Global Courant
Good morning. We cover Israel’s most intense attacks on the occupied West Bank in decades and Janet Yellen’s upcoming trip to China.
A major attack on the West Bank
Israel launched the most intense airstrikes on the occupied West Bank in nearly two decades and sent hundreds of ground troops to the overcrowded Jenin refugee camp, saying it was trying to wipe out armed militants after a year of escalating violence there. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, at least eight Palestinians were killed.
The Israeli army said the operation began shortly after 1 a.m. and included several rockets fired from drones. Military officials said the operation targeted militant targets in the refugee camp, an area less than a quarter square mile adjacent to the town of Jenin, home to about 17,000 people.
On the scene, “The camp is a war zone in the full sense of the word,” said Muhammad Sbaghi, a member of the local committee that helps run the Jenin camp, after the operation began. He added that residents had feared a large-scale raid by the Israeli army, but had not expected anything so violent and destructive.
Dead: So far this year has been one of the deadliest in more than a decade for Palestinians in the West Bank, with more than 140 killed in the past six months. It is also one of the deadliest for Israelis in some time, with nearly 30 killed in Arab attacks.
What follows: A former Israeli national security adviser said he expected Israel to complete the operation within days to prevent hostilities from spreading to other areas, such as Gaza. Fears are growing that the recent tit-for-tat attacks are getting out of hand.
An important visit to China
Janet Yellen will travel to China for the first time this week as US Treasury Secretary in an effort to ease tensions between the world’s two largest economies.
Yellen’s trip, which begins Thursday, follows Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to Beijing last month. In recent weeks, Yellen has taken a softer tone on China, and is expected to argue that the two countries are too intertwined to “decouple” their economies, despite moves by the US aimed at country less dependent on China to protect its national security. .
“The visit is Yellen’s biggest test of economic diplomacy to date,” said my colleague Alan Rappeport, who deals with economic policy.
“The trip is months in the making and comes after President Biden and President Xi agreed last year that they would try to improve frayed US-China relations,” Alan said. “But there are major differences of opinion on many economic policy issues, and Yellen will work to rebuild trust with her counterparts.”
A technological arms race: Citing threats to national security, the US is trying to limit China’s access to semiconductors, AI and other sensitive high-end technology. China cited cybersecurity concerns when it implemented a ban targeting Micron Technology, a US-based maker of popular memory chips.
Economic Snapshot: The two economies are in a moment of heightened uncertainty. China’s post-pandemic output is weakening as the US tries to avoid a recession while keeping inflation under control.
Russian surveillance campaign
Russia is hatching a new cottage industry of digital surveillance tools to track its citizens and suppress domestic opposition to the war in Ukraine. Some companies are trying to expand their business abroad, risking that the technologies will not stay in Russia.
The technologies have given Russian authorities access to spying capabilities targeting phones and websites, including the ability to track activity on encrypted apps like WhatsApp and Signal, identify anonymous social media users and break into people’s accounts, according to documents from Russian surveillance providers obtained by The Times.
The tools can also identify if someone uses multiple phones and map their relationship network, even if the technology doesn’t intercept their messages.
Analysis: “There has been a concerted effort in Russia to overhaul the country’s internet rules to be more like China,” said an expert in online suppression. “Russia will emerge as a competitor to Chinese companies.”
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Around the world
Tunisians love canned tuna. They put it on everything from pizza to pastries. But inflation turns the staple into a luxury item.
And as globalization wants, very little local Tunisian tuna goes to Tunisians. Most of it is exported and the country has had to start importing lower quality fish.
Redesign of an Indonesian art form
Josephine Komara is an Indonesian designer of batik, an indigenous dyeing process for fabrics. She is one of many designers redefining the complicated art form, once so mired in tradition that it bordered on determination.
Komara changed the ancient art by intertwining disparate textile traditions with an aesthetic all of its own to create a modern Indonesian silhouette. Through her work, she is determined to make Indonesia more known. Currently, the country has no globally iconic brands. But BINhouse, her fashion house, has become a global force in spreading the beauty of batik.
“Tradition is what we are,” Komara said. “Modern is the way we think.”
PLAY, WATCH, EAT
What to cook
What to listen to
Our pop music critic has tips for trying vinyl again.
Now time to play
Play the mini crossword and a clue: raise your voice (four letters).
Here are the Wordle and the Spelling Bee. You can find all our puzzles here.
That’s it for today’s briefing. See you tomorrow. — Amelia
PS Before the US holiday, take our American Independence Book Quiz.
“The Daily” is about the Supreme Court ruling on gay rights and freedom of religion.
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