Morning Brief: On to NATO
Top Story After reaching a deal at the G-20 that pledged $1.1 trillion to help economies struggling with the financial crisis, Barack Obama and his European counterparts head to the NATO summit in Strasbourg, France, where the U.S. president will try to sell U.S. allies on his plan for Afghanistan. While vocally supportive of the ...
Top Story
Top Story
After reaching a deal at the G-20 that pledged $1.1 trillion to help economies struggling with the financial crisis, Barack Obama and his European counterparts head to the NATO summit in Strasbourg, France, where the U.S. president will try to sell U.S. allies on his plan for Afghanistan.
While vocally supportive of the U.S. strategy, NATO members have been reluctant to pledge more troops to the fight. For now, NATO has only agreed to send a new 300 member corps to train Afghan police.
NATO is celebrating its 60 anniversary this year. French President Nicolas Sarkozy recently announced that his country was returning to full membership in the alliance for the first time since the 1960s. NATO plans to announce a new secretary general at this meeting, though the choice remains unclear.
Asia
North Korea is finalizing its preparations to launch a missile, perhaps on Saturday.
A fierce battle near Kabul left 12 militants dead.
Thai and Cambodian soldiers fired on each other in a brief border skirmish.
Middle East
New Israeli foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman was questioned by police in connection with a fraud and bribery investigation.
Fatah and Hamas have once again suspended their reconciliation talks in Cairo.
A South African judge will lead the U.N. investigation into alleged war crimes in Gaza.
Europe
The Euro rose on the European Central Bank’s decision yesterday to cut interest rates.
France has agreed to accept one whole prisoner from Guantanamo Bay.
Nearly eight months after fighting ended, Russian troops are still in Georgia.
Americas
Mexican police captured drug lord Vicente Carrillo Leyva, a leader of Juarez cartel.
663,000 Americans lost their jobs last month.
Former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich has been indicted on corruption charges.
Africa
South Africa will issue permits for Zimbabwean refugees to stay in the country for six months.
Sudan’s government has pushed general elections back a year to 2010
In other news, a Malawian judge has rejected Madonna’s adoption request.
SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images
Joshua Keating is a former associate editor at Foreign Policy. Twitter: @joshuakeating
More from Foreign Policy
America Is a Heartbeat Away From a War It Could Lose
Global war is neither a theoretical contingency nor the fever dream of hawks and militarists.
The West’s Incoherent Critique of Israel’s Gaza Strategy
The reality of fighting Hamas in Gaza makes this war terrible one way or another.
Biden Owns the Israel-Palestine Conflict Now
In tying Washington to Israel’s war in Gaza, the U.S. president now shares responsibility for the broader conflict’s fate.
Taiwan’s Room to Maneuver Shrinks as Biden and Xi Meet
As the latest crisis in the straits wraps up, Taipei is on the back foot.
Sign up for World Brief
FP’s flagship evening newsletter guiding you through the most important world stories of the day, written by Alexandra Sharp. Delivered weekdays.
By submitting your email, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use and to receive email correspondence from us. You may opt out at any time.