Key Storylines
- AFRICA: The International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) urged politicians and civil society in the Central African Republic to overcome differences through dialogue instead of military means.
- AMERICAS: Newly filed lobbying records show Venezuela’s dictatorship under Nicolás Maduro previously hired a longtime Democratic Party donor for $6 million at the same time it was lobbying to discourage the U.S. from adding sanctions on the oil-rich nation.
- ASIA: Indian Farmers began a one-day hunger strike in protest against new agricultural laws after a week of clashes with authorities that left one dead and hundreds injured
- EUROPE: Polish Protesters took to the streets of large cities for the third consecutive night to demonstrate against the tightening of the country’s abortion laws, which entered into effect.
- MIDDLE EAST: The U.N. counterterrorism chief is asking countries to allow 27,000 children stranded in a massive camp in northeastern Syria to return home.
- TECH & COMMUNICATIONS: Xiaomi, the Chinese smartphone maker, has sued the US government over a move by Donald Trump in his last week as president to place the company on a Pentagon blacklist that bars Americans from investing in it.
Top Story
- Global: Developments continue in distributing COVID-19 vaccines effectively around the world.
- The EU has reversed its decision to temporarily remove part of the Brexit deal amid an ongoing dispute over Covid-19 vaccine supplies in the bloc.
- Johnson & Johnson that its single-dose vaccine was 66% effective in preventing COVID-19 in a large global trial against multiple variants, giving health officials another weapon to tackle the pandemic.
- Vietnam granted approval to its first COVID-19 vaccine and cut short a key ruling Communist Party meeting, state media reported.
- The Romanian vaccination coordination authority chooses to postpone the vaccination for more than 60,000 people by half a month to ensure that those who need the vaccine during this period have enough vaccines, as the vaccine supply failed to follow the schedule.
- Russia is ready for a depoliticized cooperation on the supply of anti-COVID-19 vaccines to other nations, Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko told Russian reporters in Athens after the political consultations at the Greek foreign ministry.
- Reporting: BBC, Reuters, Reuters, Xinhua, TASS
Africa
- Central African Republic: The International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) urged politicians and civil society in the nation to overcome differences through dialogue instead of military means. (Xinhua)
- Democratic Republic of Congo: Prime Minister Sylvestre Ilunga Ilunga Mba resigned, the presidency announced, a move that will enable President Felix Tshisekedi to rid the government of his predecessor’s allies and push through his own policies. (Reuters)
- Ethiopia: The nation registered 771 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the nationwide tally to 136,365, the country’s Ministry of Health reported. (Xinhua)
Americas
- Region: Canada issued further travel restrictions for Mexico and the Caribbean amid the COVD-19 pandemic, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced. (DPA)
- United States: Masks must be worn at train and subway stations, bus terminals, and airports nationwide, as well as on planes, trains, and other types of public transportation in the nation, because of a new public health order issued by CDC. (WaPo)
- United States: Newly filed lobbying records show Venezuela’s dictatorship under Nicolás Maduro previously hired a longtime Democratic Party donor for $6 million at the same time it was lobbying to discourage the nation. from adding sanctions on the oil-rich nation. (AP)
- United States: The US Capitol police officer who died in the January 6 attack by pro-Trump rioters will lie in honor at the building’s Rotunda, lawmakers announced, a mark of respect rarely bestowed. (AFP)
Asia
- China: Members of a World Health Organization team investigating the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic visited another Wuhan hospital that had treated early COVID-19 patients on their second full day of their trip. (AP)
- India: Farmers began a one-day hunger strike on Saturday in protest against new agricultural laws after a week of clashes with authorities that left one dead and hundreds injured. (Reuters)
- South Korea: The capital of Seoul reported more than 150 new daily COVID-19 cases, marking the highest figure in two weeks. (YNA)
- Taiwan: The government announced the island’s first death from COVID-19 since May, as it battles a small and unusual outbreak of locally transmitted cases. (Reuters)
Europe
- Bulgaria: The nation’s COVID-19 death toll has increased to 9,008 after 35 new deaths were recorded in the last 24 hours, official figures reported. (Xinhua)
- Poland: Protesters took to the streets of large cities for the third consecutive night to demonstrate against the tightening of the country’s abortion laws, which entered into effect. (DPA)
- Russia: The country is ready for dialogue with NATO if that helps improve security in Europe, but so far there is no positive agenda with the alliance, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko reported. (TASS)
Middle East
- Saudi Arabia: State-owned companies have sued the country’s former intelligence chief in a Canadian court, claiming he stole billions of dollars, according to documents obtained by the news agency Agence France-Presse. (AFP)
- Syria: The U.N. counterterrorism chief is asking countries to allow 27,000 children stranded in a massive camp in the northeastern region of the nation to return home. (AP)
- United Arab Emirates: The nation has adopted amendments that would allow the Gulf state to grant citizenship to investors and other professionals including scientists, doctors, and their families, the government announced. (Reuters)
Tech & Communications
- Telecommunications: Xiaomi, the Chinese smartphone maker, has sued the US government over a move by Donald Trump in his last week as president to place the company on a Pentagon blacklist that bars Americans from investing in it. (FT)
World
- Cyclones:
- TROPICAL CYCLONE ANA
- Location:16.6S 177E
- Movement: SE
- Wind:50 mph
- MAP
- TROPICAL CYCLONE ANA
- Hurricanes: Nothing to report.
- Earthquakes: Nothing to report.
- Volcanoes: Nothing to report.
- Global Disease Outbreaks:
- COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease: Global (as of 29JAN21)
- Confirmed cases: 102,144,857
- Total recovered cases: 56,501,095
- Deaths: 2,208,782
- Countries with confirmed cases: 192
- Sourcing: John Hopkins University
- COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease: Global (as of 29JAN21)
Tomorrow’s Outlook (31JAN21)
- Global: U.N. Security Council Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) mandate ends, unless extended
- Europe: EU economic sanctions on Russia expire unless extended
- China: China releases purchasing manager’s index data.
- Israel: COVID-19 lockdown scheduled to end unless extended
- Russia: Rallies supporting poisoned Kremlin critic
- Sweden: The Greens, the junior partner in Sweden’s minority government, are set to elect a new co-leader, expected to be Isabella Lovin.
- United States: SpaceX rocket launch for the internet-satellite mega constellation
END
