ONS: 18 October 2012

by TRG Alerts Admin on October 18, 2012

KEY STORYLINES

AFRICA: In Libya at least eleven were killed and an unknown number wounded in clashes near Bani Walid.
AMERICAS: A Bangladeshi man with alleged al-Qaeda links was arrested in New York on charges of plotting to destroy the city’s Federal Reserve building.
ASIA: NATO said its drawdown plans for Afghanistan remain unchanged and that the coalition will stay on in the country until 2014.
EUROPE: German Chancellor Merkel said the EU’s top financial official should have the power to veto the national budgets of member states.
MIDDLE EAST: US Deputy National Security Adviser McDonough is visiting Iraq and Afghanistan to discuss security.
TECHNOLOGY: A series of applications called ‘Silent Circle’ that can be used on mobile devices to encrypt communications became publicly available.

TOP STORY

Iran and Turkey declared support on for UN-AL envoy Brahimi’s cease-fire proposal.
Government warplanes launched a new wave of strikes on the town of Maaret al-Numan, seized by rebels last week.
The Syrian Foreign Ministry said Brahimi is set to arrive in Damascus on 20OCT.
Turkey’s armed forces fired back into Syria after a mortar shell landed inside Turkey’s Hatay border province.
The US said it is still assessing ways to stop the fighting in Syria, including a no-fly zone.
Coverage: AFP, AFP-2, AFP-3, Reuters, NYT

AFRICA

Ivory Coast: High level military chiefs held an emergency meeting to discuss ways to provide “maximum security” for the country’s strategic sites. (Xinhua)
Libya: At least eleven were killed and an unknown number wounded in clashes near Bani Walid. (AFP)
Libya: The US renewed its call for Libya to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of Qaddafi. (AFP)
Malawi: FM Chiume said the country is preparing to re-open talks over a long-standing border dispute with Tanzania. (AFP)
Sudan: UNSG Ban Ki-Moon strongly condemned the latest attack on peacekeepers in Darfur. (Xinhua)

AMERICAS

Argentina: The Senate approved a bill to lower the voting age to 16 from 18 ahead of a crucial midterm election. (Reuters)
Colombia: The government and representatives of the FARC are set to continue formal peace talks. (NYT)
Cuba: The first public statement from Fidel Castro in approximately four months appeared in the state media. (AFP)
Paraguay: The top Paraguayan envoy in Venezuela said that President Chavez’s government ordered Paraguay’s remaining diplomats to leave. (AP)
United States: A Bangladeshi man with alleged al-Qaeda links was arrested in New York on charges of plotting to destroy the city’s Federal Reserve building. (WaPo)

ASIA

Region: The US Treasury froze the assets of three Pakistani-based individuals suspected of backing the Taliban and other militant organizations. (Reuters)
Afghanistan: NATO said its drawdown plans for Afghanistan remain unchanged and that the coalition will stay on in the country until 2014. (AP)
India: A landmine attack by Maoist rebels in eastern India killed four policemen. (AFP)
Korea, South: The ROK called for a “calm response” from China after a Chinese fisherman was killed by a rubber bullet during a ROK coastguard operation. (AFP)
Pakistan: At least eight militants were killed and seven others injured in Pakistani military air strikes in Khyber Agency. (Xinhua)

EUROPE

Region: German Chancellor Merkel said the EU’s top financial official should have the power to veto the national budgets of member states. (AFP)
Region: European leaders are set to discuss plans for a banking union at the 22nd summit since the 2009 crisis in Greece. (Reuters)
Ukraine: Websites of several Ukrainian opposition parties were knocked offline in what the groups described as government cyberattacks. (AFP)
United Kingdom: The foreign ministry warned that British security could come under threat if Scotland votes for independence in its 2014 referendum. (AFP)

MIDDLE EAST

Region: US Deputy National Security Adviser McDonough is visiting Iraq and Afghanistan to discuss security. (UPI)
Iran: The acting commander of the Revolutionary Guard warned that Israel will “definitely” face fierce retaliation if it attacks Iranian nuclear sites. (AP)
Yemen: A series of explosions hit the headquarters of the First Armored Division in Sanaa. (Xinhua)
Yemen: A drone strike near Jaar killed at least seven al-Qaeda suspects. (AFP)

TECHNOLOGY AND COMMUNICATIONS

Cybersecurity: A series of applications called ‘Silent Circle’ that can be used on mobile devices to encrypt communications became publicly available. (Slate)

WORLD

TOMORROW’S OUTLOOK (19OCT)

END