Asia/Pacific

Karzai, who instituted the ban on Monday, did not provide specifics on what circumstances would allow use of allied airpower.

Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), the sponsor of the bill, says the government must end its "no contact" policy with Iran.

Senior officials conducted secret discussions with North Korea following the death of Kim Jong Il, according to a Japanese newspaper.

The American delegation to South Korean President Park Geun-hye's inauguration will be headed by President Obama's national security team, underscoring the country's strategic importance following Monday's nuclear test by North Korea.

The delegation will be led by National Security Adviser Tom Donilon, the White House announced Friday. Also attending the Feb. 25 inauguration will be Daniel Russel, the senior director for Asian Affairs at the NSC, and Gen. James Thurman, the commander of U.S. armed forces in South Korea. America's ambassador to South Korea, Sung Kim, will also be part of the delegation.

The choice of delegation comes as the administration this week vowed to pursue further sanctions at the United Nations in retaliation for the nuclear test and reaffirmed America's commitment to protecting its allies from a North Korean attack.

The House easily passed a resolution Friday morning condemning the nuclear test North Korea conducted on Tuesday.

"This test, which is the third time that North Korea has exploded a nuclear device, is a stark reminder that Kim Jong Eun is determined to develop his nuclear arsenal while depriving North Koreans of their most basic human rights," House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-Calif.) said on the House floor in support of the resolution.

Your morning global affairs speed-read

The House votes this morning on a resolution calling for more sanctions against North Korea in the wake of this week's third nuclear test. The bipartisan resolution was introduced earlier in the week by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-Calif.) and ranking member Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.).

It comes as the White House and Congress are jointly calling for the U.N. to probe the country's human rights violations.

Kerry's local travels: Secretary of State John Kerry, a big champion of foreign aid, makes his first visit to the State Department's Agency for International Development (USAID) today. He'll make remarks alongside USAID chief Rajiv Shah at 10 a.m.

Later in the day, Kerry hosts a working lunch with Italy's president, Giorgio Napolitano, at the Blair House. (see below for the State Department's complete schedule for today)

Currency wars: The G20's finance ministers and central bank governors met today in Moscow, Russia, to tamp down speculation of a “currency war” amid sputtering growth around the world. The United States was represented by Under Secretary for International Affairs Lael Brainard, as Treasury Secretary nominee Jack Lew has yet to be confirmed by the Senate.

Congress and the administration are jointly calling for an investigation in the wake of the country's third nuclear test.

Your morning global affairs speed-read

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee meets today to mark up S. 298, the North Korea Nonproliferation and Accountability Act of 2013. The bill, which was held up by objections from Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) on Wednesday, calls on the Obama administration to seek more sanctions at the United Nations for Monday's nuclear test and for an international probe of North Korea's human rights violations.

Meanwhile, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-Calif.) and ranking member Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.) introduce a bipartisan resolution calling on the administration to seek further sanctions. The resolution is expected to come to the floor on Friday.

Focus on Mali: Royce's committee holds a hearing this morning on “The Crisis in Mali: U.S. Interests and the International Response.” Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Johnnie Carson and Deputy Assistant Secretary for African Affairs Amanda Dory will testify. Watch it online here.

Embassy security: The House Appropriations subpanel on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs is holding a closed hearing this morning on embassy security with Patrick Kennedy, the Under Secretary of State for Management.

High-level talks: A host of world leaders are in Washington today. 

President Obama called Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Wednesday to discuss North Korea’s recent nuclear test and reaffirm the U.S. security relationship with Tokyo.

Obama and Abe “pledged to work closely together to seek significant action at the United Nations Security Council and to cooperate on measures aimed at impeding North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs,” according to a White House readout of the call.

“President Obama reaffirmed that the United States remains steadfast in its defense commitments to Japan, including the extended deterrence offered by the U.S. nuclear umbrella,” the White House added.

President Barack Obama announced he would be slashing in half the total number of American troops in Afghanistan, down to just over 30,000, as part of the White House's efforts to end the over decade-long war by 2014.