Key Storylines
- AFRICA: An Israeli delegation will travel to Sudan soon after the two countries agreed to take steps to normalize ties, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced.
- AMERICAS: Key Venezuelan opposition figure Leopoldo López has left the Spanish diplomatic compound in Caracas, where he took refuge for more than a year and fled the country, his party announced.
- ASIA: Prominent leaders of Thailand’s pro-democracy movement vowed to return to the streets to protest against Premier Prayut Chan-O-Cha after their deadline for him to resign has passed.
- EUROPE: Tens of thousands of Belarussian protesters are expected to attend rallies against President Alexander Lukashenko, the end of a deadline set by the opposition for him to step down.
- MIDDLE EAST: The Iraqi parliament approved most of the country’s electoral districts amid disputes among the parliamentary political blocs.
- TECH & COMMUNICATIONS: Facebook has demanded that New York University pull the plug on a research project into the platform’s targeting practices for political ads, saying it is a violation of terms to collect user data.
Top Story
- United States: Covid-19 cases continue to accelerate as a third wave of the pandemic looks inevitable.
- Officials in Alaska, Ohio, Oklahoma, Colorado, New Mexico, and Illinois announced more new cases than any other day since the pandemic started.
- Two of Vice President Mike Pence’s most senior political advisers have tested positive for Covid-19.
- The COVID-19 test positivity rates have increased slightly in New York State, with the rate in the “micro-cluster” focus areas being the most severe.
- U.S. infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci said it would be clear whether a COVID-19 vaccine was safe and effective by early December, but that more widespread vaccination would not be possible until later in 2021.
- Reporting: NYT, NBC, Xinhua, Reuters,
Africa
- Cameroon: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) strongly condemned the killing of school children in the nation’s turbulent English-speaking region of Southwest. (Xinhua)
- Morocco: The nation welcomed the signing of a United Nations-backed cease-fire agreement by the Libyan factions in Geneva and considered it a “very positive development.” (Xinhua)
- Sudan: An Israeli delegation will travel to the nation soon after the two countries agreed to take steps to normalize ties, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced. (Reuters)
Americas
- Brazil: The nation recorded another 432 deaths from COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of deaths to 156,903, the government reported. (Xinhua)
- Canada: The left-leaning New Democratic Party (NDP) is on track to form a majority government in the western province of British Columbia, Canadian Broadcasting Corp (CBC) News projected after a recent election. (Reuters)
- Chile: The nation will decide whether to draft a new constitution to replace guiding principles enforced four decades ago under the Pinochet military dictatorship. (AP)
- Venezuela: Key opposition figure Leopoldo López has left the Spanish diplomatic compound in Caracas, where he had been taking refuge for more than a year, and fled the country, his party announced. (DPA)
Asia
- Australia: A COVID-19 outbreak in the north of Melbourne has led health authorities in Victoria state to delay further easing of restrictions in the beleaguered city. (AP)
- Malaysia: Government leaders are set to meet to discuss what sources have said is a proposal by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to impose a state of emergency amid a political crisis. (Reuters)
- Philippines: The government evacuated nearly 1,800 people and suspended sea travel as tropical storm Molave approaches two regions in the southern part of the main island of Luzon. (Reuters)
- Thailand: Prominent leaders of the pro-democracy movement vowed to return to the streets to protest against Premier Prayut Chan-O-Cha, after their deadline for him to resign has passed. (AFP)
Europe
- Belarus: Tens of thousands of protesters are expected to attend rallies against President Alexander Lukashenko, the end of a deadline set by the opposition for him to step down. (DPA)
- Italy: Dozens of far-right protesters in Rome clashed with riot police during a demonstration against the curfew, as the government prepared to tighten COVID-19 restrictions further. (AFP)
- Lithuania: Parliamentary elections entered their second round as the number of COVID-19 infections increased in the Baltic state. (DPA)
- United Kingdom: Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief negotiator, is preparing to extend post-Brexit talks in London for another three days, amid possible optimism on both sides over the revived negotiations. (Telegraph)
Middle East
- Iran: Detained British-Australian academic Kylie Moore-Gilbert has reportedly been moved from Qarchak prison, along with all of her belongings, with her current location currently unknown. (The Guardian)
- Iraq: The parliament approved most of the country’s electoral districts amid disputes among the parliamentary political blocs. (Xinhua)
- Yemen: The military spokesman for the Houthi movement said in a tweet it had targeted the Jizan and Abha airports and the Khamis Mushait base in Saudi Arabia with drones. (Reuters)
Tech & Communications
- Social Media: Facebook has demanded that New York University pull the plug on a research project into the platform’s targeting practices for political ads, saying it is a violation of terms to collect user data. (AFP)
World
- Cyclones:
- Hurricanes:
- Earthquakes: Nothing to report.
- Volcanoes: Nothing to report.
- Global Disease Outbreaks:
- COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease: Global
- Confirmed Cases as of 24OCT20: 42,650,540
- Total Recovered Cases as of 24OCT20: 28,792,003
- Deaths as of 24OCT20:1,150,241
- Countries with Confirmed Cases: 189
- Sourcing: John Hopkins University
- Ebola Virus Disease: DR Congo (11th Ebola outbreak figures from Equateur Province)
- Confirmed Cases as of 17OCT20: 119
- Probable Cases as of 17OCT20: 9
- Deaths as of 17OCT20: 53
- Sourcing: WHO
- COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease: Global
Tomorrow’s Outlook (26OCT20)
- Americas/South Asia: U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in India.
- Asia-Pacific/Americas: Chinese Chief Financial Officer of Huawei, Meng Wanzhou, to appear in court in Canada.
- Asia-Pacific: Indonesia and Singapore to open a travel corridor.
- Eurasia: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to visit Greece, meet with the Greek government and oppositionmembers to discuss ongoing tensions with Turkey.
- Europe: Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to meet with EU Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen to discuss the spending of EU funds
- MENA: Virtual preparatory meeting for Libyan Political Dialogue Forum in Tunis, Tunisia.
- South Asia: India Energy Forum.
- China: The government to hold the Fifth Plenum of the Nineteenth Communist Party Congress to lay out the country’s 14th five-year economic plan.
- Japan: Prime Minister Yoshihide expected to announce a Japanese plan for net carbon neutrality by 2050.
- Malaysia: APEC Finance Ministers’ Meeting
- Thailand: Parliament to meet for a special session to address ongoing student-led protests.
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