- AFRICA: Tunisian President Kais Saied escalated his dispute with Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi, saying his office enabled him to command the country’s internal security forces and not just the army.
- AMERICAS: Half of the US adult population has received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, the government said.
- ASIA: New Zealand Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta said Wellington is “uncomfortable” with expanding the role of the Five Eyes.
- EUROPE: Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny’s closest supporters are expecting the worst after Navalny’s lawyers were not allowed to see him over the weekend.
- MIDDLE EAST: Iran’s foreign ministry said Tehran will always welcome dialogue with Saudi Arabia but did not confirm or deny if the two countries held any direct talks this month.
- TECH & COMMUNICATIONS: Japan urged Myanmar to release a Japanese journalist detained by security forces in Yangon yesterday.
Top Story
- Asia: Australia-New Zealand travel bubble opens.
- Hundreds of travelers from Australia landed in New Zealand as both countries opened their borders to each other’s citizens for the first time in more than a year.
- The opening of the Australia-New Zealand travel bubble marks a coronavirus pandemic milestone allowing the option of a quarantine-free travel.
- Both Australia and New Zealand have been effective in keeping their coronavirus numbers low throughout the pandemic owing to tight restrictions and also their relative isolation.
- Thousands of passengers are expected to follow suit in traveling between Australia and New Zealand today.
- Reporting: Reuters, BBC, WaPo, AP, AFP
Africa
- Chad: The country’s army claims it halted a rebel advance originating from neighboring Libya. (AP)
- South Africa: A wildfire on Cape Town’s Table Mountain spread to the University of Cape Town campus resulting in the evacuation of hundreds of students. (BBC)
- Tunisia: President Kais Saied escalated his dispute with Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi, saying his office enabled him to command the country’s internal security forces and not just the army. (Reuters)
Americas
- Canada: The government will increase funding for childcare, wage subsidies and other pandemic recovery measures in its new budget. (AFP)
- Cuba: Dissidents accused authorities of blocking their internet access and travel options during the ruling Communist Party’s congress. (Reuters)
- United States: Half of the country’s adult population has received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, the government said. (AP)
- Venezuela: Nicolas Maduro said authorities made a second payment to the WHO’s COVAX initiative to obtain around 11 million COVID-19 vaccines. (Reuters)
Asia
- Cambodia: Human rights groups accused the country of taking “a step towards a totalitarian dictatorship” over the government’s new coronavirus rules under which people who infringe the rules could face up to 20 years in prison. (Guardian)
- India: A week-long coronavirus lockdown will be imposed in capital city New Delhi amid a massive surge in coronavirus cases. (AFP)
- New Zealand: Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta said Wellington is “uncomfortable” with expanding the role of the Five Eyes. (Reuters)
- Pakistan: The Islamist Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan group released eleven police officers it took as hostage as part of their campaign to get the French ambassador expelled from the country. (AFP)
- Europe
- Region: The European Union acquired an additional 100 million doses of Pfizer/BioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine. (Reuters)
- Region: Russia said it will expel 20 Czech diplomats after the Czech Republic expelled 18 Russian diplomats. (BBC)
- Greece: The country struck a defense procurement deal with Israel, which will see Israeli defense contractor Elbit Systems building a training center for the country’s air force. (Reuters)
- Russia: Opposition politician Alexei Navalny’s closest supporters are expecting the worst after Navalny’s lawyers were not allowed to see him over the weekend. (Reuters)
Middle East
- Region: Iran’s foreign ministry said Tehran will always welcome dialogue with Saudi Arabia but did not confirm or deny if the two countries held any direct talks this month. (Reuters)
- Iran: The high-ranking general Mohammad Hosseinzadeh Hejazi, considered a key part of the country’s security apparatus, died at the age of 65. (AP)
- Iraq: Rockets fired at the Balad air base hosting US soldiers wounded three Iraqi soldiers and two foreign contractors. (AFP)
Tech & Communications
- Media: Japan urged Myanmar to release a Japanese journalist detained by security forces in Yangon yesterday. (AP)
World
- Cyclones:
- Typhoon Surigae
- Location: 308 nautical miles East of Manila, Philippines
- Wind: 145 mph
- Movement: N-NW at 4 mph
- Map
- Typhoon Surigae
- Hurricanes: Nothing to report.
- Earthquakes: Nothing to report.
- Volcanoes: Nothing to report.
- Global Disease Outbreaks:
- COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease: Global (as of 19APR21)
- Confirmed cases: 141,422,630
- Total recovered cases: 80,802,937
- Deaths: 3,020,112
- Countries with confirmed cases: 192
- Sourcing: John Hopkins University
- Ebola Virus Disease: Guinea (as of 11APR21)
- Confirmed cases: 16
- Deaths: 12
- Sourcing: WHO
- Ebola Virus Disease: DR Congo (as of 11APR21)
- Confirmed cases: 11
- Deaths: 6
- Sourcing: WHO
- COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease: Global (as of 19APR21)
Tomorrow’s Outlook (20APR21)
- Global: The European Conference on Space Debris will be held virtually. (to 23APR)
- Asia: A regional summit on the situation in Myanmar is expected to be held.
- Asia: The Boao Forum for Asia will be held. (to 21APR)
- Europe: The European Medicines Agency will issue a ruling on blood clots allegedly caused by Johnson & Johnson’s coronavirus vaccine.
- Europe: German Chancellor Angela Merkel will deliver a speech to the Council of Europe.
- Europe: The Czech Republic will discuss the alleged involvement of Russia in the 2014 blast at the ammunition depot in the village of Vrbetice with NATO.
- Germany: Anti-coronavirus lockdown groups will present legal arguments against a new coronavirus lockdown.
- Kuwait: Maldivian Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid will visit.
- Malta: The European Court of Justice will issue a ruling on the country’s procedure to nominate judges.
- Pakistan: The deadline for the expulsion of the French ambassador to the country set by the Islamist group Tehreek-e-Labaik.
- Saudi Arabia: Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias will visit.
- Syria: The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) will meet and potentially vote on sanctions against the country.
- Taiwan: Transport minister Lin Chia-lung will resign over a recent train crash.
- United Arab Emirates: Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi will end his visit to the country.
- United States: The House Committee on Foreign Affairs will hold a hearing on the fight against climate change.
- United States: The House Committee on Foreign Affairs will hold a closed briefing on China.
END
