World Briefing: February 23, 2025
Unprecedented Russian Drone Attacks Strike Multiple Regions in Ukraine
Germany Holds Landmark Elections as Voters Head to the Polls
Pope Francis Remains in Critical Condition
Polls have opened in Germany's parliamentary election that was brought forward by the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz' ruling coalition in November. The conservative CDU/CSU alliance under Friedrich Merz has been consistently polling at first place, with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) at second place and the ruling Social Democrats (SPD) under current Chancellor Olaf Scholz coming in third. CDU leader and frontrunner for chancellor Friedrich Merz held a final rally ahead of Sunday's elections, where he promised to be a "strong voice in the European Union. He told supporters: "Europe must become stronger again and Germany must become more involved in the European Union. He said that US President Donald Trump back, Europe must "sit at the main table and safeguard our interests vis-a-vis Russia and China."
On the eve of the 3rd year mark of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, 267 drones targeted the county - the most in a single day, officials said. Of those, 138 were intercepted. The drones were launched towards at least 13 regions, including Odesa, Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia. Images circulating on official social media channels showed substantial damage, particularly to private property. Deaths and injuries have been reported
The Holy See press office issued the following statement Saturday regarding the deteriorating health of Pope Francis, describing it as “critical” and the pontiff “not out of danger.” It said: “The condition of the Holy Father continues to be critical. Therefore, as explained yesterday, the Pope is not out of danger. This morning, Pope Francis experienced an asthma-like respiratory crisis of prolonged intensity, which required the administration of high-flow oxygen. Today's blood tests also revealed thrombocytopenia, associated with anemia, which required the administration of blood transfusions. The Holy Father remains alert and spent the day in an armchair, although he is more uncomfortable than yesterday. At the moment, the prognosis remains guarded.”
Israel will postpone the release of Palestinian prisoners until additional Israeli hostage releases are secured, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) announced on Saturday night. The PMO cited Hamas's repeated violations of the ceasefire-hostage deal as the reason for the postponement. Hamas on Sunday condemned Israel's decision, saying its claim that the hostages' handover ceremonies are "humiliating" was false and a pretext to evade Israel's obligations under the Gaza ceasefire agreement. The release of Palestinian prisoners is expected to take place when the next round of hostages are released - Jerusalem Post
London will unveil a significant package of sanctions against Russia on February 24, the anniversary of the start of Moscow’s full-scale war with Ukraine, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said on February 23. It will be the largest package against Russia since the early days of the war, he said. They will be aimed at “eroding their military machine and reducing revenues fueling the fires of destruction in Ukraine," Lammy said in a statement. “This is also the time to turn the screws on [President Vladimir] Putin's Russia," Lammy said. He reiterated Britain's military backing for Kyiv, which includes a pledge to provide £3 billion ($3.78 billion) annually and its readiness to provide British troops as part of peacekeeping forces if necessary. "Off the battlefield, we will work with the U.S. and European partners to achieve a sustainable, just peace, and in doing so, remaining clear that there can be nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine," Lammy added - RFE/RL
Recently fired US Agency for International Development (USAID) staff scrawled messages on boxes full of their personal belongings Friday — and several ex-employees were seen beaming as they were cheered on by supporters on their last day in the office. “You can take the humanitarians out of USAID but you can’t take the humanity out of the humanitarians,” read one upbeat message on a former worker’s box that held a large plant among other items. “We are abandoning the world,” read another note on the container of a different ex-federal employee’s belongings - NY Post
The Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) has announced that it has put off its annual fundraising dinner after at least two suspicious cancellations at local hotels. The delay was announced after the Eaton HK Hotel unexpectedly canceled the reservation without any explanation, the Hong Kong Standard reported. This follows a previous incident reported on Monday by the HKJA, in which the Regal Hongkong Hotel also canceled the venue booking for the same event, citing a "water leakage causing unstable power supply." The HKJA rescheduled their gala to Monday (Feb 24) at Eaton HK Hotel in response to the cancellation. However, it received a notification yesterday (Feb 19) from the hotel that the booking was canceled without any reason given. It is the second consecutive cancellation of bookings for the HKJA annual fundraising dinner this year, despite having paid deposits and signed contracts with both venues. The South China Morning Post reported that the HKJA has faced mounting political pressure in recent years. Last June, Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung called the HKJA an organisation “with no recognition” and said it had stood with the “black-clad violent mob” during the 2019 anti-government unrest. In September, the HKJA said dozens of reporters, their family members and employers, as well as neighbours and landlords, had been harassed in what it described as a “systematic attack against media workers”.
The Foreign Correspondents’ Club, Hong Kong has issued the following statement, voicing concern about the repeated cancellations of the Hong Kong Journalists Association’s (HKJA) annual fundraising gala by the host venues, and their implications for press freedom in the city. “HKJA is a non-profit organisation that advocates press freedom and supports journalists and journalism in Hong Kong. If this trend of cancellations were to continue, it risks tarnishing Hong Kong’s image as an international business and financial centre.”
Read my Air Mail feature here
Russia has killed 97 media workers in Ukraine in the three years since the start of the full-scale invasion, according to the monitoring study of Russia's crimes against journalists and the media. Over this period, 12 journalists died while reporting, 72 were killed in action as combatants, and 13 died by Russian shelling or torture. At least 30 civilian Ukrainian media workers are illegally held in Russian custody. There have been recorded at least 127 cases of death threats and intimidation of journalists and the media in the three years of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine. Russia is also responsible for at least 100 cyber attacks on Ukrainian news websites.
The United Nations Security Council on Friday called on Rwanda's military to stop supporting the M23 rebel group in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and immediately withdraw all troops from Congolese territory "without preconditions." The 15-member council unanimously adopted a French-drafted resolution urging the DRC and Rwanda to return to diplomatic talks to achieve a lasting peaceful resolution. The M23 has captured the two largest cities in eastern Congo, stoking fears of a wider war. Rwanda denies allegations from Congo and the U.N. that it supports the M23 with arms and troops. It says it is defending itself against Hutu militias which it accuses of fighting alongside the Congolese military - France 24
With no passengers and no planes, Pakistan’s newest and most expensive airport is a bit of a mystery. Entirely financed by China to the tune of $240 million, it’s anyone’s guess when New Gwadar International Airport will open for business. Located in the coastal city of Gwadar and completed in October 2024, the airport is a stark contrast to the impoverished, restive southwestern Balochistan province around it. For the past decade, China has poured money into Balochistan and Gwadar as part of a multibillion dollar project that connects its western Xinjiang province with the Arabian Sea, called the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor or CPEC. Authorities have hailed it as transformational but there’s scant evidence of change in Gwadar. The city isn’t connected to the national grid — electricity comes from neighboring Iran or solar panels — and there isn’t enough clean water. An airport with a 400,000 passenger capacity isn’t a priority for the city’s 90,000 people. “This airport is not for Pakistan or Gwadar,” said Azeem Khalid, an international relations expert who specializes in Pakistan-China ties. “It is for China, so they can have secure access for their citizens to Gwadar and Balochistan.” - AP
