Ukraine

The developments that matter out of Beijing.

China

The developments that matter out of Kabul.

Afghanistan

The developments that matter out of Pyongyang.

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The developments that matter out of Tehran.

Iran

The developments that matter out of Moscow.

Russia

The developments that matter out of Jerusalem and the Middle East.

Israel

What matters about the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union.

Brexit

The stories that most affect the U.S. Latino community on both sides of the border, in collaboration with Noticias Telemundo.

Latin America and Latinos

China is becoming the most formidable rival America has faced, and the risk of confrontation with Russia, North Korea or Iran still looms. Authoritarians are rising, the chaotic Afghanistan exit revealed the limits of U.S. power, and the pandemic, climate change and other critical challenges continue to pose grave threats.

World

National

U.S.-Saudi dual national Saad Ibrahim Almadi has been released from prison in Saudi Arabia over a year after he was detained for posting tweets critical of the kingdom's rulers.

Yes, but: The 72-year-old is still under a Saudi imposed travel ban that prohibits him from returning home to Florida.

The big picture: Almadi was arrested in November 2021 and sentenced last October to 16 years in prison over the tweets about Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the death of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, whom U.S. intelligence officials concluded was killed in an operation authorized by MBS — a conclusion Saudi officials rejected.

An appeals court last month increased Almadi's sentence to 19 years, per the BBC.

What they're saying: State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel welcomed Almadi's release during a briefing on Wednesday, but declined to comment on the travel ban, saying "each country is going to have its own sovereign laws and each case is different."

Abdullah Alaoudh, Saudi director at the U.S.-based group Freedom Initiative, said in a statement he's "relieved" Almadi has been released, but added that "he should have never spent a day behind bars for innocuous tweets."

He urged U.S. officials to press for the lifting of travel bans and the release of other prisoners in Saudi Arabia.

The detained man's son, Ibrahim Almadi, issued a statement following his father's release saying he hoped they could be reunited in Florida soon.

A screenshot of a tweet by Ibrahim Almadi saying he hopes he and his father Saad Ibrahim Almadi could be reunited in Florida soon now he's been released from Saudi prison..

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Saudi Arabia releases American imprisoned for tweets about MBS

Advocates are urging U.S. officials to press Saudi Arabia to let Saad Ibrahim Almadi return to Florida.

 A billboard shows Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz (R) and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman hanging over a highway on June 20, 2018 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 

A billboard shows Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman (L) and Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz displayed above a highway in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Photo: Sean Gallup/Getty Images

Saudi Arabia

President Biden has made the COVID-19 crisis and a post-Trump return to national unity and traditional democratic ideals his top priorities. From vaccinations to stimulus to schools, Biden is seeking bipartisan compromise while showing a willingness to use executive authority and bare Democratic majorities in the U.S. House and Senate to implement his policies. Republican leaders are navigating deep party divisions over if and how to move beyond former President Trump.

Politics & Policy

From the Valley to D.C., Big Tech players like Facebook, Google and Amazon are under more scrutiny than ever as new technology develops and privacy and antitrust concerns grow in lockstep with companies’ ambitions.

Technology

Tel Aviv

Axios from Tel Aviv

The Biden administration harshly criticized an Israeli law passed on Monday in the Israeli Knesset that repeals the 2005 Israeli disengagement from the northern occupied West Bank, calling it a "provocation" and a violation of commitments Israel made to the U.S. 

Why it matters: The law allows Israeli citizens to enter the area between the cities of Jenin and Nablus, which Israeli settlers evacuated in 2005. The law could dramatically increase the potential for friction between settlers and Palestinians in the most sensitive and volatile area of the occupied West Bank. 

Flashback: During the 2005 Israeli disengagement from Gaza, Israel also evacuated four settlements in the northern West Bank and banned Israelis from entering the area. 

In return, the Bush administration agreed to recognize that the big settlement blocks in the West Bank adjacent to the 1967 lines would stay part of Israel in any future peace agreement with the Palestinians.

