08JUL21 Global Overnight Overwatch Report

Key Storylines

• AFRICA: Former South African President Jacob Zuma turned himself over to the police to begin his 15-month prison sentence.
• AMERICAS: Around 15 million people in Central America were affected by a power outage with Honduras and Nicaragua facing the worst impact.
• ASIA: Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga imposed a coronavirus state of emergency on Tokyo, just two weeks before the Olympic Games.
• EUROPE: The European Union fined Daimler, BMW, VW, Audi and Porsche $1 billion for colluding to limit the development and rollout of car emission control systems.
• MIDDLE EAST: Israel demolished the West Bank house of Muntasser Shalaby, a Palestinian-American man who was allegedly involved in a deadly attack on Israelis in the West Bank.
• TECH & COMMUNICATIONS: The Belarusian government continued its assault on free press as it blocked access to independent news organization Nasha Niva and dispatched police to its editorial offices.

Top Story

• Haiti: Police locked in battle with suspected gunmen who killed President Moise.
  • Haiti’s security forces are fighting a deadly gun battle in Port-au-Prince with the alleged assassinators of President Jovenal Moise.
  • Security forces said they had killed four and captured two of the “mercenaries” suspected of being involved in the assassination.
  • The police also said they had freed three officers who were being held hostage by the alleged assassinators.
  • However, some members of the group still remained at large, with the police launching a manhunt for them.
  • Government officials are yet to provide any details about the suspected attackers, including their ages, names, nationalities or motives.
  • Reporting: BBC, Reuters, AP, NYT, DPA, WaPo

Africa

• Region: Tunisia reportedly urged the UN Security Council to push for a binding agreement between Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan on the GERD’s operations within six months. (Reuters)
• Nigeria: Authorities asked banks to freeze the accounts of South African media firm MultiChoice Africa for breaching agreements and to recover billions in unpaid taxes. (Reuters)
• South Africa: Former President Jacob Zuma turned himself over to the police to begin his 15-month prison sentence. (AP)

Americas

• Region: The US raised concerns about Mexico’s nationalistic energy policies. (AP)
• Region: Around 15 million people in Central America were affected by a power outage with Honduras and Nicaragua facing the worst impact. (Reuters)
• Colombia: The Inter-American commission on human rights criticized the response to the country’s recent anti-government protests. (AFP)

Asia  

• Region: South Korea’s spy agency said there were no signs indicating that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has been vaccinated against COVID-19. (AP)
• Afghanistan: The government flew in hundreds of commandos to the city of Qala-i-Naw in the Badghis province which was surrounded by Taliban fighters. (AFP)
• Japan: Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga imposed a coronavirus state of emergency on Tokyo, just two weeks before the Olympic Games. (DPA)
• Malaysia: The United Malays National Organization (UMNO) party withdrew its support for Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s government and called for his resignation due to anger over his handling of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Reuters)
• North Korea: Russia reportedly offered the country COVID-19 vaccines. (BBC)

Europe

• Region: The European Union fined Daimler, BMW, VW, Audi and Porsche $1 billion for colluding to limit the development and rollout of car emission control systems. (AP)
• Region: Lithuania announced plans to deploy troops to and build a barrier on its border with Belarus to prevent migrants from illegally crossing into the country. (BBC)
• Cyprus: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the European Union will “never, ever” accept a two-state solution for the country. (Reuters)
• France: Overseas territories minister Sebastien Lecornu welcomes the election of pro-independence candidate Louis Mapou in New Caledonia. (Reuters)
• Turkey: President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the country thwarted attacks on its economy aimed at making Ankara “kneel”. (Reuters)

Middle East

• Region: Israel demolished the West Bank house of Muntasser Shalaby, a Palestinian-American man who was allegedly involved in a deadly attack on Israelis in the West Bank. (AP)
• Region: US diplomats and troops in Iraq and Syria were the target of a series of attacks over the last 24 hours, leaving two US service members injured in the process. (Reuters)
• United Arab Emirates: Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth fund acquired a significant minority stake in the southeast Asia-focused digital infrastructure platform EdgePoint Infrastructure. (Reuters)

Tech & Communications

• Media: The Belarusian government continued its assault on free press as it blocked access to independent news organization Nasha Niva and dispatched police to its editorial offices. (AFP)

World

• Cyclones: Nothing to report.
• Hurricanes:
  • Tropical Storm Elsa
    • Location: 90 miles W-NW of Charleston, South Carolina
    • Wind: 40 mph
    • Movement: NE at 16 mph
    • Map
• Earthquakes: Nothing to report.
• Volcanoes: Nothing to report.
• Global Disease Outbreaks:
  • COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease: Global (as of 08JUL21)
    • Confirmed cases: 185,122,577
    • Deaths: 4,002,909
    • Countries with confirmed cases: 192
    • Sourcing: John Hopkins University

Tomorrow’s Outlook (09JUL21)

• Global: The Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors of G20 countries will meet. (to 10JUL)
• Global: The OECD 2021 Annual Conference of the Global Forum on Productivity will be held.
• Africa: The Southern African Development Community (SADC)’s deadline for contributions to support Mozambique in its fight against terrorism.
• Germany: The country’s Federal Election Committee will meet to decide which parties will be admitted to the Bundestag elections in September.
• Greece: Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will attend the Economist’s Annual Roundtable with the Government of Greece.
• Israel: Outgoing President Reuven Rivlin’s term will end and incoming President Isaac Herzog’s term will begin.
• Italy: The National Institute of Statistics will release its annual report on the state of the nation.
• Palau: Constitution Day – 1981
• Slovakia: All unvaccinated visitors will have to undertake a 14-day quarantine from this date forward.
• South Sudan: Independence Day – 2011
• Spain: French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian will visit and meet with his counterpart Arancha González Laya.
• Syria: A UN Security Council vote on extending cross-border aid into the country’s northwest could be held.

END