WORLD AGENDA APRIL 2016

April 1, Atlanta: The United States plans an attack on the mosquito that spreads the Zika virus two months before health officials predict the U.S. sees its first locally transmitted cases. The virus has been linked to thousands of birth defects in Brazil.

April 6, London: New rules state that skilled workers from outside European Union, living in the UK for less than 10 years, must earn at least £35,000 a year to settle there. The policy will affect Americans and Australians most.

April 6, New York: The oak chair that JK Rowling sat in to write the first two Harry Potter books is expected to fetch up to $45,000 at auction. The 1930s dining chair is listed as among the top five “finest collectibles in Muggledom”.

April 9, Las Vegas: Manny Pacquiao attempts to win back the world welterweight title from Timothy Bradley one month before he stands as a senatorial candidate in the Philippines. Some say the fight will give him an unfair advantage in the May 9 elections.

April 10, Peru: Keiko Fujimori, who narrowly lost her first presidential bid in 2011, is the frontrunner to win this time around. She is the daughter of imprisoned ex-president Alberto Fujimori, jailed for 25 years for human rights abuses and corruption.

April 13, Damascus: Parliamentary elections are due to take place in Syria. President Bashar al-Assad decreed they would take place shortly after Washington and Moscow announced a ceasefire plan in February.

April 15, Sydney: Japan’s most advanced attack submarine, the Soryu, conducts joint military exercises with Australia over 11 days. Japan is competing against France to win a A$50bn contract to build Australia’s next submarine fleet.

April 20, Hawaii: Solar Impulse, the plane built to fly day and night on zero fuel, leaves Kalaeloa in Hawaii to resume its record-breaking circumnavigation of the globe powered only by the Sun.

April 21, Riyadh: U.S. President Barack Obama visits Saudi Arabia for a summit with Gulf Arab leaders in a bid to repair relations strained by last year’s nuclear deal with Iran. He also travels to the UK and Germany.

April 21, Greece: The Olympic torch will be lit in the ancient city of Olympia ahead of the 2016 Summer Games in Rio.

April 21, London: Queen Elizabeth II turns 90. Celebrations take place in June on her official ­— as opposed to her actual — birthday.

April 22, New York: The United Nations Paris Agreement on climate change, adopted in December, is opened for signing to all 197 parties until 17 April 2017. It comes into force when joined by 55 countries representing at least 55% of emissions.

April 26, Pripyat: The 30th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster, the worst nuclear power plant accident in history in terms of cost and casualties. The long-term effects of the spread of radioactive particles are still being investigated.

Mid-April (undated), Brasilia: Brazil’s president, Dilma Rousseff, could be forced out of office as protests mount over alleged government corruption and financial mismanagement. An impeachment vote looms as a probe into state-run oil firm Petrobras uncovers fraud on a massive scale.

April (undated), Washington DC: Thousands of outsiders attempt to “Hack the Pentagon” in the first pilot project of its kind to test the cybersecurity of the U.S. Defense Department’s websites. Background checks will be carried out before industry and academic hackers are let loose.
/ENDS