• Overnight News Summaries ,
• Tags: Africa, Asia, Canada, China, Colombia, Communications, earthquake, Ebola, EU, Europe, Hong Kong, Iran, Iraq, Japan, Kenya, Mali, Mexico, Middle East, NATO, North America, Pakistan, Protest, protests, Russia, Senegal, Somalia, South China Sea, South Korea, Turkey, Uganda, UN, United States, Venezuela, virus, Yemen
• 16 Jun

KEY STORYLINES

• AFRICA: The World Health Organization said that the Ebola outbreak in DR Congo does not qualify as an international threat, despite the spread of the virus to neighbouring Uganda, carried by an infected family.
• AMERICAS: Thousands of Venezuelans have rushed to cross into Peru in a bid to beat the introduction of tougher migration laws.
• ASIA: Beijing confirmed that a Chinese vessel hit a Philippine fishing boat in a collision which increased tensions in the disputed South China Sea, but denied claims it was a “hit and run”.
• EUROPE: Southern European leaders called for a fair distribution of migrants arriving from across the Mediterranean as the latest NGO boat carrying rescued families was denied a safe port by Italy.
• MIDDLE EAST: President Donald Trump blamed Iran for attacks on oil tankers near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, but he also held out hope that implicit U.S. threats to use force will yield talks with Iran.
• TECHNOLOGY: A group of hackers has targeted the U.S. power grid over the past several months but has so far been unable to trigger any outages or other incidents, according to cybersecurity firm Dragos.

TOP STORY

• Hong Kong: Government suspends extradition bill after protests
  • Hong Kong’s government has suspended the contentious bill that would allow extraditions to mainland China.
  • The decision was announced by Hong Kong’s Chief Executive Carrie Lam, who had earlier vowed to press forward with the legislation.
  • Slightly more than a million people had taken part in protests against the bill in Hong Kong since last Sunday.
  • Further protests are planned for Sunday, despite this decision by Hong Kong’s government.
  • Reporting: NYT, WaPo, AP, AFP, Reuters, BBC

AFRICA

• Region: The World Health Organization said that the Ebola outbreak in DR Congo does not qualify as an international threat, despite the spread of the virus to neighbouring Uganda, carried by an infected family. (AFP)
• Kenya: Security forces are pursuing al-Shabab militants who abducted three police reservists after storming a local center in Wajir county along the Somalia border. (Xinhua)
• Senegal: Riot police fired tear gas and detained more than 20 people at an unsanctioned protest in Dakar, over a BBC report of allegations the president’s brother was involved in fraud related to two offshore gas blocks. (Reuters)
• Sudan: The transitional military council has suspended implementation of a decree demanding that the joint U.N.-African Union peacekeeping force in Darfur hand over its premises as part of its withdrawal next year. (AP)

AMERICAS

• Region: Mexico published the document that U.S. President Donald Trump fleetingly showed the press this week as evidence he had extracted tough new concessions on migration from the neighboring country. (AFP)
• Region: Thousands of Venezuelans have rushed to cross into Peru in a bid to beat the introduction of tougher migration laws. (BBC)
• Colombia: A high court withdrew the parliament seat for Ivan Marquez, a former left-wing guerrilla leader, who never assumed office after negotiating the country’s historic peace deal. (AFP)
• Mexico: Several commissions in the Senate approved a draft law that would ratify the trade deal with the United States and Canada meant to replace the North America Free Trade Agreement. (Reuters)

ASIA

• Region: Energy and environment ministers from the Group of 20 major economies began a two-day meeting in Karuizawa, Japan amid heightened tensions in the Middle East. (Kyodo)
• Region: Beijing confirmed that a Chinese vessel hit a Philippine fishing boat in a collision which increased tensions in the disputed South China Sea, but denied claims it was a “hit and run”. (AFP)
• South Korea: Shipping firm Hyundai Merchant Marine Co. said it did not know that a cargo ship it chartered rescued crew members of a Norwegian tanker that was on fire in the Gulf of Oman earlier this week until after the incident. (Yonhap)

EUROPE

• Region: Southern European leaders called for a fair distribution of migrants arriving from across the Mediterranean as the latest NGO boat carrying rescued families was denied a safe port by Italy. (AFP)
• Cyprus: Heads of European Union Mediterranean states offered full support for their fellow EU member in a dispute with Turkey over the ownership of offshore natural gas deposits. (Reuters)
• Moldova: Prime Minister Pavel Filip’s government is resigning, signaling the end to a standoff with an incoming coalition cabinet. (RFE-RL)
• United Kingdom: The full extradition hearing to decide whether Wikileaks founder Julian Assange should be sent to the United States to face accusations including spying charges will take place in February next year, a London court ruled. (Reuters)

MIDDLE EAST

• Region: President Donald Trump blamed Iran for attacks on oil tankers near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, but he also held out hope that implicit U.S. threats to use force will yield talks with Iran. (AP)
• Region: A Saudi-led coalition launched air strikes on Iran-allied Houthi forces in Yemen’s capital Sanaa, Saudi state television reported, as part of an escalation of tit-for-tat strikes that has stoked regional tensions. (Reuters)
• Iran: The country will continue scaling back compliance with its nuclear deal commitments unless other signatories show “positive signals”, the country’s president told a meeting of Russian, Chinese and other Asian leaders in Tajikistan. (Reuters)
• Iraq: The military says three mortar shells have hit an air base just north of Baghdad where American trainers are present, causing a small fire but no casualties. (AP)

TECHNOLOGY AND COMMUNICATIONS

• Cybersecurity: A group of hackers has targeted the U.S. power grid over the past several months but has so far been unable to trigger any outages or other incidents, according to cybersecurity firm Dragos. (UPI)

WORLD

• Cyclones:
  • Tropical Cyclone Vayu
    • Location: 252 NM South of Karachi, Pakistan
    • Movement: Westward at 4 mph
    • Wind: 85 mph
    • Map
• Hurricanes: Nothing to report.
• Earthquake: Nothing to report.
• Volcanoes: Nothing to report.
• Global Disease Outbreaks:

• • Ebola Virus Disease:
    • Ebola Virus Disease:
    • Confirmed Cases as of 12JUN19: 2014 (DR Congo)
    • Suspected Cases as of 12JUN19: 94 (DR Congo)
    • Deaths as of 12JUN19: 1317 (DR Congo)

• • • Sourcing: WHO

TOMORROW’S OUTLOOK (16 JUN)

• Global: International Day of Family Remittances – 2015
• South Africa: Youth Day – 1976

END