Key Storylines
- AFRICA: Zambian President Edgar Lungu will seek to defeat opposition challenger Hakainde Hichilema in Thursday’s election amid economic turmoil and a pending bailout for one of Africa’s most indebted nations.
- AMERICAS: Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said that dialogue with the opposition, led by former deputy and self-proclaimed interim president Juan Guaidó, is “going well.”
- ASIA: New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is due to unveil plans to reopen the country’s borders on Thursday.
- EUROPE: Russia’s Ambassador to Germany Sergei Nechaev said in an interview that the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline will be completed in a matter of weeks.
- MIDDLE EAST: Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett warned Lebanon that his country “will not accept” rocket fire.
- TECH & COMMUNICATIONS: Samsung’s de-facto leader Lee Jae-Yung will be released from prison later this week, though it remains unclear how he can return to work right away at South Korea’s largest conglomerate.
Top Story
- Global: The United Nations Scientific Panel releases its climate report summarizing global warming
- The report called recent changes to the climate “unprecedented,” said “unequivocal” humans are to blame, and lays out the case for drastic cuts to emissions.
- The climate report also highlighted extreme weather everywhere as heatwaves, droughts, hurricanes, and tropical cyclones become more frequent.
- British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the new UN report served as “a wake-up call” for world leaders as they prepare to gather in Scotland for the next climate summit later this year.
- After the release of the UN climate report, environmental activist Greta Thunberg called on the world to be brave in confronting climate change.
- DPA, Reuters, US News, Yahoo News
Africa
- Burkina Faso: Twelve soldiers were killed and eight wounded in an ambush by jihadists near the West African country’s border with Mali. (AFP)
- Mali: A military officer and local officials said that more than forty civilians were killed in the country’s north when jihadists attacked three villages near the border with Niger. (AFP)
- Zambia: President Edgar Lungu will seek to defeat opposition challenger Hakainde Hichilema in Thursday’s election amid economic turmoil and a pending bailout for one of Africa’s most indebted nations. (Reuters)
Americas
- Cuba: The government strengthened its COVID-19 response in one of the island’s hotspots in the central province of Ciego de Avila. (Xinhua)
- Mexico: President Andrés Manuel López Obrador will discuss COVID-19 vaccines with U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris amid rising cases in both nations. (Reuters)
- United States: The Senate is close to completing a $1 trillion infrastructure spending bill, with a vote on passage of the bipartisan deal possible by tomorrow. (Reuters)
- Venezuela: President Nicolas Maduro said that dialogue with the opposition, led by former deputy and self-proclaimed interim president Juan Guaidó, is “going well.” (Xinhua)
Asia
- Australia: Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s approval rating has fallen to its lowest level since March 2020. (Xinhua)
- China: According to data from the National Health Commission, the country administered around 12.2 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines on Aug. 8, raising the total number of doses administered to 1.783 billion. (Reuters)
- India: The country reported 35,499 new COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours. (Reuters)
- Indonesia: A volcanic eruption on Mount Merapi sent renewed flow of lava and hot ash down its slopes for the second consecutive day. (AP)
- New Zealand: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is due to unveil plans to reopen the country’s borders on Thursday. (Reuters)
Europe
- Belarus: President Alexander Lukashenko accused the opposition of plotting a coup in the runup to last year’s presidential election that set off a monthslong wave of mass protests demanding his resignation. (AP)
- France: The country began enforcing a Covid pass backed by President Emmanuel Macron in cafes, restaurants and trains, a tightening of rules the government hopes will increase vaccinations but instead has prompted weeks of angry protests. (AFP)
- Germany: Exports increased more than expected in June suggesting a sound recovery in Europe’s biggest economy. (Reuters)
- Italy: Law enforcement in Milan is investigating the source of an envelope containing three bullets addressed to the pope. (WaPo)
- Russia: The Ambassador to Germany Sergei Nechaev said in an interview that the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline will be completed in a matter of weeks. (TASS)
Middle East
- Egypt: The country received its first shipment of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines, obtaining 261,600 in cooperation with the African Union. (Reuters)
- Iran: Former presidential candidate Alireza Zakani was elected as mayor of Tehran. (Xinhua)
- Israel: Prime Minister Naftali Bennett warned Lebanon that his country “will not accept” rocket fire. (Xinhua)
Tech & Communications
- Technology: Samsung’s de-facto leader Lee Jae-Yung will be released from prison later this week, though it remains unclear how he can return to work right away at South Korea’s largest conglomerate. (WSJ)
World
- Cyclones: Nothing to report.
- Hurricanes:
- Tropical Storm Kevin
- Location: 16.3N 110.9W
- Movement: WNW
- Wind: 50 mph
- Map
- Earthquakes: Nothing to report.
- Volcanoes:
- Mount Merapi, Indonesia
- pyroclastic flow created large phoenix clouds
- Eruption warning has been issued
- Source
- Global Disease Outbreaks:
- COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease: Global (as of 09AUG21)
- Confirmed cases: 202,803,147
- Deaths: 4,296,918
- Countries with confirmed cases: 192
- Sourcing: John Hopkins University
- COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease: Global (as of 09AUG21)
Tomorrow’s Outlook (10AUG21)
- Global: Russia and China to hold the joint counterterrorism military exercise in Qingtongxia.
- Global: Russian, Tajik and Uzbek troops to hold joint military exercise in Tajikistan.
- Global: Islamic New Year
- Global: CSIS will be holding an event with Senator Tammy Duckworth on the U.S. National Security Policy in the Indo-pacific.
- China: China to conduct a large-scale naval exercise in the South China Sea.
- Grenada: Carnival Tuesday
- Russia: Indian and Russian troops to hold joint military exercise in Volgograd, Russia.
- South Africa: Former South African President Jacob Zuma to appear in court for corruption trial.
- United States: The U.S Senate Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia, and Counterterrorism will hold a hearing to examine U.S. security assistance in the Middle East.
- Zimbabwe: Defense Forces Day
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