WORLD
UN Head Warns Ukraine War Could Spill Out to Rest of Europe
From
americanmilitarynews.com –
UN chief fears world is heading toward a wider war
Excerpt:
The United Nations chief warned Monday that the world is facing a convergence of challenges “unlike any in our lifetimes” and expressed fear of a wider war as the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine approaches.
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said experts who surveyed the state of the world in 2023 set the Doomsday Clock at 90 seconds to midnight — the closest ever to “total global catastrophe,”
He pointed to the war in Ukraine, “runaway climate catastrophe, rising nuclear threats,” the widening gulf between the world’s haves and have-nots, and the “epic geopolitical divisions” undermining “global solidarity and trust.”
Greece’s Newly Re-Elected PM Faces “Impeachment”
From
www.courthousenews.com –
‘Greek Watergate’ looms over reelection of tarnished prime minister – Courthouse News Service
Excerpt:
The “Greek Watergate,” as the scandal engulfing the prime minister and his government has been dubbed, is leaving a glaring hole in Mitsotakis’ sunny assurances he’s the steady-handed financial and political savior of Greece, the debt-burdened “sick man of Europe.”
As scandals go, this Watergate-like case of alleged government corruption and abuse of power is a slow-drip affair: For the past year, each month has brought to light more evidence of Mitsotakis’ likely knowledge and possible involvement in the surveillance of opposition politicians, journalists, government ministers, military officers, allies, prosecutors and others.
“Mitsotakis was very keen to project a new image of Greece: liberal, progressive,” said Wolfango Piccoli, an analyst with Teneo, a London-based political risk firm. “It did him well until this scandal exploded.”
Syrian Kurds Plead for Mercy from Turks After Earthquake Devastation
From
anfenglish.com –
Afrin and Shehba Autonomous Administration calls on Damascus to lift embargo
Excerpt:
Afrin and Shehba Cantons Democratic Autonomous Administration members made a statement demanding to end the embargo imposed by the Damascus government to allow aid to reach the earthquake victims.
Co-chair Cemal Reşid read the statement made in the Serdem Camp square in Ehdas district.
Reşid expressed his condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the earthquake and wished the injured a speedy recovery. He said that the citizens living in the Afrin region suffered a lot from the earthquake and added that 10 people were injured, 2 of them seriously, in Shehba. The injured were taken to hospitals in Aleppo.
Myanmar’s Interrogation Center Chief Now Deputy Home Affairs Minister
From
myanmar-now.org –
Officer in charge of Myanmar’s interrogation centres named deputy home affairs minister
Excerpt:
Myanmar’s junta has appointed Maj-Gen Toe Yi, the military intelligence official responsible for running the country’s notorious interrogation centres, as its new deputy minister for home affairs.
The deputy chief of the Office of the Chief of Military Security Affairs (OCMSA) was handed his new position last Friday, a day after his predecessor, Maj-Gen Soe Tint Naing, was reappointed to his former military duties.
The OCMSA, also known by it Burmese acronym Sa Ya Pa, was formed in 2004 as the successor to the Directorate of Defence Services Intelligence, the military intelligence agency disbanded following the ouster of its leader, Khin Nyunt.
UK Balks at Ukraine Requests for Fighter Jets
From
www.urdupoint.com –
London Will Not Send Fighter Jets To Kiev If This Threatens UK – Reports
Excerpt:
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik – 09th February, 2023) London will not transfer fighter jets to Kiev, if it could affect the security of United Kingdom, The Telegraph reported on Thursday, citing 10 Downing Street.
On Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a speech in UK Parliament, asked the country to supply fighter jets to Kiev.
“Of course we would never do anything that would put UK safety at risk,” a representative of Sunak’s office, was quoted as saying by the newspaper.
The official added that the UK has “significant numbers of Typhoons and F-35s,” but the issue of the delivery of these types of aircraft to Ukraine should not be speculated on.
Sudan Cracks Down on Pro-Democracy Artists
From
amp.france24.com –
Pro-democracy artists in crosshairs of Sudan’s junta
Excerpt:
When the 2019 revolution began in Sudan, paintings touting democracy and freedom appeared at sit-ins. These paintings made a strong impression on the young generation, who discovered a new means of expression after decades of censorship under Omar al-Bashir. After the military seized power in a coup d’état in October 2021, artists continued to express their thirst for freedom. Since then, they have been resisting peacefully, with demonstrations in the streets of Khartoum and artistic creations. But they face repression from the junta of General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan. Our regional correspondents report.
