In establishing the Negev Forum, the U.S., Israel, UAE, Egypt, Bahrain and Morocco agreed that regional cooperation could be used to pave the way for Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, according to a document published on Tuesday.
The big picture: The “Negev Forum Regional Cooperation Framework” was adopted by the participating countries in November but kept secret until its first meeting in Abu Dhabi ended this week.
The Israeli opposition is calling for mass street protests against the new government’s plan to weaken the Supreme Court and other democratic institutions.
Why it matters: The plan, announced less than two weeks after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing government took office, has deepened political divisions and stoked fear among some that the heightened tensions could tear Israeli society apart.
The Russian Ministry of Defense announced Wednesday that Valery Gerasimov, head of the general staff of the Russian Armed Forces, is taking over as the commander of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Why it matters: Gerasimov replaces General Sergei Surovikin, who was appointed to the post just three months ago. Surovikin has been demoted to one of Gerasimov's deputies.
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared Uganda's recent Ebola epidemic over on Wednesday less than four months after the first case was confirmed in the country’s central Mubende district.
Driving the news: It was the country's first outbreak of the rare Sudan strain of Ebola in a decade. The last patient was released from care on Nov. 30, 2022, which began the WHO's 42-day countdown to determine the outbreak over.
The FBI is using ads on Facebook to seek out Chinese language speakers in the U.S. who have been harassed or digitally stalked by malicious Chinese government actors, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: It's the latest step in a months-long effort to root out what law enforcement calls "transnational repression" by Beijing. Over the last year, the FBI has arrested or charged a host of U.S. residents and Chinese intelligence officials as part of a nationwide crackdown.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky declared in a pre-recorded video message at the Golden Globes on Tuesday night that while the war against Russia's invading military "is not over" yet, "the tide is turning."
Driving the news:"The First World War claimed millions of lives," said Zelensky, who was introduced by actor Sean Penn during the telecast. "The Second World War claimed tens of millions of them. There will be no Third World War. It is not a trilogy: Ukraine will stop the Russian aggression on our land."
State of play: To restore order, Lula signed a decree for a federal intervention in Brasília until Jan. 31 — but constitutional amendments cannot be carried out during a federal intervention, meaning his planned tax and environmental overhauls will have to wait.
Many American reporters are now forced to cover the People's Republic of China from beyond its borders, a situation that mirrors the first few decades of the country's history.
Why it matters: American reporters on the China beat have long played a "critical role" in shaping views about China and the policies Washington adopts, journalist Mike Chinoy writes in his new book, "Assignment China: An Oral History of American Journalists in the People's Republic."
Young Chinese scientists recruited back to China through a government talent program went on to publish more scientific papers than their counterparts who remained overseas, according to a new analysis published in the journal Science.
An influential ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin described Russia's war in Ukraine on Tuesday as a "military confrontation" between Russia and NATO.
Why it matters: Nikolai Patrushev, the head of Russia's security council, is a former Soviet spy who has known Putin since the 1970s and is seen as one of the leading hardline influences on the president, Reuters reported.
Pro-democracy protesters in Brazil held massive demonstrations across the country Monday against the storming of Congress and other government buildings in Brasilia by supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro over the weekend.
The big picture: As Brazilian authorities detained over 1,200 people in connection with the riots, tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters rallied across the country demanding those responsible be jailed, per AP.
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador called on President Biden Monday to improve relations between the U.S., Latin America and the Caribbean during their bilateral meeting in Mexico City.
Driving the news: López Obrador made the comments after warmly greeting the U.S. President and first lady Jill Biden, who are in the Mexican capital on their first foreign trip of 2023 for the North American Leaders' Summit.
China this weekend opened its borders to the world after three years — a major step for the country’s 1.4 billion people and for the global economy.
Driving the news: As of Sunday, travelers can now enter China without any quarantine if they test negative for Covid-19. Chinese tourists, who spent more than $250 billion overseas in 2019 and have left a huge gap in global tourism ever since, will also now be free to travel the world — though some countries are requiring negative tests due to the huge spike in cases.
Some Democratic lawmakers are urging the Biden administration to eject former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro from the U.S. after a mob of his right-wing supporters stormed Brazil's National Congress and other government buildings on Sunday.
Driving the news: Bolsonaro, who lost to leftist rival Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in the presidential election, flew to Florida two days before the end of his term on Jan. 1. Bolsonaro has criticized and denied involvement in the attack, which some are comparing to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection in the U.S.
Brazilian authorities on Monday detained more than 1,200 people, dismantled a protest camp in the capital and cleared roadblocks set up by supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro as they moved to restore order a day after far-right rioters stormed government buildings in Brasília.
State of play: Justice Minister Flávio Dino said that while those who breached the Presidential Palace, Congress and Supreme Court would be punished, so, too, would those who organized and financed what has been described as the darkest day for Brazil's democracy since it was restored in the 1980s.
