KEY STORYLINES
- AFRICA: Ethiopian and Somali forces closed in on the Shebab-held Baidoa.
- AMERICAS: Venezuelan President Chavez revealed he will return to Cuba for cancer treatment.
- ASIA: South Korean President Lee accused North Korea of inciting division in South Korea.
- EUROPE: Abkhaz leader Ankvab was the target of an attempted assassination.
- MIDDLE EAST: Ayatollah Khamenei said Iran does not seek an atomic weapon.
- TECHNOLOGY: Major retailers abandoned Facebook shops – many within the first year.
TOP STORY
- Afghanistan: Anti-US protests continued for second day
- Five were killed, eleven wounded in a protest in Kabul.
- Protesters set fire to a housing complex where foreign contractors live.
- Demonstrations took place in Kabul and Jalalabad.
- Protesters chanted, “Death to America!”
- US Embassy in Kabul ordered a lock-down and suspended all travel.
- Coverage: AFP, Reuters, BBC, NYT
AFRICA
- Region: Ethiopian soldiers and Somali government forces closed in on the major Shebab-held stronghold of Baidoa. (AFP)
- Libya: Three people were killed and 25 injured in clashes between rival tribes in the far southeast of Libya. (Reuters)
- Nigeria: Gunshots and explosions rang out in Kano. (Reuters)
AMERICAS
- Region: Chile’s government said it will reopen the border with Peru following heavy rains. (AP)
- Haiti: Foreign diplomats, business leaders and top politicians scrambled to prevent a crisis between PM Conille and President Martelly. (Miami Herald)
- Venezuela: President Chavez revealed he will return to Cuba to remove a lesion, raising doubts about his viability for reelection. (AP)
ASIA
- Region: Indian security forces killed a high-ranking commander of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) separatist group in India-controlled Kashmir. (DPA)
- Australia: FM Rudd resigned amid speculation that he would challenge PM Gillard for her position. (AFP)
- Korea, Peninsula: South Korean President Lee said North Korea is inciting divisions within South Korea to influence elections. (AFP)
EUROPE
- Georgia: Gunmen shot at the vehicle of Abkhaz leader Ankvab in an apparent assassination attempt. (AFP)
- Hungary: The EU planned to withhold 495 million euros in development funds after the country failed to reduce its deficit. (AFP)
- Russia: The Federal Drug Control Service estimated there are five million drug addicts present in the country, 80% of whom are between 18-34. (Itar-Tass)
- Sweden: Wikileaks shifted its aim to releasing documents that focus on FM Bildt as a US informant, calling him a US spy. (AFP)
MIDDLE EAST
- Iran: Ayatollah Khamenei said his government is not seeking an atomic weapon. (AFP)
- Jordan: Two opposition groups called for constitutional reform in their country during a visit to Washington. (AFP)
- Syria: Two Western journalists were killed in shelling by Syrian regime forces in Homs. (AFP)
- Yemen: US Secretary Clinton praised Yemenis for the “important step” of voting. (AFP)
TECHNOLOGY AND COMMUNICATIONS
- Analytics: WhyIsFacebookInsightsNotWorking.com tracks the slowing pace of Facebook’s in-house analytic tools. (TechCrunch)
- Technology: Many of the large companies that began to operate on Facebook last year, have begun to close their operations on Facebook due to lack of revenue. (Mashable)
WORLD
- Cyclones: Tropical Cyclone 13S (Hilwa)
- Location: 350 NM E of Port Louis, Mauritius
- Movement: SSW at 04 knots
- Winds: 40 knots
- Map
- Hurricanes: Nothing to report.
- Earthquakes: Nothing to report.
- Volcanoes: Nothing to report.
TOMORROW’S OUTLOOK (23FEB)
- China: US envoy to North Korea, Glyn Davies, holds talks in Beijing and meets with North Korean First vice FM Gwan.
- Colombia: Anniversary of Ingrid Betancourt captured by the FARC – 2002.
- Japan: Colombian FM Holguin visits Japan to visit with FM Gemba.
- Pakistan: Deadline to finalize electoral rolls for March elections.
- United Kingdom: PM Cameron hosts anti-piracy conference in London.
- United States: Army PFC Manning to be arraigned at Fort Meade for WikiLeaks charges.
END
