99 Spy Balloons Go By

Start your day smarter with the most important world news, plus intriguing and offbeat stories. www.ozy.com [OZY]( [OZY]() Your World. Bold & Bright [Presidential Daily Brief]( Start your day smarter with a dossier on the most important world news, rounded off with a shot of intriguing and offbeat stories. Like the president, you deserve no less. Feb 09, 2023 Today The U.S. shared intel that Chinese spy balloons also targeted dozens of other countries. Turkish lawmakers pointed fingers over who’s to blame for the worsening humanitarian crisis. The U.K. committed to training Ukrainian pilots during Zelenskyy’s trip to London. And North Korea celebrated its military’s 75th anniversary with a parade of hardware. All this and more in today’s PDB. IMPORTANT Up, Up and Away US Shares Intel on Worldwide Chinese Spy Balloon Program The unmanned aircraft have been spotted at least four times in U.S. airspace in recent years, but also across much of the world. Central and South America, Southeast and East Asia and Europe have all been targets of prying by Beijing’s surveillance program, Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder said Wednesday. Speaking in Washington, Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed the State Department had shared its findings with dozens of countries: “We’re doing so because the United States was not the only target of this broader program, which has violated the sovereignty of countries across five continents.” (Sources: [NYT](, [The Hill](, [WaPo]() Fractured Erdoğan Concedes Some Earthquake Mistakes, Syria Struggles Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said the country’s handling of the devastating earthquakes is now “under control” after survivors complained of a slow response and opposition figure Kemal Kilicdaroglu placed the blame on the president. “In a period like this, I cannot stomach people conducting negative campaigns,” Erdoğan responded. Meanwhile, operations supplying aid to Syria via Turkey — which have ferried much-needed supplies to around 4 million Syrians since the early stages of the war in 2014 — have been temporarily halted amid the rubble. With many roads inaccessible or destroyed, the United Nations is “exploring all avenues to reach people in need.” (Sources: [BBC](, [Reuters]() Delayed Departure No Jets Yet for Zelenskyy on Surprise Trip to UK Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy may have forced British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s hand in a surprise address to Parliament Wednesday — only his second known trip abroad since Russia invaded Ukraine a year ago. “We have freedom. Give us wings to protect it,” Zelenskyy urged the House of Commons. Sunak, who previously opposed sending jets to Ukraine, said “nothing was off the table.” He added that donating British planes is “part of the conversation” during a joint press conference, but training pilots is the first step, while jets are a “long-term” idea. Sunak asked the Defense Ministry to look into Zelenskyy’s request. (Sources: [The Guardian](, [Politico]() Best in Show North Korea Parades Missiles, Kim’s Daughter in Military Celebrations Leader Kim Jong Un didn’t address the Pyongyang event celebrating the 75th anniversary of the country’s military Wednesday, state-run media reported, but satellite imaging showed intercontinental ballistic missiles and a tactical nuclear unit on display. A record 22,000 spectators watched as Kim was flanked by his wife, Ri Sol Ju, and their young daughter, sparking further speculation that the child has been tapped as an eventual successor to the Kim dynasty. His “beloved” daughter — believed to be second child Kim Ju Ae, who is around 9 years old — joined Kim at a banquet with high-ranking military officials Tuesday evening. (Sources: [Kyodo](, [CNN]() Briefly Here are some things you should know about today: Deal? Pakistan is wrapping up 10 days of intensive talks with the International Monetary Fund amid a deepening economic crisis. Annual inflation reached 27% in recent weeks as manufacturing plummeted. (Source: [BBC]() Going offline. Australia is following the U.S. and the U.K. in banning some Chinese surveillance cameras in government buildings. Two companies with links to the Chinese government supplied over 900 cameras in 250 government buildings. (Source: [DW]() Back online. Access to Twitter in Turkey has been restored after the social network was suddenly restricted. Activists and opposition figures said the platform has been vital in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake. (Source: [Reuters]() INTRIGUING Digging In Brazil Raids Illegal Mining Operations on Indigenous Land President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva promised during last year’s election to defend the Yanomami people after a string of violent clashes with “wildcat” gold miners. Yanomami leaders blame illegal mining for malnutrition, the spread of diseases and rising violence in Brazil’s largest Indigenous reservation. “This is the worst moment of invasion since the reservation was established 30 years ago,” rights group Hutukara Yanomami Association explained. This week government agents destroyed illegal mining infrastructure and confiscated fuel and boats — a sharp reversal of former President Jair Bolsonaro’s policy of Amazon development, which the Yanomami people blame for the increased mining. (Source: [Al Jazeera]() Hung Up UK Weighs Making It Illegal to Own or Sell Encrypted Phones A proposal from the Home Office would criminalize “making, modifying, supply, offering to supply and possession of articles for use in serious crime” — targeting encrypted phones as well as pill presses and templates for 3D printing firearms. The government is looking at “bespoke” devices that create “​​considerable barriers” to law enforcement. But some worry the broad wording could criminalize legitimate use. Legal expert Ioannis Kouvakas said, “It is difficult to see how it will not result in targeting devices used on a daily [basis] by human rights defenders, protesters and pretty much all of us who want to keep our data secure.” (Source: [Vice]() Uncomfortably Numb Ousted Pink Floyd Co-Founder Blames Ukraine in UN Address Fans have heard similar comments before from Roger Waters, but the remarks made to the U.N. Security Council — at Moscow’s invitation — have stunned. While Waters condemned Russia’s invasion, he blamed both sides: “The Russian invasion of Ukraine was not unprovoked. So I also condemn the provocateurs in the strongest possible terms.” Sergiy Kyslytsya, Ukraine’s ambassador to the U.N., responded, “How sad for his former fans to see him accepting the role of just a brick in the wall, a wall of Russian disinformation and propaganda.” Pink Floyd songwriter Polly Samson slammed Waters as “anti-Semitic” and “a Putin apologist.” (Source: [France24]() Congratulations! ‘Third Gender’ Birth Makes Trans History in India India officially recognized a “third gender” in 2014, but trans Indians still report discrimination. Now, nearly 10 years after legal recognition, a couple has made history with the first known biological birth from a transgender couple in the country. Zahad, a trans man who was born female, conceived with partner Ziya Paval, a trans woman who was born male, last year as they both underwent hormone replacement therapy. Zahad and the infant are doing well and resting at a government hospital in Kerala state. “I am so happy,” Paval said. “Today is the day I got to hold my baby.” (Source: [Reuters]() Olympic Loophole Russian, Belarusian Flags Won’t Fly in Paris, ‘Neutral’ Athletes OK There are no plans for “a Russian or Belarusian delegation” to compete in next year’s Paris Games, the International Olympic Committee confirmed Wednesday. That follows remarks by Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo demanding Russian and Belarusian athletes be banned. “It is not possible to parade as if nothing had happened, to have a delegation that comes to Paris while the bombs continue to rain down on Ukraine,” she said. Olympic bosses are exploring options for athletes that have condemned the war to compete as “neutral.” Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy has said all Russian and Belarusian athletes should be excluded from the event. (Source: [AP]() NOW STREAMING FROM OZY STUDIO COMMUNITY What else are you curious about? 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