| Vaccine setback | The suspension in the rollout of Johnson & Johnson's Covid-19 vaccine to review rare cases of deadly brain clots came just as inoculations were accelerating in Europe and other regions. It not only delays the availability of shots in Africa and Asia but fuels European concerns about similar complications with the AstraZeneca shot. Treasuries challenge | The European Union is preparing to issue a raft of bonds under its pandemic recovery program, with almost $1 trillion of debt to be offered over five years. A blueprint for the sales, announced today, lays the foundation to challenge U.S. Treasuries as a haven asset, while helping EU integration and bolstering the euro, John Ainger and Alberto Nardelli write. New world | The full implications of Beijing's rapid-fire moves against Jack Ma's internet empire won't be apparent for weeks, but one lesson is clear: The glory days for China's tech giants are over. As this story explains, the unspoken message to Ma and his cohorts is the decade of unfettered expansion that created challengers to Facebook and Google is at an end. -
China criticized the U.S. for sending a group of ex-officials to Taiwan, saying it will only add to tensions. -
At the same time, Beijing is taking more direct steps to mend ties with U.S. investors, ramping up its communication with businesses. Climate costs | Russia is among the most vulnerable nations to climate change even as the world's fourth-largest emitter of greenhouse gases remains sanguine about the potential impact. Analysts and scientists say extreme temperatures, record wildfires and the thawing permafrost that covers much of the vast country may already be costing Russia billions every year, Olga Tanas and Dina Khrennikova report.  An industrial chimney emits vapor into the sky in February 2016 in Yakutsk, eastern Siberia, which has a reputation as the world's coldest city. Photographer: Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg Upped ante | Iran vowed for the first time to ramp up its uranium enrichment closer to weapons grade in response to an attack on its Natanz atomic facility, sending a jolt through international talks planned in Vienna this week on the Islamic Republic's nuclear program. Tehran, which blames Israel for the cyber-attack, said the purified materials would be used for medical purposes. What to Watch -
Markus Soeder appears on German TV today in his bid to become the conservative bloc's candidate to succeed Angela Merkel, after criticizing rival Armin Laschet yesterday in a private debate with lawmakers. -
Authorities in Ecuador detained 14 current and former senior energy officials after allegations of bribery involving oil company Petroecuador emerged from a U.S. investigation. - Biden accepted an invitation from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to deliver his first address to a joint session of Congress on April 28, right before his 100th day in office.
- A Burkina Faso military tribunal charged ex-president Blaise Compaore with the murder of Thomas Sankara, the West African leader killed in a 1987 coup.
- The U.S. and the EU are considering sanctions against Somalia after President Mohamed Abdullahi signed into law a bill that extends his and lawmakers' mandates by two years.
And finally ... If you want to be among the early recipients of a Covid-19 vaccine in Venezuela, you will probably need a state loyalty card. Nicolas Maduro's administration is restricting shots to those holding the Carnet de la Patria, as it has previously for access to food programs, fuel subsidies and welfare payments. Critics say the practice will prevent many government opponents getting inoculated.  A healthcare worker prepares a dose of the Russian Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine at a clinic in Caracas, Venezuela, on April 9. Photographer: Manaure Quintero/Bloomberg | 
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