US <3 the world this Valentine's Day?

World leaders, politicians and spies are gathered in the Bavarian capital for the Munich Security Conference — a three-day event focused on security and foreign policy. [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [View in your browser]( [Top of The World]( World leaders are in Germany to discuss pressing global policy and security issues, with crises like the ongoing humanitarian situation in Syria top of mind. US envoys are also on trips to shore up US relationships abroad. Three senators head to Ukraine in the impeachment aftermath, while Secretary of State Mike Pompeo begins a trip to Africa. And artist Christine Sun Kim uses her art to channel "Deaf Rage" — a series of work focused on the frustration of living with deafness in a world geared toward hearing people. --------------------------------------------------------------- In the news today Munich Security Conference puts focus on world crises [Conference chairman Wolfgang Ischinger speaks during the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, Feb. 14, 2020.]( Credit: Michael Dalder/Reuters [World leaders, politicians and spies]( are gathered in the Bavarian capital for the Munich Security Conference — a three-day event focused on security and foreign policy. On the minds of attendees are conflicts and humanitarian crises in the Middle East and the continuing spread of COVID-19, the novel coronavirus, among other pressing issues. In opening remarks, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, deplored the US, China and Russia for making the world more dangerous, while conference chairman Wolfgang Ischinger pointed to the unstable global environment ahead of the event. "We have more crises, more serious crises, more horrific events than one can actually imagine," [Ischinger said](. The conference is also likely to underscore the continued schism in the post-war order and looming existential questions around NATO and the transatlantic relationship. Also: [Merkel succession crisis in Germany leaves Europe leaderless, too]( And: [Trump says ‘good chance’ of deal with Taliban]( 800,000 people displaced in Syria The escalation of [violence in Syria's Idlib province]( is likely to continue between Turkey and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces, as continued talks between Turkey and Russia has yet to lead to a ceasefire or de-escalation agreement. The humanitarian toll of the conflict is massive, with some 800,000 people displaced. Syria's refugee crisis has also left many women and children [vulnerable to exploitation and sex trafficking]( in Lebanon, where victims fall through the cracks of a broken system. More: [800,000 Syrians have fled in three months. This is what it looks like.]( Also: [Could reclaiming public space be key to ending Lebanon’s sectarian system?]( Can the US shore up long-distance relationships? Three US senators are meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksiy in Kyiv this Valentine's Day to offer assurances of American support for the country. Sens. Chris Murphy, (D-CT) and Ron Johnson, (R-WI) also traveled to Ukraine last September as Zelenskiy was dealing with a freeze on aid — a question at the center of the impeachment inquiry that began a few weeks later. Murphy and Johnson decided to return with John Barrasso (R-WY) once the impeachment process was over to underscore bipartisan support for Ukraine from Congress — and, Murphy said, to urge Zelenskiy to [ignore any political requests from Rudy Giuliani](, the president's personal laywer. But after all the heartbreak and scandal, can this [relationship be repaired](? Meanwhile, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo began a [trip to sub-Saharan Africa](, looking to counter growing Chinese influence in the region. More: [Five ways Pompeo could revive Trump's Africa strategy]( --------------------------------------------------------------- The Number in the News: 20,000 Verona, Italy, is filled with references to Romeo and Juliet, the city’s most famous literary residents. Tourists can pretend to be Juliet by standing on the balcony at what is said to be her 14th-century house. They can also write Juliet a letter. Each year, 20,000 people write in, asking for advice on life and love. They may be surprised to learn Juliet writes back. Hear how The Juliet Club began and who pens the letters in today’s episode of [The Number in the News](, The World’s daily smart speaker show. You’ll learn one number you won’t forget and why it’s the news today. [Click here]( to add The Number in the News to your Amazon or Google flash briefing and hear a new episode seven days a week. [ICE deported a trans asylum-seeker. She was killed in El Salvador.]( Camila Díaz, 29, was deported from the US, where she had sought asylum from violence she faced as a transgender person in her native El Salvador. Fourteen months later, she went missing — then, a friend found Díaz in a morgue. But hers is far from being the only case in which [an immigrant or asylum applicant was killed]( after having been deported. At least 138 people were killed after having been deported from the United States to El Salvador from 2013 to 2019, according to a [Human Rights Watch report](. The tally is likely much higher because many homicides aren’t reported, and neither the US nor the Salvadoran governments formally keep track of people after deportation. The report points to both the Salvadoran and the US governments as responsible for not doing enough to guarantee the safety of people who have fled their homes because of violence. [Artist Christine Sun Kim on ‘deaf rage,’ the Super Bowl and the power of sound]( [Christine Sun Kim discusses her artwork on exhibit at the MIT List Visual Arts Center.]( Credit: Steven Davy/The World [Artist Christine Sun Kim]( has used her art to channel much of her frustration on living with deafness in a world geared toward hearing people. She created a series of charcoal diagrams she calls “Deaf Rage.” And her current work, “Off the Charts," on display at Boston’s MIT List Visual Arts Center through April 12, depicts personal decisions she has made as a Deaf person via pie charts. “I always find that the best way to communicate with a wider audience who [is] not deaf is to use a format that people can easily understand,” Kim said. “It's like mathematical angles. How much rage [do] I have? You can see it in that size of the angle.” Friendly and expressive, Kim’s sense of humor is just as deadpan as her pie charts. Her art is not necessarily meant to fit a hearing person’s understanding of the world. But she said [it took her a while to learn that](. --------------------------------------------------------------- Love letters Glean some centuries-old inspiration for your Valentine's Day card this year. The writer of this [1818 note]( speaks of "not a wild and romantic love, which abates after a short acquaintance — but an affection which time increases rather than diminishes.” On the other hand, this [1797 card]( sent by Catherine Mossday to Mr. Brown of Dover Place in London, reads like a Jane Austen novel of unrequited — or at the very least, intriguing — romance. And in the UK, [one village shows love for Valentine's Day romance](. --------------------------------------------------------------- In case you missed it on The World - [Raising awareness about climate change on the dance floor]( - [Climate change and infectious disease]( - [Church of England apologizes for institutional racism]( - [Nigeria travel ban]( - [War closes in on the people of Idlib]( - [When sound meets sign]( - [French president buys a hybrid, rolls out new green policies, and vows to protect Mont-Blanc]( - [MIT research reveals security flaws with Voatz app]( - [London primary care doctor discusses dealing with coronavirus]( - [Coronavirus in Shanghai]( Don't forget to subscribe to The World's Latest Edition podcast using your favorite podcast player: [RadioPublic](, [Apple Podcasts](, [Stitcher](, [Soundcloud](, [RSS]( [The World logo]( [The World on Facebook]( [The World's Twitter account]( [Donate]( | [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [Edit your subscription]( | [Unsubscribe]( | [View in your browser]( Top of the World is written weekday mornings by the team at [The World](. 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