KEY STORYLINES
- AFRICA: The Darfur rebel movement JEM released 49 members of UNAMID.
- AMERICAS: The Colombian National Liberation Army agreed to stop attacks if the government consents to talks.
- ASIA: Afghan ISAF commander apologized for US soldiers’ burning of Korans.
- EUROPE: UN special envoy urged Macedonia and Greece to solve their name disagreement.
- MIDDLE EAST: Yemen headed to the polls in an effort to replace President Saleh.
- TECHNOLOGY: Twitter paired up with Yandex for real-time search results.
TOP STORY
- Europe: Agreement reached on Greek bailout
- EU countries agreed to hand over 130 billion euros to Greece.
- The talks lasted over 12 hours.
- The markets climbed 0.7 percent within minutes of the news.
- Coverage: AP, Reuters, BBC, The Guardian
AFRICA
- Libya: The military chief said government forces will intervene if clashes between tribes persists. (Reuters)
- Sudan: The rebel Justice and Equality Movement released 49 members of the United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur. (Reuters)
- Tunisia: The third-largest party proposed a constitutional draft based on Islamic law, which is likely to alarm secularists. (Reuters)
AMERICAS
- Region: US Secretary Clinton pledged US cooperation in Mexico’s fight against transnational crime. (Xinhua)
- Colombia: The National Liberation Army offered to cease attacks if the government agrees to talks. (AP)
- Cuba: Deputy FM Barrera condemned Spanish FM Garcia-Margallo’s criticism of human rights in Cuba, calling it a “disrespectful interference.” (Xinhua)
ASIA
- Afghanistan: GEN Allen apologized for US troops’ burning of the Koran as a method of disposal and ordered an official investigation of the incident. (AFP, AP)
- Afghanistan: Taliban militants killed four civilians for spying for the government in Helmand. (Xinhua)
- Myanmar: The government promised to “seriously consider” allowing ASEAN poll observers for upcoming by-elections. (AFP)
EUROPE
- Region: The UN special envoy urged Macedonia and Greece to solve the disagreement over Macedonia’s name. (Xinhua)
- Belarus: President Lukashenko appointed MAJ GEN Pakhmelkin as commander of the Air Force and Troops of the Belarusian Armed Forces’ Air Defenses. (Interfax)
- United Kingdom: The Interior Ministry said Britain’s border agency will split in half following a security row where hundreds of thousands entered the country without proper checks. (AFP)
MIDDLE EAST
- Iran: Japan reduced its reliance on Iranian crude imports in an attempt to be exempt from US sanctions. (Reuters)
- Syria: German FM Westerwelle said the EU will probably adopt new sanctions against President Assad’s government. (Reuters)
- Yemen: Citizens headed for the polls to vote for President Saleh’s successor. (Xinhua)
TECHNOLOGY AND COMMUNICATIONS
- Technology: Twitter and Russian search engine Yandex agreed to a partnership that will allow Yandex to show new tweets in its search results almost instantly. (Reuters)
- Technology: Engagement Media Technologies provides backend services for citizen journalism, retail brand management, and intelligence and security operations. (Epicenter)
WORLD
- Cyclones: Tropical Cyclone 12S (Giovanna)
- Location: 410 NM SE of Antananarivo, Madagascar
- Movement: NNW at 07 knots
- Winds: 30 knots
- Map
- Cyclones: Tropical Cyclone 13S (Hilwa)
- Location: 410 NM E of Port Louis, Mauritius
- Movement: WSW at 08 knots
- Winds: 35 knots
- Map
- Hurricanes: Nothing to report.
- Earthquakes: Nothing to report.
- Volcanoes: Nothing to report.
TOMORROW’S OUTLOOK (22FEB)
- China: Tibetan New Year celebrated.
- Egypt: Shura council elections held.
- St. Lucia: Independence day celebrated – 1979.
END
