The Senate blocked an amendment that would have required congressional approval in advance of an attack on Iran. The vote was 50-40, with four Republicans among those voting for the measure.
Why it matters: Per the AP: The U.S. military has, in recent years, been "deployed under war authorizations passed in 2001 and 2002 for conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan." Lawmaker have unsuccessfully tried to pass new war powers acts, with the House voting to repeal those authorizations last week.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison expressed concern on Friday (local time) about an Australian student in North Korea who has been unreachable since Tuesday, the AP reports.
Driving the news: Alek Sigley, a 29-year-old Pyongyang University student and tour guide, has been out of contact with his wife, friends and family since earlier this week. Some reports have suggested that he was arrested and detained by local authorities, Vice reports, however such claims have been unconfirmed.
Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s TV star turned president, has now been in office for nearly 10 weeks.
Behind the scenes: Peter Wagner, head of the European Commission’s Support Group for Ukraine, has been in several meetings with Zelensky. He tells me Zelensky is “saying the right things” and connects easily with people, but has a “huge learning curve.”
The centerpiece of this year’s G-20 summit is a bilateral meeting on Saturday between President Trump and China’s Xi Jinping.
The backdrop: It comes at a crucial tipping point, with Trump threatening tariffs on an additional $300 billion in Chinese imports, a move analysts say could tip the global economy into recession.
In a matter of hours, President Trump will sit down with Russia's Vladimir Putin in Osaka, Japan at the G-20 summit.
Between the lines: Trump, who has said he hopes to improve relations with Russia now that the Mueller investigation is over, told reporters before setting off that what he says to Putin is "none of your business." The ghost of their disastrous press conference last year in Helsinki still lingers.
A bill that would have allowed for the extradition of people from Hong Kong to China drove millions to the streets in protest in recent weeks and is the latest action blurring the lines of the “One Country, Two Systems” structure.
Why it matters: Hong Kong, a concession of the Opium Wars and former British colony, was returned to China in 1997 on the grounds that it would maintain significant autonomy for 50 years. A global financial center, Hong Kong’s economy was once more than 1/4 the size of all of mainland China’s. As China’s economy has ballooned, and its reliance on Hong Kong has diminished, Beijing has exerted greater influence. But attempts to erode Hong Kong’s autonomy have been met with repeated mass protests.
Last year, a "Five Eyes" nation — either the United States or one of its 4 closest intelligence partners — may have hacked Yandex, the Russian equivalent to Google, Reuters reports.
Why it matters: The goal appears to have been to find technical details on how Yandex users are authenticated, which could prove useful for breaking into accounts to read or modify messages, observe contacts or other such activities.
Given last week's flurry of U.S. cyberattacks against Tehran, Iran's history of retaliating with cyberattacks might raise a few eyebrows. But more concerning might be Iran's history of learning new strategies from other nations' cyberattacks.
The big picture: In 2009, Iran became the first known target of cyber warfare. Its history with cyber conflict is long, and could be used to inform how the current moment might play out.
Hundreds of protesters are rallying outside the office of Hong Kong’s justice secretary against the suspended extradition bill, calling on G20 leaders to help them get it permanently withdrawn, Reuters reports.
Driving the news: Protesters are holding rallies this week to capture the attention of leaders at the G20 summit in Japan, which starts Friday, according to the Hong Kong Free Press. Activists have submitted petitions to 19 foreign consulates urging leaders to raise their concerns at the summit, the news outlet says.
This article has been updated with more details, including the activists submitting petitions.
Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, a veteran of the Iraq war and an active member of the Hawaii National Guard, accused Trump's "chicken hawk Cabinet" of leading the U.S. "to the brink of war with Iran" at the first Democratic primary debate on Wednesday.
President Trump told reporters Wednesday ahead of a planned meeting with Russia's President Vladimir Putin at the G20 summit it's "none of your business" when asked what he'd discuss with the Russian leader.
The big picture: Trump's due to arrive in Osaka, Japan, Thursday night for the G20 summit during which he'll hold meetings on the sidelines with leaders including Putin, before flying to Seoul, South Korea, to meet with South Korean President Moon Jae-in Saturday, per Reuters.
