Domestic Politics
The United States Senate voted on Thursday to limit the President’s war powers. In a 55-45 vote, lawmakers approved a legislation that would require President Donald Trump to seek Congressional approval before engaging in further military action against Iran. The measure was sponsored by the Democrats and was supported by a significant number of Republicans, emphasizing that a majority in the Congress want to avoid war with Iran. [Vox]
More than 1,100 former American career prosecutors and political appointees–who have served in both, Democrat and Republican administrations –posted a statement on Sunday calling for the resignation of Attorney General William Barr, claiming that his actions have damaged the Department of Justice’s “reputation for integrity and the rule of law.” [CNN]
The Trump administration has announced plans to deploy highly trained tactical border control agents to "sanctuary cities" across the country to assist Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in boosting the number of arrests of undocumented immigrants. US Customs and Border Protection's (CBP) Border Patrol Tactical Unit (BORTAC) will be deployed to major cities including Los Angeles, Chicago and New York. [Al Jazeera]
Canadian PM Justin Trudeau is facing immense pressure from industries to remove crippling blockades of a planned gas pipeline through northern British Columbia, as talks between the government and indigenous protesters have failed to resolve the crisis. Senior government officials including Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller, who met with the Tyendinaga Mohawk First Nation in Ontario, said that both sides have made modest progress, but there remains no clear understanding of when the blockade might end. [Financial Times]
International Relations
US defence secretary Mark Esper cast China as a rising threat to the world order in his address at the 2020 Munich Security Conference on Saturday. Esper said that the PRC topped the Pentagon’s list of potential adversaries, followed by Russia, North Korea, and Iran. This elicited a strong response from Beijing, which accused Washington of engaging in a “smear campaign” against it. [Al Jazeera]
The United States has blacklisted and imposed sanctions on Sri Lanka’s army chief, Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva, over accusations of human rights violations including extrajudicial killings during the country's civil war. [Al Jazeera]
Health
The United States has evacuated 380 US citizens from the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship, which is moored at Yokohama, south of Tokyo. The evacuation began just hours after China’s national health commission announced that the coronavirus death toll in the country had risen to 1,765, with at least 70,400 infections. The 380 Americans will be taken to an air force base in California, while those who have been tested positive will remain in Japan for treatment. [The Guardian]
Business
The US is continuing its battle with China over trade and technology as it considers restricting GE engine sales for a new Chinese passenger jet–a move that could cast uncertainty over Beijing's efforts to enter the civil aviation market. The issue of limiting exports of US technology to China is expected to be discussed at an interagency meeting on Thursday and at President Trump’s cabinet meeting on February 28. [Al Jazeera]
Image Source: CNN