January 18th -24th

Image: Jim Watson/ AFP Getty Images

Gracie Linthwaite 

This week 11 trapped gold miners are rescued in China, a snowstorm causes a 130-car pile up in Japan, and Joe Biden is inaugurated as America's 46th president. 

Europe 

Pfizer temporarily reduces deliveries of its vaccine to Europe while it upgrades its production capacity. Deliveries are expected to return to normal by 25th January. 
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-pfizer/pfizer-temporarily-reduces-covid-vaccine-deliveries-to-europe-idINKBN29K1B8

Italy:
The Italian PM wins a crucial vote of confidence in parliament, but failed to secure an overall majority, leaving his ruling coalition severely weakened. 
https://www.euractiv.com/section/elections/news/italian-pm-conte-wins-confidence-vote-but-loses-overall-majority/

Spain: 
At least three people have died on a suspected gas blast that destroyed four floors of a building in the centre of Madrid. 
https://edition.cnn.com/2021/01/20/europe/madrid-spain-explosion-intl/index.html

Russia:
Tens of thousands of Alexei Navalny supporters protest across Russia in one of the largest demonstrations against Vladimir Putin’s rule in the past decade. More than 1,870 people have been arrested by riot police. 
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/23/alexei-navalny-supporters-join-protests-across-russia

Africa

Central African Republic:
The Constitutional Court in the Central African Republic has confirmed the victory of Faustin Archange Touadera in last month’s elections, with 53.16% of votes cast against nearest rival Anicet Georges Dologuele’s 21.69%. The announcement of Mr Touadera’s win came despite repots of a poor voter turnout, and the loss of much of the country to rebel factions. 
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/1/18/c-african-republic-court-confirms-president-touaderas-reelection

The country has declared a state of emergency as armed groups try to lay siege to the capital, Bangui. It will last for 15 days and allow the authorities to detain suspects without the authorisation of prosecutors. Rebel factions now control most of the country and are calling for the resignation of President Faustin-Archange Touadera.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/1/21/c-africa-declares-emergency-as-rebels-try-to-oust-president

Mozambique:
Tropical cyclone Eloise has displaced thousands of people and caused severe flooding. In the port city of Beira, 1,000 houses have been totally destroyed and another 3,000 badly damaged.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/1/23/cyclone-hits-central-mozambique-damages-property-causes-floods

Sudan:
Doctors in Sudan say more than 80 people have been killed in two days of fighting between rival ethnic groups in the Darfur region. Hundreds more have been injured during the unrest in El Geneina. 
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-55695118

Tunisia:
Protesters and the police have clashed in the capital, Tunis, as well as in several other cities across the country. More than 600 people have been arrested in Tunis after throwing stones and petrol bombs at police. 
https://www.france24.com/en/africa/20210123-hundreds-protest-corruption-and-police-brutality-in-tunisia

Middle East 

Iraq:
At least 32 people have died in a double suicide bombing in a market in Baghdad, the first deadly suicide attack in the city for three years. IS says it was behind the attack. 
https://www.itv.com/news/2021-01-21/at-least-28-dead-in-double-suicide-bombing-in-busy-baghdad-market

Israel:
Israel vaccinates 16 to 18-year-olds ahead of school exams. The country has vaccinated more than a quarter of its population and now high school students are eligible. 
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-expands-vaccination-campaign-to-teens-aged-16-18/

Asia and Oceania 

China:
Rescuers in China freed 11 gold miners who were trapped hundreds of metres underground for two weeks. The entrance tunnel to the Hushan gold mine in Shandong province collapsed after an explosion on 10 January. A total of 22 miners were trapped in the blast, the cause of which is unknown. At least one died, and it is still not known if the remaining workers are alive underground. 
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-55784231

Japan:
A huge snowstorm struck a highway in Japan, causing a 130-vehicle pile-up, killing one person and injuring at least 17 people. 
https://metro.co.uk/2021/01/19/one-dead-after-130-car-pile-up-during-huge-snowstorm-in-japan-13929766/

India:
A huge fire broke out at the site of the Serum Institute of India (SII), the world’s largest vaccine maker, killing at least five people. The company says production of the Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine has not been affected. 
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/serum-institute-india-fire-vaccine-b1790568.html

Protesting Indian farmers have rejected the government’s offer to suspend agricultural reforms for 18 months. The United Farmer’s Front said they will not stand down from the priests unless the laws are completely repealed. 
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/india-farmers-strike-reforms-union-b1791166.html

Americas 

Brazil:
A surge in coronavirus cases in the city of Manaus has led to a shortage of oxygen, forcing some hospital patients to share cylinders, while others have apparently died in bed from suffocation. 
https://www.npr.org/2021/01/22/959567446/coronavirus-crisis-gets-even-worse-in-brazilian-amazon-city-of-manaus?t=1611671238146

US:
Biden is inaugurated as 46th US president, replacing Donald Trump. 
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-55736856

President Biden has begun to undo some of Donald Trump’s key policies, including ending the travel ban on some majority-Muslim countries and other African nations. Mr Biden said the actions of Mr Trump’s administration had undermined national security: ‘They have jeopardised our global network of alliances and partnerships and are a moral blight that has dulled the power of our example the world over. And they have separated love ones, inflicting pain that will ripple for years to come. They are just plain wrong.’ 
https://www.dw.com/en/biden-signs-executive-order-repealing-trumps-muslim-ban/a-56296866

Entrepreneur Elon Musk’s SpaceX company deliver a record-breaking 143 satellites to orbit on a single rocket flight. 
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-spacex-launch-satellites-idUSKBN29T0OI

A collection of bright pink seesaws allowing children to play together from both sides of the US-Mexico border has won the prestigious Design of the Year award, with its creators saying they hoped the work encourages people to build bridges between communities. 
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2021/jan/19/pink-seesaws-across-us-mexico-border-named-design-of-the-year-2020