The Biden administration in recent days has been seeking to reassure Israel that it hasn’t agreed to new concessions with Iran and a nuclear deal isn’t imminent, U.S. and Israeli officials told Axios.
Yes, but: Israeli officials said they‘re not reassured.
The U.S. State Department on Saturday called on Russia to release imprisoned political leader Alexei Navalny on the two-year anniversary of his attempted assassination.
Driving the news: A sharp critic of Russian president Vladimir Putin, Navalny survived Russian agents’ attempt to poison him in August 2020. After recovering, he was arrested in early 2021 and sentenced to prison in what the State Department has said were politically motivated charges.
Russia has accused Ukraine of poisoning some of its soldiers in a Russia-controlled area, Reuters reports.
Why it matters: This is the latest accusation from Russia against Ukraine and follows a series of claims between the two nations over shellings at the Zaporizhzhia power plant.
Fears of an impending attack on a nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine prompted residents in the area to flee Friday, the Washington Post reports.
Why it matters: Repeated warnings from Ukrainian and Russian officials indicate a potential attack is planned for the Zaporizhzhia station, which could cause a radioactive disaster that impacts the whole region.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday agreed to allow a team from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspect the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine during a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron, according to readout of the call released by Macron's office.
Why it matters: Russia has faced pressure from dozens of countries, the United Nations and other international organizations to cease military activity at the plant and withdraw its troops and military equipment.
The Department of Defense announced Friday a new $775 million military assistance package for Ukraine on Friday as Russia's unprovoked invasion of the country nears the six-month mark.
Why it matters: The package includes four additional High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) 16 howitzer heavy field artillery pieces and 36,000 rounds of ammunition, 15 surveillance drones and 40 mine-resistant troop transport vehicles.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah intensified his threats against Israel on Friday, saying if Lebanon's demands aren't met in the maritime border dispute between the two countries, there will be an escalation regardless of whether there is a U.S. nuclear deal with Iran.
Why it matters: Hezbollah has set a mid-September deadline for a resolution in the maritime border dispute, the group's newspaper, Al-Akhbar, wrote earlier this week.
British national El Shafee Elsheikh has been sentenced to life in prison for his role in helping an ISIS cell kidnap, torture and kill prisoners, the Department of Justice said Friday.
The big picture: Elsheikh — who had the nickname "Beatle" — is the most notorious and highest-ranking member of the Islamic State group to ever be convicted in a U.S. Court, the DOJ said.
China issued its first national drought alert of the year this week amid more than two months of record-breaking temperatures and below average rainfall, Chinese state media reports.
Why it matters: The "yellow" alert is the third-highest on China's four-tier system and comes as central and southwest regions are facing some of the highest temperatures ever recorded.
China's President Xi Jinping and Russia's leader Vladimir Putin plan to attend the G20 summit in Bali later this year, according to Indonesian officials.
The big picture: President Biden is expected to attend November's forum, setting the stage for the first summit involving the leaders of the U.S., China and Russia since Putin's forces invaded Ukraine and tensions between Washington and Beijing became further heightened after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan.
Massive storms lashing Europe killed at least 13 people in Italy, Austria and France on Thursday, in the latest extreme weather event to rock the continent this summer, per the BBC.
The big picture: Storm-related deaths were reported in Italy, Austria and on the French island of Corsica on Thursday. Wreckage from the storm system was also reported in parts of Austria and Slovakia.
