Key Storylines
- AFRICA: Vice President Yemi Osinbajo declared he would run for Nigeria’s presidency next year when incumbent Muhammadu Buhari is scheduled to step down.
- AMERICAS: Former Ecuadorian vice president Jorge Glas was released from prison after a judge ruled his physical and psychological well-being were at risk.
- ASIA: The manufacturing hub of Guangzhou closed itself to most arrivals as China battles a COVID-19 outbreak in its big eastern cities.
- EUROPE: Austrian chancellor Karl Nehammer will become the first European leader to visit Moscow since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
- MIDDLE EAST: The Palestinian health ministry said Israeli forces shot and killed a man near the city of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank.
- TECH & COMMUNICATIONS: Twitter’s chief executive Parag Agrawal said that Elon Musk has decided not to join the board of Twitter.
Top Story
- Mexico: Mexicans back Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador as Leader in Recall Vote with Low Turnout.
- President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador won a divisive referendum on whether he should step down or complete his term – a vote marked by low turnout.
- The voting exercise involved choosing between two options: “He should be deprived of his mandate due to a lack of confidence” or “He should remain in the office of President of the Republic”.
- The National Electoral Institute (INE) said turnout in the vote was forecast at between 17% and 18.2% well below a threshold of 40% for it to be binding, and lower than some polls.
- Lopez Obrador hailed the referendum result as “historic” and compared his tally favorably with the number of votes won by rivals he defeated to win the presidency, and in other elections.
- Critics argued that the vote was really a gambit to energize Lopez Obrador’s base when he began a period usually seen as a ‘lame duck’ phase of the country’s presidency.
- In a video address to the nation, Lopez Obrador will continue serving until the last day of his term and will not go past that because he is a democrat, and he is not in favor of re-election.
- AFP, DW, Reuters, BBC, Bloomberg, AlJazeera
Africa
- Ethiopia: Continued fighting in Oromia between government forces and the rebel Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) is raising concerns of worsening insecurity in the south. (BBC)
- Guinea: Former Prime Minister Ibrahima Kassory and three ex-cabinet members are due to face embezzlement charges before a court in Conakry following their arrest last week. (BBC)
- Nigeria: Vice President Yemi Osinbajo declared he would run for the nation’s presidency next year when incumbent Muhammadu Buhari is scheduled to step down. (AFP)
- South Africa: President Cyril Ramaphosa blasted vigilante groups for harassing migrants likening their behavior to strategies adopted by the apartheid regime to target Black people. (AFP)
- Tunisia: Protesters demonstrated against President Kais Saied, accusing him of imposing one-man rule in the North African country after he dissolved parliament last month. (Reuters)
Americas
- Brazil: The senate approved a request to mandate the Air Force to reveal records of flights between Brazil and Bolivia late in 2019 – including passenger lists. (Brazilian Report)
- Colombia: A think tank Paz y Reconciliación (Pares) said that President Ivan Duque’s failed security policy has allowed the country’s illegal armed groups to grow significantly over the past four years. (Colombia Reports)
- Cuba: The island nation has reported a decrease in COVID-19 infections and deaths in the past week as the national mass immunization program continues. (Xinhua)
- Ecuador: Former vice president Jorge Glas was released from prison after a judge ruled his physical and psychological well-being were at risk. (Reuters)
- United States: President Joe Biden will announce new measures cracking down on “ghost guns” with an executive order set to increase restrictions on the weapons. (AFP)
Asia
- China: The manufacturing hub of Guangzhou closed itself to most arrivals as the country battles a COVID-19 outbreak in its big eastern cities. (AP)
- Indonesia: Police fired tear gas and water cannon to disperse hundreds of students protesting high cooking oil prices and a mooted extension of President Joko Widodo’s stay in office. (Reuters)
- North Korea: The country praised Kim Jong Un’s leadership in developing nuclear weapons and touted his political achievements to celebrate his 10 years in charge of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK). (Reuters)
- Pakistan: Shehbaz Sharif is set to become the new prime minister, but the country still faces months of political crisis after Imran Khan was ousted by a no-confidence vote on Saturday. (AP)
- Philippines: The country recorded 21 deaths from landslides caused by Tropical Storm Megi. (Reuters)
Europe
- Region: Russia has made a “massive strategic blunder” as Finland and Sweden look poised to join NATO as early as the summer. (Reuters)
- Austria: Chancellor Karl Nehammer will become the first European leader to visit Moscow since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. (AFP)
- France: President Emmanuel Macron and his rival Marine Le Pen are preparing for two weeks of tough campaigning after they reached a run-off of presidential elections that could be far tighter than their encounter five years ago. (AFP)
- Germany: The minister for families and women Anne Spiegel apologized for taking a vacation shortly after devastating floods last year in the state where she was then a senior official, but it is not clear whether the move will help relieve pressure on her. (AP)
- Ukraine: Forces are preparing for the “last battle” to control the southern port of Mariupol, besieged by Russians since the invasion. (AFP)
Middle East
- Iran: Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said that Washington is “imposing new conditions” in the negotiations to restore the 2015 nuclear agreement. (Al-Monitor)
- Iraq: The oil ministry took all necessary measures required to implement a federal court’s ruling that gives it the authority to manage oil and gas fields in the north, in cooperation with Kurdish authorities. (Reuters)
- Jordan: The Royal Hashemite Court said King Abdullah II departed for Germany to undergo an urgent surgery to treat a thoracic herniated disc. (Xinhua)
- Kuwait: Foreign Minister Sheikh Ahmad Nasser Mohammad Al-Sabah said that the country appreciates Lebanon in its efforts to restore ties with the Gulf countries. (Xinhua)
- Palestinian Territories: The health ministry said Israeli forces shot and killed a man near the city of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank. (AP)
Tech & Communications
- Social Media: Twitter’s chief executive Parag Agrawal said that Elon Musk has decided not to join the board of Twitter. (BBC)
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 11APR22)
- Confirmed cases: 498,154,313
- Deaths: 6,176,420
- Countries with confirmed cases: 192
- Sourcing: John Hopkins University
- COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease: Global (as of 11APR22)
Tomorrow’s Outlook (12APR22)
- Colombia: UN Security Council to vote to discuss Colombia; President Ivan Duque to make a speech.
- Guinea-Bissau: 10th anniversary of military coup.
- Liberia: National Redemption Day.
- Lithuania: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to address parliament.
- Myanmar: Thingyan Holiday.
- New Zealand: Border reopens to vaccinated Australians.
- Somalia: US continues national emergency.
- Uruguay: Bank Holiday.
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