Key Storylines
- AFRICA: Ousted Burkina president Roch Marc Christian Kabore “is physically well” and is being held by the army in a villa.
- AMERICAS: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) urged El Salvador to reverse its decision to make Bitcoin legal tender.
- ASIA: The Australian navy’s largest ship docked at Tonga and was allowed by local authorities to unload humanitarian supplies despite crew members being infected with COVID-19.
- EUROPE: Austria will end its lockdown for unvaccinated residents next Monday.
- MIDDLE EAST: Yemeni forces of the internationally recognized government and their United Arab Emirates-backed partners swept through the strategic central province of Marib.
- TECH & COMMUNICATIONS: Google announced plans to hire 200 engineers in Brazil as part of a global expansion plan prioritizing markets outside the United States.
Top Story
- Russia: Moscow said “destructive” sanctions against President Vladimir Putin would not hurt him personally
- Russia warned that imposing sanctions on President Vladimir Putin personally would not hurt him but would be “politically destructive.”
- The US has sent a clear message to Russia that its key personnel and economic sectors as well as its leader Vladimir Putin, could face the severest sanctions it has ever faced.
- S. President Joe Biden said he would consider personal sanctions on Putin if Russia invades Ukraine, as Western leaders stepped up military preparations and made plans to shield Europe from a potential energy supply shock.
- British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss is also hinting at toughening the sanctions regime which will target people, banks, and businesses.
- The Kremlin previously said any U.S. sanctions personally targeting Putin would be akin to crossing a red line, warning the move could result in a rupture of bilateral ties.
- Western powers agreed to “unprecedented” sanctions against Russia if it were to invade during crisis talks earlier this week.
- Reuters, CNBC, Economic Times, AP, AFP, BBC
Africa
- Region: The death toll from tropical storm Ana has risen to at least 12 in Mozambique and Malawi. (Reuters)
- Burkina Faso: Ousted president Roch Marc Christian Kabore “is physically well” and is being held by the army in a villa. (AFP)
- Guinea: A court handed life terms to 17 fugitives accused of taking part in ethnic clashes in December 2020 that claimed at least 11 lives. (AFP)
- Senegal: The army said two of its soldiers have been killed and nine are missing after clashes in The Gambia. (BBC)
- Uganda: President Yoweri Museveni said the East African country wants to curb its borrowing and boost exports in sectors such as meat and dairy. (Reuters)
Americas
- Canada: Computer systems at the Global Affairs Department remained down a week after a cyberattack speculated to be related to ongoing tensions with Russia. (AP)
- Cuba: Officials said more than 700 people who took part in anti-government protests last year have been charged with crimes including sedition, vandalism, theft, and public disorder. (BBC)
- El Salvador: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) urged the country to reverse its decision to make Bitcoin legal tender. (BBC)
- Mexico: Journalists started nationwide protests to denounce the recent murders of three reporters, demanding an end to impunity. (Reuters)
- United States: The State Department is reportedly considering allowing its diplomats to leave China over intrusive pandemic control measures. (Reuters)
Asia
- Region: The United States is making arrangements to recover an F-35C warplane which fell into the South China Sea last week. (Reuters)
- Australia: The navy’s largest ship docked at Tonga and was allowed by local authorities to unload humanitarian supplies despite crew members being infected with COVID-19. (AP)
- Hong Kong: A court ruled that trans people will not be allowed to have their gender officially recognized on their identity documents unless they undergo sex reassignment surgery. (AFP)
- North Korea: Researchers said the internet may have been hit by a second wave of outages in as many weeks, possibly caused by a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack. (Reuters)
- South Korea: The country’s daily COVID-19 cases exceeded 13,000, over 50% more than yesterday’s record high of over 8,000. (Yonhap)
Europe
- Region: The United States warned that Belarus would face a “decisive response” if it assists Russia in invading Ukraine. (RFE/RL)
- Austria: The country will end its lockdown for unvaccinated residents next Monday. (AP)
- Denmark: The government plans to lift its Covid restrictions on Feb 1, despite registering a record number of infections but with vaccine rates high. (AFP)
- Germany: Parliament is set to hold its first debate on a possible wide-ranging coronavirus vaccine mandate. (AP)
- Italy: Political parties will hold a third round of voting to elect a new head of state, but it is almost certain to be inconclusive. (Reuters)
Middle East
- Region: Israeli President Isaac Herzog will travel to the UAE and will meet Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan during the January 30-31 trip. (AlJazeera)
- Afghanistan: Women rallied in Kabul at a Taliban sanctioned protest endorsing their regime and calling on the West to unfreeze the nation’s assets. (AFP)
- Egypt: The US State Department approved $2.5 billion in sales of air defense radars and planes to the country. (Reuters)
- Lebanon: Human Rights Watch said one of its senior staff members was targeted last year with spyware designed by the Israeli hacker-for hire company NSO Group. (AP)
- Yemen: Forces of the internationally recognized government and their United Arab Emirates-backed partners swept through the strategic central province of Marib. (AP)
Tech & Communications
- Technology: Google announced plans to hire 200 engineers in Brazil as part of a global expansion plan prioritizing markets outside the United States. (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 26JAN22)
- Confirmed cases: 358,964,164
- Deaths: 5,617,767
- Countries with confirmed cases: 192
- Sourcing: John Hopkins University
- COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease: Global (as of 26JAN22)
Tomorrow’s Outlook (27JAN22)
- Global: International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
- Asia: Meeting between defense ministers of India, Malaysia, and the Philippines on trilateral maritime cooperation.
- Asia: Japan-US Aerospace Cooperation Seminar, virtual.
- Asia: India-Central Asia Summit, virtual.
- Honduras: Inauguration of President-elect Xiomara Castro.
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