The FBI said Wednesday that the Russia-linked REvil ransomware group was responsible for the cyberattack that forced major meat supplier JBS to shut down its beef plants across the United States.
What they're saying: "We have attributed the JBS attack to REvil and Sodinokibi and are working diligently to bring the threat actors to justice," the FBI said in a statement. "We continue to focus our efforts on imposing risk and consequences and holding the responsible cyber actors accountable."
A Singapore-registered container ship carrying containers of harmful chemicals and plastics is on the verge of sinking outside the port of Colombo, Sri Lanka, after burning for almost two weeks.
Why it matters: The events are shaping up to be one of Sri Lanka's worst environmental crises.
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid has notified President Reuven Rivlin that he managed to form a power-sharing government that will oust Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if it survives a confidence vote in the Knesset.
Why it matters: We are on the verge of a seismic event in Israeli politics, with Israel's longest-serving prime minister and the man who has dominated the country's politics and relations with the world for over a decade on the verge of being replaced. But he's not out quite yet.
With the Iranian presidential elections looming, very little progress has been made so far in the fifth round of indirect talks in Vienna between the U.S. and Iran, two sources briefed on the talks tell me.
Why it matters: The Iranian elections on June 18 are likely to strengthen the conservative camp, with Ebrahim Raisi — the leader of Iran's judiciary and a close confidant of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei — the favorite to win.
Egypt launched a diplomatic push this week for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip and the stabilization of the fragile Israel-Hamas ceasefire.
Why it matters: Egypt played a key role in mediating the ceasefire in Gaza and is attempting to use that momentum to recapture its regional role and improve relations with the Biden administration.
The U.S. announced it would impose new tariffs on the U.K., Spain, Turkey, Italy, India and Austria in response to their taxes on U.S. tech companies' digital services, but said it will suspend those tariffs for roughly six months to allow time for negotiations.
Why it matters, via Axios' Ashley Gold:The Biden administration is showing it will be tough on countries attempting to impose taxes on U.S. digital giants while holding out hope for a global solution, which has been a slog.
With opposition leader Yair Lapid's mandate to form a new government set to expire at midnight (5pm ET), negotiations are down to the wire with no deal yet.
Why it matters: If Lapid and Naftali Bennett can finalize their deal today, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be out of power for the first time in 12 years. If they can't, Israel will likely head for a fifth election since 2019 with Netanyahu still in office.
Iran's largest navy ship, known as the Kharg, caught on fire on Wednesday and sunk in the Gulf of Oman, according to state media.
Details: The fire broke out at around 2:25 a.m. while the ship was near Iran's Port of Jask, a major shipping lane. No casualties were reported and the entire crew was able to escape the wreck and was taken to safety on the coast, per NPR.
Paul Whelan, the American businessman imprisoned in Russia on spying charges, called on President Biden to resolve the issue of U.S. citizens being detained for political reasons during his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin this month.
Why it matters: Whelan's message, delivered during an interview with CNN from a Russian labor camp, comes ahead of an early test for Biden's promise to hold Moscow to account for its abuses.
Isaac Herzog was elected on Wednesay as the 11th president of Israel, winning more than two-thirds of the votes in Israel's parliament, the Knesset.
Why it matters: The president of Israel gives would-be prime ministers the mandate to form a new government, highly important during the ongoing political crisis in Israel, and can also offer pardons — which could become relevant with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on trial for corruption.
Renewing an effort started at the 2015 Paris Climate Summit, leaders of 23 nations said Wednesday they are redoubling their efforts to fund clean energy technology.
Why it matters: The U.S.-led component of the alliance, known as Mission Innovation 2.0, will focus on carbon dioxide removal, making clean long-distance shipping a reality and advancing the goal of clean hydrogen, deputy Energy secretary David Turk tells Axios.
Mexico's health ministry increased the country's total COVID-19 pandemic death toll by 4,272 to 227,840.
Driving the news: Jose Luis Alomia, the ministry's head of epidemiology, told reporters the revision was due to previously suspected cases being confirmed, per Reuters. "We will likely be seeing these adjustments not only in deaths but also in cases," Alomia warned.
A man in the eastern Jiangsu province of China has become the first person known to have been infected with the rare H10N3 strain of bird flu, the National Health Commission announced Tuesday.
Driving the news: The man from the city of Zhenjiang was hospitalized on April 28 and diagnosed May 28, the governmental health body said in a statement that noted the "risk of large-scale spread is extremely low," per AFP. He's in a stable condition and is expected to be discharged from the hospital.
