The United Nations Security Council voted on Friday to reauthorize the delivery of humanitarian aid to Syrians via the Bab al-Hawa border crossing, the only one available, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Driving the news: The vote will allow for the border to remain open for a minimum of 12 months. Russia agreed to a last-minute compromise with the United States despite its initial opposition, which officials say signals that it is possible for the two countries to continue cooperating, CNN notes.
Honduran police arrested five suspects in connection to the recent lynching of an Italian man by a mob of over 600 people for allegedly murdering a homeless man.
Driving the news: The people were arrested on suspicions of participating in the killing of 65-year-old Giorgio Scanu and burning portions of Scanu's residence and a car.
The Dutch government on Friday announced that it will reimpose coronavirus restrictions amid a surge of new cases, largely driven by the Delta variant.
Driving the news: The government said that most "infections have occurred in nightlife settings and parties with high numbers of people," which can be a risk for the country's unvaccinated population.
President Biden on Friday nominated Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti (D) to serve as ambassador to India, pending Senate confirmation.
Why it matters: This is one of a handful of high-profile picks for ambassadorships that Biden has made since taking office, and Garcetti may be dispatched amid a surge in COVID-19 infections in India.
The State Department's top official on Israeli-Palestinian issues will travel to Jerusalem on Sunday for talks with the new Israeli government and Palestinian officials, Israeli officials tell me.
Why it matters: This will be the first visit by a senior U.S. official since the formation of the new Israeli government and also comes as the Palestinian Authority is going through a deep domestic political crisis over the killing of political activist Nizar Banat by security forces.
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has made foreign policy adviser Shimrit Meir his primary point of contact to the White House, Israeli officials tell me.
Why it matters: Meir is expected to play a role similar to the one played under former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by former ambassador to Washington Ron Dermer.
The Commerce Department added 34 foreign entities to an export blacklist on Friday for "acting contrary to the foreign policy interests of the United States," including 23 companies allegedly tied to the Chinese military or implicated in the genocide against Muslim minorities in Xinjiang.
Why it matters: It's the Biden administration's latest effort to hold China accountable for its human rights abuses and restrict U.S. firms from doing business in Xinjiang, where Beijing is engaged in a campaign of mass surveillance, detention and forced labor against Uyghurs and other minorities.
A fire at a food and beverage factory outside Bangladesh’s capital killed at least 52 people, many of whom were trapped by an illegally locked door, fire officials said Friday, according to AP.
The big picture: At least 26 workers suffered injuries from jumping from the upper floors of the factory. The top two floors of the five-story building in Rupganj have yet to be searched, according to Debasish Bardhan, deputy director of the Fire Service and Civil Defense.
A British police officer admitted Friday to murdering Sarah Everard, whose death sparked widespread protests and anger from women who shared their own experiences of being threatened or attacked while walking alone, Reuters reports.
The big picture: Wayne Couzens, 48, a London officer, abducted Everard as she walked home from a friend's house on March 3. Her body was found about 50 miles away in southeast England a week after her disappearance. Couzens previously pleaded guilty to raping and kidnapping Everard.
Giant pandas are no longer endangered after decades of conservation efforts, Chinese officials announced this week.
Why it matters: China's efforts over the last half-century to expand giant pandas' habitats helped drive their population in the wild up to 1,800, according to CNN.
17 suspects have been detained so far in the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse, including two who are believed to hold dual U.S.-Haitian citizenship, according to AP.
The latest: 15 of the detainees are from Colombia and at least six are former members of its army, AP reports, citing the Colombian government.
The state of play: The Games begin two weeks from today, and these last-minute changes impact 15,000+ athletes, 50,000+ officials, 70,000+ volunteers and countless others as they prepare for the Games.
