Axios

In the new book "Do Not Disturb," Michela Wrong examines the uncomfortable reality of a country and a leader often seen as a remarkable success story: post-genocide Rwanda and its president, Paul Kagame.

The big picture: Kagame is known as the man who stopped Rwanda's 1994 genocide and set the country on the path to rapid economic development.

Colombia has been wracked by protests for a month, with critical supplies cut off due to roadblocks, another nationwide strike expected on Friday and accusations of police brutality growing louder.

Why it matters: "Things are worsening every single day," says Marta Lucía Ramírez, Colombia's vice president and foreign minister. She says the roadblocks are preventing food and critical medical supplies like oxygen from being transported between Cali — the epicenter of the protests — and the capital, Bogotá.

Ramallah — The crises in Jerusalem and Gaza have made Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas relevant again, with foreign ministers stopping by his headquarters and the phones ringing with calls from world leaders.

Why it matters: In the early days of the crisis, Abbas appeared isolated internationally and powerless domestically. The Palestinian Authority feared the tensions in Jerusalem and fighting in Gaza could morph into a new intifada in the West Bank that they would be unable to control.

The Senate voted 68-30 on Thursday to advance a sweeping China-focused global competition bill, clearing a major procedural hurdle after concerns over potential Republican opposition.

Why it matters: The bill, which faces additional debate before a vote is held on final passage, is seen as a litmus test for whether Republicans could work with Democrats on any legislation in the deeply divided Senate. The vote was held open for hours after Republicans negotiated more time to vote on amendments.

At least 88 politicians have been killed in Mexico and more than 100 report they’ve been threatened or kidnapped in the run-up to next week’s midterm elections.

Why it matters: This Mexican election cycle is already the second-bloodiest ever. In 2018, about 140 people involved in politics were murdered.

President Biden ordered the U.S. intelligence community on Wednesday to "redouble their efforts" to determine whether COVID-19 first emerged from a laboratory in Wuhan or through animal-to-human transmission.

Flashback: The "lab leak" theory was initially dismissed by most scientists and public health officials and spread mainly by some of China's loudest critics, including President Trump. Many media outlets steered clear, and it faded into the background of the COVID-19 debate.

Secretary of State Tony Blinken warned Israeli leaders on his visit to Jerusalem this week that evictions of Palestinian families from East Jerusalem or further unrest on the Temple Mount could spark renewed “tension, conflict and war," he told me in a phone interview.

What he’s saying: Speaking on his flight back from the Middle East, Blinken said the most important aspect of his trip was that he heard directly from Israel and indirectly from Hamas, through Egypt, that both want to maintain the ceasefire. “But it's also important that we avoid various actions that could unintentionally, or not, spark another round of violence," Blinken said.

Russia Thursday blocked at least two European planes from landing in Moscow because they planned to avoid Belarusian airspace after Belarus diverted a Lithuania-bound flight to detain a government dissident on Monday, U.S. News reports.

Why it matters: The move comes after the EU told European airlines not to fly over Belarus, and appears to seek to undermine the bloc's response to the country's strongman leader Aleksandr Lukashenko, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

London Metropolitan Police arrested five men in connection with the shooting of British Black Lives Matter activist Sasha Johnson, according to a police statement.

The state of play: A 17-year-old was arrested on suspicions of having a weapon, as well as for possession of class A drugs with intent to distribute. Three men were arrested on suspicions of "affray" — fighting in a public space — and for possessing class B drugs with intent to supply.

Russia has been putting the screws to Twitter, Facebook and Google to follow newly crafted content restrictions, testing the degree to which the tech giants will bend to the country's will.

Why it matters: The companies have significant business reasons to appease repressive governments like Russia's, but the world is watching. Concessions made to one country one day risk encouraging other countries to make their own demands.

Former Sen. Claire McCaskill is under consideration for a plum ambassadorship in western Europe — another sign President Biden will tap party allies over big dollar donors when he starts to name his political ambassadors as soon as next week.

Why it matters: Biden will have political antennae across the globe.

The number of people attempting to cross the U.S.-Mexico border from countries beyond Mexico and Central America's Northern Triangle — including residents of Haiti, Cuba, Romania and India — has spiked during recent months.

Why it matters: On top of natural disaster and economic crises in home countries, the growing backlog of asylum cases in the U.S. — which often allows migrants to live and work in the country as their case plays out in court — is being conveyed to friends and relatives. It can prompt them to catch flights to Central America.