09NOV21 Global Overnight Overwatch Report

Key Storylines

• AFRICA: Olusegun Obasanjo, African Union envoy to the Horn of Africa, warned the UN Security Council that there is a short “window of opportunity” to end Ethiopia’s burgeoning civil war.
• AMERICAS: The US Geological Survey said an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.2 struck off Nicaragua’s Pacific coast.
• ASIA: Taiwan said China is seeking to take control of the island by wearing down its military capabilities and influencing public opinion.
• EUROPE: German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer urged the European Union to take action to help Poland secure its border with Belarus to stop the flow of migrants crossing illegally.
• MIDDLE EAST: Pope Francis condemned the drone attack on Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi’s residence as a “vile act of terrorism”.
• TECH & COMMUNICATIONS: Stock trading app Robinhood announced that a security breach had exposed the email addresses of five million customers.

Top Story

• Global: US Vice President Kamala Harris arrives in Paris to mend US-France ties.
  • US Vice President Kamala Harris landed in Paris to launch a charm offensive aimed at shoring up the U.S. relationship with France, America’s oldest ally.
  • During her four-day visit, Harris will meet with French President Emmanuel Macron, attend a peace forum with other world leaders, participate in a multilateral conference on Libya and take part in commemorations for the anniversary of the end of World War I.
  • Before departing, Vice President Harris said in a statement that she looks forward to discussing with President Macron their work together on urgent challenges including climate change, the global health crisis, and regional security concerns.
  • The high-level visit comes less than two weeks after President Joe Biden met Macron on the margins of the G20 summit in Rome and acknowledged his administration had handled the AUKUS deal in a “clumsy” way.
  • The trip to Paris will be Harris’s first visit to Europe as vice president.
  • AP, AFP, White House, Canberra Times, People

Africa

• Burkina Faso: The army reported that one soldier and around 15 jihadists were killed in fighting over the weekend. (AFP)
• Ethiopia: Olusegun Obasanjo, African Union envoy to the Horn of Africa, warned the UN Security Council that there is a short “window of opportunity” to end the country’s burgeoning civil war. (AP)
• Sudan: Two leading international rights groups have urged the military to release government officials, activists, and others detained during the army’s coup last month. (AP)
• Tunisia: Protesters angered by an authority’s decision to reopen a controlled landfill in the southern town of Agareb set fire to a police station. (Reuters)

Americas

• Costa Rica: The Health Ministry added the COVID-19 vaccine to the list of required immunizations for children younger than 18. (WaPo)
• Mexico: Prosecutors announced the arrest of a man on charges of using the Pegasus spyware to spy on a journalist. (AP)
• Nicaragua: The US Geological Survey said an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.2 struck off the country’s Pacific coast. (AP)
• United States: Senior officials announced that the military has not located a suspected IS safehouse in Kabul, which was targeted in a drone strike which killed 10 civilians. (NYT)

Asia

• New Zealand: Thousands gathered outside Parliament to protest COVID-19 vaccine mandates and government lockdowns. (Reuters)
• North Korea: Pyongyang issued a strong condemnation of the European Union for leading a UN resolution condemning its human rights situation. (Yonhap)
• Philippines: The daughter of President Rodrigo Duterte removed herself from the running for mayor of Davao City. (Reuters)
• Singapore: A court postponed the imminent execution of a Malaysian man whom campaigners say is mentally disabled after he tested positive for Covid-19, meaning a final appeal could not proceed. (AFP)
• Taiwan: Taipei said China is seeking to take control of the island by wearing down its military capabilities and influencing public opinion. (AP)

Europe

• Region: German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer urged the European Union to take action to help Poland secure its border with Belarus to stop the flow of migrants crossing illegally. (RFE/RL)
• Denmark: The government proposed reinstating the use of a digital “corona pass” to be presented when citizens visit indoor bars and restaurants, as the country is entering a third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. (Reuters)
• Georgia: Jailed former president Mikheil Saakashvili, on a hunger strike for more than a month, said he has been abused by prison guards and fears for his life. (RFE/RL)
• Norway: A man armed with a knife threatened passers-by on the streets of Oslo before being shot dead by police. (AP)
• United Kingdom: Prime Minister Boris Johnson faced fresh accusations of sleaze among his ruling Conservatives, following a report that a party lawmaker earned more than £1 million in the last year from a second job. (AFP)

Middle East

• Iran: The military warned off two US drones which overflew waters where it was holding naval war games near the Strait of Hormuz. (AFP)
• Iraq: Pope Francis condemned the drone attack on Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi’s residence as a “vile act of terrorism”. (Reuters)
• Israel: Estonia, France, Ireland, Norway, and Albania—all to join the UN Security Council in January—expressed “serious concern” at the designation of Palestinian civil society organizations as terrorist groups. (AP)
• Palestinian Territories: Hamas sentenced three people to death, two of them for collaborating with Israel. (AFP)

Tech & Communications

• Cybersecurity: Stock trading app Robinhood announced that a security breach had exposed the email addresses of five million customers. (Reuters)

World

• Cyclones: Nothing to report
• Hurricanes: Nothing to report
• Earthquakes:
  • Masachapa, Nicaragua
    • Magnitude: 6.2
    • Depth: 35 km
    • Map
  • Volcanoes:
    • La Palma, Spain
      • Explosive activity continues
      • Erupting
      • Source
    • Global Disease Outbreaks:
      • COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease: Global (as of 09NOV21)
        • Confirmed cases: 250,498,402
        • Deaths: 5,059,105
        • Countries with confirmed cases: 192
        • Sourcing: John Hopkins University

Tomorrow’s Outlook (10NOV21)

• Global: World Science Day for Peace and Development.
• Americas: Organization of American States General Assembly, virtual. (to 12NOV)
• China: 20th anniversary of WTO approving China membership.
• Europe: European Parliament plenary session. (to 11NOV)
• Europe: 2021 Conference of NATO Communicators continues.
• France: Visit by US Vice President Kamala Harris. (to 13NOV)
• France: Former president Francois Hollande testifies in 2015 Paris terrorist attack trial.
• Germany: Visit by Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa, Latvian Prime Minister Arturs Kridjanis Karins, and Queen Margrethe II of Denmark.
• India: Delhi Regional Security Dialogue on Afghanistan.
• Luxembourg: European Court of Justice to rule on Google’s appeal of antitrust ruling.
• Panama: Cry of Independence Day.
• United Kingdom: Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP26) in Glasgow. (to 12NOV)
• United Kingdom: World Biodiversity Summit, part three in Glasgow.
• United Kingdom: Foreign Secretary Liz Truss continues Southeast Asia visit in Thailand.
• United States: US-Ukraine Strategic Partnership Commission meeting in Washington DC.
• United States: President Joe Biden meets European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

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