Key Storylines
- AFRICA: Zulu Queen Shiyiwe Mantfombi Dlamini Zulu has died just one month after she became the interim leader of South Africa’s Zulu ethnic group.
- AMERICAS: Brazil is the second country in the world to have officially recorded more than 400,000 coronavirus deaths.
- ASIA: At least 13 people have died and around 10,000 evacuated following clashes over a water dispute on the Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan border.
- EUROPE: The Eurozone economy contracted by 0.6% in the first three months of 2021, pushing the region’s economy into a double-dip recession.
- MIDDLE EAST: Iraqi Kurdish lawmakers have introduced a bill in their regional parliament that proposes setting up an internationally-backed special criminal court in the city of Erbil to prosecute accused Islamic State members.
- TECH & COMMUNICATIONS: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s personal telephone number has been available on the internet for 15 years, triggering concerns about national security.
Top Story
- India: States run out of COVID-19 vaccines ahead of government’s plan to expand its vaccination campaign.
- Several states across India have run out of coronavirus vaccinations a day before a planned widening of the country’s coronavirus vaccination campaign.
- India is reportedly the world’s biggest vaccine producer, but the government does not have enough vaccines in its stockpile to conduct its vaccination campaign.
- Additionally, more than 300 Indian scientists have appealed to the government to release crucial data to help hospitals predict how many beds, oxygen or intensive care facilities would be needed.
- India reported a total of 386,452 new coronavirus cases over the past 24 hours, setting another new global record for infections in a single day.
- The army has opened its hospitals in a desperate attempt to control what is turning into a massive humanitarian crisis.
- Reporting: Reuters, BBC, WaPo, AP, DPA
Africa
- Burkina Faso: France, Germany, Spain, and Italy issued a joint statement condemning the recent slaying of foreign citizens during an ambush in the country. (Reuters)
- Kenya: The government said it wants to close down two refugee camps hosting thousands of refugees, mostly from Somalia and South Sudan, by June 2022. (AP)
- South Africa: Zulu Queen Shiyiwe Mantfombi Dlamini Zulu has died just one month after she became the interim leader of the Zulu ethnic group. (BBC)
Americas
- Brazil: The country is now the second to have officially recorded more than 400,000 coronavirus deaths. (AP)
- Costa Rica: The government has ordered non-essential businesses, including restaurants and bars, to temporarily shut down next week due to a spike in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations. (Reuters)
- Mexico: The delivery of 1.5 million doses of Sinovac’s coronavirus vaccine will result in almost 1.3 million people in the country not receiving their second doses on time. (AP)
- Peru: Left-wing presidential candidate Pedro Castillo temporarily suspended campaigning for June’s election after he was rushed to a clinic for “respiratory” issues. (Reuters)
Asia
- Region: At least 13 people have died and around 10,000 evacuated following clashes over a water dispute on the Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan border. (BBC)
- Region: Activist Park Sang-hak claims to have defied South Korea’s contentious recent law criminalizing anti-Pyongyang leafleting, saying he has launched 500,000 propaganda leaflets by balloon into North Korea. (AP)
- Region: Japanese Finance Minister Taro Aso said he will meet with his counterparts from China, South Korea, and ASEAN countries on the sidelines of the Asian Development Bank’s annual meetings to discuss strengthening regional financial cooperation. (Reuters)
- Afghanistan: A report by the US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) said violence in the country increased in the first three months of 2021 despite ongoing peace talks. (DPA)
- China: Pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong and three others pleaded guilty of participating in an illegal assembly commemorating the 1989 crackdown on protesters in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square. (Reuters)
Europe
- Region: The Eurozone economy contracted by 0.6% in the first three months of 2021, pushing the region’s economy into a double-dip recession. (AP)
- Czech Republic: Around 10,000 people took to the streets of Prague to protest against President Miloš Zeman’s apparent pro-Russia policies. (DPA)
- Russia: Security forces have detained opposition politician Alexei Navalny’s lawyer. (Reuters)
Middle East
- Region: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced the postponement of the first Palestinian elections in 15 years due to a dispute with Israel over conducting the election in Jerusalem. (AP)
- Iraq: Kurdish lawmakers have introduced a bill in their regional parliament that proposes setting up an internationally-backed special criminal court in the city of Erbil to prosecute accused Islamic State members. (Guardian)
- Israel: At least 44 people died and more than 150 were left injured in a stampede that broke out at a religious festival in the country’s north. (AP)
- Lebanon: Large quantities of dead fish washed up on the banks of the Litani river, which is being blamed on pollution. (Reuters)
Tech & Communications
- Cybersecurity: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s personal mobile number has been on the internet for 15 years, triggering concerns about national security. (AFP)
World
- Cyclones: Nothing to report.
- Hurricanes: Nothing to report.
- Earthquakes: Nothing to report.
- Volcanoes: Nothing to report.
- Global Disease Outbreaks:
- COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease: Global (as of 30APR21)
- Confirmed cases: 150,589,477
- Total recovered cases: 87,649,028
- Deaths: 3,167,837
- Countries with confirmed cases: 192
- Sourcing: John Hopkins University
- Ebola Virus Disease: Guinea (as of 18APR21)
- Confirmed cases: 16
- Deaths: 12
- Sourcing: WHO
- Ebola Virus Disease: DR Congo (as of 18APR21)
- Confirmed cases: 11
- Deaths: 6
- Sourcing: WHO
- COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease: Global (as of 30APR21)
Tomorrow’s Outlook (01MAY21)
- Global: The 10th anniversary of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden being killed in a US operation.
- Global: May Day/Labour Day/International Workers’ Day.
- Global: China will assume the UN Security Council’s monthly presidency.
- Europe: Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi will embark on a European tour, which will include visits to the United Kingdom, Slovenia, Poland, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. (to 08MAY)
- Afghanistan: The US will begin its final withdrawal of all US forces from the country.
- Argentina: The government’s new coronavirus measures and restrictions will take effect.
- India: The country will receive its first emergency medical supplies from Germany.
- Israel: The country will start administering Pfizer/BioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine to children under the age of 16.
- Italy: The public will be allowed to gather inside stadiums once again.
- Hungary: The government’s coronavirus measures and restrictions will be eased partially.
- Marshall Islands: Constitution Day – 1979.
- Somalia: President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed is expected to meet with parliament.
- Syria: A coronavirus vaccination campaign in the rebel-held region of Idlib will begin.
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