Vigils were held Friday in Hong Kong and Wuhan to mourn Li Wenliang, an ophthalmologist at Wuhan Central Hospital who sounded the alarm on the coronavirus, for which Chinese authorities attempted to silence him. Wenliang reportedly died this week after contracting the virus.
The big picture, per the New York Times' Li Yuan: "For many people in China, the doctor’s death shook loose pent-up anger and frustration at how the government mishandled the situation by not sharing information earlier and by silencing whistle-blowers."
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made their first public appearance since stepping back from their royal duties at a JPMorgan event in Miami on Thursday, reports the New York Post.
Why it matters: As part of their agreement with Buckingham Palace, Harry and Meghan agreed to forego their royal titles and stop receiving public funds — in line with the couple's announcement that they plan to become "financially independent." The BBC notes that Harry spoke at the event, but it was not confirmed whether he was paid to appear.
The White House confirmed in a statement on Thursday that an operation in Yemen killed Qassim al-Rimi, co-founder and leader of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.
Why it matters:Reports of Rimi's death via an airstrike circulated last weekend, but President Trump did not directly confirm the event. Al-Rimi had been a U.S. target for years, per the Washington Post, and was a deputy to standing al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri.
Bashar al-Assad’s Russia-backed offensive on Syria's northwestern enclave of Idlib — home to the last rebel-held areas — has forced some 150,000 civilians to flee over the past two weeks and led to direct clashes with Turkey.
Why it matters: David Miliband, CEO of the International Rescue Committee, tells Axios that the future of Idlib is being decided by an “arm wrestle between the Russians and the Turks” with “no U.S. engagement” and massive humanitarian consequences.
The Intercept reported Thursday that a Brazilian judge has declined to move forward with cybercrime charges against its co-founder Glenn Greenwald.
The backdrop: Brazilian prosecutors last month charged Greenwald — best known for publishing leaked documents from whistleblower Edward Snowden about U.S. domestic surveillance — for allegedly spreading cellphone messages that undermined the reputation of a sweeping anti-corruption investigation known as Operation Car Wash.
Vladimir Putin has gone to extreme lengths to control the flow of information in Russia, but there’s one step he hasn’t dared take: shutting down YouTube.
Why it matters: One of Putin’s first initiatives upon taking office 20 years ago was to bring Russia’s independent TV networks under his control. But YouTube has replaced TV in the news and entertainment diets of Russians under 30, and it's become the go-to platform for Putin’s critics, Russian journalist Andrey Loshak tells Axios.
The World Health Organization says it will host a “major meeting” with researchers and health agencies from around the world on Tuesday to address the novel coronavirus outbreak.
The goal: To set priorities and fast-track the development and evaluation of diagnostics, vaccines and treatments, plus ensure accessibility for vulnerable populations, the WHO said.
The Chinese doctor, who sounded the alarm on the potential of a deadly coronavirus outbreak, has died after contracting the virus. The Wuhan Central Hospital has confirmed his death, after there was a period of confusion in the media.
Why it matters: Li Wenliang, 34, was an ophthalmologist at Wuhan Central Hospital. In December he sent a warning to other physicians about the potential of a respiratory illness he had seen in several patients, per the Washington Post. Chinese authorities ordered him and other doctors to stop promulgating "rumors" about the SARS-like cases.
It's not just goods and services that cross international borders every day — it's people, too. But now the world is retreating into national shells, and the U.S. is leading the way in discouraging international travel.
Sergey Pavlovich Polozov says he was so surprised to find his name included in special counsel Robert Mueller’s indictments that he told himself it couldn’t be him — until he saw a more detailed document that included his date of birth.
Why it matters: Mueller’s indictment accused Polozov of providing “material and technological support” to the Internet Research Agency (IRA), the St. Petersburg-based “troll factory” on the front lines of Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election.
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta arrived in Washington, ahead of a visit today with President Trump, with a message: the U.S. and China should not see Africa as a battlefield to be conquered, AP reports.
What they're saying: Kenyatta stated on Wednesday that world powers are "behaving like Africa is for the taking. We don't want to be forced to choose...We must begin to look at Africa as the world's biggest opportunity, and I believe that you can dare to look at it with a fresh eye."
