Syria’s national dialogue. Hundreds of Syrians are in Damascus today for a conference on the country’s political future. They will produce recommendations for an interim government that is slated to take office on March 1. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, a U.S.-backed militia that controls much of the country’s northeast, was not invited; the interim government had demanded they disarm as a condition for participating.
Europe’s AI weather forecaster. The region’s intergovernmental weather center debuted an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered model that it says is around 20 percent more accurate than conventional systems. While private tech companies have also been experimenting with AI for weather predictions—Google launched a new model in December—the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts said its system will be distinct by making global predictions available for free. It operates more quickly and with less energy than traditional physics-based models.
Taiwan detains Chinese crew. Taiwan’s coast guard detained the Chinese crew of a Togolese-registered cargo ship after a nearby underwater cable was severed, saying it is investigating the incident for potential “gray-zone harassment.” A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said he was not familiar with the matter and it was not “related to China’s diplomacy.” Taiwan as well as Baltic governments have probed suspected cases of sabotaging subsea cables in recent months.
Vietnam’s booming export growth. Vietnam exports rose 13.8 percent last year, surpassing comparable Southeast Asian economies. Malaysia’s exports grew 5.6 percent, Thailand’s 5.4 percent, and Indonesia’s 2.3 percent, according to official data. Vietnam has become a top beneficiary of companies shifting their supply chains away from China.
DRC cobalt controls. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the world’s largest cobalt producer, said it is halting those exports for four months in response to “overabundance of supply on the international market.” Cobalt is a main ingredient in electric car batteries. Global prices in real terms for standard-grade cobalt have fallen to their lowest level in a century, a top pricing agency said. DRC officials said they will review their stance in three months.
Rethinking Germany’s debt brake. Freidrich Merz, whose center-right alliance won Germany’s Sunday elections, is consulting with the current legislature to explore lifting the country’s debt limit to allow for more military spending. Merz shied away from discussing changing the debt brake during the election. The vote delivered enough seats to groups opposed to lifting the debt limit for military spending that they could block such a measure in the new parliament, but the new members will not take office until after March 24.
Oversight policy on U.S. arms rescinded. The Trump administration repealed a February 2024 policy that required countries receiving U.S.-made weapons to give written assurances they would not use them to violate international humanitarian law and would help with the delivery of U.S. aid, according to an order seen by the Washington Post. Supporters of the policy said it pressured Israel to allow aid into Gaza. The White House, State Department, and Defense Department did not immediately comment.
Bangladesh-Pakistan trade breakthrough. The countries resumed direct bilateral trade for the first time since Bangladesh won independence from Pakistan in 1971. Relations have warmed under Bangladesh’s interim government of Muhammad Yunus, who was appointed after protests ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina last August. Hasina and previous Bangladeshi rulers preferred to maintain close ties with India and more distant relations with Pakistan.
