A fishing fleet of around 300 boats is fast approaching the World Heritage Site off the Ecuadorian coast where biodiversity inspired Darwin’s theory of evolution.
Why it matters: Over 20% of the marine species in the Galápagos archipelago’s reserve are found only there.
The former commander of the Colombian army will be charged with murder this week, per prosecutors, making him the highest-ranking military officer to face a possible prison sentence over extrajudicial killings.
Details:U.S.-trained Gen. Mario Montoya is accused of overseeing 104 cases in which civilians, five of them children, were kidnapped, killed and disguised as “guerrilla casualties” by armed forces between 2007 and 2008.
Canadian border agents reached a tentative deal on Saturday after 36 hours of negotiations as the country plans to reopen to fully vaccinated U.S. residents and permanent residents starting Aug. 9.
Driving the news: Two labor unions, the Public Service Alliance of Canada and the Customs and Immigration Union, said union members have worked without a contract for three years in a toxic work environment.
The head of the Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases at the Wuhan Institute of Virology People said that people around the world should be prepared to coexist with different variants of the coronavirus as it continues to mutate, the South Morning China Post reports.
What she's saying: "As the number of infected cases has just become too big, this allowed the novel coronavirus more opportunities to mutate..." top virologist Shi Zhengli said, per the English-language paper in Hong Kong. "New variants will continue to emerge."
The Winter Games are just six months away, kicking off in Beijing on Feb. 4.
Why it matters: Beijing will become the first city that has hosted both the Summer and Winter Olympics, and it will do so when the virus that originated in China will still be wreaking havoc on the world.
Nearly half of Americans say China shouldn't be allowed to host the Winter Games in 2022 because of its record of human rights abuses, a new Axios/Momentive poll finds.
Why it matters: These results suggest that, in addition to facing public health challenges over the continued spread of COVID, the Beijing Games will be politically divisive for a large segment of the American audience.
Thai police on Saturday fired water cannons, tear gas and rubber bullets into a crowd of anti-government protesters calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha over his handling of the coronavirus, AP reports.
Driving the news: Demonstrators, who were part of the student protest group Free Youth, threw rocks, bottles and shot fireworks during the confrontation at an army base where Prayuth lives, per AP.
The U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan on Saturday urged all U.S. citizens to leave the country "immediately," adding that they should "not plan to rely on U.S. government flights."
The big picture: The warning comes as the Taliban capture their second provincial capital, Sheberghan in Jowzjan Province, in two days.
Police officers arrested two Myanmar citizens Friday on charges of plotting to violently attack Kyaw Moe Tun, Myanmar's ambassador to the United Nations, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced.
Why it matters: Tun, who was elected to represent Myanmar's now-deposed elected civilian government, is an adamant opponent of the country's military junta, which staged a coup in February and later killed hundreds of protesters during anti-coup demonstrations.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken told foreign ministers from Southeast Asian countries on Friday that the United States is concerned about the rapid growth of China's nuclear arsenal.
Why it matters: The U.S. maintains no arms control agreements with China, though Washington has repeatedly encouraged Beijing to join its efforts alongside Russia in trilateral treaties to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons.
A man stabbed at least 10 passengers on a commuter train in Tokyo, Japan on Friday before being captured by law enforcement, the Associated Press reports.
Why it matters: The incident comes as Japan has seen a series of high-profile knife killings in 2016, 2018 and 2019 and the city is host to the Summer Olympic Games, which end Sunday.
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Friday nominated Mike Herzog as Israel's next ambassador to Washington. Herzog, who is one of Israel’s most experienced and respected strategic thinkers, is the brother of Israel’s President Issac Herzog.
Why it matters: Herzog will be a key player in building the relationship between the new Israeli government and the Biden administration — navigating the differences on thorny issues like the Iran nuclear deal and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The Taliban captured the city of Zaranj, the capital of Nimruz province in southwest Afghanistan, government officials announced Friday, according to the New York Times.
Why it matters: Zaranj, which has at least 50,000 residents, is the first provincial capital to fall under Taliban control since President Biden announced a military withdrawal from Afghanistan, which has coincided with large territorial gains by the insurgent group and a sharp uptick in violence.
In a joint statement on Friday, the foreign ministers of the G7 member states condemned the attack on the Mercer Street oil tanker last week and blamed Iran for orchestrating it.
Why it matters: The joint statement is a diplomatic achievement for the U.S., the U.K. and Israel, who in recent days have sought to build as wide a coalition as possible to condemn Iran and increase the pressure on the new Iranian government.
The Taliban killed the director of Afghanistan’s Government Information Media Center on Friday, AP reports.
Why it matters: The killing of Dawa Khan Menapal, who led the government’s press operations for the local and foreign media, is the latest in a series of attacks against government officials in recent months, per AP.
Hezbollah on Friday fired 19 rockets from southern Lebanon toward Israeli military outposts on the border between the two countries. Most were intercepted by the Iron Dome system and there were no casualties, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
Why it matters: This is the first time Hezbollah has fired rockets on Israel and publicly taken responsibility since the 2006 war. It's a significant escalation in tensions on the Israeli-Lebanese border in recent weeks.
NBA player Enes Kanter said Thursday he would continue to denounce President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan over human rights abuse reports in Turkey despite discovering that the Turkish government had issued nine warrants for his arrest.
Driving the news: Kanter is wanted in Turkey for defamation and terrorism offenses, according to documents dated July 12 and obtained by monitoring group, the Nordic Monitor.
Belarusian sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya arrived in Warsaw on Wednesday evening and met with her husband on Thursday, days after refusing national team orders to fly home amid concerns for her safety.
Driving the news: The 24-year-old Olympian received a humanitarian visa from Poland after deciding to defect from her home country when she received a phone call from her grandmother telling her not to return, Reuters reported.
