21SEP21 Global Overnight Overwatch Report

Key Storylines

AFRICA: Tunisian President Kais Saied said he had instituted transitional governing rules and would introduce a new electoral law, eight weeks after seizing executive power in a move his foes called a coup.
AMERICAS: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will continue his third mandate in his second minority government.
ASIA: Australian authorities shut down construction sites in Melbourne for two weeks after an anti-vaccine mandate protest in the city turned violent and COVID-19 infections in Victoria surged.
EUROPE: UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss met U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken during the U.N. General Assembly and held discussions on Iran, Afghanistan and the security partnership between the U.S., Australia, and the UK.
MIDDLE EAST: The United Arab Emirates welcomed energy officials from Qatar and Turkey to Dubai for the world’s largest gas expo and the first in-person conference since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
TECH AND COMMUNICATIONS: The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating Activision Blizzard over its handling of allegations of sexual harassment and gender-based discrimination.

Top Story

Sudan: The country’s transitional government said an attempted coup linked to the deposed Bashir government has failed.
- Authorities have reported a failed coup attempt by a group of soldiers, but the military remains in control.
- Government officials blamed the attempt on supporters of the former President Omar al-Bashir, who was deposed two years ago in 2019.
- Earlier reports from Khartoum described intense military activity, and the main bridge across the Nile River was closed.
- A spokesperson for the military, Brigadier Al-Tahir Abu Haja said the armed forces “thwarted the attempted coup and that all is completely under control.”
- The failed coup underscored the fragility of Sudan’s path to democracy, two years after the overthrow of Omar al-Bashir amid a public uprising against his three-decade rule.
- AP,Al Jaz eera, BBC, DW, WaPo

Africa

Mali: EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell warned Bamako that its ties with the EU could be severely affected if it allows Russian private military contractors to operate in the country. (Reuters)
Rwanda: The country cancelled a planned meeting with the Belgian foreign minister at the UN after she criticized the trial of “Hotel Rwanda” hero Paul Rusesabagina, a Belgian citizen. (AFP)
South Africa: A court resumed a trial that has dragged out for years over a $2 billion arms deal involving ex-president Jacob Zuma. (Reuters)
Tunisia: President Kais Saied said he had instituted transitional governing rules and would introduce a new electoral law, eight weeks after seizing executive power in a move his foes called a coup. (Reuters)

Americas

Region: New York City authorities arrested a man who made threats to kidnap and kill Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader ahead of his visit to the UN General Assembly. (AP)
Region: Colombia and Nicaragua presented arguments before the International Court of Justice in a long running dispute over what the Nicaraguan government alleges are violations of its sovereignty in the western Caribbean. (AP)
Canada: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will continue his third mandate in his second minority government. (Xinhua)
Mexico: The Supreme Court struck down a part of the country’s health law that allowed medical personnel to refuse to carry out abortions on the grounds of conscientious objection. (AFP)
Venezuela: State oil company PDVSA will make its case at a U.S. trial that it is not liable for nearly $150 million in debts owed to a unit of Siemens Energy because U.S. sanctions prevented it from making payments. (Reuters)

Asia

Australia: Authorities shut down construction sites in Melbourne for two weeks after an anti-vaccine mandate protest in the city turned violent and COVID-19 infections in Victoria surged. (Reuters)
Japan: Vaccination minister Taro Kono said the country will begin to vaccinate the elderly with a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine early next year. (Xinhua)
Myanmar: The junta put former leader Aung San Suu Kyi on trial for incitement, the latest in a list of charges that could see her in prison for years. (AFP)
Philippines: Manila is supporting a new defense partnership between the United States, Britain, and Australia, hoping it can maintain the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific region. (Reuters)
Vietnam: The government agreed to purchase ten million doses of Cuba’s domestically-produced coronavirus vaccine, Abdala. (AFP)

Europe

Region: An EU trade official said that Australia’s abrupt cancellation of a French submarine contract will complicate and delay an Australian-EU free trade deal. (AP)
Denmark: The country risks falling short of its 2030 climate targets unless it builds far more wind and solar farms and overcomes bureaucracy and local resistance to turbines. (Reuters)
France: Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said that the nuclear submarine deal between the United States, Britain, and Australia, known as AUKUS, represents a “crisis of trust” between allies that requires clarification. (Xinhua)
Spain: The Canary Islands’ first volcanic eruption in 50 years has forced authorities to evacuate another part of El Paso municipality on the island of La Palma. (Reuters)
United Kingdom: Foreign Secretary Liz Truss met U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken during the U.N. General Assembly and held discussions on Iran, Afghanistan and the security partnership between the U.S., Australia, and the UK. (Reuters)

Middle East

Region: The United Arab Emirates welcomed energy officials from Qatar and Turkey to Dubai for the world’s largest gas expo and the first in-person conference since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. (WaPo)
Egypt: The presidency said that the country’s first post-Mubarak military ruler Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi died at age 85. (Al Jazee ra)
Iran: France announced that Britain, China, France, Germany, and Russia will meet at the United Nations this week to try to revive the 2015 JCPOA nuclear deal. (Reuters)
Lebanon: A group of bondholders urged the new government to begin debt restructuring talks as soon as possible to help address the country’s grave financial crisis. (Reuters)
Qatar: Energy minister Saad al-Kaabi said that high gas prices reflect a lack of investment as well as a shortage of supply but did not regard the situation as a crisis. (Reuters)

Tech & Communications

Technology: The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating Activision Blizzard over its handling of allegations of sexual harassment and gender-based discrimination. (WaPo)

World

Cyclones: Nothing to report
Hurricanes:
Tropical Storm Peter
- Location: 19.6N 63.8W
- Movement: NNW
- Wind: 178 mph
- Map
Tropical Storm Rose
- Location: 21.0N 36.4W
- Movement: NW
- Wind: 45 mph
- Map
Earthquakes: Nothing to report
Volcanoes:
La Palma, Spain
- Explosive activity continues
- Erupting
- Source
Global Disease Outbreaks:
- COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease: Global (as of 21SEP21)
  - Confirmed cases: 229,137,710
  - Deaths: 4,701,551
  - Countries with confirmed cases: 192
  - Sourcing: John Hopkins University

Tomorrow’s Outlook (22SEP21)

Global: UN General Assembly. (to 30SEP)
Global: UNCTAD Global Services Forum.
Global: World Climate Forum North America.
Event: CSIS discussion on ‘Russia’s Strategic Role in Afghanistan and Central Asia’.
Event: CSIS discussion on the partnership between the U.S. and Laos.
Event: GMF discussion on ‘Building a Stronger U.S.-Ukraine Strategic Partnership’.
Event: Wilson Center discussion on Canada’s General Election.
Asia: Asian Development Outlook update.
Bulgaria: Independence Day.
Mali: Independence Day.
Poland: Constitutional Court expected to rule on the question of the supremacy of national law over EU law.
South Africa: 20th anniversary of Durban Declaration against racism.
United Kingdom: Prime Minister Boris Johnson expected to address the United Nations General Assembly.
United States: DHS Secretary Mayorkas and FBI Director Wray testify to the House committee on ‘Worldwide Threats to the Homeland’.
United States: House Foreign Affairs subcommittee briefing on administration engagement in East Asia.

END