Key Storylines
- AFRICA: Electricity generation in Ivory Coast and Ghana decreased due to a prolonged dry season resulting in a power shortage in neighboring West African countries such as Mali and Burkina Faso.
- AMERICAS: US regulators approved extending the use of Pfizer/BioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine to children as young as 12.
- ASIA: China’s working-age population declined over the last decade and its overall population only grew slightly, according to the latest census data.
- EUROPE: At least 11 people died after one or more gunmen opened fire in a school in Russia.
- MIDDLE EAST: Iran’s Revolutionary Guard rejected the US Navy’s claim that fast-approaching Iranian speedboats triggered an encounter between the two in the Strait of Hormuz.
- TECH & COMMUNICATIONS: Three journalists and two activists who fled Myanmar and entered Thailand will go on trial on charges of illegally entering the country.
Top Story
- Middle East: Pleas for calm as Israel-Palestine violence escalates.
- Days of unrest spiraled into retaliatory attacks between Israelis and Palestinians prompting countries across the world to call for calm.
- Palestinian militants launched more than 200 rockets into Israel and Israel responded by deploying warplanes over Gaza as unrest also spread into Israeli Arab communities in Jerusalem.
- Since the breakout of cross-border violence, 24 Palestinian people, including nine children, have died due to Israeli airstrikes while Palestinian rockets killed six Israeli civilians in a direct hit on an apartment building.
- The United States, the European Union, and the United Kingdom all urged Israel and Palestine to lower tensions.
- Egypt, Qatar, and the United Nations are reportedly trying to intervene and curb what is the worst Israel-Palestine violence since 2019.
- Reporting: NYT, BBC, Reuters, DPA, AP, WaPo, WSJ
Africa
- Region: Electricity generation in Ivory Coast and Ghana decreased due to a prolonged dry season resulting in a power shortage in neighboring West African countries such as Mali and Burkina Faso. (Reuters)
- Region: Islamist militia Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) killed one Malawian peacekeeper in DR Congo’s North Kivu province. (Reuters)
- Central African Republic: Authorities arrested a French citizen keeping a large cache of weapons at his home. (AFP)
- Egypt: The Suez Canal Authority announced plans to widen and deepen a stretch of the waterway where the container ship Ever Given got stuck. (Reuters)
- South Sudan: President Salva Kiir announced a new parliament composed of lawmakers from opposing sides of the country’s civil war as required under a 2018 peace accord. (AFP)
Americas
- Region: Honduras said El Salvador will help it acquire coronavirus vaccines from Chinese pharma firms. (AFP)
- Brazil: President Jair Bolsonaro’s office said the government will provide an extra $1.05 billion in spending towards the production, supply and distribution of coronavirus vaccines. (Reuters)
- Colombia: No progress was achieved in a meeting between President Ivan Duque and protest leaders. (Reuters)
- Mexico: An injunction was issued against a law enabling the government to seize private gas stations or terminals for national security purposes. (AP)
- United States: The country’s regulators approved extending the use of Pfizer/BioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine to children as young as 12. (AP)
Asia
- Region: Japan launched its first joint military exercise with France and the United States in the country’s southwest. (AFP)
- Region: Taiwan accused China of “maliciously” blocking Taipei’s access to the World Health Organization, after Beijing hinted it would prevent Taipei from attending a major WHO meeting. (Reuters)
- China: The country’s working-age population declined over the last decade and its overall population only grew slightly, according to the latest census data. (AP)
- Singapore: The country is looking to secure more sources of coronavirus vaccines as global supplies dwindle. (Reuters)
Europe
- Region: Germany said it hopes for a swift EU-wide agreement on a COVID-19 certificate to enable citizens to travel more easily within the European Union. (Reuters)
- Region: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov proposed holding discussions on arms control and security issues at a potential Biden-Putin summit. (Reuters)
- Italy: The government will reportedly ask the European Union to pay Libya to prevent the departure of migrant boats from the north African country. (Reuters)