Foreign Troops Prepare to Leave Libya as Civil War Winds Down
From
finance.yahoo.com –
UPDATE 1-Libyan military committee agrees coordination on foreign forces departure
Excerpt:
TUNIS, Feb 8 (Reuters) – Libya’s “5+5” military committee of officers from both main sides of the civil war has agreed on a coordination mechanism for the withdrawal of foreign forces in liaison with neighbouring Sudan and Niger, the United Nations said on Wednesday.
The procedural step would allow for joint coordination and data exchange to facilitate the full withdrawal of mercenaries and foreign fighters from Libya, the U.N. Libya envoy Abdoulaye Bathily announced after a meeting in Egypt.
However, any more concrete moves to pull out the hundreds of foreign fighters believed to be present in Libya after joining different sides in the conflict still face major political obstacles.
China Urges West not to Win with Ukraine
From
www.msn.com –
China weighs in on the war in Ukraine, pushing Europe to stop trying to get Kyiv a ‘complete victory’ over Russia – msnNOW
Excerpt:
- China warned the West against pushing for Ukraine’s “complete victory” over Russia.
- “We are quite concerned about the possible escalation of this conflict,” China’s diplomat to the EU said.
- The Chinese diplomat said Beijing believes negotiations would be a better route forward.
The Chinese government has largely avoided taking strong public stances on Russia’s war in Ukraine, but Beijing’s ambassador to the EU expressed concern on Wednesday about Western support for Kyiv. He also threw cold water on the idea the conflict has any connection to Taiwan, a sticking point for China.
Macron Worried Russia-China Ties Could Freeze Out France
From
www.express.co.uk –
Macron warned he will ‘lose out’ trade deals to China as Putin undermines France | World | News
Excerpt:
Emmanuel Macron has been warned Russia’s influence on African states may help China gain trade partnerships at the expense of France. The French President‘s decision to withdraw troops from Mali opened a window of opportunities for Russian President Vladimir Putin to spread anti-Western propaganda in the African continent, which in turn will aid China to gain more trading powers, according to Dr Stepan Stepanenko.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov pledged military support to Mali during his first visit to the West African nation on Tuesday and dismissed criticism of Moscow’s growing influence on the continent.
He told Express.co.uk: “Russian moves to arm Mali are undoubtedly an affront to the attempts and prospects of peaceful developments for the African state. With Lovrov’s comment on the “racist essence of [Josep Borrell’s] vision of the world”, it is evident that Russia is not only looking to gain friends in Africa but to discredit the West.
Philippines and Japan Move to Form Common Defense Alliance
From
www.thedefensepost.com –
Philippines’ Marcos Strikes Defense, Infrastructure Deals in Tokyo
Excerpt:
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos hailed new defense and other deals signed with Japan in Tokyo on Thursday, as the nations seek to deepen ties, including on security in response to growing Chinese military pressure.
The countries agreed on measures to speed up military deployments for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.
They also signed several other deals, ranging from infrastructure loans to cooperation on agriculture and technology.
“After our meeting, I can confidently say that our strategic partnership is stronger than ever, as we navigate together the rough waters buffeting our region,” Marcos said following talks with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
100-Year-Old Conflict the Fruit of Politicians, Says Ghana’s Military College Dean
From
www.ghanaweb.com –
Blame politicians for the Bawku conflict – Vladimir Antwi-Danso – GhanaWeb
Excerpt:
Dean of the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Professor Vladimir Antwi-Danso has accused politicians of igniting the Bawku conflict despite severe repercussions for peace and order.
Professor Antwi-Danso claims that due to the political character of the problem, the war has been ongoing for more than 100 years with decreasing chances of achieving a lasting resolution.
He pointed out that the matter remains difficult to resolve because the two feuding factions are politically aligned, which makes it very challenging for the security authorities to restore calm in the region.
Latvia Moves to Limit “Minority Language” Education
From
www.devdiscourse.com –
Legislative changes in Latvia to limit minority language education could constitute discrimination
Excerpt:
Recent legislative changes in Latvia to limit education in the country’s minority languages are contrary to human rights standards and could constitute discrimination, UN experts* said today.
In 2022, Latvia formulated and adopted a legislation amending the country’s education system that requires all pre-school and school institutions – including bilingual institutions and those operating in minority languages to transition to instruction exclusively in Latvian.
The law aims at transitioning the language of instruction in schools and preschool institutions to be only in Latvian by September 2025 – starting with preschools and school grades 1, 4 and 7 as of September 2023.
