- Overnight News Summaries ,
- Tags: Africa, earthquake, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Kenya, Libya, Mexico, Middle East, Yemen
- 04 Jan
KEY STORYLINES
- AFRICA: Libyan government appointed new head of military
- AMERICAS: Jamaican opposition won parliamentary elections
- ASIA: Afghan Taliban agreed to open office in Qatar
- EUROPE: US added sanctions on Belarus
- MIDDLE EAST: US rejected Iranian threats in Gulf of Hormuz
- TECHNOLOGY: Hackers create satellite-based internet
TOP STORY
- Syria: Arab League observer mission under intense criticism
- The leader of an armed rebel group stated he would escalate attacks on Assad loyalist forces if the Arab League monitors did not improve their performance.
- The Syrian opposition is divided over how to deal with the continuation of the crackdown, despite the presence of observers.
- Coverage: Reuters, Al Jazeera, Bloomberg, AFP
AFRICA
- Region: The Kenyan military reported killing three Al Shabab militants during clashes in Somalia. (AP)
- Egypt: A final day of voting in parliamentary elections took place. (Al Jazeera)
- Libya: The government named retired general Yousouf al-Manqoush as head of the armed forces. (Reuters)
- Nigeria: Gunmen attacked a police station in northern Nigeria, killing at least one. (AFP)
- Rwanda: Two people were killed and 18 wounded in a grenade attack on a Kigali market. (Reuters)
AMERICAS
- Guatemala: Authorities reported deaths from violent crime declined in 2011, despite an apparent increase in drug cartel activity. (AFP)
- Jamaica: Opposition People’s National Party defeated the incumbent Labor Party in parliamentary elections by a wide margin. (AP)
- Mexico: The army captured seven members of the Los Zetas cartel in Matamoros. (EFE)
ASIA
- Afghanistan: The Taliban confirmed it agreed to open a political office in Qatar to facilitate negotiations. (NYT)
- Indonesia: The government announced plans to construct 24 guided-missile boats over the next 12 years. (Xinhua)
- Korean Peninsula: A South Korean think-tank reported in its estimate, North Korean military strategy was superior to the South’s. (Reuters)
- Pakistan: Security forces killed 16 militants in two clashes. The first took place in Kurram agency while the second occurred in Balochistan, northeast of Quetta. (Xinhua)
EUROPE
- Belarus: US President Obama signed into law additional sanctions on Belarus. (RIA Novosti)
- Germany: A political scandal surrounding President Wulff intensified due to new allegations of media suppression. (WSJ)
- Turkey: Authorities seized 179 kg of heroin in Edirne province in the northwest of the country. (Xinhua)
MIDDLE EAST
- Iran: The US rejected Iran’s warning over the redeployment of an aircraft carrier to the Gulf of Hormuz. (Al Jazeera)
- Iraq: A series of bombings on the homes of police officers in Baghdad killed at least two and wounded at least nine. (AP)
- Yemen: At least nine al-Qaeda militants and two Yemeni soldiers died in clashes in Zinjibar. (AP)
TECHNOLOGY AND COMMUNICATIONS
- Internet Censorship: Hackers are looking to circumvent Internet censorship laws like the proposed Stop Online Piracy Act in the U.S. by building their own, satellite-based Internet. (ReadWriteWeb)
WORLD
- Cyclones: Tropical Storm Benilde
- Location: 870 NM S of Diego Garcia
- Movement: ESE at 11 mph
- Winds: 40 mph
- Map
- Hurricanes: Nothing to report
- Earthquakes: Nothing to report
- Volcanoes: Nothing to report
TOMORROW’S OUTLOOK (05JAN)
END