Key Storylines
- AFRICA: Senegalese President Macky Sall, the current head of the African Union (AU), talked with Vladimir Putin to urge a “lasting” ceasefire in Ukraine.
- AMERICAS: The Venezuelan government freed at least two jailed American oil executives as it seeks improved relations with the United States.
- ASIA: Polls closed for South Korea’s presidential election, following one of the bitterest political campaigns in recent memory.
- EUROPE: The United States rejected an offer by Poland to transfer its MiG-29 fighter jets to Ramstein Air Base, saying the offer had been made without prior consultation.
- MIDDLE EAST: Israeli President Isaac Herzog is traveling to Turkey and will be the first leader from the country to visit in 14 years.
- TECH & COMMUNICATIONS: Tesla Inc defended the safety benefits of its advanced driver assistance system Autopilot and its Full Self-Driving (FSD) capability but acknowledged they require “constant monitoring and attention of the driver.”
Top Story
- Ukraine: Russia, Ukraine Agree on Long-Day Evacuation Corridors.
- Russia announced a new ceasefire in Ukraine to let civilians flee besieged cities, but there were only limited signs of progress providing escape routes for hundreds of thousands of people trapped without medicine or water.
- Ukrainian officials said civilian evacuations are expected to resume from the northeastern border city of Sumy to the city of Poltava with two dozen buses picking up evacuees.
- Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said Moscow vowed to respect the truce around six areas that have been heavily hit by fighting, including regions around Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, and some parts of Ukraine’s northeast.
- Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said some progress has been made during three rounds of talks with Ukraine and another round of talks will focus on humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians.
- According to the UN Refugee Agency, more than 2 million Ukrainians have fled their country in the two weeks since Russia began its invasion.
- Reuters, AP, AFP, AFP2, NPR
Africa
- Region: Senegalese President Macky Sall, the current head of the African Union (AU), talked with Vladimir Putin to urge a “lasting” ceasefire in Ukraine. (AFP)
- Chad: Security forces killed at least 13 demonstrators, including a 12-year-old boy, who were protesting peacefully at a time of ethnic tension in their region. (AFP)
- Nigeria: Gunmen killed 19 security personnel, including 13 soldiers, in an assault in the northwest state of Kebbi. (AFP)
- Somalia: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres recommended to the Security Council that the African Union peacekeeping mission in the country maintain its current troop levels through the end of the year. (AFP)
- Tanzania: The release of opposition leader Freeman Mbowe last week raised hopes of an easing of political freedoms in the East African nation, but more is needed to turn the page on years of authoritarian rule. (AFP)
Americas
- Colombia: Energy minister Diego Mesa announced plans for offshore wind energy, expected to bring some $27 billion in investment by 2050. (Reuters)
- Guatemala: The country’s conservative-led Congress approved a law increasing prison sentences for women who choose to have an abortion, while banning both gay marriage and teaching on sexual diversity. (AFP)
- Peru: Congress confirmed President Pedro Castillo’s new cabinet after a group of opposition lawmakers launched a new impeachment effort to try to oust the leftist leader. (Reuters)
- United States: The Senate passed $50 billion in financial relief for the US Postal Service. (Reuters)
- Venezuela: The government freed at least two jailed American oil executives as it seeks improved relations with the United States. (WaPo)
Asia
- Region: South Korea fired warning shots at a North Korean patrol boat that temporarily crossed the countries’ disputed western sea boundary while chasing an unarmed North Korean vessel. (SCMP)
- Australia: Prime minister Scott Morrison will declare a national emergency following floods across large swathes of the east coast that have claimed 22 lives. (AP)
- Cambodia: Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn said a summit between US President Joe Biden and leaders of ASEAN due to be held later this month has been postponed. (Reuters)
- Pakistan: Police said an Islamic State (IS) suicide bomber who killed 64 people at a Shiite mosque in the northwest last week was an Afghan exile who returned home to train for the attack. (AFP)
- South Korea: Polls closed for the country’s presidential election, following one of the bitterest political campaigns in recent memory. (Reuters)
Europe
- Region: The United States rejected an offer by Poland to transfer its MiG-29 fighter jets to Ramstein Air Base, saying the offer had been made without prior consultation. (Reuters)
- Austria: The government is suspending the country’s coronavirus vaccination mandate for most adults. (AP)
- Belarus: The United Nations said the country is crushing dissent and blocking victims of rights abuses from seeking justice, hitting out at a “situation of complete impunity.” (AFP)
- Germany: The cabinet approved legislation that will do away with a Nazi-era law forbidding doctors from providing information about abortions. (Reuters)
- Russia: The Central Bank announced a sixth-month ban on exchanging rubles for dollars and other hard currencies as fears grow of a run on banks. (WaPo)
Middle East
- Region: Leaders of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have declined calls with President Joe Biden as the US seeks to contain energy prices. (The Guardian)
- Egypt: President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin discussed the latest developments in Ukraine. (Reuters)
- Iran: The foreign ministry strongly condemned the killing of two Iranian Revolutionary Guard officers in an Israeli missile attack on Damascus. (AP)
- Israel: President Isaac Herzog is traveling to Turkey and will be the first leader from the country to visit in 14 years. (AP)
- Saudi Arabia: Air defense systems are front and center at the kingdom’s first defense show as drone and missile attacks increase in the Persian Gulf. (AFP)
Tech & Communications
- Technology: Tesla Inc defended the safety benefits of its advanced driver assistance system Autopilot and its Full Self-Driving (FSD) capability but acknowledged they require “constant monitoring and attention of the driver.” (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 09MAR22)
- Confirmed cases: 449,906,525
- Deaths: 6,016,023
- Countries with confirmed cases: 192
- Sourcing: John Hopkins University
- COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease: Global (as of 09MAR22)
Tomorrow’s Outlook (10MAR22)
- Africa: Visit by US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman to Algeria and Egypt. (to 11MAR)
- Bulgaria: Holocaust Remembrance Day.
- China: Beijing Winter Paralympic Games. (to 13MAR)
- China: National People’s Congress.
- Europe: Visit by US Vice President Kamala Harris to Poland and Romania. (to 11MAR)
- France: European Council informal meeting of EU heads of state and government in Versailles. (to 11MAR)
- Hungary: Presidential election.
- Tibet: Tibetan National Uprising Day.
- Turkey: Visit by Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.
- United States: Visit by Colombian President Ivan Duque.
- United States: Agency chiefs testify to the Senate Intelligence Committee on worldwide threats.
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