• Overnight News Summaries ,
• Tags: Africa, Asia, Canada, China, Communications, Cuba, earthquake, Ebola, Election, elections, EU, Europe, G20, Germany, Iran, Japan, Lebanon, Mali, Media, Mexico, Middle East, Muslims, News, Nigeria, North America, North Korea, Russia, Somalia, Spain, Syria, Tehran, Turkey, UN, virus
• 03 Dec

KEY STORYLINES

• AFRICA: The U.S. military said it killed nine militants in an air strike targeting al-Shabaab in Somalia as part of its operations to support the government’s efforts to weaken the militant group.
• AMERICAS: U.S. President Donald Trump says he will give formal notice in the near future to terminate the North American Free Trade Agreement, giving six months for lawmakers to approve a new trade deal signed on Friday.
• ASIA: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told British Prime Minister Theresa May that he welcomes Britain’s expression of interest in joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
• EUROPE: The leaders of France, Turkey, and Germany, met Russian President Vladimir Putin and heard his arguments on the incident in the Kerch Strait involving Ukrainian ships.
• MIDDLE EAST: The state news agency IRNA said that the country’s missile program is defensive and not in breach of U.N. resolutions, following a U.S. allegation that Tehran had carried out a new missile test.
• TECHNOLOGY: Iranian journalist and activist Hengameh Shahidi has been sentenced to more than twelve years in prison on vague charges of “insulting judiciary.” Shaidi has been a fierce critic of the judiciary for locking up journalists and activists.

TOP STORY

• Argentina: G20 summit ends with U.S.-China promise to pause trade dispute.

• • As expected, US President Donald Trump held a dinner meeting with Chinese Premier Xi Jinping as the G20 summit in Buenos Aires came to a close.
  • The centerpiece of the agreement is an American pledge to postpone an increase of tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods that had been set to increase to 25% on January 1.
  • In return, Chinese leaders pledged to purchase a substantial amount of agricultural products, beginning immediately.
  • The two sides agreed to a new round of talks at a technical level to address unresolved differences in technology transfer, intellectual property, and non-tariff barriers to trade.
  • President Trump hailed the accord as an “incredible deal” but optimism may be short-lived. If longer-term agreements are not in place after ninety days of further talks, tariffs will rise as planned to 25%, which will likely trigger another spiral of destabilizing recriminations.
  • Reporting: AFP, AP, Kyodo, Reuters, WaPo, Xinhua

AFRICA

• Burkina Faso: Five people, including four police officers, have been killed by an explosive device in Boungou, an area that has seen a series of attacks attributed to jihadist militants. (BBC)
• Nigeria: Islamist group Boko Haram said Saturday it was behind an attack that killed eight soldiers and injured seventeen more near Gamboru. (AFP)
• Somalia: The U.S. military said it killed nine militants in an air strike targeting al-Shabaab in Lebede as part of its operations to support the government’s efforts to weaken the militant group. (Reuters)

AMERICAS

• Regional: U.S. President Donald Trump says he will give formal notice in the near future to terminate the North American Free Trade Agreement, giving six months for lawmakers to approve a new trade deal signed on Friday. (Telegraph)
• Cuba: Canada said it will send a delegation to Havana next week to reevaluate its presence there after another diplomat was diagnosed with a mysterious brain injury that has affected several dozen North American envoys to the island. (AFP)
• Mexico: The U.S. consulate in Guadalajara was attacked with explosives hours before a visit to the country by Vice President Mike Pence and first daughter Ivanka Trump. (AFP)

ASIA

• Regional: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told British Prime Minister Theresa May that he welcomes Britain’s expression of interest in joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership. (Kyodo)
• Afghanistan: A total of eighteen people including eleven militants have been killed as clashes erupted between security forces and the Taliban in northern Faryab province. (Xinhua)
• Indonesia: Tens of thousands of conservative Muslims held a rally in Jakarta led by hardline groups who had agitated to remove the city’s Christian governor, underscoring the growing influence of Islamist groups ahead of elections in 2019. (Reuters)
• North Korea: U.S. President Donald Trump said he hoped to organize a second summit with Kim Jong Un in early 2019, perhaps as soon as January or February. (AFP)

EUROPE

• Regional: The leaders of France, Turkey, and Germany, met Russian President Vladimir Putin and heard his arguments on the incident in the Kerch Strait involving Ukrainian ships. (Interfax)
• Spain: The Andalusia region goes to the polls in a first electoral test for Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, whose minority government has struggled to pass a budget since taking office. (Reuters)
• United Kingdom: A Russian journalist was monitored for “suspicious behavior” close to a military base in Hermitage, the Ministry of Defence has said. (Guardian)

MIDDLE EAST

• Iran: The state news agency IRNA said that the country’s missile program is defensive and not in breach of U.N. resolutions, following a U.S. allegation that Tehran had carried out a new missile test. (Reuters)
• Israel: Police said their investigation has found sufficient evidence for bribery and fraud charges to be brought against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife in a third corruption case against the leader. (Reuters)
• Lebanon: A stand-off between Prime Minister Saad Hariri and a pro-Syrian politician escalated when shots were fired while police sought to bring the politician in for questioning. (Reuters)

TECHNOLOGY AND COMMUNICATIONS

• Communications: Iranian journalist and activist Hengameh Shahidi has been sentenced to more than twelve years in prison on vague charges of “insulting judiciary.” Shaidi has been a fierce critic of the judiciary for locking up journalists and activists. (AFP)

WORLD

• Cyclones: Nothing to report.
• Hurricanes: Nothing to report.
• Earthquakes: 293 km WNW of Saumlaki, Indonesia

• • Magnitude: 6.3
  • Depth: 140.6 km
  • Map

• Volcanoes: Nothing to report.
• Global Disease Outbreaks:

• • Ebola Virus Disease:
    • Ebola Virus Disease:
    • Confirmed Cases as of 30NOV18: 360 (DR Congo)
    • Suspected Cases as of 30NOV18: 48 (DR Congo)
    • Deaths as of 30NOV18: 252 (DR Congo)
    • Sourcing: WHO

TOMORROW’S OUTLOOK (02 DEC)

• Global: International Day of Persons with Disabilities – 1992
• Austria: 175th ordinary OPEC meeting to be held in Vienna
• Russia: Day of the Unknown Soldier – 2014  
• Russia: Russia to launch its first manned rocket to the International Space Station  

END