27SEP21 Global Overnight Overwatch Report

Key Storylines

AFRICA: Prime Minister Choguel Maiga said Mali could push back presidential and legislative elections from late February to avoid their validity being contested.
AMERICAS: Canadian foreign minister Marc Garneu said Ottawa’s “eyes are wide open” when it comes to normalizing relations with Beijing.
ASIA: Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has signaled he may not attend the UN’s climate conference in November as his government faces continued criticism of its poor climate record.
EUROPE: A strong earthquake struck the Greek island of Crete that killed one person and injured several more.
MIDDLE EAST: President Joe Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan is traveling to Saudi Arabia to meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as the U.S. tries to press Riyadh to move toward a ceasefire in Yemen.
TECH AND COMMUNICATIONS: The U.S Department of Justice agreed to allow Huawei Technologies Co. finance chief Meng Wanzhou to return to her home in China three years after she was detained in Canada.

Top Story

Germany: The country’s Social Democrats claimed a narrow election victory over Merkel’s party.
- Preliminary results showed that the centre-left Social Democrats won the general election with 25.7 percent of the vote, beating Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives, who came in at 24.1 percent.
- Social Democrat Franziska Giffey is set to become Berlin’s first female mayor winning 4 percent of the vote, beating rival candidates from the Green party on 18.9 percent and the conservative CDU on 18.1 percent.
- SPD leader Olaf Scholz said he had a clear mandate to form a government, while his conservative rival Armin Laschet remained determined to fight on.
- The election marks the first time in more than a decade and a half that the Social Democrats have outpolled their conservative rivals as their longtime leader, Chancellor Angela Merkel, steps down.
- The Social Democrats said they would start the process of trying to forge a three-way alliance and lead a government for the first time since 2005 after they narrowly won the national election.
- AFP, Straits Times, BBC, WaPo, Reuters

Africa

Ethiopia: The country’s embassy in Cairo will suspend its work in Egypt starting in October for three to six months due to economic reasons. (Xinhua)
Mali: Prime Minister Choguel Maiga said the country could push back presidential and legislative elections from late February to avoid their validity being contested. (Reuters)
Nigeria: Ten more students who were kidnapped by shooters from a school in Nigeria two months ago have been released after ransom was paid. (Reuters)
Sudan: Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok said that the current dispute in the country is not between the military and civilians, but it is between those who support democratic civil transformation and those who block it. (Xinhua)

Americas

Canada: Foreign minister Marc Garneu said Ottawa’s “eyes are wide open” when it comes to normalizing relations with Beijing. (Reuters)
Mexico: The government will resume flights to Port-au-Prince next week for Haitian migrants who want to return home. (Reuters)
Mexico: Prosecutors have asked a federal judge to jail 31 scientists on charges of organized crime and money laundering. (WSJ)
United States: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is confident a massive infrastructure bill will pass this week but acknowledged it might not get a Monday vote as planned. (AFP)

Asia

Australia: Prime Minister Scott Morrison has signaled he may not attend the UN’s climate conference in November as his government faces continued criticism of its poor climate record. (BBC)
India: Farmers blocked traffic on major roads and railway tracks outside New Delhi, marking one year of demonstrations against government-backed laws that they say will shatter their livelihoods. (AP)
Japan: The country plans to lift its COVID-19 state of emergency in all 19 prefectures by the end of the month. (Reuters)
Malaysia: Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob proposed a new five-year economic plan, boosting infrastructure spending and committing to a carbon tax under climate change goals as the country looks to chart its way out of a pandemic-induced slump. (Reuters)
Thailand: The country will waive its mandatory quarantine requirement in Bangkok and nine regions from Nov. 1 to vaccinated arrivals. (Reuters)

Europe

France: Police are investigating a photographer for violation of privacy over a picture showing President Emmanuel Macron in swimming trunks on holiday. (AFP)
Greece: A strong earthquake struck the island of Crete that killed one person and injured several more. (AP)
Hungary: The country’s foreign minister and the head of Russian gas giant Gazprom are expected to sign a new long-term gas supply deal in Budapest. (Reuters)
Portugal: The ruling Socialists suffered a surprise setback in Sunday’s municipal elections, losing control of Lisbon after 14 years. (Reuters)
United Kingdom: The Royal Navy said a warship was sailing through the Taiwan Strait, a move that marks a rare voyage by a non-US military vessel. (AFP)

Middle East

Afghanistan: Former President Ashraf Ghani said his Facebook account was hacked after it posted a message telling people to support the Taliban. (Al Ara biya)
Iran: The IAEA said its inspectors were denied access to a nuclear site in Karaj, but Tehran says it is not part of the agreement. (Reuters)
Israel: Prime Minister Naftali Bennett met senior ministers from the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain in New York ahead of an address to the United Nations in which he is expected to urge action against Iran’s nuclear program. (Reuters)
Saudi Arabia: President Joe Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan is traveling to the kingdom to meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as the U.S. tries to press Riyadh to move toward a ceasefire in Yemen. (WaPo)

Tech & Communications

Technology: The U.S Department of Justice agreed to allow Huawei Technologies Co. finance chief Meng Wanzhou to return to her home in China three years after she was detained in Canada. (WSJ)

World

Tomorrow’s Outlook (28SEP21)

Global: UN General Debate. (to 30SEP)
Global: WTO annual public forum. (to 01OCT)
Global: World Rabies Day.
Global: OPEC World Oil Outlook launch.
Canada: Newfoundland and Labrador municipal elections.
Czech Republic: Wenceslas Day.
Europe: Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) Forum. (to 30SEP)
Japan: Japanese government will decide whether to extend the state of emergency beyond Sept. 30 as national cases have dropped precipitously.
Lebanon: Lebanese court session focused on corruption related to central bank Gov. Riad Salameh.
Palestinian Territories: UNCTAD Assistance to the Palestinian People Annual Report released.
United States: Defense Secretary Austin testifies to Senate Armed Services Committee on Afghanistan withdrawal.
United States: House Foreign Affairs subcommittee hearing on Africa.
United States: House Foreign Affairs subcommittee hearing on strengthening U.S. ties with Southeast Asia.

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