Key Storylines
- AFRICA: Ethiopia is holding elections for federal parliamentary seats, the final round of voting before Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed forms a new government next week.
- AMERICAS: French ambassador Philippe Etienne returned to Washington DC two weeks after being recalled by his government.
- ASIA: Defense officials from China and the U.S. held two days of talks in a small sign of progress amid a deterioration in relations.
- EUROPE: Russian and American diplomats are set to hold talks behind closed doors in Geneva.
- MIDDLE EAST: Israeli foreign minister Yair Lapid landed in Bahrain for the first high-level visit to the small Gulf state by a senior official since the signing of a landmark agreement to establish diplomatic ties between the two countries last year.
- TECH AND COMMUNICATIONS: Amazon reached a settlement with two former employees who alleged they were fired after they criticized warehouse working conditions.
Top Story
- France: Former French President Nicholas Sarkozy given a one-year sentence for illegal campaign financing.
- Former President Nicolas Sarkozy has been convicted and sentenced to a year of house arrest for illegal campaign financing of his unsuccessful 2012 reelection bid.
- Sarkozy will not serve time behind bars under the terms of this verdict, however, the court ruled that he would be able to serve the sentence outside of prison.
- Thierry Herzog, Sarkozy’s lawyer, said the ex-president will appeal the verdict for trying to bribe a judge and peddle influence in order to obtain confidential information on a judicial inquiry.
- Last March, Nicolas Sarkozy became the first former President of the French Republic to be sentenced to prison for corruption and influence peddling.
- The thirteen co-convicts of Nicolas Sarkozy, prosecuted for forgery, breach of trust, and fraud, were sentenced to two to three and a half years in prison, with suspended sentences.
- AP, France24, RFI, Le Parisien, Libération
Africa
- Region: Russia delayed the appointment of UN experts to monitor violations of sanctions across Africa, reportedly unhappy with the number of experts appointed from Western countries. (Reuters)
- Ethiopia: The country is holding elections for federal parliamentary seats, the final round of voting before Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed forms a new government next week. (AFP)
- Nigeria: Gunmen killed 13 people in central Niger state, the latest in a series of attacks in the country. (AFP)
- Sudan: The World Bank said the country is making progress as it seeks to tackle shortages and attract investment. (Reuters)
Americas
- Chile: Legislators approved a new law establishing rights to personal identity, free will, and mental privacy, becoming the first country to establish laws regulating neurotechnology. (AFP)
- Ecuador: The death toll in Tuesday’s prison gunfight in Guayaquil was revised to at least 116. (NYT)
- Panama: Energy Minister Jorge Rivera announced a plan to entirely phase out the use of coal and heavy fuels for power generation in the country by 2023. (Reuters)
- United States: French ambassador Philippe Etienne returned to Washington DC two weeks after being recalled by his government. (AFP)
Asia
- Region: Defense officials from China and the U.S. held two days of talks in a small sign of progress amid a deterioration in relations. (AP)
- Australia: Victoria reported over 1,400 new COVID-19 infections, nearly a 50% jump over the previous daily record. (ABC)
- China: President Xi Jinping paid respects at a commemoration for those who died in the struggle to establish Communist Party rule as he leads a drive to reinforce patriotism and single-party authority. (AP)
- North Korea: Kim Jong-un said that cross-border communication lines with South Korea will be restored starting from early October. (Yonhap)
- Vietnam: Ho Chi Minh City will lift its lockdown on Friday, ending nearly three months of restrictions. (AP)
Europe
- Region: Russian and American diplomats are set to hold talks behind closed doors in Geneva. (AFP)
- France: The country began requiring teenagers 12 and older to present a Covid-19 “health pass” to enter public sites such as restaurants, sport clubs or cinemas. (AFP)
- Greece: Prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said he has no intention of entering an arms race with Turkey and hopes to resolve differences with its neighbor through dialogue. (AP)
- Italy: Prime Minister Mario Draghi promised activists he would speak up at the G20 summit in Rome to accelerate the pledge of $100 billion per year for vulnerable nations to mitigate the impact of climate change. (Reuters)
- Slovenia: The head of Slovenia’s STA news agency Bojan Veselinovic resigned, accusing the government of attempting “to subordinate the agency” by withholding funding. (AFP)
Middle East
- Region: Israeli foreign minister Yair Lapid landed in Bahrain for the first high-level visit to the small Gulf state by a senior official since the signing of a landmark agreement to establish diplomatic ties between the two countries last year. (AP)
- Israel: Police said officers shot a Palestinian woman who allegedly attempted to stab them in east Jerusalem’s Old City. (AP)
- Qatar: Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani urged “friendly” states not to isolate Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover of the country. (Reuters)
- Syria: The US Department of State indicated it had no plans to “normalize or upgrade” diplomatic relations with the government of Bashar al-Assad. (Reuters)
Tech & Communications
- Technology: Amazon reached a settlement with two former employees who alleged they were fired after they criticized warehouse working conditions. (Reuters)
World
- Cyclones: Nothing to report
- Hurricanes:
- Hurricane Sam
- Location: 21.5N 59.1W
- Movement: NW
- Wind: 145 mph
- Map
- Tropical Storm Victor
- Location: 8.7N 27.3W
- Movement: NW
- Wind: 45 mph
- Map
- Typhoon Mindulle
- Location: 28.0N 137.3E
- Movement: NNE
- Wind: 105 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 30SEP21)
- Confirmed cases: 233,312,543
- Deaths: 4,775,456
- Countries with confirmed cases: 192
- Sourcing: John Hopkins University
- COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease: Global (as of 30SEP21)
- La Palma, Spain
Tomorrow’s Outlook (01OCT21)
- Global: UN Pre-COP26 Milan preparatory meeting (to 02OCT)
- Global: WTO annual public forum
- Event: CSIS discussion on the inaugural US-EU Trade and Technology Council meeting.
- Event: CSIS discussion with Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks.
- Cameroon: Unification Day.
- China: National Day.
- Cyprus: Independence Day.
- Greece: Athens Democracy Forum.
- Italy: World Food Forum in Rome (to 05OCT)
- Nigeria: Independence Day.
- Palau: Independence Day.
- San Marino: Investiture of Captains Regent.
- South Korea: Armed Forces Day.
- Tuvalu: Independence Day.
- United Arab Emirates: Start of Expo 2020 Dubai, postponed one year.
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