This understanding between then-Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and then-President George W. Bush was enshrined in an official exchange of letters between the two governments.

Behind the scenes: The law wasn’t pushed by the government but was a private bill initiated by Yuli Adelstein, a lawmaker from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud who is the chair of the Knesset foreign relation and security committee.

Although the bill has significant national security and foreign policy implications, the Israeli security cabinet hasn’t held any known discussions about it.

Israeli defense officials told Adelstein the Israeli military opposed the law warned of its security implications.

The Biden administration, which has been focused on the Sharm el-Sheikh meeting earlier this week and efforts to reduce tensions ahead of Ramadan and the Israeli government’s judicial overhaul, started pressing the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office hard on Monday to postpone the vote, Israeli and U.S. officials said.

At this point, it was too late to stop the vote or postpone it. A European diplomat said the U.S. and several European countries pressed the Prime Minister’s Office simultaneously, but officials were told the law is part of Netanyahu’s commitment to his coalition partners.

What they're saying: State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel said at the start of the daily briefing that the Biden administration is extremely troubled by the law and the fact it could lead to the rebuilding of settlements and outposts in this area.

Patel said the law was a violation of the written commitment late Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon gave then-President Bush in 2005. He added it is a violation of the commitment the current Israeli government made just last Sunday during a security summit in Sharm el-Sheikh to refrain from taking unilateral steps that could escalate the situation in the occupied West Bank.

Patel said the law is even more problematic because of its timing – shortly before Ramadan and Passover. “This law is provocative and counterproductive to the efforts to reduce tensions ahead of Ramadan and Passover," he said.

He called on the Israeli government to refrain from allowing settlers to return to the area covered by this legislation.

What to watch: Patel told reporters the Biden administration is considering several options it could take to respond to the Israeli government policy in the West Bank.

U.S. slams new West Bank law, says it's a violation of Israeli commitments

The Biden administration called it a "provocation."

Israeli right-wing activists and settlers take part in a protest march at the West Bank outpost of Homesh in Dec. 2021. Photo: Ilia Yefimovich/picture alliance via Getty Images

Axios World

Chinese President Xi Jinping offered Russian President Vladimir Putin a significant show of solidarity by visiting Moscow this week, but offered no indications he's prepared to step up Chinese support for Putin's war in Ukraine.

Driving the news: In a joint appearance after several hours of talks on Tuesday, Xi described China's approach to Ukraine as "unbiased" and "impartial." Putin praised the ceasefire plan Xi proposed last month but said Ukraine and the West weren't "ready" for peace talks.

China's plan doesn't call for Russia to leave the territories of Ukraine it annexed last fall. Secretary of State Tony Blinken argued Monday that a ceasefire on such terms "would effectively be supporting the ratification of Russian conquest."

Despite Xi's claim of neutrality, Chinese officials and state media have echoed Russia's claims that NATO countries provoked or inflamed the conflict. A joint statement the leaders signed Tuesday condemned "unilateral sanctions" and "moves that lead to tensions and the protraction of fighting."

Yes, but: Xi hasn't explicitly endorsed the invasion, openly breached sanctions or supplied weapons to Russia. He offered no indications on Tuesday that China's positions on those issues had changed.

Xi seems intent on projecting China as a responsible actor and plausible mediator at a time when the other members of the UN Security Council are either at war (Russia) or arming Ukraine (France, U.K., U.S.), says Alexander Gabuev of the Carnegie Endowment.

Xi is expected to hold a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky some time after he returns from Moscow on Wednesday.

Xi and Putin also signed a series of joint statements and memorandums of understanding about cooperation on trade and other issues on Tuesday. Those didn't include a final deal on a pipeline to export Russian gas to China.

Some analysts contended the summit underscored the increasingly lopsided nature of the relationship, with Putin praising Xi effusively and pledging favorable trade terms and Xi offering little beyond the visit itself (though he did call Putin a "dear friend" and endorse his re-election in 2024).