- Portugal: Authorities arrested three border guards who beat a Ukrainian citizen to death after he arrived in the country without a valid visa. (BBC)
- Russia: At least 11 people died after one or more gunmen opened fire in a Kazan school. (Reuters)
Middle East
- Region: Iran’s Revolutionary Guard rejected the US Navy’s claim that fast-approaching Iranian speedboats triggered an encounter between the two in the Strait of Hormuz. (AP)
- Iran: Authorities opened the registration for potential candidates in June’s presidential election. (AP)
- Syria: One Turkish soldier died in the country’s northwestern Idlib province after the military supply convoy he belonged to was struck by a rocket. (AP)
Tech & Communications
- Media: Three journalists and two activists who fled Myanmar and entered Thailand are set to go on trial on charges of illegally entering the country. (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 11MAY21)
- Confirmed cases: 158,993,826
- Total recovered cases: 95,066,747
- Deaths: 3,305,018
- Countries with confirmed cases: 192
- Sourcing: John Hopkins University
- Ebola Virus Disease: Guinea (as of 09MAY21)
- Confirmed cases: 16
- Deaths: 12
- Sourcing: WHO
- COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease: Global (as of 11MAY21)
Tomorrow’s Outlook (12MAY21)
- Global: The United States, Japan, and France will hold joint military exercises in Japan. (to 17MAY)
- Africa: US Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Jeffrey Feltman will visit Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Sudan. (to 13MAY)
- Asia: A China + Central Asia (C+C5) foreign ministers meeting will be held in Xian, China.
- Asia: French trade officials will visit Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. (to 13MAY)
- Europe: Argentina’s President Alberto Fernandez and Economy Minister Martin Guzman will embark on a European tour with planned stops in Spain, Portugal, France, and Italy, including a meeting with Pope Francis. (to 13MAY)
- Europe: The European Central Bank’s Governing Council will hold a non-monetary policy meeting.
- Middle East: The UN Security Council will hold meetings on the region.
- Afghanistan: The Taliban’s 3-day Eid ceasefire could begin. (to 13MAY)
- Bangladesh: The country will receive 500,000 doses of Chinese pharma firm Sinopharm’s coronavirus vaccine.
- China: The United Nations is expected to hold a virtual event on the repression of minorities in the Xinjiang region.
- El Salvador: US Special Envoy for the Northern Triangle Ricardo Zúniga will visit.
- Iran: Candidate registration for the upcoming presidential election will be held. (to 15MAY)
- Myanmar: The date will mark 100 days since the military’s coup ousted an elected civilian government.
- Russia: The Petushinsky District Court of the Vladimir region will reportedly hear lawsuits lodged by opposition politician Alexei Navalny’s lawyers against the management of the prison where Navalny has been detained.
- South Korea: Israeli Economy Minister Amir Peretz will visit and meet with their counterparts and sign a free trade agreement between their two countries. (to 13MAY)
- South Sudan: US Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan Donald Booth will visit. (to 13MAY)
- Uganda: President Yoweri Museveni will be sworn-in for his sixth term in office.
- United Kingdom: IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva will visit and meet with government officials ahead of next month’s G7 Summit.
- United Kingdom: The government will release GDP data for the most recent quarter.
- United States: The country will reduce visa services for Russian citizens.
- United States: President Joe Biden will virtually participate in an MSNBC town hall on COVID-19 vaccinations.
- United States: President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will meet with Congressional leaders at the White House.
- United States: Attorney General Merrick Garland and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas will testify about domestic violent extremism to the Senate Committee on Appropriations.
- United States: The US Commission on International Religious Freedom will hold a hearing on stopping genocide.
- United States: The Senate Committee on Foreign Relations will hold a hearing on the international response to the coronavirus pandemic.
- Zambia: Parliament is expected to be dissolved ahead of upcoming general elections.
END
