Daily News Brief

February 10, 2023

Top of the Agenda

Russian missiles and drones targeted infrastructure sites (Reuters) across Ukraine today, damaging power facilities in six regions and prompting blackouts. One missile flew over Moldova (WaPo), where the prime minister resigned shortly afterward (AP), citing factors including “crises caused by Russian aggression in Ukraine.” The missile came within twenty-two miles (thirty-five kilometers) of the border of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member Romania, Bucharest said. 

Ukraine’s air force said it shot down (NYT) sixty-one cruise missiles and five drones in these attacks, which come a day after Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy visited Europe to request further military aid from the West. Meanwhile, Kyiv said Moscow has begun a long-anticipated offensive in Ukraine’s east, just two weeks ahead of the war’s one-year mark.

Analysis

“[Moldova] has come under intense pressure since the start of Russia’s invasion,” Bloomberg’s Irina Vilcu and Andra Timu write. “Moldova’s vulnerable position has stoked worries that the country could also be overrun if Russia sought to link the breakaway region of Transnistria, formally recognized as part of Moldova, to Moscow-controlled territories.”

“Romania says that a Russian missile was close to entering its territory. While Moldova has faced semi-frequent spillover from Russian infrastructure strikes, it is clear that the threat to NATO from these attacks extends beyond Poland,” Samuel Ramani of the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies tweets.

Pacific Rim

In Tokyo, the leaders of the two countries pledged to “further advance defense cooperation” (Nikkei) and signed a deal that is expected to lead to an agreement that makes it easier for Japanese troops to join disaster response and military drills in the Philippines.

China: An International Monetary Fund (IMF) report urged China (SCMP) to abandon its “investment-led, carbon-intensive” growth model in favor of one that focuses on consumption or risk missing out on potential growth.

This Backgrounder looks at China’s investments abroad through its Belt and Road Initiative.

South and Central Asia

The regulator is investigating links between the troubled Adani Group conglomerate and at least two Mauritius-based firms to see if Adani violated Indian securities law, unnamed sources told Reuters. 

Pakistan: After ten days of talks in Islamabad, officials agreed to IMF terms (Al Jazeera) that condition the release of $1.1 billion in critical financial aid.

This In Brief explains why the IMF bailout won’t be the end of Pakistan’s economic woes.

Middle East and North Africa

The two are preparing to sign a ten-year deal that would supply Germany with liquefied natural gas from Oman as the European country seeks to diversify its supplies away from Russia, Reuters reported.

U.S./Saudi Arabia: U.S. soccer star Alex Morgan criticized the Saudi tourism authority’s plans (AP) to sponsor the women’s World Cup this summer, pointing to Riyadh’s poor record on women’s rights. The Australian and New Zealand soccer federations have also denounced the possible sponsorship deal. 

Sub-Saharan Africa

As the country endures persistent blackouts, the declaration will exempt critical industries from power cuts and allow the government to accelerate electricity projects (NYT). President Cyril Ramaphosa also announced plans to appoint a minister of electricity.

Burkina Faso/Guinea/Mali: Foreign ministers from the three countries called for reentry (AFP) into the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union. Since 2020, all three countries have experienced coups that resulted in their suspension from the blocs.

Europe

Russia plans to cut its oil output (Bloomberg) by five hundred thousands barrels per day beginning next month. Delegates from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its oil-producing partner countries, a grouping known as OPEC+, signaled that they will not boost production to counter the loss. 

Americas

The release, negotiated by U.S. diplomats (NYT), will allow the ex-detainees to enter the United States and apply for asylum. The U.S. State Department said the move was an opening for further dialogue between the countries, while a Nicaraguan judge denounced the former prisoners (Politico) as traitors being “deported.” 

U.S./Brazil: Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is in Washington today for a meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden. Lula is expected to propose a “peace club” of nations that would work to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine, Folha de S.Paulo reported.

This webinar discusses Lula’s presidency and the future of Brazil.

United States

The estimate from the Associated Press and Stanford University comprises public school students from twenty-one states. None of the students moved out of state, switched to private schools, or began homeschooling.

Friday Editor’s Pick

The New York Times Magazine follows a U.S. legal case that raises the question of whether thwarting domestic terrorism is worth infringing on liberties such as freedom of speech.

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