Still, it's unclear what Xi and Putin may have decided behind closed doors. Even if something more substantive was agreed, Xi might not want to make any announcements that distract from his peace plan, Gabuev notes.

The big picture: While Xi and Putin were meeting in Moscow, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was making a surprise visit to Ukraine. He visited Bucha and expressed "great anger at the atrocity" committed there by Russian troops. He also met with President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Zelensky got another boost this week when 18 European countries announced a joint agreement to procure much-needed artillery shells for Ukraine.

Ukraine is expected to undertake a counteroffensive this spring to try to win back some of the territory currently occupied by Russia. 

show of solidarity by visiting Moscow this week

Xi and Putin stick to same Ukraine positions after summit

Xi offered Putin a significant show of solidarity by visiting Moscow this week.

Xi and Putin at Tuesday's signing ceremony. Photo: Contributor/Getty Images

Russian invasion of Ukraine

What to know about the ICC arrest warrant against Putin

It was the first time the court has indicted a leader of one of the permanent members of the UN Security Council.

Russian President Vladimir Putin giving a speech

Russian President Vladimir Putin at a meeting at the Interior Ministry on March 20. Photo: Contributor/Getty Images

The United States and Japan will duke it out in the World Baseball Classic championship in Miami Tuesday evening after nearly two weeks of captivating games — but a disappointing showing for Latin America. 

The big picture: Several of the eight Latin American and Caribbean teams were knocked out earlier than expected, while some players left with injuries that will likely have lingering effects for Major League Baseball teams when the season officially begins.

The Dominican Republic, considered a favorite in this year's WBC, was ousted by Puerto Rico.

Mexico lost to Japan last night in a nail-biter of a game.

Puerto Rican pitcher Edwin Díaz, who plays with the New York Mets, will be out for the rest of the MLB season after injuring his right knee while celebrating the island's victory over the Dominican Republic. Puerto Rico eventually lost to Mexico.

Houston Astros star José Altuve, who played for Venezuela, fractured his right thumb during the country's loss to the U.S. Altuve will need surgery, the Astros announced.

What they're saying: The injuries to MLB players have led to questions about whether playing in the baseball classic before the season officially starts is worth the risk. The games coincided with spring training, when players develop more strength and stamina before the season kicks off on March 30.

David Ortiz, a retired MLB Hall of Famer who once played for the Dominican Republic, said the team lost because players were not in their best condition and added the series should be played in June and or July, when everyone is ready to play.

"We're one of the best producers of Major League Baseball players in Latin America, but in baseball anything can happen," Ortiz said.

Of note: This year's World Baseball Classic has broken attendance and viewership records, according to MLB. 

If the U.S., who defeated Cuba in the semifinals, wins, they will be the other only team besides Japan to win two consecutive championships.

Subscribe to Axios Latino to get vital news about Latinos and Latin America, delivered to your inbox on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

World Baseball Classic ends tonight with no Latin American teams in final matchup

The MLB says this year's World Baseball Classic has broken attendance and viewership records

Illustration of a baseball stylized as the Earth floating in space.  

Baseball

Shifts in technology and media are changing the way we play, watch and understand sports. Business models are adapting and social change is forcing those in charge of teams and leagues to reconsider decades-old practices.

Sports

Latinas have been making inroads in the venture capital world, but they fear economic uncertainty will undo the gains they’ve made in diversifying who gets to decide who and what types of enterprises receive funds.

Why it matters: Latinos have for years started businesses at higher rates than other groups in the U.S., with Latinas especially having an entrepreneurial drive. But less than 1% of money doled out by the biggest VC and private equity firms has gone to Latino-led enterprises. 

"Every time we pitch we have to defy the odds," Daniela Corrente, Chief Strategy and Business Officer of Latina-led fintech company Suma Wealth.

