Senior State Department officials will travel this week to Israel, Jordan, Egypt and the Palestinian Authority in an effort to de-escalate the crisis in Jerusalem, three sources with direct knowledge tell Axios.
Why it matters: The trip shows the growing concern in Washington that further escalation could spark a new round of violence, like the May 2021 fighting between Israel and Hamas.
Why it matters: New Mexico has the highest percentage of Hispanics of any state. It's also dominated by Democrats, who control the governor's office, legislature, two U.S. Senate seats and two of three House seats. But a national, multi-year effort to recruit diverse, local GOP slates is showing results.
The Russian military has seized the city of Kreminna in eastern Ukraine and forced Ukrainian troops out of the town, the governor of the Luhansk region said at a briefing Tuesday, per Reuters.
Why it matters: Kreminna appears to be the first city Russian forces have taken since they launched a new offensive in the Donbas region Monday — a development that marked the start of a second phase of the war centered on a battle for territory in eastern Ukraine.
A grassroots organization in Taiwan is helping democracy-conscious consumers put their money where their values lie.
The big picture: Boycotts by Chinese nationalists target companies viewed as having crossed Chinese Communist Party red lines — including supporting Taiwan's effort to be recognized as a sovereign state. One group in Taiwan hopes to galvanize consumers in democratic countries to push back.
Explosions hit a high school in a predominately Shiite neighborhood of the Afghan capital Kabul on Tuesday, killing at least six and injuring several others, including children, AP reports.
The big picture: Authorities said they feared the death toll would rise. No group has claimed responsibility.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced Monday that Russia's long-awaited offensive in the Donbas region had begun, setting off a decisive second phase of the war centered on a battle for territory in eastern Ukraine.
The latest: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also said in an interview with India Today Tuesday that the Kremlin was beginning a new stage in its invasion of Ukraine, predicting that it would be "a very important moment."
Why it matters: Many are focusing on inflation and the war in Ukraine, but the path of the world economy and global financial markets this year largely hinges on China's economic and public health.
A U.S. delegation led by the top White House and State Department officials for Asia is heading this week to the Solomon Islands, a South Pacific archipelago with fewer than 700,000 inhabitants that has unexpectedly become ground zero for U.S.-China competition.
Why it matters: A planned security agreement negotiated with Beijing, which could allow China's navy to dock warships on the islands, sent the U.S. and its allies in Australia and New Zealand into diplomatic hyperdrive.
