Key Storylines
- AFRICA: Ugandan opposition presidential candidate Bobi Wine said soldiers have raided his home and arrested two of his guards in the run-up to the country’s presidential election.
- AMERICAS: The FBI warned of armed protests at all 50 US state capitals and in Washington DC in the run-up to President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration.
- ASIA: India’s Supreme Court suspended the implementation of new agricultural laws that sparked huge farmer protests in the country.
- EUROPE: Astrazeneca/Oxford have sent the European Medicines Agency an application to approve their coronavirus vaccine.
- MIDDLE EAST: One of Israel’s leading human rights group, B’Tselem, has described the country and its control of the Palestinian territories as a single “apartheid” regime.
- TECH & COMMUNICATIONS: Twitter has suspended more than 70,000 accounts linked to the sharing of QAnon content.
Top Story
- Americas: President Trump returns Cuba to US state sponsors of terrorism list.
- The US redesignated Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism just days ahead of President Donald Trump’s departure from the White House.
- Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said, “With this action, we will once again hold Cuba’s government accountable and send a clear message: the Castro regime must end its support for international terrorism and subversion of US justice.”
- The reasons cited for the redesignation include Cuba harboring US fugitives, refusing to extradite Colombian guerrilla commanders, and its support of Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela.
- The redesignation marks the latest in a series of decisions by the outgoing Trump administration in recent days to try to lock in policies ahead of President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration.
- President Barack Obama had previously removed Cuba from the state sponsor of terrorism list in 2015 prior to his restoration of diplomatic ties with Havana that same year.
- Reporting: NYT, Reuters, AP, WaPo, BBC, WSJ
Africa
- Central African Republic: The UN’s mission in the country said it and the country’s army had repelled two weekend attacks by rebels. (AFP)
- Egypt: Authorities have dismissed reports of oxygen shortages in hospitals amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. (Guardian)
- Uganda: Opposition presidential candidate Bobi Wine said soldiers have raided his home and arrested two of his guards in the run-up to the country’s presidential election. (Reuters)
Americas
- Mexico: President Andrés Manuel López Obrador defended the idea of eliminating independent regulatory, watchdog and transparency agencies. (AP)
- United States: The FBI warned of armed protests at all 50 state capitals and in Washington DC in the run-up to President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration. (AP)
- Uruguay: The country registered a new record number of daily new coronavirus infections. (BBC)
Asia
- Region: Australia blocked the China State Construction Engineering Corp from buying-out Australian construction company Probuild, which is involved in several high-profile projects, citing national security concerns. (Reuters)
- China: Beijing is reportedly planning additional crackdowns in Hong Kong after the recent arrest of more than 50 pro-democracy activists. (Reuters)
- India: The Supreme Court suspended the implementation of new agricultural laws that sparked huge farmer protests in the country. (NYT)
- Indonesia: Navy divers have retrieved one of the black boxes of the passenger jet that crashed over the weekend with 62 people on board. (DPA)
Europe
- Region: Astrazeneca/Oxford have sent the European Medicines Agency an application to approve their coronavirus vaccine. (AFP)
- Germany: The first doses of Moderna’s coronavirus vaccines are set to be distributed roughly two weeks after inoculations with the BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine began. (DPA)
- The Holy See: Pope Francis has changed church laws to allow for more roles for women within the Catholic Church. (VOA)
- Portugal: The country’s 72-year-old President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has tested positive for the new coronavirus. (AP)
Middle East
- Region: The Palestinian Authority has signed contracts with Pfizer/BioNTech, Oxford/Astrazeneca, Johnson & Johnson, and Russia’s Sputnik V developers for its coronavirus vaccination plans. (AFP)
- Iran: The European Union said Tehran will have to reverse its decision to enrich uranium at higher levels to save the 2015 nuclear deal. (Reuters)
- Israel: One of the country’s leading human rights group, B’Tselem, has described the country and its control of the Palestinian territories as a single “apartheid” regime. (AP)
- Oman: Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said announced new constitutional reforms, including a mechanism to appoint a crown prince for the first time. (Xinhua)
Tech & Communications
- Social Media: Twitter has suspended more than 70,000 accounts linked to the sharing of QAnon content. (Guardian)
World
- Cyclones: Nothing to report.
- Hurricanes: Nothing to report.
- Earthquakes:
- Mongolia
- Location: 33 km S-SW of Turt, Mongolia
- Magnitude: 6.7
- Depth: 10 km
- Map
- Mongolia
- Volcanoes: Nothing to report.
- Global Disease Outbreaks:
- COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease: Global
- Confirmed Cases as of 12JAN21: 90,976,653
- Total Recovered Cases as of 12JAN21: 50,382,125
- Deaths as of 12JAN21: 1,947,243
- Countries with Confirmed Cases: 191
- Sourcing: John Hopkins University
- COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease: Global
Tomorrow’s Outlook (13JAN21)
- Asia: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit Myanmar, Indonesia, Brunei, and the Philippines. (to 16JAN)
- Europe: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will travel to Belgium and meet with NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg and Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Sophie Wilmès. (to 14JAN)
- Europe: The Conference of Presidents of the European Parliament will be held.
- Germany: President Frank-Walter Steinmeier is expected to deliver a speech on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the founding of the German empire.
- Indonesia: The country’s coronavirus vaccination program is expected to begin.
- Jordan: The country’s coronavirus vaccination program will begin.
- Kenya: Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu will visit and meet with President Uhuru Kenyatta.
- Malaysia: The government will impose new coronavirus restrictions.
- Mali: The UN Security Council will discuss the situation in the country.
- Pakistan: Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu will visit and meet with Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Prime Minister Imran Khan. (to 14JAN)
- Pakistan: The Pakistani, Turkish, and Azerbaijani foreign ministers will hold a meeting in Islamabad.
- Poland: The trial of three LGBT+ activists, who stuck a rainbow to a painting of the Virgin Mary, will be held.
- Russia: President Vladimir Putin will deliver an annual address to the country’s Federal Assembly.
- Taiwan: US Ambassador to the UN Kelly Craft will visit. (to 15JAN)
- United States: The House of Representatives is expected to hold a vote on impeaching President Donald Trump.
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