- Overnight News Summaries ,
- Tags: Africa, earthquake, Iraq, Japan, Middle East, Protest, protests, Russia, Tunisia, UAE, virus
- 09 Jan
KEY STORYLINES
- AFRICA: South Sudanese FM Barnaba Benjamin reiterated that the army would soon recapture Bor and Bantio, towns held by rebel groups.
- AMERICAS: Bolivian President Morales assumed chairmanship of the Group of 77 nations and said he would work towards removing coca leaf from the list of internationally banned drugs.
- ASIA: Bangladeshi opposition members went into hiding as police carried out sweeping raids after the country’s violent national election.
- EUROPE: The Russian government launched a counter-terrorism operation after five bodies were found in a southern region bordering the Olympic host city Sochi.
- MIDDLE EAST: In Iraq, at least twelve people are dead after a suicide bomber blew himself up at a military recruiting center in Baghdad.
- TECHNOLOGY: France’s data protection watchdog fined Google USD205,000 for failing to comply with its privacy guidelines for personal data.
TOP STORY
- Syria: Fighting spreads as the international community responds to violence.
- Rebels extended their fighting to the central province of Homs, activists said.
- Jihadists battled rebels in the north in an attempt to recover turf lost nearly a week ago.
- A car bomb killed eighteen people in the village of Kafat in the country’s central Hama province.
- Chinese FM Wang Yi said the Syria’s issues can only be resolved politically.
- Russia blocked a UNSC statement condemning Syrian government attacks on Aleppo, diplomats said.
- Sources: DPA, AFP, AFP-2, Xinhua, BBC
AFRICA
- Sudan, South: FM Barnaba Benjamin reiterated that the army would soon recapture Bor and Bantio, towns held by rebel groups. (Xinhua)
- Tunisia: The country’s ruling Ennahdha party expressed understanding over ongoing protests and called on the government to revise taxation measures. (Xinhua)
- Tunisia: The country’s constitutional assembly appointed a new commission to oversee elections in 2014. (AP)
AMERICAS
- Bolivia: Bolivian President Morales assumed chairmanship of the Group of 77 nations and said he would work towards removing coca leaf from the list of internationally banned drugs. (AP)
- US: German Chancellor Angela Merkel accepted an invitation of President Obama to visit Washington. (AP)
- US: FBI agents arrested seventeen members of a San Francisco gang running a vast prostitution ring that spanned 46 cities and 23 states. (AP)
ASIA
- Bangladesh: Opposition members went into hiding as police carried out sweeping raids after the country’s violent national election. (AP)
- Japan: A team of nuclear scientists said they plan to create a controlled reactor meltdown in a bid to learn how to deal with future disasters. (AFP)
- Korea, North: The government rejected a South Korean proposal for resuming reunions for families separated by the Korean War. (NYT)
- Philippines: President Aquino III ordered members of his Cabinet to speed up the rehabilitation of areas struck by Super Typhoon Haiyan. (Xinhua)
EUROPE
- Region: A European Parliament committee approved plans to hear testimony from US whistleblower Edward Snowden. (AFP)
- Russia: The government launched a counter-terrorism operation after five bodies were found in a southern region bordering the Olympic host city Sochi. (AFP)
- Turkey: Oil deliveries from Iraqi Kurdistan via the country’s new pipeline are set to begin by the end of the month. (Reuters)
- Turkey: The government moved to impose strict controls on Internet freedom by monitoring online activity and blocking certain keywords. (AFP)
MIDDLE EAST
- Iraq: At least twelve people are dead after a suicide bomber blew himself up at a military recruiting center in Baghdad. (AP)
- Iraq: HRW condemned abuses by all sides in a days-long standoff in the country’s Anbar province which has left more than 250 people dead. (AFP)
- Israel: Settlement watchdog Peace Now urged the government to dismantle an illegal outpost in the West Bank after violent clashes between Jewish and Palestinian settlers. (AFP)
TECHNOLOGY AND COMMUNICATIONS
- Cyber Security: France’s data protection watchdog fined Google USD205,000 for failing to comply with its privacy guidelines for personal data. (AFP)
WORLD
- Cyclones: Tropical Cyclone 07P (Ian)
- Location: 320 miles ENE of Suva, Fiji
- Movement: ESE at 2 mph
- Wind: 75 mph
- Map
- Hurricanes: Nothing to report.
- Earthquakes: Nothing to report.
- Volcanoes: Mt. Sinabung, Indonesia
- Intensifying eruptions of gas, ash and smoke continue to displace inhabitants. (CNN)
- Global Disease Outbreaks:
- Novel Coronavirus (MERS-CoV, SARS-related)
- Cases: Global Number of Cases as of 03JAN: 177 (Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Italy, France, Germany, Jordan, Oman, Qatar, UAE, United Kingdom)
- Deaths: Global Number of Deaths as of 03JAN: 74 (Saudi Arabia, France, Qatar, United Kingdom, UAE)
- Sourcing: WHO, WHO-2
TOMORROW’S OUTLOOK (10JAN)
- El Salvador: Anniversary of FMLN attack on government – 1981
END