The Kremlin said Saturday it has permanently banned 963 Americans from travelling to Russia in retaliation against U.S. sanctions over its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
Why it matters: It's a major update to a sanctions list it initially released in March that included President Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other administration officials, though the sanctions themselves are largely symbolic.
North Korea said Saturday that nearly 220,000 additional people have feverish, COVID-like symptoms around the country, marking its fifth consecutive daily increase over 200,000 likely cases, AP reports.
Why it matters: North Korea has an extremely low vaccination rate against COVID-19, limited health facilities and was already struggling to feed its population before the virus started to spread in late April.
President Biden and South Korea's new president, Yoon Suk-yeol, signaled Saturday that they will consider enlarged joint military exercises to deter North Korea, which is seeking to expand its nuclear arsenal, AP reports.
Why it matters: North Korea has conducted at least 16 missile launches so far in 2022, including its first intercontinental ballistic missile test since 2017. U.S. officials have also warned that Pyongyang may be on the verge of resuming nuclear weapons tests.
Australians voted out Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Saturday, potentially paving a way for the country's opposition to form a coalition government to replace his center-right Liberal-National coalition.
The latest: Morrison conceded defeat Saturday night despite outstanding uncounted votes, according AP.
Why it matters: UkrainianProsecutor General Iryna Venediktova told the U.S. Helsinki Commission earlier this month that Russia has committed nearly 10,000 war crimes over the course of the war. A compensation deal would show aggressors that they will be held accountable for their actions at the international level, Zelensky said.
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.
