Axios

With the possible exception of North Korea, no country has gone to greater extremes to cut itself off from the world during the pandemic than Australia. 

Why it matters: Australia's approach of shutting down at the first hint of an outbreak and keeping the borders hermetically sealed — including to its own citizens — have proved both effective and popular, until now. With vaccinations lagging, some Australians are wondering how long they can go on like this.

Virginia Giuffre, one of Jeffrey Epstein's longtime accusers, filed a lawsuit in New York against Prince Andrew on Monday alleging that the British royal sexually abused and raped her when she was 17 years old.

Driving the news: Giuffre alleges in the suit, filed in the U.S. District Court in Manhattan, that the sexual abuse happened on three occasions nearly two decades ago after she was "lent out for sexual purpose" to the prince. He has denied any wrongdoing.

As a new report by the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warned Monday of the "unequivocal" connection between human-caused global warming and extreme weather and climate events, massive wildfires burned across the world.

Why it matters: There appears to be no end in sight. Wildfires are currently devastating large swaths of the U.S., Canada, Russia, and the Mediterranean, and the wildfire season is far from over.

CIA director Bill Burns will visit Israel on Tuesday for the first time since assuming office for talks that are expected to focus on Iran, Israeli officials tell me. He's also expected to meet Palestinian Authority officials in Ramallah.

Why it matters: Burns will arrive in Jerusalem with tensions running hot between Israel and Iran over an alleged Iranian attack on an Israeli-linked oil tanker and amid escalation between Israel and Hezbollah on the Israeli-Lebanese border.

The U.S., U.K. and Canada imposed an array of new sanctions against Belarus on Monday, the first anniversary of a fraudulent election that triggered a national protest movement and a brutal crackdown by the country's authoritarian leader Aleksandr Lukashenko.

Why it matters: Previous Western sanctions have so far done little to influence Lukashenko's behavior as he clings to power — with the support of Russian President Vladimir Putin — by jailing his political opponents, arresting journalists and publicly attacking those who criticize his regime.

The Canadian government announced Monday that it will begin allowing Americans who are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus and have recently tested negative for the virus to enter the country for nonessential travel.

Why it matters: It's a step toward normalcy on the U.S.-Canadian border, which has been closed for nonessential travel since March 2020, though the U.S. is still restricting travel from Canada until at least late August.

A sweeping United Nations-sponsored review of climate science published Monday projected that the world will cross a crucial temperature threshold as early as 2030 — up to a decade sooner than previously thought.

Why it matters: Warming is affecting every area of the globe, the report notes, and extreme weather events are becoming more common and severe contributing to a more volatile world.

Jay Y. Lee, Samsung’s de facto leader who had been serving a 30-month sentence on bribery, embezzlement and perjury charges, is expected to leave a South Korean prison on Friday after being granted parole, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Why it matters: Lee, the grandson of Samsung's founder, still holds a vital role in the company, though it is unclear if he will be able to resume his duties after leaving prison.

President Biden has appointed close former adviser Amos Hochstein as a State Department energy envoy charged with implementing a U.S.-Germany deal allowing the Nord Stream 2 pipeline to be completed, sources familiar with the decision tell Axios.

Why it matters: Hochstein has been a leading voice against Nord Stream 2, a strategic and financial priority for the Kremlin that will allow Russia to bypass Ukraine and deliver gas directly to the heart of Europe.