Axios

Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had been hoping to reach a plea deal on the corruption charges against him before Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit left office at the end of January, but Mandelblit has reportedly notified Netayahu's lawyers that won't be possible.

Why it matters: The deal Mandelblit and Netanyahu had been discussing would have kept him out of prison but seen him banned from politics for seven years. Netanyahu broke his silence on the plea talks after they collapsed and said he'd never accepted the seven-year ban.

Mutinous soldiers in Burkina Faso declared on state television Monday that they had deposed the government, closed the borders and taken control of the country. President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré has reportedly been arrested.

The big picture: This would be the third successful military coup in west Africa in eight months, after juntas took power last year in Guinea and in neighboring Mali.

To avoid tensions with Washington, Israel coordinated with the Biden administration in advance of a high-level tech and economy summit held virtually with Chinese officials on Monday, two Israeli officials tell Axios.

Why it matters: Monday's summit, led by Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid and Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan, followed low-profile consultations on China last month between the U.S. and Israeli governments — a sensitive issue given U.S. concerns about Chinese investments in Israel.

The British government said Monday that it will lift the COVID-19 testing requirement for fully vaccinated people arriving in England.

State of play: Those who are not fully vaccinated "will only need to take a pre-departure test and a PCR test on or before day 2 after arriving in England," British Transport Secretary Grant Shapps tweeted.

Former Pope Benedict XVI on Monday admitted that he had attended a 1980 meeting over a sexual abuse case in Germany. He had previously told authorities he was not there.

Catch up fast: A report released last week faulted Pope Benedict for the mishandling of four sex abuse cases when he was archbishop of Germany’s Munich diocese from 1977 to 1982. Upon its release, he denied any wrongdoing.

Cracks in the NATO alliance regarding sanctions for Russia should President Vladimir Putin order troops into Ukraine are in large part based on energy supply concerns.

Why it matters: Russia holds tremendous leverage over some European countries because it provides roughly 40% of Europe's natural gas supply. In Germany, this figure is greater than 50%.

The United Kingdom's High Court ruled Monday that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange can appeal a decision allowing him to be extradited to the United States to stand trial on espionage charges over the publication of classified documents, AP reports.

Why it matters: The ruling gives Assange another chance to avoid extradition and a potential sentence of up to 175 years in prison.

NATO said Monday it's sending more ships and fighter jets to eastern Europe due to Russia's buildup of troops near Ukraine.

Driving the news: "NATO Allies are putting forces on standby and sending additional ships and fighter jets to NATO deployments in eastern Europe, reinforcing Allied deterrence and defense as Russia continues its military build-up in and around Ukraine," per a NATO statement.

The State Department will begin evacuating families and nonessential staff from the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv this week, according to a travel advisory published Sunday evening.

Why it matters: The move underscores U.S. fears that a Russian invasion could destabilize Ukraine and threaten the embassy's ability to assist Americans.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's office announced Monday that he's ordered an inquiry into allegations from a Conservative member of Parliament that she was fired from a ministerial job due to her Muslim faith.

Driving the news: Nusrat Ghani told the Sunday Times she was informed by a government whip that she was fired from her position as a junior transport minister in February 2020 after her "Muslimness was raised as an issue" and that her faith made colleagues feel "uncomfortable."

Ukrainian officials told Reuters on Sunday they're taking "seriously" a U.K. government allegation that Russia's government is seeking to possibly invade Ukraine and install a pro-Russian leader in Kyiv.

The big picture: The Kremlin has denied the U.K. claim, but as Russia continues to amass forces on all sides of Ukraine's border and the U.S. prepares to evacuate families and nonessential staff from the American Embassy in Kyiv this week, Ukrainian soldiers and volunteer fighters are preparing for possible clashes with Russian forces.

The United Arab Emirates' Defense Ministry said it "intercepted and destroyed" two ballistic missiles targeting Abu Dhabi that were claimed by Yemen's Houthi rebels on Monday.

Why it matters: The report from the UAE and another from Saudi Arabia that a Houthi ballistic missile wounded two people in the kingdom's south on Sunday night further heightens tensions in the region.

Taiwan's defense force said 39 Chinese warplanes flew into its Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) on Sunday.

Why it matters: The largest Chinese air force incursion into the zone since October came a day after the U.S. and Japanese navies conducted a joint exercise in the Philippine Sea.