Center for Disease Control announced that the United States has administered 183,467,709 doses of COVID-19 vaccines and distributed 237,791,735 doses currently.
- ASIA: U.S Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin discussed with his Filipino counterpart China’s recent use of “militia vessels” near the Philippines in the South China Sea.
- EUROPE: The finance minister has asked Poland’s political parties to vote in favor of the EU recovery fund, saying it would be “suicidal” to vote it against it as Warsaw would lose out on essential cheap financing to improve the economy.
- MIDDLE EAST: U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin arrived in Israel on the first visit by a senior Biden administration official.
- TECH & COMMUNICATIONS: South Korean battery makers LG Energy Solution and rival SK Innovation Co have agreed to end a trade secrets dispute that has threatened a key Georgia plant and the electric vehicle plans of Ford Motor Co and Volkswagen AG.
Top Story
- United States: Former President Donald Trump speaks at a Republican donors’ conference.
- Trump continued to recount debunked claims the election was stolen from him, including detailed complaints against individual states.
- Former President Donald Trump promised to help Republicans win seats in the 2022 midterm elections despite lashing out at two top party figures, Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell and former Vice President Mike Pence, at a donor retreat.
- Trump told hundreds of leading Republican donors in prepared remarks. “Under our leadership, we welcomed millions upon millions of new voters into the Republican coalition. We transformed the Republican Party into a party that truly fights for all Americans.”
- Trump verbally attacked Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, calling Senator McConnell a “total stone-cold loser.”
- Reporting: CNN, Reuters, AP, CBS
Africa
- Benin: Citizens head to the polls with skepticism, with critics accusing President Patrice Talon of influencing the race in his favor by sidelining opposition leaders. (AFP)
- Morocco: The nation announced 740 additional COVID-19 cases, bringing the nation’s amount to 501,688. (Xinhua)
- Sierra Leone: The nation has gained 640 doses of Ebola vaccines to boost the prevention of the virus detected in neighboring Guinea. (Xinhua)
Americas
- Brazil: The nation recorded 2,616 additional Covid-19 deaths, bringing the overall pandemic toll to 351,334 as the country battles the failure of its health services with hospitals running out of capacity. (EFE)
- Colombia: Major cities across the nation started the first weekend of strict lockdowns to reduce the spread of the third wave of COVID-19 following several days of more than 10,000 daily infections. (EFE)
- Peru: Citizens go to the polls amid a deadly pandemic surge to elect a new president to confront the country’s multiple challenges from among 18 candidates with no clear favorite. (AFP)
- United States: The center for disease control announced that the United States has administered 183,467,709 doses of COVID-19 vaccines and distributed 237,791,735. (Reuters)
Asia
- China: The nation is considering mixing different Covid-19 vaccines to improve the effectiveness of its existing options. (AFP)
- Philippines: U.S Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin discussed China’s recent use of “militia vessels” near the nation in the South China Sea with his domestic counterpart. (AP)
- South Korea: The nation will resume administering AstraZeneca vaccines to eligible recipients after temporarily pausing the program amid growing concerns over its safety. (YNA)
- Thailand: The nation recorded 967 additional COVID-19 cases, the most significant one-day jump, as the country deals with the third wave of infections. (Reuters)
Europe
- Germany: The nation has given around 15 percent of its population the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. (DPA)
- Poland: The finance minister has asked the country’s political parties to vote in favor of the EU recovery fund, saying it would be “suicidal” to vote against it as Warsaw would lose out on essential cheap financing to improve the economy. (FT)
- United Kingdom: Overall approval for the government’s handling of the Covid pandemic is now positive for the first time since May last year, in the latest sign that the vaccine rollout is being viewed favorably by the public. (The Guardian)
Middle East
- Iran: An electrical problem has been reported at the Natanz nuclear site, a day after Tehran launched new advanced centrifuges that enrich uranium more quickly. (RFE)
- Israel: U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin arrived in the country in the first visit by a senior Biden administration official. (Reuters)
- United Arab Emirates: Dubai’s trade terms fell by 13.7% last year, led by a decline in imports and re-exports with the COVID-19 pandemic slamming the Middle East’s most significant trading hub. (Reuters)
Tech & Communications
- Transportation: South Korean battery makers LG Energy Solution and rival SK Innovation Co have agreed to end a trade secrets dispute that has threatened a key Georgia plant and the electric vehicle plans of Ford Motor Co and Volkswagen AG. (Reuters)
World
- Cyclones:
- Hurricanes: Nothing to report.
- Earthquakes: Nothing to report.
- Volcanoes: Nothing to report.
- Global Disease Outbreaks:
- COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease: Global (as of 11APR21)
- Confirmed cases: 135,380,952
- Total recovered cases: 76,909,812
- Deaths: 2,928,370
- Countries with confirmed cases: 192
- Sourcing: John Hopkins University
- Ebola Virus Disease: Guinea (as of 28MAR21)
- Confirmed cases: 18
- Deaths: 9
- Sourcing: WHO
- Ebola Virus Disease: DR Congo (as of 28MAR21)
- Confirmed cases: 12
- Deaths: 6
- Sourcing: WHO
- COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease: Global (as of 11APR21)
Tomorrow’s Outlook (12APR21)
- Global: ECOSOC Forum on Financing for Development follow-up.
- Global: Muslim month of Ramadan begins.
- Canada: Yukon territorial elections in Canada.
- Greece: The nation is scheduled to end domestic flight restrictions.
- Somalia: The U.S. continues National Emergency with respect to the nation.
END
