Globe Trot: Insecurity in Egypt, the French in Mali, Brazil fire, Christians deaths in Iraq ...

The Egyptian government declared emergency law in three canal region cities following recent violence and demonstrations. Cairo scholar Essam Abdalla told me in an overnight email the insecurity under the Muslim Brotherhood government and the presence of jihadist groups “is disabling the country,” and warned of the possibility of civil war.

I’ve been meeting with many Egyptians in recent days. They say the West doesn’t comprehend the distrust of the new government in Cairo. A common refrain is the “dirty game” they believe the Obama administration has played in the “Arab Spring” aftermath. Many Egyptians haven’t forgotten that Hillary Clinton sat down with the Muslim Brotherhood and other extremists just as Hosni Mubarak fled power. From where they sit, it appears that the United States has weighed in on the region’s revolutions only when it became clear that Islamic extremists could take over. I wrote about this a year ago but didn’t realize how broadly and persistently such concerns remain.

A headline we never thought we’d see … “Mali: jihadist fighters melt away as French begin to regain control.”

Brazilians are mourning the deaths of more than 230 after a nightclub fire in Santa Maria. The club was hosting an event for the local university, and most of the victims were students. Several arrests have been made.

Rapid snowfall in the UK stranded motorists over the weekend. One young man was at risk of falling into a diabetic coma, until his mother realized his phone was synced to her “Find My iPhone” app, and she pinpointed his location on the clogged motorway for emergency workers, who took him to the hospital. “It was quite a lifesaver, really,” the relieved mum told Sky News.

Two Christians are reported killed in Iraq, as a resurgence of violence again threatens the Christian community in Mosul, according to the Barnabas Fund.

Departing Secretary of State Hillary Clinton got a national hugfest on 60 Minutes, and a pat on the back from the president.

Travel advisory: No Globe Trot on Wednesday and Friday this week, but it will return Monday, Feb. 4.