Key Storylines
- AFRICA: A long-awaited piece of oil legislation in Nigeria is set to privatize state-run oil firm Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, amend changes to deepwater royalties and replace key regulatory agencies with brand new regulatory agencies.
- AMERICAS: US District Judge Carl Nichols issued a temporary injunction against President Donald Trump’s ban on new downloads of the social media app TikTok.
- ASIA: The number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus in India reached 6 million, with the country currently reporting a higher rate of new coronavirus infections than anywhere else in the world.
- EUROPE: Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny said German Chancellor Angela Merkel visited him at the hospital in Berlin where he was receiving treatment for his Novichok poisoning.
- MIDDLE EAST: Saudi Arabia confirmed it will hold November’s G20 Summit online and not in its capital city Riyadh due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
- TECH & COMMUNICATIONS: UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is reportedly seeking to appoint two BBC critics to key state-media roles, including Charles Moore, the former editor of the Daily Telegraph, to become the new BBC chief.
Top Story
- Europe: Armenia and Azerbaijan clash over disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.
- Clashes between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces entered a second day as the countries attack each other over the separatist Nagorno-Karabakh region.
- At least 21 people died in the fighting and hundreds left injured, with both former-Soviet republic states accusing each other of using heavy artillery.
- Azerbaijan’s military is partially mobilized, while the separatist Nagorno-Karabakh region said it managed to regain some territory it had lost control over in the initial round of fighting.
- The disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region is internationally recognized as being part of Azerbaijan but is controlled by ethnic Armenians who broke away from Azerbaijan in the early 1990s.
- Armenia and Azerbaijan are located in the South Caucasus region, which is a corridor for oil and gas pipelines supplying world markets, leading to concerns over the stability of the region.
- Reporting: Reuters, BBC, RFE-RL, CNN, Guardian, Deutsche Welle, DPA, AP
Africa
- Mali: ECOWAS is likely to lift its sanctions on the country following the announcement of former Foreign Minister Moctar Ouane as the country’s interim Prime Minister. (Reuters)
- Nigeria: A long-awaited piece of oil legislation is set to privatize state-run oil firm Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, amend changes to deepwater royalties and replace key regulatory agencies with brand new regulatory agencies. (Reuters)
- South Africa: President Cyril Ramaphosa docked three months of Defense Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula’s pay for allowing party officials to accompany her on an Air Force plane traveling to Zimbabwe. (BBC)
Americas
- Region: Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou’s extradition trial is set to resume in Canada, with Meng claiming the effort to extradite her to the US should be thrown out. (Guardian)
- Chile: President Sebastian Pinera announced a new $2 million subsidy program to create new jobs or recover jobs lost during the country’s coronavirus lockdown. (Reuters)
- Mexico: Assistant Health Secretary Hugo López-Gatell said the government would only be able to release definitive data on the country’s death toll due to the coronavirus after “a couple of years.” (AP)
- United States: District Judge Carl Nichols issued a temporary injunction against President Donald Trump’s ban on new downloads of the social media app TikTok. (AFP)
Asia
- Region: South Korea expanded its search for the missing South Korean fisheries official who was executed by North Korean troops last week, as Seoul also called upon Pyongyang to agree to a joint investigation into the incident. (Reuters)
- Region: Afghan High Council for National Reconciliation Chief Abdullah Abdullah landed in Pakistan for a three day-visit during which he will meet with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and other government officials. (AP)
- India: The number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the country reached 6 million, with the country currently reporting a higher rate of new coronavirus infections than anywhere else in the world. (AP)
- Taiwan: Taipei said the European Union assisted the country in getting a global alliance of mayors to stop referring to its cities as part of China. (Reuters)
Europe
- Region: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo kicked-off his tour of Europe with a joint-statement with Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias calling for a peaceful resolution of maritime disputes in the east Mediterranean. (Reuters)
- Region: Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny said German Chancellor Angela Merkel visited him at the hospital in Berlin where he was receiving treatment for his Novichok poisoning. (AFP)
- Poland: Foreign diplomats from across the world called upon the government to respect the rights of gay and transgender people. (BBC)
- Switzerland: The public overwhelmingly voted against a proposed limit to the free movement of people and immigration from the European Union. (Deutsche Welle)
Middle East
- Iraq: The US told the government it is planning to fully withdraw from its embassy in capital city Baghdad if the government is unable to rein in attacks on US-linked personnel in the country. (WaPo)
- Lebanon: The International Rescue Committee said at least one in four children in capital city Beirut face missing out on their education due to the recent port explosion in the city damaging 163 schools. (DPA)
- Saudi Arabia: The country confirmed it will hold November’s G20 Summit online and not in its capital city Riyadh due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. (DPA)
- Yemen: UN Special Envoy for the country Martin Griffiths said he wants to build on the recent prisoner exchange agreement and pave the way for a ceasefire and political resolution of the country’s conflict. (Reuters)
Tech & Communications
- Media: UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is reportedly seeking to appoint two BBC critics to key state-media roles, including Charles Moore, the former editor of the Daily Telegraph, to become the new BBC chief. (Reuters)
World
- Cyclones: Nothing to report.
- Hurricanes: Nothing to report.
- Earthquakes: Nothing to report.
- Volcanoes: Nothing to report.
- Global Disease Outbreaks:
- COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease: Global
- Confirmed Cases as of 28SEP20: 33,125,652
- Total Recovered Cases as of 28SEP20: 22,935,226
- Deaths as of 28SEP20: 998,074
- Countries with Confirmed Cases: 188
- Sourcing: John Hopkins University
- Ebola Virus Disease: DR Congo (11th Ebola outbreak figures from Equateur Province)
- Confirmed Cases as of 19SEP20: 118
- Probable Cases as of 19SEP20: 6
- Deaths as of 19SEP20: 48
- Sourcing: WHO
- COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease: Global
Tomorrow’s Outlook (29SEP20)
- Global: The UN General Assembly’s high-level debate will be held.
- Global: The UN’s International Day of Awareness on Food Loss and Waste Reduction – 2020
- Europe: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will visit Greece, Italy, the Holy See, and Croatia. (to 02OCT)
- Europe: An Italian court will hear the appeal of former Ukrainian national guard commander Vitaliy Markiv, who has been sentenced to a 24-year-stint in prison in Italy over murder charges, but who Ukraine says is innocent.
- Middle East: The UN Security Council will hold meetings on the region.
- Algeria: Activist Fodil Boumale’s appeal trial will be held.
- Germany: Dutch King Willem-Alexander will visit and meet with President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
- Germany: State leaders will meet with Chancellor Angela Merkel to discuss the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
- Guinea: The opposition is expected to hold protests against President Alpha Conde’s controversial bid for a third term in office, ahead of October’s presidential election.
- Indonesia: South Korean Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Gunn will visit to discuss bilateral ties and regional cooperation.
- Latvia: French President Emmanuel Macron will visit. (to 30SEP)
- Lithuania: French President Emmanuel Macron will visit.
- Pakistan: Afghanistan’s reconciliation chief Abdullah Abdullah will visit and meet with Prime Minister Imran Khan. (to 30SEP)
- Tajikistan: Uzbek Prime Minister Abdulla Aripoc will visit.
- United Kingdom: The government and the European Union will hold Brexit negotiations. (to 02OCT)
- United States: The first presidential candidate debate will be held in Cleveland, Ohio.
- United States: The Senate will deliberate over the House-approved Continuing Resolution funding the federal government, a day ahead of its expiry.
- United States: The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will be launched from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
- Vietnam: British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab to visit and discuss a potential trade deal. (to 30SEP)
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