Key Storylines
- AFRICA: The Unionist Alliance Party said Sudanese authorities again arrested Mohammed al-Faki Suliman, a former senior government official during a crackdown on anti-coup groups.
- AMERICAS: The busiest U.S.-Canada border crossing reopened late Sunday after protests against COVID-19 restrictions closed it for almost a week.
- ASIA: New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden said protesters who oppose COVID-19 mandates are using “intimidation and harassment,” as the convoy of demonstrators continues to disrupt the capital of Wellington.
- EUROPE: Belgian authorities intercepted thirty vehicles as police scrambled to stop a Canada-style protest convoy against Covid regulations from reaching Brussels.
- MIDDLE EAST: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was due to visit the United Arab Emirates for the first time in nearly a decade to revive relations that were long strained by regional disputes.
- TECH & COMMUNICATIONS: Lockheed Martin scrapped plans to buy Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings Inc. after federal antitrust overseers last month sued to block the $4.4 billion deal.
Top Story
- Europe: German Chancellor Olaf Scholtz Arrives in Ukraine for crisis talks.
- German Chancellor Olaf Scholz landed in Kyiv for crisis talks with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky aimed at averting a feared Russian invasion of the former Soviet state.
- Ukraine’s ambassador to Britain Vadym Prystaiko backtracked on remarks suggesting that Kyiv would reconsider its attempt to join NATO but said other concessions could be on offer.
- Scholz’s government has been criticized for refusing to supply lethal weapons to Ukraine or to spell out which sanctions it would support against Russia.
- G7 finance ministers warned Moscow that they stand ready to impose sanctions that would have a huge and immediate impact on Russia’s economy, should it pursue military aggression against Ukraine.
- The German Chancellor will travel to Moscow tomorrow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on de-escalating the situation near the Ukraine border.
- AFP, Reuters, AP, DPA, FT
Africa
- Ghana: A political activist has been charged with treason after being arrested on Friday for making comments on social media about a coup. (BBC)
- Mali: Two soldiers have been killed in an attack blamed on jihadists at the Niafunke post in the country’s central region. (BBC)
- Somalia: Deputy speaker Abdiweli Mudey has been barred from traveling to Barawe town to seek a seat in the country’s next parliament. (BBC)
- Sudan: The Unionist Alliance Party said authorities again arrested Mohammed al-Faki Suliman, a former senior government official during a crackdown on anti-coup groups. (AP)
- Tunisia: President Kais Saidi cemented his grip over the judiciary with a decree that lets him dismiss judges or block their promotion, helping consolidate his power after he seized executive authority last summer in a move his foes call a coup. (Reuters)
Americas
- Region: The busiest U.S.-Canada border crossing reopened late Sunday after protests against COVID-19 restrictions closed it for almost a week. (AP)
- Brazil: President Jair Bolsonaro is due to arrive in Moscow on Tuesday for an official visit with highly awkward diplomatic timing. (AFP)
- Mexico: A US decision to suspend avocado shipments from a violent state sealed a challenging week for President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, whose approval rating suffered an unusual dip in a tracking poll published on Sunday. (Reuters)
- Peru: A community said on social media that it will restart a road blockade against MMG’s Las Bambas mine, even as a second community agreed to a 45-day truce in its blockade. (Reuters)
- United States: Four years after a high school shooting in Parkland, Florida, President Joe Biden said his administration stands with the advocates working to end gun violence and urges the nation to uphold the “solemn obligation” to “keep each other safe.” (AP)
Asia
- Hong Kong: Chief Executive Carrie Lam said health facilities have been overloaded by an “onslaught” of Covid-19 infections, as an increase in Omicron cases threatens to bring down the city’s “zero-Covid” policy. (VOA)
- Japan: The government welcomes the International Atomic Energy Agency’s review on the safety of releasing contaminated water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea. (Reuters)
- New Zealand: Prime Minister Jacinda Arden said protesters who oppose COVID-19 mandates are using “intimidation and harassment,” as the convoy of demonstrators continues to disrupt the capital of Wellington. (AP)
- South Korea: Parliament approved plans to provide a special time for COVID-19 patients to vote during the March 9 presidential election as the country grapples with a record-breaking omicron surge. (AP)
- Vietnam: The country’s aviation authority will lift COVID-19 restrictions on international flights for fully vaccinated passengers from Tuesday. (AFP)
Europe
- Belgium: Authorities intercepted thirty vehicles as police scrambled to stop a Canada-style protest convoy against Covid regulations from reaching Brussels. (AFP)
- France: Conservative presidential candidate Valerie Pecresse defended her performance at her first campaign rally, after coming under fire both for failing to inspire supporters and for adopting language used by the far right. (AFP)
- Germany: The country will end most government restrictions to fight the COVID-19 pandemic in March as new infection rates slow down. (AFP)
- Sweden: Authorities recommended a fourth COVID-19 vaccine dose to people over age 80 and those living in nursing homes or getting home care. (AP)
- Ukraine: President Volodymyr Zelenskiy invited US President Joe Biden to visit the country soon when they spoke by phone on Sunday. (Reuters)
Middle East
- Iran: A fire erupted at a military base belonging to the Paramilitary Revolutionary Guard in the western province of Kermanshah. (AP)
- Iraq: A $27-billion deal between France’s TotalEnergies and Iraq has stalled amid disputes over terms and risks being scrapped by the country’s new government. (Reuters)
- Palestinian Territories: Israeli soldiers shot dead a 17-year-old boy during confrontations near the town of Jenin in the occupied West Bank. (AlJazeera)
- United Arab Emirates: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was due to visit the Persian Gulf country for the first time in nearly a decade to revive relations that were long strained by regional disputes. (AFP)
- Yemen: The Saudi-led coalition destroyed a communications system used for drone attacks located near the telecoms ministry in Sanaa. (AFP)
Tech & Communications
- Technology: Lockheed Martin scrapped plans to buy Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings Inc. after federal antitrust overseers last month sued to block the $4.4 billion deal. (WSJ)
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 14FEB22)
- Confirmed cases: 412,134,811
- Deaths: 5,817,819
- Countries with confirmed cases: 192
- Sourcing: John Hopkins University
- COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease: Global (as of 14FEB22)
Tomorrow’s Outlook (15FEB22)
- Event: Wilson Center discussion on the war in Yemen.
- Event: Wilson Center discussion on Russia and Ukraine.
- Afghanistan: Liberation Day.
- Cambodia: ASEAN Foreign Ministers Retreat. (to 17FEB)
- Chile: Constitutional convention to begin voting on norms to be included in the draft constitution.
- China: New measures for cybersecurity review processes to come into effect.
- Japan: Growth figures for fourth quarter of 2021 announced.
- Japan: International Atomic Energy Agency to visit Fukushima nuclear power plant to evaluate plans to discharge contaminated water.
- Mexico: Legislature to wrap up debate on electricity reform.
- Russia: Visit by German Chancellor Olaf Scholtz.
- Russia: Visit by Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. (to 17FEB)
- Serbia: Statehood Day.
- United States: House Foreign Affairs subcommittee hearing on renewed U.S. engagement with international organizations.
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