Wereldgebeurtenissen die in december op stapel staan

BY JORDI BOU

December 1, 2020 – December 31, 2020 – Each month Graphic News publishes a World Agenda of forthcoming events that will shape the world in the month ahead. Events in December include the first vaccination programmes to combat the coronavirus pandemic, the U.S. Electoral College’s confirmation of the election winner (pending ongoing legal action), and the return to China of the first lunar sample return mission since the 1970s.

Dec 6, Venezuela: Opposition leader Juan Guaidó has vowed to boycott the National Assembly election but Henrique Capriles, another opponent of President Nicolás Maduro, will support the vote, arguing that a boycott means losing all representation in congress.

Dec 12, UN: An online summit on the fifth anniversary of the landmark Paris agreement aims to spur momentum for climate action by urging nations to upgrade emissions- cutting pledges by the year’s end. Joe Biden has pledged that the U.S. will rejoin the pact when he takes office.

Dec 14, U.S.: The Electoral College officially selects the next president. Three weeks after Joe Biden won the popular vote Donald Trump’s administration finally cleared the way for the transition process to begin, even as Trump vowed to continue fighting the election results.

Dec 16, China: The Chang’e 5 spacecraft aims to collect rock samples from the moon in the first lunar sample return attempt since 1976. The mission is scheduled to land in Inner Mongolia with around 2kg of moon rocks on board.

Dec 17, Germany: The world celebrates the 250th birthday of composer and pianist Ludwig van Beethoven, a defining figure in the history of music. His deafness in later life makes his accomplishments all the more astonishing.

Dec 31, UK: Prime Minister Boris Johnson should achieve his ambition to take Britain out of the EU as the Brexit transition period ends, regardless of whether a deal with Brussels is in place.

Dec, World: One year after Covid-19 surfaced in China, the U.S., UK and Germany will begin vaccination programmes. Vaccines developed by Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Oxford/AstroZeneca aim to combat the pandemic that has killed 1.4 million worldwide.

Dec, Japan: The hugely popular Rubik’s Cube was released 40 years ago, and a fingertip-size version of the 3-D puzzle will mark the anniversary. Billed as a “super-small” Rubik’s Cube, it will sell for ¥198,000 ($1,900).