Key Storylines
- AFRICA: Former South African President Jacob Zuma has backed President Vladimir Putin in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, describing him as a man of peace.
- AMERICAS: US and Venezuelan officials discussed the possibility of easing oil sanctions on Venezuela but made scant progress toward a deal in their first high-level bilateral talks in years.
- ASIA: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi accused Washington of trying to create an Asian version of the U.S.-European NATO military alliance and said it is up to the Biden administration to improve relations with North Korea.
- EUROPE: French President Emmanuel Macron did not ask Russian leader Vladimir Putin to open humanitarian corridors towards Russia and Belarus for Ukrainians fleeing bombardments.
- MIDDLE EAST: Syria’s defense ministry said two civilians have been killed by an Israeli airstrike on military positions near Damascus.
- TECH & COMMUNICATIONS: TikTok will suspend live-streaming and the uploading of videos to its platform in Russia as it reviews the implications of a new media law signed on Friday by President Vladimir Putin.
Top Story
- Ukraine: Russia sets ceasefire for evacuations amid heavy shelling.
- Russia announced a ceasefire and humanitarian corridors to allow civilians to flee Ukraine, but previous measures have collapsed, and Moscow’s forces continued to hit some Ukrainian cities with rockets even after the announcement.
- Some of the evacuation routes would funnel civilians toward Russia or Belarus which are unlikely destinations for many Ukrainians who would prefer to head toward western countries.
- Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said Ukraine rejected Moscow’s offer of humanitarian corridors to Russia and Belarus.
- Ukraine will square off with Russia at the UN’s top court with Kyiv asking judges in The Hague to order Moscow to immediately halt its invasion.
- Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has announced that Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov would meet with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmitro Kuleba on Thursday.
- Ukraine and Russia are expected to meet for the third round of negotiations, which both sides had said could take place on Monday.
- NPR, AP, AFP, AFP2, DW, DPA
Africa
- Burkina Faso: Interim president Paul-Henri Damiba approved a new government that includes the same defense minister as served under former president Roch Kabore before his ouster in a military coup. (Reuters)
- Kenya: The country declared a yellow fever outbreak after three people died and 15 other suspected cases were detected in the northern county of Isiolo. (BBC)
- Niger: The defense ministry announced that five soldiers have been killed in an explosion in the country’s southwest. (BBC)
- Nigeria: The country will not allow its nationals to be enlisted to fight in Ukraine where Russian forces are bombing cities and rattling neighborhoods with gunfire. (BBC)
- South Africa: Former President Jacob Zuma has backed President Vladimir Putin in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, describing him as a man of peace. (BBC)
Americas
- Region: US and Venezuelan officials discussed the possibility of easing oil sanctions on Venezuela but made scant progress toward a deal in their first high-level bilateral talks in years. (Reuters)
- Canada: Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said Western states will announce more sanctions against Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. (Reuters)
- Cuba: The number of daily coronavirus cases and deaths in the country continued to fall in the past week as more than half of the population has received an additional COVID-19 vaccine dose. (Xinhua)
- United States: A federal appeals court ruled the Biden Administration can continue to rapidly expel migrant families caught crossing the U.S.-Mexico border but should not send them anywhere they could be persecuted or tortured. (Reuters)
Asia
- Australia: Prime Minister Scott Morrison called Russia’s invasion of Ukraine “a moment of choice for China” urging Beijing to end its tacit political and economic support for the war. (AFP)
- China: Foreign Minister Wang Yi accused Washington of trying to create an Asian version of the U.S.-European NATO military alliance and said it is up to the Biden administration to improve relations with North Korea. (AP)
- Japan: The country is discussing a ban on oil imports from Russia with the United States and European countries, as Moscow’s attack on populated areas and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine continues. (Japan Times)
- Pakistan: Former president Rafiq Tarar died in Lahore after a prolonged illness at the age of 92. (AP)
- South Korea: Ruling party leader, Song Young-gil was hospitalized after being attacked by a stranger with an unknown object while campaigning in Seoul for the party’s presidential candidate, Lee Jae-myung. (Reuters)
Europe
- Denmark: The country will hold a referendum in June on whether to join the European Union’s defense pact and scrap the Nordic country’s 30-year-old opt-out from the bloc’s common security and defense policies. (AP)
- France: President Emmanuel Macron did not ask Russian leader Vladimir Putin to open humanitarian corridors towards Russia and Belarus for Ukrainians fleeing bombardments. (AFP)
- Lithuania: The country urged visiting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to take a tougher line to stop Russia in Ukraine in case Moscow’s forces go further. (AFP)
- Poland: The border guard said a total of about 1.06 million Ukrainians have fled to the country since February 24, including 142,300 refugees on Sunday. (The Guardian)
- Russia: Police detained more than 5,000 people protesting President Vladimir Putin’s attack on Ukraine in dozens of cities Sunday as Moscow clamps down on anyone opposing the Kremlin’s military assault on the country. (VOA)
Middle East
- Iran: Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani said that his country is seeking “creative ways” to restore its nuclear deal with world powers after Russia’s foreign minister linked sanctions on Moscow over its war on Ukraine to the ongoing negotiations. (WaPo)
- Iraq: The National Museum reopened to visitors after a three-year closure due to the Covid-19 pandemic and political unrest. (AFP)
- Israel: Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said the country will continue trying to mediate between Russia and Ukraine even if success seems unlikely. (Reuters)
- Syria: The defense ministry said two civilians have been killed by an Israeli airstrike on military positions near Damascus. (AP)
- Yemen: Houthi rebels launched a missile into the Red Sea over the weekend. (AP)
Tech & Communications
- Media: TikTok will suspend live-streaming and the uploading of videos to its platform in Russia as it reviews the implications of a new media law signed on Friday by President Vladimir Putin. (Reuters)
World
- Cyclones: Nothing to Report.
- Hurricanes: Nothing to Report.
- Earthquakes: Nothing to Report.
- Volcanoes: Nothing to Report.
- Global Disease Outbreaks:
- COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease: Global (as of 07MAR22)
- Confirmed cases: 446,404,737
- Deaths: 6,000,864
- Countries with confirmed cases: 192
- Sourcing: John Hopkins University
- COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease: Global (as of 07MAR22)
Tomorrow’s Outlook (08MAR22)
- Global: International Women’s Day.
- Bangladesh: FAO Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific (APRC).
- China: National People’s Congress.
- Estonia: US Secretary of State to meet President Alar Karis, Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, and Foreign Minister Eva-Maria Liimets.
- Europe: European Commission to unveil strategy to boost energy security.
- Liberia: Economic Community of West African States’ parliament to hold five-day extraordinary session to discuss regional security. (to 13MAR)
- Malaysia: Early voting to commence for Johor’s state elections.
- Morocco: Visit by US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman.
- Netherlands: Ukraine lawsuit against Russian invasion heard at The Hague.
- Nigeria: Nigeria to release requests for proposals to potential investors in establishment of Nigeria Air.
- Palestinian Territories: Visit by Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
- Syria: Revolution Day.
- United States: Agency chiefs testify to the House Intelligence Committee on worldwide threats.
- United States: House Armed Services Committee hearing on national security challenges in USNORTHCOM and USSOUTHCOM regions.
- Venezuela: US continues National Emergency with respect to the country.
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