- Overnight News Summaries ,
- Tags: Africa, Cairo, China, earthquake, Egypt, Iran, Japan, Libya, Mexico, Middle East, Muslim Brotherhood, North America, political parties, Protest, protests, Russia, South China Sea, Tunisia, United States
- 07 Dec
KEY STORYLINES
- AFRICA: In Ghana, polls opened in the presidential and parliamentary elections.
- AMERICAS: The Mexican senate voted to scrap the public security ministry and transfer its federal police to the interior ministry.
- ASIA: The US shifted warships into position to track and possibly defend against a planned DPRK rocket launch.
- EUROPE: NATO moved forward with its plan to place Patriot missiles and troops along the Syrian border to protect Turkey from potential attacks.
- MIDDLE EAST: The Syrian Army fired rockets into two Damascus suburbs and reinforced its positions around them.
- TECHNOLOGY: A new version of the Zeus trojan has been used in attacks on over 30,000 electronic banking customers in Europe, infecting both their personal computers and smartphones.
TOP STORY
- Egypt: More protests expected in response to power grab
- Backers and opponents of President Morsi planned to stage rival mass protests.
- UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Pillay expressed alarm about the casualties resulting from protests over President Morsi’s draft constitution.
- The opposition coalition rejected a dialogue proposed by President Morsi to defuse protests.
- President Morsi vowed to push on with a 15DEC referendum on the controversial new constitution, saying “afterwards, there should be no obstacle and everyone must follow its will.”
- Protesters set fire to the Muslim Brotherhood’s main headquarters in Cairo.
- Coverage: AFP, AFP-2, AP, AP-2, BBC, Reuters
AFRICA
- DR Congo: M23 rebels said peace talks with the government are likely to be delayed due to “logistical” reasons. (AFP)
- Ghana: Polls opened in the presidential and parliamentary elections. (AFP)
- Ivory Coast: A UN expert panel warned cross-border raids into western Ivory Coast have become more violent and better organized and “could have profound effects” on security in the border region near Liberia if they continue. (AP)
- Libya: New evidence is emerging that Qatar supplied weapons to the country’s Islamic militants during the uprising. (NYT)
- Tunisia: US Secretary Clinton is to travel to Tunisia the week of 10DEC to co-host a sub-ministerial meeting. (Xinhua)
- Zimbabwe: President Mugabe is expected to rally the ZANU-PF party conference. (AFP)
AMERICAS
- Argentina: The government condemned what it called “coordinated” charges of protectionism lodged against it by the US and EU at the WTO. (AFP)
- Mexico: The senate voted to scrap the public security ministry and transfer its federal police to the interior ministry. (AFP)
- United States: The US said it has conducted a “subcritical” nuclear test at an underground site. (AFP)
- United States: President Obama tapped GEN Austin to become the next top US commander for the Middle East. (AP)
ASIA
- Region: The Japanese Coastguard said four Chinese government ships sailed into the territorial waters of the disputed islands. (AFP)
- Afghanistan: The wounded intelligence chief was moved to a US-run military hospital near Kabul where he is in a stable condition. (AFP)
- China: The government rejected US charges that its policies in Tibet were leading Tibetans to self-immolate in protest. (AFP)
- Korean Peninsula: The US shifted warships into position to track and possibly defend against a planned DPRK rocket launch. (Reuters)
- Nepal: President Yadav granted six more days to the political parties to pick a new consensus PM. (Xinhua)
- Philippines: The government said it had put off four-way talks due next week over rival claims to the South China Sea. (AFP)
EUROPE
- Belarus: The EU is prepared for a rapprochement with Belarus if the Belarusian government makes considerable steps towards observing the principles of democracy. (Itar-Tass)
- Italy: Police arrested a fugitive mafia boss living on the island of Bali. (AFP)
- Russia: FM Lavrov said the country will respond to the adoption of the Magnitsky Act by denying entry-visas to those who violate human rights in the US. (Interfax)
- Turkey: NATO moved forward with its plan to place Patriot missiles and troops along the Syrian border to protect Turkey from potential attacks. (AP)
- United Kingdom: Police detained four suspected IRA members over the discovery of a bomb in a car in Londonderry ahead of a planned visit by US Secretary Clinton to Belfast. (AP)
MIDDLE EAST
- Iran: IAEA Director General Amano urged Iran to allow inspection of Parchin military base where Iranian scientists are suspected of conducting secret nuclear-weapons research. (WaPo)
- Iran: The Obama administration is set to extend waivers of US sanctions it has granted to major Asian petroleum consumers. (AP)
- Jordan: UNSG Ban Ki-moon appealed for more aid to help hundreds of thousands of refugees who have fled the Syrian conflict. (AFP)
- Syria: The Army fired rockets into two Damascus suburbs and reinforced its positions around them. (Reuters)
TECHNOLOGY AND COMMUNICATIONS
- Cybersecurity: A new version of the Zeus trojan has been used in attacks on over 30,000 electronic banking customers in Europe, infecting both their personal computers and smartphones. (Ars Technica)
WORLD
- Cyclones: Typhoon 26W (Bopha)
- Location: 300 NM W of Manila, Philippines
- Movement: NNE at 8 mph
- Winds: 92 mph
- Map
- Cyclones: Tropical Cyclone 03s
- Location: 465 NM SSE of Diego Garcia
- Movement: S at 9 mph
- Winds: 40 mph
- Map
- Hurricanes: Nothing to report.
- Earthquakes: Off the East Coast of Honshu, Japan
- Magnitude: 7.3
- Depth: 36.1 km
- Map
- Earthquakes: Off the East Coast of Honshu, Japan
- Magnitude: 6.2
- Depth: 29.2 km
- Map
- Volcanoes: Nothing to report.
TOMORROW’S OUTLOOK (08DEC)
- Global: Christian holiday celebrating the Immaculate Conception.
- North America: Anniversary of President Clinton signing NAFTA into law – 1993.
- Russia: Anniversary of President Reagan and USSR Chairman Gorbachev agreeing to reduce nuclear arsenals – 1987.
- Russia: Anniversary of the end of the USSR – 1991.
- Somalia: Anniversary of US Operation Restore Hope beginning – 1992.
END