Jan 22 update

Missile strikes in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen on Saturday risked the widening of the theatre of war in the Middle East. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said an Israeli missile strike in Damascus had killed five of its members; Lebanese security sources said an Israeli strike there had killed a member of Iran-backed Hizbullah. A strike by Iran-backed rebels in Iraq wounded some American soldiers. Iran’s president vowed to punish Israel for its strike in Syria.

Binyamin Netanyahu publicly sparred with Joe Biden, one of Israel’s staunchest supporters during its war in Gaza. A spokesperson for the Israeli prime minister said he had told Mr Biden during a phone call that no sovereign Palestinian state would be possible given the threat it would pose to his country’s security—even though Mr Biden had said mere hours earlier that the same conversation left him confident that such a solution would be possible while Mr Netanyahu was in charge.

According to the Russian-installed mayor of Donetsk 25 people were killed, and at least 20 injured, after Ukrainian forces shelled the city. The Donetsk region is one of four in eastern Ukraine that Russia illegally annexed last year. Separately, a blaze erupted at a Russian gas terminal on the Baltic Sea. Officials claim to have seen Ukrainian drones in the area: Ukraine has not commented on either incident.

Pope Francis issued a “heartfelt plea” for the release of six nuns, among others kidnapped in Haiti on Friday. Their bus was stopped by armed gunmen. On January 26th a court is due to rule on whether a Kenyan-led multinational force should be allowed into the country to try to crack down on spiralling gang violence.

Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s president, described Donald Trump’s claims that he could stop Russia’s invasion in 24 hours as “very dangerous” and warned that unilateral concessions could be made to Russia if Mr Trump became America’s president once again. Mr Trump has declined to outline his peace proposal but has described Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president, as a “smart” politician who had quickly taken over a “great piece of land” with only minor sanctions.

NASA regained contact with Ingenuity, its half-metre-tall helicopter on Mars, after a sudden outage raised fears that the craft had broken. The tiny rotorcraft, which weighs about as much as a large bottle of ketchup, landed on the planet in 2021. Contact has been lost with it before, including for two months last year.

Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, football’s global governing body, said teams should forfeit matches automatically if they are abandoned because of racist behaviour by their fans. His call follows stoppages at Sheffield, in England, and Udine, in Italy, on Saturday after black players in visiting teams were abused. FIFA’s current rules say games may be halted twice and then called off if abuse persists.

In the run-up to America’s presidential election, keep on top of the stories that matter with The US in brief, our new daily update.

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PHOTO: ALAMY

Modi’s monument to political ambition

On Monday Narendra Modi, India’s prime minister, will preside over the consecration of a $220m temple in the northern city of Ayodhya. To the alarm of the country’s 200m Muslims, and many secular-minded Indians, the grand ceremony will mark a high point of Mr Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party’s decades-long Hindu-nationalist project. The temple is built on the site where in 1992 a mob razed a 450-year-old mosque.

For many Hindus, however, it is a joyous occasion because it corrects an ancient wrong: the location is also the mythical birthplace of the Hindu god Ram. Millions will tune in on TV; offices, stockmarkets and even casinos have said they will shut. For these reasons, the event also serves as the informal launch of Mr Modi’s campaign for a third term in elections to be held over April and May. India’s Supreme Court has ruled that “religion and politics” should not mix. But that very combination is likely to propel him into power again.

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

The Asian Financial Forum kicks off

More than 2,500 political, corporate and financial bigwigs will descend on Hong Kong this week for the annual Asian Financial Forum. The mood will probably be optimistic: the IMF expects Asia’s economies to grow by 4.2% in 2024, against a global rate of 2.9%.

But the atmosphere across the host city is more sombre. In November Hong Kong’s government trimmed its GDP growth forecast for 2023 to 3.2%—meaning the economy is smaller than in 2018. The main stockmarket index has fallen by more than a quarter in the past year. Property prices have plunged by almost a fifth since their peak, and data due on Monday about China’s loan prime rate, important for the mainland’s ropey housing market, may not add much cheer.

John Lee, the city’s chief executive, claims the event will show Hong Kong’s “freedom, vitality and diversity”, and that foreign participation proves it “remains attractive” for overseas investors. It may take more than a gabfest to convince the rest of the world.

PHOTO: AP

Ukraine is on the agenda for Macron and Scholz

France and Germany will put on a symbolic show of friendship in Berlin on Monday. The Bundestag is holding a memorial ceremony for Wolfgang Schäuble, Germany’s former finance minister who died in December. The guest of honour will be Emmanuel Macron, who will give at least part of his eulogy in German. Mr Schäuble once called the French president “a chance for Europe”.

While in Berlin Mr Macron will meet the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz. The two leaders have struggled to overcome their countries’ many differences, notably over energy policy and the euro zone’s fiscal rules. One pressing topic will be European military aid to Ukraine. Overall, Germany has spent far more than France. Yet France is now sending a second batch of long-range cruise missiles, while Germany’s parliament has refused permission for the country to send any. Mr Macron last week upped the rhetoric, stating that “a Russian victory would be the end of European security”.

PHOTO: AP

America and Africa

This week Antony Blinken, America’s top diplomat, is touring Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Angola. America’s focus has been on Ukraine and the Middle East, and President Joe Biden broke his promise to visit the continent last year. One aim of the trip is to show Africans they have not been forgotten.

Mr Blinken will also highlight good news. Cape Verde is a strong democracy that has just eliminated malaria. In Ivory Coast, whose economy is booming, he will probably attend a football match at the Africa Cup of Nations, to show America is in tune with everyday Africans.

Still, security matters will butt in. Ivory Coast is fending off jihadists on its northern border. Nigeria is beset by a kidnapping crisis which American arms sales to the country have done little to help. Alas, Mr Blinken’s Africa trip—his first since March—again ignores the worst crisis on the continent: the catastrophic war in Sudan, which desperately needs diplomatic attention.

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

Chrome will be the colour of 2024

The world’s mood is sombre and grey. In design, though, brightly reflective finishes are gleaming in the spotlight. Pinterest, a social-media network, noted an appetite for “cool silver tones and bold chrome” in its annual trend report. Architectural Digest, House Beautiful and Kaiyo, an online second-hand furniture marketplace, all predict a renewed interest in chrome in interiors.

The first time chrome was in fashion, a century ago, the colour reflected a booming economy in America and optimism about the future. It was glamorous, with an industrial edge that nodded to the rise of machines. Now, in less hopeful times—when worries about wars, the climate, politics and inflation abound—its popularity may be somewhat pragmatic. Upcycling and buying second-hand are booming, notably in fashion and interior design. And chrome reflects a lot of light, which is useful in small living spaces. There may be a touch of nostalgia and escapism, too, as those hankering after chrome dream of a brighter tomorrow.