World roundup: January 30 2023

Stories from Israel-Palestine, China, Finland, and elsewhere

INTERNATIONAL

In today’s global news:

• Worldometer is tracking COVID-19 cases and fatalities.

• The New York Times is tracking global vaccine distribution.

MIDDLE EAST

SYRIA

A bombing in southern Syria’s Daraa province wounded at least 15 Syrian security personnel on Monday. The blast targeted a bus carrying those personnel along the Damascus-Daraa highway. There’s been no claim of responsibility as far as I know.

Sunday’s airstrike targeting a convoy of trucks in eastern Syria killed at least seven people, all non-Syrian, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The convoy was allegedly bringing weapons into Syria from Iraq, presumably by and for Iranian-backed militias. There’s still no indication as to responsibility but Israel has carried out strikes like this in the past. Early reports suggested the attack came from Iraqi airspace which could have meant US involvement, but that claim seems to have been excised from subsequent reporting so it may not have been accurate.