In Cairo, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for calm and de-escalation (AFP) between Israelis and Palestinians following a spate of “horrific terrorist attacks” (State Dept.). Israeli-Palestinian tensions have escalated since a Palestinian gunman killed seven people outside an East Jerusalem synagogue on Friday, a day after an Israeli army raid killed ten people in the West Bank city of Jenin. Blinken will meet today with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and tomorrow with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Separately, Blinken spoke with Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi today in a meeting that Blinken said aimed to strengthen the U.S.-Egyptian strategic partnership. He also voiced U.S. concerns about human rights (Reuters) in Egypt and discussed the security situations in Libya and Sudan, the U.S. State Department said.
Analysis
“[The synagogue shooting] is a major attack on Israelis, and on a Friday night. How the new far right government responds will tell us a lot about how things will look going forward,” the International Crisis Group’s Mairav Zonszein tweets.
“Egypt looks like it is returning to [being] a key partner of the US and as it plays a role in Israel’s ties with the Gulf; these will potentially add up to more stability in the region,” the Jerusalem Post’s Seth J. Frantzman writes.
China Contacts Czech Republic Over Planned Call With Taiwan
China’s foreign ministry said it contacted Prague (Reuters) ahead of Czech President-Elect Petr Pavel’s call with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen today to confirm his support for the so-called One China policy.
South Korea: Speaking in Seoul, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) chief Jens Stoltenberg called on South Korea (FT) to change its weapons export policy in order to send arms to Ukraine.
South and Central Asia
At Least Thirty-Two Killed in Pakistan Mosque Explosion
Officials said the blast, which targeted a mosque at Peshawar’s police headquarters, also wounded nearly 150 people (Dawn). No group immediately claimed responsibility.
India: The Indian conglomerate Adani Group accused U.S. investment firm Hindenburg Research (CNN) of launching a “calculated attack” on India after a Hindenburg report alleged there was widespread stock manipulation and accounting fraud at Adani.
Middle East and North Africa
Iran, Russia Link Banking Systems
The countries connected (Reuters) their interbank communication and transfer systems in an effort to boost trade, an Iranian central bank official said.
Tunisia: Only 11.3 percent of Tunisian voters participated (Bloomberg) in yesterday’s runoff elections for a parliament that has been significantly weakened by President Kais Saied. Several opposition parties had called for a boycott (Al-Monitor).
Mali Defends Cooperation With Russia, Rejects UN Options for Peacekeeping Force
At the UN Security Council, Mali’s foreign minister defended Mali’s cooperation with Russia (AP) after a UN report said mercenaries from Russia’s Wagner Group were operating in the country. He also shot down three proposed options for a peacekeeping force to replace French troops who left Mali last year.
Madagascar: The death toll from a cyclone that has swirled off Madagascar’s coast for several days has risen to twenty-five (Al Jazeera), officials said. The storm has displaced some thirty-eight thousand people.
Europe
British Prime Minister Fires Conservative Party Chairman Over Tax Scandal
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak fired Nadhim Zahawi (Politico), citing a “serious breach” of ethics rules with regard to his personal tax record.
Germany/Ukraine: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Germany won’t be providing fighter jets (Politico) to Kyiv after Ukrainian officials requested the jets from Western allies.
UN Rights Chief Concludes Venezuela Visit, Talks With Government
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said he heard accounts of (UN News) of people being detained and tortured by Venezuela’s security forces. He also held talks with President Nicolás Maduro and the opposition.
Chile/Germany: On a visit to Santiago, German Chancellor Scholz proposed joint efforts (Bloomberg) to mine and process lithium, a mineral used in the production of batteries. Chile is the second-largest supplier of lithium, most of which currently goes to China.
