04JAN22 Global Overnight Overwatch Report

Key Storylines

AFRICA: The suspect that started the fire that eviscerated South Africa’s parliament buildings appeared in court and will remain in custody pending his application for bail.
AMERICAS: Gunmen unsuccessfully attempted to assassinate Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry during an event on Saturday commemorating the Caribbean country’s independence.
ASIA: Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will cancel plans to visit the United States and Australia for summit talks prior to the start of a regular Diet session in mid-January.
EUROPE: The environmentalist Greens came out in support of a second term for German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
MIDDLE EAST: A US-led coalition official said two explosives-laden drones that targeted a military base housing US troops in Iraq’s western Anbar province have been destroyed.
TECH & COMMUNICATIONS: Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes was found guilty on four of eleven counts of fraud and conspiracy.

Top Story

United States: The country set a global record of more than a million COVID-19 Cases in a Single Day.
- According to data from Johns Hopkins University, a total of 1,082,549 new COVID-19 cases were reported in the US on Monday, as the omicron variant continues to spread throughout the country.
- Johns Hopkins also reported 1,688 deaths for the same period, a day after top COVID-19 advisor Anthony Fauci said the country is experiencing “almost a vertical increase” in Covid-19 cases but the peak may be only weeks away.
- The numbers being posted in the US come as many Americans are relying on take-home tests with results that are not reported to official government authorities.
- In New York City, the seven-day average positivity rate is currently 33.49 percent, but mayor Eric Adams has vowed to keep schools open.
- The rapid spread of the Omicron variant has not only placed more pressure on the country’s health care system, but is also battering the economy, causing labor shortages, thousands of flight cancellations, and businesses closing their doors.
- CNBC, AFP, TIME, Daily Mail, Xinhua

Africa

Kenya: Police made four arrests following a brutal attack in a coastal region bordering Somalia that left six people dead and homes in ashes. (AFP)
Niger: A UN tribunal ordered the government to suspend the expulsion of eight Rwandans linked to their country’s 1994 genocide. (AFP)
South Africa: The suspect that started the fire that eviscerated the country’s parliament buildings appeared in court and will remain in custody pending his application for bail. (AP)
South Sudan: President Salva Kiir dismissed central bank governor Dier Tong Ngor and appointed Moses Makur Deng as his replacement. (BBC)
Sudan: Pro-democracy groups are calling for mass anti-coup protests as the country plunges further into turmoil following the prime minister’s resignation earlier this week. (AP)

Americas

Brazil: Health authorities temporarily suspended cruise ship activity until January 21 due to the spread of the COVID-19 omicron variant. (AP)
Canada: A court in Ontario awarded C$107 million to relatives of six Canadians killed when Ukraine International Airlines flight 752 was shot down by Iranian Revolutionary Guards in January 2020. (Reuters)
Haiti: Ten inmates and a police officer were killed during an escape attempt at a prison in Croix-des-Bouquets. (AFP)
Haiti: Gunmen unsuccessfully attempted to assassinate Prime Minister Ariel Henry during an event on Saturday commemorating the Caribbean country’s independence. (Reuters)

Asia

Australia: New cases of COVID-19 surged to record levels across the country, bringing the total case number over 500,000. (AP)
China: A landslide at a construction site in the southwest killed 14 people and injured three others. (AP)
India: The local government in the state of Punjab announced the closure of schools and colleges and imposed a night curfew to restrict public movement due to a surge in COVID-19 cases. (Xinhua)
Japan: Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will cancel plans to visit the United States and Australia for summit talks prior to the start of a regular Diet session in mid-January. (Xinhua)
Philippines: The government said it will expand coronavirus restrictions in Manila from Wednesday to include more than 11 million people living near Manila. (AFP)

Europe

Region: A record 28,000 migrants crossed the English Channel in small boats in 2021, more than triple the number in 2020, according to government data. (AFP)
France: Opposition parties joined forces against President Emmanuel Macron to hold up a bill tightening measures against Covid-19. (AFP)
Germany: The environmentalist Greens came out in support of a second term for President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. (AP)
Italy: The country will begin voting for a new president on January 24. (AP)
United Kingdom: New national security rules came into effect giving government ministers greater power to block international takeovers of British firms. (The Guardian)

Middle East

Iran: At least eight people have been killed in flash flooding in the south due to heavy rains expected to last until later this week. (AFP)
Iraq: A US-led coalition official said two explosives-laden drones that targeted a military base housing US troops in western Anbar province have been destroyed. (AP)
Israel: Two army helicopter pilots were killed in a crash during a training exercise over the Mediterranean. (DW)
Yemen: Medical and military sources said around 200 fighters have been killed in fresh clashes near the strategic city of Marib. (AFP)

Tech & Communications

Technology: Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes was found guilty on four of eleven counts of fraud and conspiracy. (Reuters)

World

Cyclones: Nothing to Report.
Hurricanes: Nothing to Report.
Earthquakes: Nothing to Report.
Volcanoes: Nothing to Report.
Global Disease Outbreaks:
- COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease: Global (as of 04JAN22)
  - Confirmed cases: 292,642,670
  - Deaths: 5,451,245
  - Countries with confirmed cases: 192
  - Sourcing: John Hopkins University

Tomorrow’s Outlook (05JAN22)

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