Key Storylines
- AFRICA: Rebels are marching towards Chad’s capital city N’Djamena following the battlefield death of President Idress Deby.
- AMERICAS: The Colombian government authorized the private sector to acquire and distribute coronavirus vaccines under certain conditions in a bid to boost the country’s coronavirus vaccination campaign.
- ASIA: China’s President Xi Jinping will attend the upcoming US-hosted climate summit in what will be the first meeting between Jinping and US President Joe Biden since Biden took office earlier this year.
- EUROPE: Russian authorities detained two of opposition politician Alexei Navalny’s closest allies at the start of anti-government protests as President Vladimir Putin delivers his state of the union address.
- MIDDLE EAST: Rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia held a first round of direct talks in Iraq.
- TECH & COMMUNICATIONS: Social media app TikTok is facing a legal challenge in the United Kingdom over its collection and usage of children’s data.
Top Story
- Europe: EU seals deal on landmark climate law.
- European Union officials reached an agreement over new climate rules.
- The tentative agreement is aimed at making the European Union climate-neutral by 2050.
- The agreement includes pledging to make legally binding the requirement of 55 percent emissions-reduction target compared to 1995 levels.
- The landmark agreement was reached just ahead of a global climate summit that will be hosted by US President Joe Biden, where the US is expected to announce its own climate targets for 2030.
- Reporting: AP, Reuters, DPA, BBC
Africa
- Region: DR Congo launched a new bid to extract billions of dollars in compensation from Uganda at the International Court of Justice over the war in DR Congo between 1998 and 2003. (AFP)
- Chad: Rebels are marching towards capital city N’Djamena following the battlefield death of President Idress Deby. (Reuters)
- Mali: The German government approved plans to expand the German military’s training mission in the country. (Reuters)
- Mozambique: President Filipe Nyusi vowed to restore peace in the country following last month’s deadly attack in gas-rich Cabo Delgado. (Reuters)
- Somalia: Opposition leaders and their armed teams are decamping and spreading across the capital city Mogadishu in what is being viewed as a strategic move. (Guardian)
Americas
- Argentina: Pharma company Laboratorios Richmond became the first Latin American firm to produce test batches of Russia’s Sputnik coronavirus vaccine. (Reuters)
- Chile: Lower house lawmakers approved a bill allowing euthanasia and assisted suicide for adults, with the Senate now set to vote on it. (AP)
- Colombia: The government authorized the private sector to acquire and distribute coronavirus vaccines under certain conditions in a bid to boost the country’s coronavirus vaccination campaign. (AFP)
- Panama: The government announced it will purchase 2 million doses of Pfizer/BioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine. (Reuters)
Asia
- Region: A South Korean court dismissed a claim by WWII-era sexual slavery victims from South Korea who were seeking compensation from the Japanese government over their wartime abuse. (AP)
- Afghanistan: The country’s upcoming peace conference was postponed again until after Ramadan following a suicide bombing in capital city Kabul. (AP)
- China: President Xi Jinping will attend the upcoming US-hosted climate summit in what will be the first meeting between Jinping and US President Joe Biden since Biden took office earlier this year. (Guardian)
- South Korea: Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong said he hopes the US will help Seoul deal with a shortage of coronavirus vaccines in return for test kits and masks Seoul provided Washington last year. (Reuters)
- Sri Lanka: Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, the head of the country’s Catholic Church, accused the government of stymieing its investigations into 2019’s Easter Sunday bombings that killed 279 people. (AFP)
Europe
- Region: Germany’s Constitutional Court dismissed a legal challenge that was preventing Berlin from ratifying the EU’s coronavirus recovery fund. (AFP)
- Denmark: The government will allow members of the public who hold a coronavirus vaccination passport to resume attending soccer matches, bars, restaurants, and museums. (BBC)
- Germany: Protesters began gathering in capital city Berlin ahead of a parliamentary vote on a controversial law granting the federal government more powers to implement coronavirus measures and restrictions. (AP)
- Russia: Authorities detained two of opposition politician Alexei Navalny’s closest allies at the start of anti-government protests as President Vladimir Putin delivers his state of the union address. (Reuters)
- Ukraine: President Volodymyr Zelenskiy signed a law enabling the calling up of reservists for military service without announcing mobilization. (Reuters)
Middle East
- Region: Rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia held a first round of direct talks in Iraq. (AP)
- Region: Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia accounted for 88% of the 483 reported executions last year according to Amnesty International. (BBC)
- Syria: The country’s Idlib region will receive its first shipment of coronavirus vaccines through the WHO’s COVAX facility. (AFP)
- United Arab Emirates: The government warned the public that it could impose restrictions on unvaccinated people. (Reuters)
Tech & Communications
- Social Media: TikTok is facing a legal challenge in the United Kingdom over its collection and usage of children’s data. (BBC)
World
- Cyclones:
- Hurricanes: Nothing to report.
- Earthquakes: Nothing to report.
- Volcanoes: Nothing to report.
- Global Disease Outbreaks:
- COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease: Global (as of 20APR21)
- Confirmed cases: 143,012,106
- Total recovered cases: 81,979,884
- Deaths: 3,046,149
- 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 20APR21)
Tomorrow’s Outlook (22APR21)
- Global: The UN’s International Earth Day – 2010
- Global: US President Joe Biden will host a virtual Leaders’ Climate Summit. (to 23APR)
- Global: The European Conference on Space Debris will be held virtually. (to 23APR)
- Global: SpaceX will launch four astronauts to the International Space Station.
- Global: The UN’s International Girls in ICT Day – 2011
- Africa: Uganda will state its counterclaims against DR Congo’s war reparations case against the country at the International Court of Justice.
- Americas: Inter-American Development Bank President Mauricio Claver-Carone will speak at the “Latin America and the Caribbean’s post-COVID-19 outlook” event organized by the Atlantic Council.
- Europe: The Copernicus Climate Change Service will release a European State of the Climate report.
- Europe: The European Central Bank will make an interest rate announcement.
- Europe: Energy ministers of EU member-states will hold an informal meeting.
- Middle East: The UN Security Council will hold an open debate on the situation in the region.
- Algeria: Candidate deadline for the country’s parliamentary elections.
- Algeria: A verdict is expected in the trial against Islamologist Said Djabelkhir.
- Bulgaria: An announcement over the potential formation of the country’s next government could be made.
- Germany: The upper house of parliament will deliberate over a controversial coronavirus law that seeks to give the federal government increased coronavirus powers.
- Iran: Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi will visit.
- 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)
- Russia: Embattled Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is scheduled to visit and meet with his counterpart Vladimir Putin.
- Slovenia: Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou will visit. (to 23APR)
- Ukraine: The country’s ruling Servant of the People party will hold an internal meeting to discuss appointing a new energy minister for the country.
- United Kingdom: Australian Trade Minister Dan Tehan is scheduled to meet with his counterpart Liz Truss. (to 23APR)
- United States: The House Committee on Foreign Affairs will hold a closed briefing on Afghanistan.
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