Key Storylines
- AFRICA: Representatives from rival Libyan factions said a candidacy process would open Tuesday for key institutional appointments, after a new round of talks in Morocco on ending nearly ten years of conflict.
- AMERICAS: Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro stated he was willing to “turn the page” with the US under President Joe Biden, calling for a “new path” after years of tension with Donald Trump’s White House.
- ASIA: The US has asked China to stop intimidating Taiwan after Chinese fighter jets and bombers flew into the country’s airspace, in the second warning to Beijing since Joe Biden became US president.
- EUROPE: The number of confirmed COVD-19 cases in Germany increased by 12,257 to 2,134,936, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases reported.
- MIDDLE EAST: Over a thousand protesters gathered in Jerusalem for weekly demonstrations demanding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu resign over corruption charges, as smaller protests were staged at intersections and bridges across the nation.
- TECH & COMMUNICATIONS: Since Biden’s inauguration, CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC, the public television station PBS, and the Washington Post have given chief reporting duties to women.
Top Story
- Russia: The government clamps down on protesters rallying for the release of opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
- Police arrested more than 3,000 people and used force to break up rallies all across the nation as tens of thousands of protesters rallied for Navalny’s release.
- At least 800 detentions were reported in the largest protest in Moscow, according to volunteer platform OVD-Info, where Navalny’s team said 40,000 people had marched in support of his freedom.
- Russian state TV mostly ignored the protests, but pro-government online streams accused Navalny of brainwashing Russia’s youth into dissent, a line often advanced by the authorities in attempts to discredit the opposition movement.
- Navalny’s wife Yulia was among the people arrested in Moscow.
- Reporting: Reuters, RFE, DPA, AP
Africa
- Libya: Representatives from rival political factions said a candidacy process would open Tuesday for key institutional appointments, after a new round of talks in Morocco on ending nearly ten years of conflict. (AFP)
- Western Sahara: The pro-independence Polisario Front launched an overnight attack on the Guerguerat region on the border between Morocco and Mauritania, the Saharawi press agency SPS reported. (AFP)
- Zimbabwe: President Emmerson Mnangagwa announced that frontline staff will be the first ones to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, which he said would be rolled out as soon as experts determine which ones to take. (Xinhua)
Americas
- Colombia: The nation registered 15,551 additional COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide tally to 2,002,969, said the Ministry of Health and Social Protection. (Xinhua)
- Chile: Two almost simultaneous earthquakes were felt in the South Shetland Islands in Antarctica and in the central part of the nation, where buildings shook in the capital Santiago with no casualties or damage being immediately reported. (AP)
- Venezuela: President Nicolás Maduro stated he was willing to “turn the page” with the US under President Joe Biden, calling for a “new path” after years of tension with Donald Trump’s White House. (AFP)
Asia
- Region: The US has asked China to stop intimidating Taiwan after Chinese fighter jets and bombers flew into the country’s airspace, in the second warning to Beijing since Joe Biden became US president. (FT)
- China: The nation reported 172 new cases of COVD-19 amid new outbreaks in the north of the country, health authorities announced. (DPA)
- New Zealand: Public health officials announced they were investigating what they said was probably the nation’s first community COVD-19 case in months, in a woman who recently returned from overseas. (Reuters)
- South Korea: Defense Minister Suh Wook held telephone talks with newly confirmed U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to reaffirm the importance of their alliance and agree to closely cooperate on developing it, Seoul’s defense ministry said. (YNA)
Europe
- Germany: The number of confirmed COVD-19 cases in the nation increased by 12,257 to 2,134,936, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases reported. (Reuters)
- Portugal: Citizens are choosing their next president, with incumbent Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa heading into the election as the clear favorite – although the raging COVD-19 pandemic could still upset expectations. (DPA)
- Turkey: The nation expressed a desire to rescue surviving members of a container ship after pirates attacked it in Nigerian waters, killing one person and kidnapping 15, according to the Turkish and Azeri governments and state media. (Reuters)
- United Kingdom: The SNP has revealed a “roadmap to a referendum” on Scottish independence, with the latest poll showing a majority want a fresh vote. (The Telegraph)
Middle East
- Israel: Over a thousand protesters gathered in Jerusalem for weekly demonstrations demanding Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu resign over corruption charges, as smaller protests were staged at intersections and bridges across the nation. (AP)
- Kuwait: Emir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah appointed Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah as prime minister, the state News Agency (KUNA) reported. (Xinhua)
- Saudi Arabia: The coalition battling Yemen’s Houthi movement said it had thwarted an attack towards the capital city of Riyadh, state television reported, but the Iran-aligned group denied any involvement. (Reuters)
Tech & Communications
- Media: Since Biden’s inauguration, CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC, the public television station PBS, and the Washington Post have given chief reporting duties to women. (The Guardian)
World
- Cyclones:
- Cyclone Eloise
- Location: 20.4 S 34 E
- Movement: WSW at 9 mph
- Wind: 85mph
- Map
- Cyclone Eloise
- Hurricanes: Nothing to report
- Earthquakes:
- South Shetland Islands
- Location: Shetland Islands 61.825°S 55.494°W
- Magnitude: 6.9
- Depth: 9.6 km
- South Shetland Islands
- Volcanoes: Nothing to report.
- Global Disease Outbreaks:
- COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease: Global (as of 24JAN21)
- Confirmed cases: 98,782,736
- Total recovered cases: 98,782,736
- Deaths: 2,121,681
- Countries with confirmed cases: 192
- Sourcing: John Hopkins University
- COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease: Global (as of 24JAN21)
Tomorrow’s Outlook (25JAN21)
- Global: World Economic Situation and Prospects report launched
- Global: G20 Finance and Central Bank Deputies Meeting (virtual)
- Global: World Economic Forum Davos Agenda virtual meeting, with Chinese President Xi, speaking
- Global: U.N. Security Council briefing
- Europe: Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly Session
- Tobago: House of Assembly election
- United States: Senate Committee on Foreign Relations Business Meeting
- Vietnam: The National Congress begins
END
