Ahead of an upcoming meeting with Joe Biden, Russian President Vladimir Putin told NBC News on Friday that the current president is "radically different" than his predecessor.
Why it matters: Trump faced accusations of cozying up to Putin while in office while Biden has pledged to take a hard-line approach against the Kremlin.
Iran regained its United Nations General Assembly vote on Friday after it made a minimum dues payment, while denouncing the United States for sanctions that had blocked billions in funds, AP reports.
The big picture: The Biden administration on Thursday lifted sanctions on former Iranian officials affiliated with the National Iranian Oil Co., signaling that it's willing to ease economic pressure on Iran, the Wall Street Journal reports.
The Group of 7 wealthy nations on Friday pledged to deliver more than 1 billion doses of the coronavirus vaccine to lower-income countries beginning this summer.
Why it matters: The G7 countries have been criticized for not sharing vaccines with nations that have fewer resources and are struggling to contain new waves of the pandemic.
Hong Kong's government on Friday announced it will censor films that it says are endangering national security.
Why it matters: "The new guidelines ... are the latest sign of how thoroughly Hong Kong, a semiautonomous Chinese territory, is being reshaped by a security law enacted last year to quash antigovernment protests," the New York Times writes.
The U.S. Embassy in Moscow said Friday that it has been unable to contact a U.S. citizen detained in Russia and is gravely concerned about his health.
Why it matters: Trevor Reed is a former U.S. Marine who was sentenced to nine years in prison by a Moscow court in 2020 after being charged with assaulting two police officers — accusations that his family and other advocates say are politically motivated and false, per the New York Times.
Hackers stole data, including customer emails, phone numbers and addresses, from McDonald’s computer systems in the U.S., South Korea and Taiwan, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Why it matters: It's the latest cyber attack against a major U.S.-based corporation, with the news breaking a day after FBI Director Christopher Wray warned Congress that "the cyber threat is increasing almost exponentially."
Climate finance has emerged as the biggest stumbling block to progress at the high-stakes United Nations climate talks in Scotland in November. How the Group of 7 wealthy nations treats the issue Friday and Saturday may determine the outcome.
Why it matters: Providing the funding that was promised to developing countries might open up other areas of important conversation in Glasgow, such as setting more ambitious emissions reduction targets for 2030.
The UEFA European Championship, still called Euro 2020 despite a one-year delay, kicks off today as Italy hosts Turkey at Rome's Stadio Olimpico (3pm ET, ESPN).
What's happening: Unlike any of the previous 15 iterations, this year's tournament will be a pan-continental affair, with Rome acting as just one of 11 host cities.
The European Central Bank said Thursday it would keep its key interest rates unchanged, and continue its emergency €1.85 trillion bond-buying program through at least March of next year.
Why it matters: The ECB appears to be signaling a longer timeline for maintaining its current level of market support than the Fed has in the U.S.
President Biden will host German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the White House on July 15, press secretary Jen Psaki announced Friday.
Why it matters: The announcement comes as Biden is on his first overseas trip as president, which he is using to attempt to reinvigorate ties between the U.S. and European allies that had been strained under former President Trump. He will meet Merkel in person at the G7 summit on Friday.
500 million COVID-19 vaccine doses. Jill Biden's "Love" jacket. And an updating of the Atlantic Charter that briefly let President Biden and Prime Minister Boris Johnson channel FDR and Winston Churchill.
The big picture: Joe Biden's first foreign trip as U.S. president is a carefully-managed mix of multilateralism and message discipline so far — and a deliberate contrast to his predecessor's M.O. on the international stage.
