President Biden on Wednesday commemorated the 10-year anniversary of the abduction of American journalist and Marine Corps veteran Austin Tice, reiterating calls for the Syrian government to release him.
Why it matters: Tice, who was kidnapped in Syria in 2012, is one of the longest-held and most high-profile American hostages.
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was told by the Justice Department that he was a second target of a plot, revealed Wednesday, by an Iranian operative to murder former Trump administration national security adviser John Bolton.
Driving the news: A source close to Pompeo told Axios that DOJ "has confirmed directly to Secretary Pompeo that he is one of the individuals who has been targeted by those who are [charged] in the announced DOJ [documents]."
The Justice Department unsealed charges Wednesday against a member of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corpsin connection with an alleged plot to assassinate former Trump national security adviser John Bolton.
Why it matters: Bolton has for decades been a fierce critic of the Iranian regime, which has threatened retaliation against him and other top Trump administration officials over the January 2020 assassination of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani.
Why it matters: France, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands are facing water shortages and riverbeds are drying out across Europe. Dry conditions are severely affecting energy production, agriculture and river transportation.
A former Twitter employee was convicted Tuesday of charges related to spying on behalf of Saudi Arabia by obtaining information on dissidents who used the platform.
Driving the news: A federal jury in San Francisco found Ahmad Abouammo, a 44-year-old dual U.S.-Lebanese citizen, guilty on six of 11 criminal counts, including acting as an agent of a foreign government without notifying U.S. officials.
A California federal judge ruled on Tuesday that three golfers who joined the Saudi-backed LIV Tour will not be able to compete in the PGA Tour's postseason.
Why it matters: It's the latest ruling in a legal battle between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour, which suspended golfers who joined the rival circuit since tour bylaws bar members from appearing in other events without the permission of the commissioner, the Wall Street Journal reports.
President Biden on Tuesday signed the ratification documents for Sweden and Finland to join NATO, bringing the two countries a step closer to formally becoming part of the alliance.
Why it matters: Sparked by Russia's invasion of Ukraine earlier this year, Sweden and Finland's bids to join NATO would significantly change the security landscape in Europe and more than double the length of the alliance's borders with Russia.
Art Laboe, one of the first DJs to play R&B and rock 'n' roll in California and cherished among Mexican Americans for his ongoing inmate shoutouts, turned 97 on Sunday.
The big picture: Laboe has been on the air for nearly eight decades and today hosts a show that allows family members to send dedications to incarcerated loved ones.
The casting of James Franco as Fidel Castro in the upcoming film, “Alina of Cuba,” is drawing fire from Latino actors, writers and activists.
Driving the news: Variety got confirmation last week that Franco, who is not Hispanic, will star opposite Ana Villafañe, who portrays the title character Alina Fernández Revuelta, Castro’s daughter.
Online nationalist sentiment in the wake of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan last week urged Beijing to take more aggressive actions and pushed celebrities to publicly support China's position.
Why it matters: Nationalism thrives on China's highly censored internet, but it comes at a cost for Beijing. If Chinese leaders are perceived as responding too weakly to what people online might consider a foreign provocation, nationalist ire could turn against Beijing.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi addressed China's reaction to her recent trip to Taiwan during an appearance on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" on Tuesday, saying that Chinese President Xi Jinping was acting "like a scared bully."
Why it matters: China, which warned of a "strong and resolute" response ahead of the visit, began carrying out military drills near Taiwan in an apparent show of force following Pelosi's visit.
Flooding in Seoul, South Korea, overnight killed at least nine people, including two sisters in their 40s and a 13-year-old girl, the New York Times reports.
Driving the news: It was some of the heaviest rainfall seen in decades and weather officials estimate that nearly 17 inches of rain fell in southern Seoul between Monday and early Tuesday.
Russia's state-backed media apparatus is financing four new TV programs produced by a U.S. conspiracy theorist and aimed in large part at undercutting America's image and interests in the developing world, records show.
Why it matters: The campaign shows how the Kremlin waging an information battle in key regions after its invasion of Ukraine prompted a massive global backlash.
The Biden administration moved on Monday to suspend the Trump-era "Remain in Mexico" policy.
Driving the news: U.S. District Court Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk earlier on Monday lifted an injunction that required the Department of Homeland Security to resume the policy, formally called Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP).
