ONS – 06 September 2019

By TRG Alerts Admin

KEY STORYLINES

AFRICA: Zimbabwe’s former longtime leader Robert Mugabe, who ruled the country for 37 years, has died in Singapore.
AMERICAS: Hurricane Dorian is now lashing the coast of the United States, with the storm’s center closing in on the Carolinas.
ASIA: The Taliban attacked the capital of Afghanistan’s Farah province, marking their third attack on a provincial capital in a week, while a United States envoy was headed back to Qatar for unexpected talks on a US-Taliban deal.
EUROPE: Russian President Vladimir Putin said a prisoner swap deal was close to being settled with Ukraine, as a Kyiv court released Volodymyr Tsemakh, who is seen as a person of interest to Dutch investigators in the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17.
MIDDLE EAST: Protesters in Lebanon’s capital city of Beirut unfurled an anti-Turkey banner over Turkey’s embassy in the country, which led to the country’s ambassador to Turkey being summoned by the latter country’s foreign ministry.
TECHNOLOGY & COMMUNICATIONS: Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is suing the chief editor of the independent website The Online Citizen, after the website refused to take down what the Prime Minister alleges was a defamatory article.

TOP STORY

Iran: Reduction of nuclear commitments to continue as nuclear deal collapses.
- Iran has lifted all limitations on nuclear research and development, in a breach of what was agreed under the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
- The decision renders Europe’s efforts to persuade Iran to not undertake any action that would breach its commitments to the 2015 nuclear deal moot, including France’s offer a $15-billion credit line until the end of the year.
- Iran says that the decision to lift R&D limitations is due to US sanctions against the country.
- Earlier this week, the country had started developing centrifuges to speed up the enrichment of uranium and Iran’s atomic energy organisation is set to announce even more measures that reduce the country’s nuclear commitments on Saturday.
- Reporting: AFP, RFE-RL, Reuters, AP

AFRICA

Region: Madagascar followed Zambia as the latest country to cancel an international soccer friendly match against South Africa, citing the riots and xenophobic attacks in the country as the reason. (Reuters)
Sudan: Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok announced his new 18-member cabinet, as the country forms its first government since the overthrow of longtime ruler Omar Hassan al-Bashir. (Reuters)
Zimbabwe: The country’s former longtime leader Robert Mugabe, who ruled for 37 years, has died in Singapore. (AP)

AMERICAS

Brazil: President Jair Bolsonaro Augusto Aras, to be the country’s next Prosecutor General, adding he chose Aras since he shares his view that environmental concerns should not get in the way of agricultural development. (Reuters)
Canada: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau criticized China over its policy of using “arbitrary detentions” as a tool in pursuit of political goals, in a continuation of the diplomatic and trade row between the two countries. (Guardian)
United States: Hurricane Dorian is now lashing the country’s coast, with the storm’s center closing in on the Carolinas. (NYT)

ASIA

Afghanistan: The Taliban attacked the capital of Farah province, marking their third attack on a provincial capital in a week, while a United States envoy was headed back to Qatar for unexpected talks on a US-Taliban deal. (AP)
China: The country is hosting German chancellor Angela Merkel, who stressed early into her visit that the rights of Hong Kong’s citizens should be “must be respected”. (CNN)
Solomon Islands: The country’s foreign affairs department said that the government has not decided as of now to recognize China over Taiwan. (AFP)

EUROPE

Region: Currently on a visit to London, US Defense Secretary Mark Esper gave his first major speech, in which he called on Europe to increase the focus on tackling the growing security and economic threats from China and Russia. (Reuters)
Region: Russian President Vladimir Putin said a prisoner swap deal was close to being settled with Ukraine, as a Kyiv court released Volodymyr Tsemakh, who is seen as a person of interest to Dutch investigators in the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17. (RFE-RL)
United Kingdom: The High Court rejected a legal challenge against Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s decision to limit the number of days Parliament gets to function prior to the October 31 no-deal Brexit deadline. (BBC)

MIDDLE EAST

Region: A proposed UN Security Council statement written by France on the recent exchange of cross-border fire between the militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon and Israeli forces, was reportedly blocked by the United States. (AP)
Region: Saudi Arabia reiterated its support for Yemen’s government and called on Yemen’s southern separatists to hand over military bases and government buildings in Aden. (Reuters)
Lebanon: Protesters in the capital city of Beirut unfurled an anti-Turkey banner over Turkey’s embassy in the country, which led to the country’s ambassador to Turkey being summoned by the latter country’s foreign ministry. (AFP)

TECHNOLOGY AND COMMUNICATIONS

Media: Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is suing the chief editor of the independent website The Online Citizen, after the website refused to take down what the Prime Minister alleges was a defamatory article. (EFE)

WORLD

Cyclones:
- Typhoon Lingling
  - Location: 384 nautical miles South of Kunsan Airbase, South Korea
  - Wind: 125mph
  - Movement: North at 15mph
  - Map
Hurricanes:
- Hurricane Dorian
  - Location: 25 miles E of Cape Lookout, North Carolina
  - Wind: 90mph
  - Movement: NE at 12mph
  - Map
Earthquakes: Nothing to report.
Volcanoes: Nothing to report.
Global Disease Outbreaks:

- Ebola Virus Disease:
  - Ebola Virus Disease:
  - Confirmed Cases as of 02SEP19: 2934 (DR Congo)
  - Suspected Cases as of 02SEP19: 109 (DR Congo)
  - Deaths as of 02SEP19: 2045 (DR Congo)

TOMORROW’S OUTLOOK (07 SEP)

END