Key Storylines
- AFRICA: Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta officially endorsed opposition leader Raila Odinga to succeed him in the presidential elections set for 9 August.
- AMERICAS: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced he is revoking emergency police powers as authorities cleared protester blockades in Ottawa and on the US border.
- ASIA: The leaders of Malaysia and Cambodia discussed the crisis in Myanmar and other regional issues during a meeting in Phnom Penh.
- EUROPE: Spain’s opposition leader Pablo Casado will remain in charge of the Popular Party until early April, when party members are expected to elect new leadership.
- MIDDLE EAST: Iran’s chief negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani left the Vienna nuclear negotiations for consultations in Tehran, as all indications show that a new agreement may be near.
- TECH & COMMUNICATIONS: Twitter acknowledged that it erroneously suspended several accounts monitoring Russian troop movements, but denied the accounts were targeted by a coordinated campaign or mass complaints.
Top Story
- Europe: Russian Forces Launch a Military Offensive in Ukraine as Kyiv and Moscow Break Diplomatic Ties.
- Russian forces attacked Ukraine by land, air and sea in the biggest attack by one state against another in Europe since World War Two.
- Big explosions were heard before dawn in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odesa as world leaders decried the start of a Russian invasion that could cause massive casualties and topple Ukraine’s democratically elected government.
- NATO agreed at emergency talks to bolster its land, sea, and air forces on its eastern flank near Ukraine and Russia after President Vladimir Putin ordered a military offensive in Ukraine.
- At least seven people are known to have been killed, including civilians, but a Ukrainian presidential adviser said that more than 40 soldiers had died and dozens more were wounded.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that martial law was now being imposed across all of Ukraine, and then severed all diplomatic relations with Russia.
- European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel strongly condemned Russia’s attack on Ukraine and the EU is preparing fresh sanctions that will have “massive and severe consequences.”
- Reuters, AP, WaPo, BBC, Axios, AFP
Africa
- Kenya: President Uhuru Kenyatta officially endorsed opposition leader Raila Odinga to succeed him in the presidential elections set for 9 August. (BBC)
- Malawi: The country will launch a nationwide polio vaccination campaign next month following the detection of its first case in 30 years and Africa’s first in five years. (AFP)
- Morocco: Journalist Soulaimane Raissouni was sentenced to five years imprisonment after appealing his sentence for indecent assault, one of several journalists critical of the government to have been jailed for sex crimes. (AFP)
- Somalia: Government spokesman Mohamed Ibrahim Moalimu returned home from Turkey where he had been receiving treatment for wounds he sustained in an attack. (BBC)
- Tanzania: The country’s communications regulator is developing a software application to help mobile internet users monitor and keep track of their data usage. (BBC)
Americas
- Canada: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced he is revoking emergency police powers as authorities cleared protester blockades in Ottawa and on the US border. (AP)
- Cuba: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement blaming the US and NATO for the crisis in Ukraine but did not endorse Russian military action. (Miami Herald)
- Guatemala: The head of the local branch of the Special Prosecutor’s Office against Impunity in the city of Quetzaltenango was arrested, the latest in a string of resignations and arrests of anti-corruption officials. (Reuters)
- Haiti: Police opened fire on a group of demonstrators demanding higher wages, killing one journalist and wounding two others. (Reuters)
- Nicaragua: Seven more opposition leaders, including former Sandinista officials and presidential candidates, were convicted of “conspiracy to undermine national integrity.” (AP)
Asia
- Region: The leaders of Malaysia and Cambodia discussed the crisis in Myanmar and other regional issues during a meeting in Phnom Penh. (AP)
- Australia: The country hit Russia with a “second phase” of sanctions over its assault on Ukraine. (AFP)
- China: Beijing repeated calls for talks to resolve the crisis in Ukraine while refusing to criticize Russia’s attack and accusing the US and its allies of worsening the situation. (AP)
- Japan: Prime Minister Fumio Kishida strongly condemned Russia’s military incursion into Ukraine and “shakes the foundation of the international order.” (AFP)
- Pakistan: A court sentenced a US national of Pakistani origin to death for raping and beheading the daughter of a former diplomat. (Reuters)
Europe
- Germany: Berlin blasted Russia’s military operation in Ukraine as “a day of shame” and warned that the political and economic consequences for Moscow would be severe. (AFP)
- Italy: Prime Minister Mario Draghi slammed Russia’s attack on Ukraine as “unjustified and unjustifiable,” saying Europe and NATO were working on an immediate response. (AFP)
- Russia: A joint US-UK report attributed powerful new malware to the alleged Kremlin-backed hacker group Sandworm. (The Guardian)
- Spain: Opposition leader Pablo Casado will remain in charge of the Popular Party until early April, when party members are expected to elect new leadership. (AP)
- United Kingdom: Foreign Secretary Liz Truss summoned Russian ambassador Andrei Kelin to “explain Russia’s illegal, unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.” (AFP)
Middle East
- Iran: Chief negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani left the Vienna nuclear negotiations for consultations in Tehran, as all indications show that a new agreement may be near. (WaPo)
- Israel: The country condemned Russian actions in Ukraine and called on world powers to resolve the crisis swiftly. (Reuters)
- Israel: President Isaac Herzog will travel to Greece to reassure an ally as the country moves closer to Turkey, with tensions fraught between Athens and Ankara. (AFP)
- Syria: State media reported the deaths of three soldiers in an Israeli rocket attack near Damascus. (Reuters)
- Yemen: The head of the UN food agency David Beasley warned that 13 million citizens are headed for starvation due to a protracted civil conflict and a lack of funding for humanitarian aid. (AP)
Tech & Communications
- Social Media: Twitter acknowledged that it erroneously suspended several accounts monitoring Russian troop movements, but denied the accounts were targeted by a coordinated campaign or mass complaints. (AFP)
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 24FEB22)
- Confirmed cases: 430,053,232
- Deaths: 5,919,845
- Countries with confirmed cases: 192
- Sourcing: John Hopkins University
- COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease: Global (as of 24FEB22)
Tomorrow’s Outlook (25FEB22)
- Asia: US-Thailand Cobra Gold military exercises. (to 05MAR)
- Belgium: NATO leaders’ summit following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
- Brazil: Rio de Janeiro Carnival. (to 05MAR)
- Europe: EU finance ministers informal meeting in Brussels. (to 26FEB)
- India: Visit by Bangladeshi Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen. (to 25FEB)
- Kenya: State Department officials visit the country to discuss conservation and environmental issues.
- Kuwait: National Day.
- Philippines: EDSA Revolution Day.
- Somalia: Indirect presidential election.
- Suriname: Revolution Day.
- Thailand: Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Senior Officials’ Meeting in Pattaya. (to 27FEB)
- United States: OAS Permanent Council discusses post-COVID-19 pandemic challenges.
END
