Key Storylines
- AFRICA: New airstrikes hit the Ethiopian Tigray region capital of Mekelle as exclusive video shows injured people with bloodied faces being carried into ambulances.
- AMERICAS: Colombian President Iván Duque and his Brazilian counterpart Jair Bolsonaro will demand action to fight climate change and protect the Amazon at the COP26 world climate conference.
- ASIA: North Korean State media confirmed the test of a new submarine-launched ballistic missile.
- EUROPE: The summit of the G20 leaders scheduled in Rome at the end of this month will focus on the fight against climate change, coronavirus and the measures required for a global recovery after the pandemic.
- MIDDLE EAST: Two bombs attached to a bus carrying troops in the Syrian capital Damascus have exploded, killing 14 people.
- TECH & COMMUNICATIONS: ision Blizzard fired more than 20 employees following allegations of sexual harassment and discrimination at the workplace.
Top Story
- Japan: Mount Aso erupts, no injuries or casualties reported
- Mount Aso in Aso, Kumamoto prefecture in southwestern Japan erupted, blasting ash several miles into the sky and prompting officials to warn against the threat of lava flows and falling rocks, but there were no reports of injuries or casualties.
- The Japan Meteorological Agency raised the warning level to three on a scale of five for Mount Aso warning hikers and residents to avoid the mountain.
- The agency also reported that the eruption occurred at 11:43 a.m. at the No. 1 Nakadake crater.
- The volcano ejected hot gas and ash as high as 3,500 meters (11,500 feet) and sent stones tumbling down its slopes.
- Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters that no injuries have been reported so far and that local authorities are working to determine whether there are any climbers still on the mountain.
- The latest eruption came after a small-scale one on Thursday.
- Reuters, AP, CNBC, AFP, Kyodo News, Newsweek
Africa
- Ethiopia: New airstrikes hit the Tigray region capital of Mekelle as exclusive video shows injured people with bloodied faces being carried into ambulances. (AP)
- Nigeria: Small demonstrations have been held in cities across the country to mark one year since security forces violently suppressed mass protests against police brutality. (BBC)
- South Africa: President Cyril Ramaphosa said regional countries will continue to fight against terrorist groups destabilizing Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province. (Xinhua)
- Tunisia: Foreign Minister Othman Jerandi met visiting German Minister of State at the Federal Foreign Office Niels Annen to discuss the strategic partnership between the two countries. (Xinhua)
Americas
- Region: Colombian President Iván Duque and his Brazilian counterpart Jair Bolsonaro will demand action to fight climate change and protect the Amazon at the COP26 world climate conference. (DPA)
- Brazil: A draft senate report recommends President Jair Bolsonaro be indicted on criminal charges for bungling the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. (AP)
- Guatemala: Former soldiers demanding a war-time bonus for serving in the 1960-1996 civil war burst onto the grounds of Congress and set several vehicles on fire. (AP)
- Haiti: Kidnappers demanded a ransom of $1 million each to release 17 missionaries kidnapped over the weekend. (NYT)
Asia
- China: The country reported a fourth day of new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases prompting local governments to double down on efforts to track potential carriers amid its zero-tolerance policy. (Reuters)
- North Korea: State media confirmed the test of a new submarine-launched ballistic missile. (Yonhap)
- Philippines: Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra announced that around 154 officers had been identified for “possible criminal liability” over police operations carried out during President Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war. (AFP)
- South Korea: President Moon Jae-In urged his country to redouble its efforts to become a global defense leader. (Reuters)
- Taiwan: A top security official told lawmakers that the odds of a war with China in the next year are very low. (Reuters)
Europe
- Region: The World Health Organization said there has been a 7% rise in new coronavirus cases across the continent last week. (AP)
- Germany: A published survey found that a majority of citizens support ending the nationwide state of emergency to contain the COVID-19 pandemic but back keeping protective measures in place. (DPA)
- Italy: The summit of the G20 leaders scheduled in Rome at the end of this month will focus on the fight against climate change, coronavirus and the measures required for a global recovery after the pandemic. (Reuters)
- Russia: Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has recognized Taliban “efforts” to try and stabilize the situation in Afghanistan as Moscow hosted the group for international talks. (AFP)
- United Kingdom: The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, a human resources trade body, said the country should temporarily allow more EU workers back into its labor markets to alleviate shortages. (Reuters)
Middle East
- Bahrain: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates reiterated their support for the country’s plans to balance its fiscal program. (Reuters)
- Israel: The health ministry confirmed a case of a subvariant of the Delta strain of the coronavirus previously reported in some European countries. (AFP)
- Kuwait: Emir Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah paved the way for an amnesty to pardon dissidents, a longstanding major condition from the opposition. (Reuters)
- Syria: Two bombs attached to a bus carrying troops in the capital Damascus have exploded, killing 14 people. (AP)
Tech & Communications
- Technology: Activ.ision Blizzard fired more than 20 employees following allegations of sexual harassment and discrimination at the workplace. (Reuters)
World
- Cyclones: Nothing to report
- Hurricanes: Nothing to report
- Earthquakes: Nothing to report.
- Volcanoes:
- Aso, Japan
- Minor activity continues
- Erupting
- Source
- La Palma, Spain
- Explosive activity continues
- Erupting
- Source
- Global Disease Outbreaks:
- COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease: Global (as of 20OCT21)
- Confirmed cases: 241,686,570
- Deaths: 4,915,999
- Countries with confirmed cases: 192
- Sourcing: John Hopkins University
- COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease: Global (as of 20OCT21)
- Aso, Japan
Tomorrow’s Outlook (21OCT21)
- Event: CNAS discussion on ‘The Future of U.S. Sanctions Policy’.
- Belgium: NATO Defense Ministers meeting in Brussels. (to 22OCT)
- Burundi: Ndadaye Day.
- Colombia: Visit by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
- Europe: European Council meeting in Brussels. (to 22OCT)
- Europe: European Parliament announces 2021 Sakharov prize winner.
- Malaysia: Five Powers Defense Meeting with Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, and the UK.
- Russia: Visit by Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.
- United Kingdom: Trafalgar Day.
- United States: House Homeland Security subcommittees joint hearing on DHS efforts to resettle vulnerable Afghans.
- United States: House Foreign Affairs subcommittees joint hearing on international development and combating climate change.
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