20APR21 Global Overnight Overwatch Report

Key Storylines

AFRICA: Chad’s President Idriss Deby was re-elected to a sixth term in office according to the electoral commission’s provisional results.
AMERICAS: Former US Vice President Walter Mondale died at the age of 93.
ASIA: Chinese President Xi Jinping urged a more equitable management of global affairs and said governments should not impose rules on each other.
EUROPE: Armin Laschet won the backing of German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s ruling Christian Democrat (CDU) party to run as her successor in the Germany’s elections in September.
MIDDLE EAST: The Palestinian Authority has ordered 4.5 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech and Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccines.
TECH & COMMUNICATIONS: Reporters Without Borders launched its annual report on press freedom across the world which claims that there has been a “dramatic deterioration” in press freedoms since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

Top Story

Global: US Ambassador to Russia heads home for consultations.
- US Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan will briefly return to the United States this week for consultations.
- The State Department said that Ambassador Sullivan will eventually return to Russia “in the coming weeks”.
- The announcement came after Moscow “recommended” that Sullivan temporarily leave Russia amid increasing tensions between Washington and Moscow.
- Initially, Sullivan had reportedly indicated he intended to stand his ground and stay in Russia despite Moscow’s recommendation.
- Reporting: Axios, AP, AFP, Reuters, DPA

Africa

Chad: President Idriss Deby was re-elected to a sixth term in office according to the electoral commission’s provisional results. (AFP)
Nigeria: The military drove off suspected jihadists from the town of Dikwa in the country’s northeast Borno state. (AFP)
Rwanda: A government report said France was aware of genocide preparations in the country ahead of the 1994 genocide and that the French government bore a significant responsibility for enabling it. (Reuters)
Sudan: The government abolished a law on boycotting Israel as it continues to attempt normalizing the country’s relationship with Israel. (AP)

Americas

Colombia: The government extended its coronavirus restrictions and measures for an additional two weeks. (Reuters)
Cuba: Miguel Díaz-Canel was formally announced as the new leader of the country’s ruling Communist Party. (Miami Herald)
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves asked the international community to help his country recover from a recent volcanic eruption. (AP)
United States: Former Vice President Walter Mondale died at the age of 93. (AP)
Venezuela: The UN’s World Food Program announced it will begin operations in the country. (AP)

Asia

Region: ASEAN member states will hold a meeting today to discuss the crisis in Myanmar. (Reuters)
Region: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte expressed his willingness to deploy ships to the South China Sea to assert Manila’s oil deposit claims in the disputed region. (AFP)
China: President Xi Jinping urged a more equitable management of global affairs and said governments should not impose rules on each other. (AP)
Malaysia: Opposition lawmakers led by former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad have petitioned the king to end the country’s coronavirus emergency so that Parliament can resume work. (AP)
Pakistan: The government will ask parliament to vote on the possible expulsion of France’s ambassador to Islamabad in an apparent attempt to appease a radical Islamist party. (AFP)

Europe

Region: The European Union is sending 651,000 coronavirus vaccine doses to non-EU countries in the Balkans. (DPA)
Region: The European Medicines Agency is set to issue a recommendation on the administering of Johnson and Johnson’s coronavirus vaccine. (DPA)
Region: The US warned flights to be cautious when flying near the Ukraine-Russia border. (Reuters)
Germany: Armin Laschet won the backing of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s ruling Christian Democrat (CDU) party to run as her successor in the country’s elections in September. (BBC)
United Kingdom: The country’s unemployment rate unexpectedly declined for a second month in a row to 4.9%. (Reuters)

Middle East

Region: The Palestinian Authority has ordered 4.5 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech and Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccines. (DPA)
Iran: Government officials said the country and world powers made some progress on the potential revival of the 2015 JCPOA nuclear deal and hinted that an interim deal could work to gain time to reach a lasting settlement. (Reuters)
Israel: Police clashed with Arab protesters in Tel Aviv following the assault of a rabbi over the weekend. (AP)
Syria: Russia’s military said its airstrikes had killed 200 militants in the country’s eastern region. (AP)

Tech & Communications

Media: Reporters Without Borders launched its annual report on press freedom across the world which claims that there has been a “dramatic deterioration” in press freedoms since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. (AP)

World

Cyclones:
- Typhoon Surigae
  - Location: 300 nautical miles E-NE of Manila, Philippines
  - Wind: 130 mph
  - Movement: N-NW at 5 mph
  - Map
Hurricanes: Nothing to report.
Earthquakes:
- Indonesia
  - Location: 255 km S of Sinabang, Indonesia
  - Magnitude: 6.0
  - Depth: 10 km
  - Map
Volcanoes: Nothing to report.
Global Disease Outbreaks:
- COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease: Global (as of 20APR21)
  - Confirmed cases: 142,135,767
  - Total recovered cases: 81,383,650
  - Deaths: 3,031,147
  - 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

Tomorrow’s Outlook (21APR21)

Global: The leaders of Spanish and Portuguese-speaking countries in Europe and Latin America will attend the annual Iberoamerican Summit.
Global: The European Conference on Space Debris will be held virtually. (to 23APR)
Global: The UN Security Council will hold meetings on the Western Sahara and Colombia.
Global: The International Olympic Committee’s executive board will hold a meeting.
Global: The US Commission on International Religious Freedom will release its annual report on religious freedom across the world.
Global: The CIS Joint Consultative Commission for Disarmament will hold a meeting.
Asia: The Boao Forum for Asia will be held.
Europe: The European Commission is expected to present legislation on artificial intelligence.
Iran: Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi will visit. (to 22APR)
New Zealand: Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne will visit, marking her first official trip to the country after the opening of the Australia-NZ travel bubble. (to 23APR)
North Macedonia: Surveying for the country’s first census in almost 20 years will be concluded.
Russia: President Vladimir Putin will reportedly deliver a state of the nation address.
Russia: Anti-government protests by supporters of imprisoned opposition politician Alexei Navalny could take place.
Slovenia: Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou will visit. (to 23APR)
Sri Lanka: The Catholic Church is expected to hold protests should the government not begin legal action against perpetrators of 2019’s anti-Christian violence in the country.
United States: President Joe Biden will deliver remarks on the current situation of the coronavirus pandemic in the country.
United States: The Senate Committee on Foreign Relations will hold a business meeting to discuss legislation related to China and Ukraine.
United States: The House Committee on Foreign Affairs will hold a hearing on Yemen.
Zambia: President Edgar Lungu will launch his party’s new five-year manifesto.

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