Global developments on September 17, 2024

Good morning everyone!

Update: Due to technical issues I was unable to post yesterday. As there are still a few outstanding issues that need to be dealt with, All Briefing will be away for the rest of the week and will return on Monday.

Today we look at American politics, developments in Africa and America, and other news from around the world.

Let’s get started.

Africa

-The US military said Monday that it has completed his withdrawal from Niger.

The military government in the capital Niamey ordered the withdrawal of the nearly 1,000 US troops stationed in the country in April.

Before the junta seized power last July, Niamey was a close military ally of Washington in operations against insurgent terrorist organizations operating in Africa’s vast Sahel region.

-World Trade Organization (WTO) director Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said on Monday that they seek a second four-year term.

Okonjo-Iweala, a former Nigerian finance minister, was elected leader of the 164-member organization in 2021, making history as the first woman and African to lead the organization.

-Header inflation in Nigeria fell in August for the second consecutive month, down 33.4% from 32.15% year-on-year.

In addition, gubernatorial elections will be held in the West African country on Saturday.

Other links:

Tunisians protest against bad governance as election campaigns get underway – Africa News

Morocco halts migration attempt to Spanish enclave Ceuta -AP

Sierra Leone: Eight dead in Freetown building collapse -BBC

Egyptian cabinet says Saudi Arabia’s crown prince has ordered PIF to pump $5 billion into Egypt as ‘first phase’ -Reuters

Kenya to begin audit of government debt, says finance minister -Reuters

Mali, Burkina, Niger launch biometric passports under new alliance -Reuters

America and the Caribbean

-Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa said Monday that he submit a constitutional amendment from the National Assembly that would lift the ban on foreign military bases in the Andean country.

Since 2008, such bases have been banned under the constitution.

In January, Noboa declared war on criminal gangs operating in the country.

The US military previously stationed soldiers in the coastal city of Manta until former President Rafael Correa ordered their departure in 2009.

– Mexico’s controversial judicial reform formally entered into force on Sunday after the text of the constitutional measure was published in the government register.

Analysts say the reforms, backed by the ruling Morena party, would upend the judiciary by shrinking the Supreme Court and calling elections for the country’s more than 7,000 judges and magistrates.

-The economy of Peru expanded by 4.47% in July compared to the previous year, the fourth consecutive month of growth.

During this period, all sectors except agriculture grew, contributing to the recovery from last year’s recession.

Other links:

Argentina’s Milei vows to protect budget balance in budget speech -Reuters

Brazilian firefighters battle forest fire in national park that engulfs Brasilia in smoke -AP

Brazil Supreme Court frees up Elon Musk’s Starlink and X assets after imposing fines -CNBC

Mexican president asks Sinaloa cartel to act ‘responsibly’ as violence escalates in the north -AP

Canada and Mexico target Asian LNG markets as US projects sit idle – Financial Times

Canada’s Trudeau on shaky ground as parliament reconvenes -BBC

Asia/Indo-Pacific

-The United States said they Pledge $202 million in economic aid to Bangladesh, as the Southeast Asian country emerges from a political crisis that culminated last month in the resignation of long-serving Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

A six-member US delegation visited the country last week to hold talks with interim leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus.

-German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said during a visit to Kazakhstan that Berlin is striving closer trade relations with the Central Asian country, while ensuring that this expansion is not used by Russia to circumvent Western sanctions.

– Taiwan’s central bank will announce changes to its benchmark interest rate on Thursday.

Analysts to expect policymakers to keep interest rates stable as inflation remains high.

– Tomorrow, municipal elections will be held in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir.

-Sri Lanka will hold presidential elections on Saturday.

Other links:

Judges express some skepticism over TikTok’s fight against potential US ban -New York Times

Indonesia to more than double number of workers travelling to Japan: Labour minister – Nikkei

Prabowo visits Vietnam as ‘follow-up’ to ASEAN tour – Jakarta Post

DEA closes two offices in China as agency struggles to stem flow of fentanyl chemicals -AP

China releases David Lin, American pastor who US government says was wrongly held for 18 years – CBS

Asia-Pacific markets trading mixed as investors eye Fed meeting -CNBC

Europe

-British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday promised to work together with Italy to combat illegal migration to the southern European country.

Starmer’s inaugural visit to Italy comes hot on the heels of his trip to the United States, where he held talks with President Joe Biden at the White House.

– The European Parliament will today debate and vote on a resolution condemning the controversial presidential elections in Venezuela.

Autocratic President Nicolás Maduro claimed victory in July elections despite independent counts showing he suffered a heavy defeat.

-The justice ministers of the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) are meeting in Moscow today.

– Senate elections will be held in the Czech Republic on Friday.

Elections will be held in the German state of Brandenburg on Saturday.

Other links:

Putin orders Russia to expand army by 180,000 troops to 1.5 million -CNN

French EU commissioner resigns after clash with von der Leyen -DW

Polish minister visiting Kiev calls for end to benefits for Ukrainian men in Europe -Reuters

Storm Boris: Polish town evacuated as floods ravage Central Europe -BBC

Central Europe braces for further flooding ‘apocalypse’ as death toll rises -Reuters

Middle East

-Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian denies that Tehran supplied Houthi militants based in Yemen with missiles that the group used to attack central Israel over the weekend.

Pezeshkian, who took office in July, also pledged at a press conference on Monday to continue the country’s missile development program.

-US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will be in Cairo today for conversations with Egyptian officials in an attempt to revive a stalled ceasefire aimed at ending a nearly year-long war between Israel and Hamas in the besieged Gaza Strip.

– The United Nations General Assembly is expected to discuss Israeli settlements in the West Bank on Thursday.

Other links:

UNRWA chief: Gaza polio vaccination rate has reached 90% -Reuters

Return of residents to northern Israel now a war goal, says Netanyahu -Reuters

Israel shocked by rumors Netanyahu could replace defense minister -Reuters

Prominent Lebanese novelist Elias Khoury dies at 76 -AP

King of Jordan appoints Harvard-educated aide as prime minister -AP

United States

-President Biden said yesterday that the Secret Service needed “more help” protecting former President Donald Trump after its security detail intercepted a man brandishing a gun outside Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club over the weekend.

Acting Director of the Secret Service Ronald Rowe said His agency is to be overhauled after the incident, the second in as many months.

– The Federal Reserve Open Markets Committee meets today for a two-day meeting. Tomorrow, policymakers are widely expected to announce a cut in the federal funds rate, the first since March 2020.

-Vice President Kamala Harris will be interviewed today in Philadelphia by the National Association of Black Journalists.

Trump holds a campaign rally in Flint, Michigan.

-Biden will host leaders of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue for a summit in Wilmington, Delaware, on Saturday.

Other links:

Harris Leads Trump in Pennsylvania — and Two Predictive PA Districts — Exclusive Poll Finds -Today in the US

Divided Republican Party in House of Representatives struggles to avoid government shutdown – NBC

Schumer loses patience with Johnson over government shutdown impasse – Axios

Teamsters presidential endorsement could come as early as Wednesday – The Hill

US Secret Service says it is aware of Musk’s message about Biden and Harris -Reuters

That’s it for today. See you next week.

Refer a friend

Notes:

https://www.politico.com/newsletters/national-security-daily