Morning Brief: Clinton to meet Lavrov

Top Story

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will attempt to “press the reset button” on U.S.-Russian relations when she meets her Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Brussels. Items on the agenda include nuclear proliferation and energy as well as American missile defense plans, on which President Barack Obama recently signaled a willingness to compromise in exchange for Russian cooperation on Iran.

Russia’s foreign ministry says they are awaiting the talks with “cautious optimism.” In an interview with the BBC, Clinton vowed to “seek areas of cooperation” but said that improved U.S.-Russian relations would not affect U.S. support for NATO allies.

Clinton also announced an overture to an even more hostile rival on Thursday when she revealed that Iran had been invited to participate in an upcoming summit on Afghanistan. 

Europe

Ukrainian investigators were thwarted in their attempt to raid the offices of state energy company Naftogaz by supporters of Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.

U.S. President Barack Obama will make his first trip abroad to Europe at the end of the month. He will visit England, France, Germany and the Czech Republic.

A war between drug gangs has disturbed the peace in Copenhagen, one of the world’s safest cities.

Middle East

Amnesty International condemned Israel’s destruction of Palestinian property during the invasion of Gaza as a violation of international law.

Iran has promised to free imprisoned American journalist Roxana Saberi soon.

Britain is reestablishing diplomatic contact with the political wing of Hezbollah.

Africa

The United Nations has condemned Sudanese President Omar al Bashir’s decision to expel aid groups in retaliation for his indictment by the ICC.

Two prominent Kenyan human rights activists were murdered in Nairobi on Thursday night.

Mauritania is expelling the staff of Israel’s embassy in protest of the invasion of Gaza.

Asia

The U.S. is finalizing a deal to use Tajikistan for the transport of cargo into Afghanistan.

An Indian CEO made the winning bid in a controversial auction of Mahatma Gandhi’s personal items. 

South Korean airlines were forced to reroute flights after North Korea declared it could not guarantee their safety.

Americas

Another top Cuban official has been ousted in Raul Castro’s leadership shakeup.

Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez nationalized a U.S.-owned rice mill.

The Colombian supreme court has recently blocked the extradition to the U.S. of several FARC guerillas involved in the kidnapping of American citizens.

JOHN THYS/AFP/Getty Images