The big picture: Venture capital has long been dominated by white, non-Hispanic men who usually back those who look like them, Noramay Cadena, managing partner of Supply Change Capital, tells Axios Latino.

That means projects or ideas by others, including Latino men and especially Latinas, often don’t get financed or even heard.

"There's both money being left on the table as well as great ideas because there's not enough of us," Sarah Kunst, Cleo Capital managing director, says about people of color in the venture capital sphere.

There has been some progress over the last few years.

Latina venture capitalists in partner or managerial positions rose from just one in 2010 to about 10 in 2020, according to data compiled by Kunst and Paul Gompers, a Harvard Business professor.

There has also been an increase in non-partner and junior-level investors, according to a 2022 report from the nonprofit LatinxVC.

That has led to more capital for entrepreneurs from underrepresented communities.

And studies have shown that demographically diverse VC firms can outperform homogenous ones financially.

"The way I look at investments is going to be very different than the way most investors who are older, white males with a certain network will … where they might say, 'Oh, this is a niche market,'" Samara Mejia Hernandez, the founding partner of VC firm Chingona Ventures, tells Axios Latino.

While Mejia Hernandez says she and similar VCs don't just invest in Latinos or women, they are more likely to know when a company can meet a specific need those communities have.

Investing in that company could also translate to growing the wealth of its community through hiring and network-building, she adds.

Yes, but: A lot of the money made available in the past few years to investors and founders who are women of color has come from diversity initiatives by corporations and banks, says Maria Salamanca, a partner at Ulu Ventures, one of the biggest Latina-led firms.

With concerns over inflation and recent banking collapses, those funds could dry up.

"Will those supporters of divfnoerse founders and entrepreneurs continue to be there … or are we the first ones to go? That is a very real concern," Salamanca says.

Mejia Hernandez agrees: "In this environment, it's hard for all types of businesses and fund managers, but especially those that already got the least amount of funding."

2020 venture AUM, by race/ethnicity and gender of managers

Data: Paul Gompers, Sarah Kunst; Chart: Axios Visuals

Those concerns are especially acute because only about 1.2% of assets under management in the U.S. were held by Latinas in 2020, according to the data from Gompers and Kunst. Those include the investments and funds administered on behalf of clients or that can be given out to start-ups. 

The numbers were similarly low for Black and Asian women. "I wish that it was orders of magnitude higher," Kunst tells Axios Latino.

What to watch: Despite the short-term outlook being grim, Kunst says she hopes data like hers can be used to push investors towards worthwhile projects and funds that may get overlooked. 

The continued operation of groups like LatinxVC, Latinas in Tech and L'Attitude Ventures that provide mentorships, community support and networking may also help stop the backslide.

"We seek to hold industry leaders accountable to the diversity commitments they made in the past several years to ensure those commitments are turned into action," Mariela Salas, executive director of LatinxVC, tells Axios Latino.

Editor’s note: This story has been corrected to reflect that the name of Noramay Cadena’s firm is Supply Change Capital (not Supply Chain Capital).

Latina venture capitalists fear economy woes could stunt gains

Less than 1% of money doled out by the biggest VC and private equity firms has gone to Latino-led enterprises

Illustration of a pattern of rolled up twenty dollar bills. 

Venture capital

After a record economic expansion, the coronavirus pandemic sent the U.S. economy into a recession as unemployment soared to staggering heights. The country now faces urgent questions about how much stimulus is needed for reeling consumers and businesses, and what a recovery might look like.

Economy & Business

Weeks of protest in France against President Emmanuel Macron's planned pension reforms have transformed Paris, with the city's streets now lined with mounting piles of garbage.

The big picture: Macron, who ran on a platform of pension reform, has long argued that changes to the current system are necessary in order to ensure its long-term sustainability.

The highly unpopular reforms, which will raise the retirement age from 62 to 64, have spurred weeks of strikes that have disrupted travel, blocked fuel deliveries and disrupted school schedules.

State of play: Last week, Macron's government invoked its constitutional power to move forward with the unpopular reforms without risking a vote in the National Assembly.

