03JAN22 Global Overnight Overwatch Report

Key Storylines

AFRICA: Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok resigned after abandoning his efforts to form a new technocratic government to pull the country out of its economic crisis and a worsening political standoff.
AMERICAS: US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin tested positive for COVID-19 with mild symptoms and would attend meetings virtually as he quarantines for the next five days.
ASIA: A powerful earthquake struck Taiwan, shaking buildings in the capital and across much of the region.
EUROPE: German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock will travel to Washington on Wednesday where she will discuss topics including the Russia-Ukraine conflict with her American counterpart, Antony Blinken.
MIDDLE EAST: An official with the international coalition in Iraq said two armed drones have been shot down at the Baghdad airport.
TECH & COMMUNICATIONS: Two major Israeli media outlets were hacked with a threatening message that appeared linked to the killing of a top Iranian general two years ago.

Top Story

Brazil: President Jair Bolsonaro hospitalized in São Paulo.
- Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was admitted to the hospital with abdominal pain and was being examined to see if surgery might be necessary.
- Bolsonaro’s doctor, Antônio Luiz Macedo, was on holiday in the Bahamas and was waiting for a flight back to Brazil to see Bolsonaro, who had no public appearances scheduled on Monday.
- Bolsonaro was admitted to Vila Nova Star hospital, where he was undergoing exams under the care of Dr. Antônio Luiz Macedo, the surgeon who treated Mr. Bolsonaro after he was stabbed in 2018 while campaigning for president.
- Bolsonaro’s press office said the president was admitted to the hospital to undergo clinical tests after feeling “abdominal discomfort” and had symptoms of intestinal obstruction.
- The hospital said the Brazilian president is stable, in treatment, and will be reevaluated by the team of doctor Antônio Luiz de Vasconcellos.
- Reuters, AP, NYT, Bloomberg, The Guardian

Africa

Botswana: President Mokgweetsi Masisi is in mandatory self-isolation after testing positive for COVID-19 in routine testing. (Reuters)
Kenya: Six people have been killed and homes torched in an attack by suspected Al Shabaab militants in the coastal Lamu region that borders Somalia. (AFP)
South Africa: Firefighters are still working at the country’s national Parliament complex in Cape Town after a major blaze tore through the precinct a day earlier. (AP)
Sudan: Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok resigned after abandoning his efforts to form a new technocratic government to pull the country out of its economic crisis and a worsening political standoff. (WSJ)
Tunisia: Detained former justice minister Noureddine Bhiri is refusing food or medication after his transfer to the hospital. (AFP)

Americas

Brazil: Health agency Anvisa warned passengers against boarding cruise ships operating along the coast after outbreaks of COVID-19 affected crew and customers. (Reuters)
Ecuador: President Guillermo Lasso announced the appointment of former presidential adviser Juan Carlos Holguin as the new minister of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility. (Xinhua)
United States: Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin tested positive for COVID-19 with mild symptoms and would attend meetings virtually as he quarantines for the next five days. (Reuters)
United States: Twitter suspended an account of US Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, for “repeated violations” of the company’s COVID-19 misinformation policies. (Xinhua)

Asia

Hong Kong: A group of lawmakers loyal to China’s Communist Party were sworn into the Legislature following an election without opposition candidates. (AP)
India: The country extended Covid vaccinations to teens aged 15-18 after officials tightened restrictions in big cities to avoid a repeat of last year’s outbreak. (AFP)
Philippines: Authorities in Manila will impose additional restrictions on unvaccinated individuals amid a spike in Covid-19 cases. (DPA)
South Korea: The Defense Ministry said a man who entered North Korea on New Year’s Day by breaching the border from the South is presumed to be a defector from the North. (AFP)
Taiwan: A powerful earthquake struck the island, shaking buildings in the capital and across much of the region. (AP)

Europe

France: Lawmakers have received death threats from anti-vaccination protesters, as parliament starts to debate legislation that would require people to show proof of vaccination for entertainment and travel. (Reuters)
Germany: Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock will travel to Washington on Wednesday where she will discuss topics including the Russia-Ukraine conflict with her American counterpart, Antony Blinken. (Reuters)
Poland: Health Minister Adam Niedzielski said the country may introduce new restrictions if cases of coronavirus infections continue to grow. (Reuters)
Portugal: Disconsolate passengers stuck on a cruise ship stuck in Lisbon’s port for five days due to a COVID-19 outbreak began clearing the final hurdle of a negative test before boarding homebound flights. (Reuters)
Turkey: The statistical office said inflation jumped above the 30-per-cent mark in December to 36.08 per cent year-on-year, the highest level in two decades. (DPA)

Middle East

Iraq: An official with the international coalition in the country said two armed drones have been shot down at the Baghdad airport. (AP)
Israel: Prime Minister Naftali Bennett that a fourth Covid vaccine will be given to people over 60 and health workers amid a surge driven by the Omicron variant. (AFP)
Kuwait: The country has called on its citizens to avoid travel to several European countries hit hard by the Omicron variant. (AFP)
Syria: Militants attacked a bus carrying soldiers on a desert highway in the country’s central region, killing five and wounding 20. (AP)
Yemen: Rebels seized an Emirati-flagged vessel in the Red Sea giving contrasting explanations for the latest escalation in a seven-year war. (AFP)

Tech & Communications

Media: Two major Israeli media outlets were hacked with a threatening message that appeared linked to the killing of a top Iranian general two years ago. (AFP)

World

Cyclones: Nothing to Report.
Hurricanes: Nothing to Report.
Earthquakes:
- Hualien City, Taiwan
  - Magnitude: 6.2
  - Depth: 28.7 km
  - Map
- Volcanoes: Nothing to Report.
- Global Disease Outbreaks:
  - COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease: Global (as of 03JAN22)
    - Confirmed cases: 290,236,007
    - Deaths: 5,445,274
    - Countries with confirmed cases: 192
    - Sourcing: John Hopkins University

Tomorrow’s Outlook (04JAN22)

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