Briefly

ARGENTINA

Fernandez will attend 2022 Winter Olympics

Argentine President Alberto Fernandez has accepted China's invitation to come to Beijing for the 2022 Winter Olympics, Argentina's Ambassador to China Sabino Vaca Narvaja said in an interview with Chinese media on Monday. As Argentina and China will mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations on Feb 19, the envoy said, Fernandez's attendance to the Games is of great significance.

MIDDLE EAST

Israel plans to double Golan settlement

Israel has set a goal of doubling the number of Jewish settlers in the Golan Heights within five years, a move that could tighten its hold on the territory it occupied in fighting with Syria in 1967. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Sunday cited then-US president Donald Trump's recognition in 2019 of Israeli sovereignty over Golan and no sign that his successor, Joe Biden, intends to reverse the decision, as factors behind a multimillion-dollar housing and infrastructure plan for the area. Israel annexed the 1,200-square-kilometer plateau in 1981, a move not recognized by the international community.

SOMALIA

PM suspended as election spat deepens

Somali President Mohamed Farmajo said on Monday that he had suspended the prime minister's powers, escalating a destabilizing dispute in the Horn of Africa country. Farmajo accused Prime Minister Mohamed Roble of being involved in corruption and misuse of public lands, a day after he accused Roble of failing to steer the electoral process to a successful conclusion. A dispute between Farmajo and Roble has generated months of tension, which analysts say risks distracting the government from its fight against the al-Qaida linked insurgency al-Shabaab.

China Daily - Agencies - Xinhua