On Monday, the government survived two no-confidence votes, paving the way for the reforms to become law. This week, trade unions called for more strikes. 

Paris' trash incinerators have become blocked due to the weeks of strikes by garbage collectors and there is no end in sight. 

Paris City Hall estimated on Monday that 9,300 tonnes of trash are filling the city's streets.

Garbage cans overflowing with trash on the streets as collectors go on strike in Paris

Garbage cans overflow with trash on the streets of Paris on March 16 as collectors go on strike. Photo: Mustafa Yalcin/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Garbage cans overflowing with trash on the streets as collectors go on strike in Paris, France on March 16

Overflowing garbage cans line the streets of Paris on March 16. Photo: Mustafa Yalcin/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

A pedestrian walks past household waste containers in a street of Paris, on March 12

A pedestrian walks past household waste containers in a street in Paris on March 12. Photo: Stefano Rellandini/AFP via Getty Images

Garbage piles up on the street as collectors continue their strike on March 17

Garbage piles up on the street on March 17. Photo: Li Yang/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images

Paris trash piles become a symbol of protest

Garbage cans overflowing with trash line the streets as collectors go on strike in Paris on March 20. Photo: Mustafa Yalcin/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

France

The Biden administration has determined war crimes have been committed by all sides in the deadly conflict in northern Ethiopia's Tigray and neighboring regions, Secretary of State Tony Blinken said on Monday. 

The big picture: Ethiopia's government and Tigray forces agreed last November to end the fighting in the two-year war that led to one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. Humanitarian groups are now getting aid into Tigray, which faced what the UN called a de facto aid blockade throughout much of the conflict.

Researchers at Belgium’s Ghent University estimate the death toll may be as many as high as half a million people, with many dying from hunger, disease or lack of medical attention due to the conflict. Millions have also been displaced, per UN figures. 

Blinken on Monday noted the end to the fighting and the arrival of aid into Tigray, but said "the suffering that was wrought upon civilians in northern Ethiopia must be acknowledged."

Details: After "careful review," Blinken said he determined that members of the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF), Eritrean Defense Forces (EDF), Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) forces and Amhara forces committed war crimes during the conflict. 

Blinken accused the ENDF, EDF and Amhara forces of committing crimes against humanity, including murder, rape and other forms of sexual violence, and persecution. 

The Amhara forces also committed "the crime against humanity of deportation or forcible transfer and committed ethnic cleansing in western Tigray," he added. 

The parties detailed in the U.S. determination, which echoes similar conclusions made by the UN and human rights groups, did not immediately comment on Blinken's remarks. They've previously denied committing human rights abuses, per Reuters. 

What they're saying: "The conflict in northern Ethiopia was devastating.  Men, women, and children were killed.  Women and girls were subject to horrific forms of sexual violence.  Thousands were forcibly displaced from their homes," Blinken, who visited Ethiopia last week, told reporters on Monday. 

"Entire communities were specifically targeted based on their ethnicity," he said. "Many of these actions were not random or a mere byproduct of war.  They were calculated and deliberate."

What to watch: Blinken called on leaders to hold those responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Ethiopia accountable. 

"We urge all parties to follow through on their commitments to one another and implement a credible, inclusive, and comprehensive transitional justice process," Blinken said, pointing to the peace agreement signed in November 2022. 

"We additionally call on the government of Eritrea to ensure comprehensive justice and accountability for those responsible for abuses in Ethiopia," he added. 

"Formally recognizing the atrocities committed by all parties is an essential step to achieving a sustainable peace."

U.S. says war crimes committed by all sides of Ethiopia's Tigray conflict

"The conflict in northern Ethiopia was devastating."

A World Food Program truck, carrying grains from the World Food Program to Tigray, burns out on a route nearly 50 miles from Semera, Ethiopia, on June 10, 2022. Photo: Eduardo Soteras/AFP via Getty Images