• About
  • Newsletter
  • Contact us
Advance US News Diary

April 10-16: Biden visits Ireland, Trump at NRA, and IMF Spring Meetings

Joe Biden at St. Patrick's Day celebration
April 6, 2023
  • Slice 1

A look ahead at the key events leading the news agenda next week, from the team at Foresight News. Delivered to your inbox on Fridays.

Leading the week

President Joe Biden heads to Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland next week in a visit to mark the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, the US-brokered accord aimed at ending the sectarian violence that had been ongoing for nearly 40 years and set up the devolved government in Northern Ireland.  

Ongoing discord among the parties in Northern Ireland, notably linked to the consequences of Brexit, has threatened to overshadow the anniversary. The Northern Ireland Assembly hasn’t been sitting since February 2022, and the country still has no functioning government following elections last May that saw the nationalist Sinn Fein party win more seats than the unionist DUP for the first time. But the DUP, incensed by what they consider to be a new post-Brexit border between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, have been using their effective veto power to prevent the formation of power-sharing executive, even after UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak unveiled the Windsor Framework, a renegotiated agreement which he claimed addressed all of their concerns.  

Despite the DUP’s refusal to support the framework, the new deal was viewed as an important factor in paving the way for this week’s visit, which will dominate coverage of the anniversary. Biden touches down in Belfast on Tuesday (April 11) for a day and a half of events to mark the ‘tremendous progress’ made in the last quarter century. He travels on to the south on Wednesday (April 12) for a three-day visit which includes stops in County Louth and Dublin, where he addresses a joint sitting of the Irish parliament on Thursday (April 13), and a speech on Friday (April 14) in his ancestral home of County Mayo to ‘celebrate the deep, historic ties’ linking the US and Ireland. 

Donad Trump addressing NRA

Following his historic appearance in court in Manhattan this week, given wall-to-wall coverage on broadcast and cable networks, Donald Trump is likely to dominate headlines again when he takes to the stage at NRA’s leadership forum next Friday (April 14) in Indianapolis. The gathering comes weeks after the horrific school shooting in Nashville and features a host of would-be challengers to the former president, including former Vice President Mike Pence, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, though the latter two are addressing the event remotely.

Trump may well choose to weigh in on the debate over the Tennessee shooting, which some conservatives have seized upon due to the shooter’s gender identity, having previously cited the ‘massive amount of drugs’ taken by transgender people as part of his justification for banning their service in the military. DeSantis, meanwhile, who is viewed by many as the strongest potential challenger to Trump, is likely to tout Florida’s new concealed carry legislation that is due to take effect in July as evidence of his pro-gun credentials.

Both Trump and Pence are then due to speak an RNC donor retreat taking place, as it happens, in Nashville over the weekend, with Trump slated to deliver the keynote address on Saturday (April 15) evening. The retreat comes amid reports that Trump’s indictment has led to a huge surge in donations to his campaign, though official figures due on Saturday won’t include a full picture as they only include fundraising numbers up to March 31, the day after his indictment was announced. 


Looking abroad 

In India, a court is set to hold its first hearing on Thursday (April 13) in opposition leader Rahul Gandhi’s appeal against his conviction in a defamation case stemming from comments he made in a 2019 speech criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Gandhi, the de facto leader of the Congress party, was expelled from parliament shortly after his conviction last month in a move condemned by his supporters as the latest evidence of the erosion of democracy under Modi’s premiership ahead of national elections next year. The case against Gandhi was brought by a BJP member and former Gujarat minister named Purnesh Modi, who is not related to the prime minister, who claimed Gandhi had ‘defamed the entire Modi community’ when he questioned in his speech ‘Why do all thieves have Modi as their surname?’ in reference to two other prominent cases.

The appeals court has already suspended Gandhi’s two-year prison sentence while it considers his case, with Thursday’s hearing expected to focus on a bid stay his conviction, which in turn could pave the way for Gandhi to return to the Lok Sabha while the case is being heard. A further hearing on the merits of his appeal is expected in early May. 

