More than five hundred civilians have died in Myanmar since the military seized power on February 1, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP). Today, protesters began throwing garbage (Guardian) onto the streets in a civil disobedience campaign, and three rebel groups pledged to fight (Al Jazeera) against the military if the killings continue.

International observers continue to condemn the situation in Myanmar, which saw its bloodiest day yet on Saturday. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on the junta to undergo a “democratic transition” (AFP) and urged a more united global response. The United States suspended trade ties (WSJ) with Myanmar established under a 2013 agreement, saying they will be reinstated when democracy is restored. Tomorrow, the UN Security Council will meet for a closed-door session on Myanmar.

China’s National People’s Congress Standing Committee approved an overhaul (Straits Times) of Hong Kong’s electoral system that will slash the number of lawmakers directly elected by the public and ensure potential officeholders are vetted by a new committee. The amendments take effect tomorrow.

This CFR Backgrounder explains Beijing’s crackdown on Hong Kong’s freedoms.

China: Human rights experts from the United Nations expressed “serious concerns” (OHCHR) about reported abuses, including forced labor, of Uyghur Muslims in China and said they have information tying more than 150 companies to such allegations. The experts called for unrestricted access to investigate.

Unidentified gunmen killed three women working for a polio vaccination campaign in the Afghan city of Jalalabad, TOLOnews reports. The murders occurred amid a five-day drive (Al Jazeera) to vaccinate millions of children against polio in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the only countries where the virus is endemic.

A cargo ship that ran aground in the Suez Canal, blocking the busy waterway for nearly a week, was freed yesterday (National), allowing hundreds of waiting vessels to begin transiting the canal. Suez Canal Authority Chairman Osama Rabie denied responsibility (Daily News Egypt) for the incident and pledged an investigation.

Syria: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken exhorted the UN Security Council (Al Jazeera) to reopen border crossings used to deliver aid to Syria. Russia has used its veto power to block such efforts in the past. Meanwhile, an international donor conference for Syria is underway.

This CFR photo essay looks at Syria’s descent into horror.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said his government will prioritize diplomacy with Africa and launched a new strategy (Politico) to fortify economic ties with various African countries. Sanchez is set to visit Angola and Senegal next week.

Mozambique: The self-proclaimed Islamic State claimed responsibility (Guardian) for a siege of the coastal town of Palma, saying that its militants killed dozens of local security force members and Christians. Soldiers and police reportedly regained control of most of the town, which is a hub for foreign workers.

European Union Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson visited Greece, where she urged further investigation (Al Jazeera) of allegations that the Greek coastguard has forced asylum seekers back to Turkey. Greece denies the accusation. Johansson also promised $326 million in EU funding for migrant camps on several Greek islands. Her visit triggered local backlash (Politico).

Belarus: Prosecutor General Andrei Shved announced that opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya is under investigation for terrorism (RFE/RL), alleging that she and others planned to stage attacks in several cities. Last week, Tikhanovskaya called for renewed protests against President Alexander Lukashenko.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro replaced six members of his cabinet, including his defense and foreign ministers, in his most sweeping ministerial reshuffle (BBC) since assuming office in 2019. Bolsonaro faces intense criticism as COVID-19 continues to devastate Brazil.

Mexico: Authorities announced that a Salvadoran woman died of a fractured spine (NYT) after a police officer knelt on her back in an incident caught on video. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador pledged to punish those responsible as he kicked off a UN summit on gender equality.

Amid mounting bilateral tensions, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said that President Joe Biden has no intention of “sitting” (Reuters) with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Psaki indicated Biden will take a different approach to North Korea than did former President Donald J. Trump, who met with Kim three times.

This CFR timeline chronicles U.S.-North Korea nuclear negotiations.

More than twenty world leaders and World Health Organization (WHO) Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus signed an op-ed (WHO) backing an effort to create a new treaty on pandemics (Politico) to improve responses to future health crises.