Elon Musk met with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Friday to discuss connectivity and other technology projects ahead of Brazil's election.
Why it matters: Musk traveled to Brazil as part of his satellite internet service Starlink's expansion in the region. The visit comes as Musk is increasingly engaged with global politicians, especially conservative leaders.
The men’s and women’s tennis tours have stripped Wimbledon, one of tennis' four Grand Slams, of ranking points after tournament organizers banned Russian and Belarusian players following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the tours announced on Friday.
Why it matters: The tours' decision could lead to countermeasures, including the Grand Slams aligning to make more decisions independently of the ATP or WTA, the New York Times writes.
Finland's state-owned energy company warned Friday that Russia will halt natural gas exports to the country on Saturday after it refused to make payments in rubles, as the Kremlin demanded in March.
Why it matters: Finland will be the third European country to lose gas imports from Russia since the start of the Kremlin's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. The expected cutoff comes on the heels of Helsinki formally applying to join NATO.
Former U.S. Marine Trevor Reed, who was detained in a Russian prison since 2019 before being released last month, said in an exclusive interview with CNN that he feared for his life while imprisoned.
Driving the news: "You felt they might kill you?" CNN's Jake Tapper asked. "Yes. I thought that was a possibility," Reed responded.
G7 countries said they would provide nearly $20billion in financial aid for Ukraine on Friday to help the country through Russia's unprovoked invasion.
Why it matters: Ukraine said in April that it had requested $50 billion in financial assistance from G7 countries to help stabilize its government and its export-dependent economy, which the invasion has crippled.
Top federal prosecutors from five different nations on Thursday issued a joint statement of support for Ukrainian Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova, who is investigating and prosecuting Russian soldiers for alleged war crimes, the Department of Justice announced.
Why it matters: Venediktova has accused Russia of carrying out an estimated 12,595 war crimes since the beginning of its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, according to data cited by her office.
The Senate voted 86-11 to pass a nearly $40 billion military and humanitarian aid package for Ukraine on Thursday and the bill now goes to President Biden to be signed into law.
Why it matters: The package, which is billions more than the $33 billion initially requested by the White House, includes military aid, economic support and humanitarian assistance for food security stemming from Russia's unprovoked invasion.
A White House visit by the leaders of Finland and Sweden threatened to be overshadowed Thursday by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's renewed threat to reject the Nordic countries' applications to join NATO.
Why it matters: President Biden celebrated the "historic" applications — spurred by Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine — as "a victory for democracy in action." But all 30 NATO allies must agree to the enlargement of the alliance, giving Erdoğan significant leverage to extract concessions before lifting his objection.
McDonald's on Wednesday said that it will sell its Russian business to a local licensee, who will continue to operate the restaurants under a different brand.
Why it matters: The fast-food giant has operated in Russia for three decades, and its original entry was viewed as a landmark thawing of Cold War tensions. It now becomes one of the largest foreign brands to exit Russia due to the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Israel’s fragile coalition took another major hit on Thursday when a lawmaker announced she is leaving only six weeks after the last defection.
Why it matters: The dramatic development leaves Prime Minister Naftali Bennett with a minority coalition of only 59 members of Knesset, giving the opposition a potential majority to call an election.
The International Committee of the Red Cross said Thursday that it has registered hundreds of Ukrainian prisoners of war who surrendered to Russian forces at a besieged steel plant in Mariupol.
Driving the news: The agency said it started registering combatants from the Azovstal plant on Tuesday "at the request of the parties," adding that the operation was ongoing.
Ukrainian Cpl. Andrii Shadrin’s unit sets off daily from its makeshift base to points along the front lines in Luhansk Oblast in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, where the war with Russia rages on. “Some of the regions we have to reach, the only road available is under absolute fire control of the enemy,” he says.
The big picture: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has described soldiers in the Donbas like Shadrin as some of the best Ukraine has. Their battle to defend this region will decide the fate of the war.
Sweden and Finland's membership in NATO would integrate two of Europe's most highly capable and modern militaries right on Russia's doorstep, according to rankings and data from the Global Firepower Index.
Why it matters: Sweden and Finland are seeking to join to obtain security guarantees from the world's most powerful military alliance. But experts say they wouldn't be Article 5 freeloaders.