Rahul Gandhi

The IMF and World Bank hold their annual Spring Meetings in Washington DC next week, kicking off in earnest on Tuesday (April 11) with the launch of the flagship World Economic Outlook report. The conflict in Ukraine and its economic ramifications are set to cast a shadow once gain over the gathering, which also follows recent tremors in the banking sector linked to rising central bank interest rates aimed at curbing inflation. 

Ahead of the meetings, the IMF’s board approved a $15.6 billion loan package for Ukraine, and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal will attend a ministerial roundtable on Wednesday (April 12) to discuss Ukraine’s medium-term needs and recovery alongside IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva and outgoing World Bank president David Malpass. Ukraine will also loom large over the traditional meeting of G20 finance ministers and central bankers scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday (April 12-13), which last year saw Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen lead a walkout in protest at Russia’s involvement. Yellen is also likely to meet with her G7 counterparts during the week, when further coordinated action against Russia will likely be discussed.


 

Also look out for...

April 10

Opening statements planned in Lori Vallow trial over murder of her children

Nikki Haley begins three-day Iowa visit 

Russia-chaired UN Security Council meeting on arms export violations 

SpaceX may launch Starship orbital test flight 

White House Easter Egg Roll 

April 11

Arraignment of Louisiana troopers over death of Ronald Greene 

Democratic candidates for Philadelphia Mayor hold debate ahead of primary  

US hosts 2+2 talks with the Philippines

US Ambassador to China speaks at Stimson Center event 

Emmanuel Macron begins two-day state visit to the Netherlands 

Auction of Michael Jordan’s NBA finals shoes ends

April 12

Consumer inflation data 

Tim Scott visits Iowa 

Scheduled execution of Florida inmate Louis Gaskin

Liz Truss delivers Heritage Foundation lecture 

Finnish parliament meets for first time since elections that saw Sanna Marin defeated 

April 13

Mitch McConnell speaks at the Reagan Institute 

Ron DeSantis visits Ohio 

Tim Scott visits New Hampshire 

New round of protests in France at pensions reforms

Brazilian president Lula begins rescheduled visit to China

April 14

Ron DeSantis delivers Liberty University convocation 

Ron DeSantis speaks at New Hampshire GOP dinner 

Kamala Harris addresses NAN convention 

Tim Scott visits home state of South Carolina 

Asa Hutchinson speaks at Kentucky GOP dinner 

French constitutional court rules on pensions reforms

Xi Jinping hosts talks with Lula

April 15

Ana De Armas hosts SNL 

NBA playoffs begin

April 16

G7 foreign ministers’ meeting begins in Japan 

Final Broadway performance of Phantom of the Opera

Statistics, Reports and Results

April 11

Global Financial Stability Report

China inflation data

April 12

Fed minutes 

Bank of Canada interest rate

April 13

NCHS report on suicides 

OPEC monthly oil markets report 

Results from: Delta

April 14

Advance retail sales 

Consumer Sentiment Index 

Import and Export Prices 

Industrial production figures 

Manufacturing and Trade statistics  

Results: Citigroup, Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase, United Health 

Anniversaries and Awareness Days

April 10

Siblings Day

April 11

World Parkinson’s Day

April 12

International Day for Street Children

April 13

Scrabble Day 

70 years ago: first James Bond novel published

April 14

World Chagas Disease Day 

Vaisakhi Day (Sikh New Year)

April 15

North Korea marks Day of the Sun  

World Art Day 

World Circus Day 

Four years ago: Notre Dame Cathedral fire 

10 years ago: Boston marathon bombing

April 16

Russian Orthodox Christmas


Foresight News is an intelligence tool for media, government, PR and public affairs professionals to plan editorial coverage and media engagement. 

If you'd like to receive this newsletter by email, you can click here to sign up for free. 

If you’d like to speak to us about a subscription, email enquiries@foresightnews.com for a free demo and trial access. 

  • Cookie Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Website terms & conditions

Designed by Interconnect. Powered by Standfirst.