Axios

The U.S. has obtained a warrant to seize an aircraft owned by Russian oil and gas company PJSC LUKOIL, the Justice Department announced Wednesday.

Why it matters: It's one of several Russian-owned assets seized by the U.S. since the Biden administration began issuing sanctions in response to Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

The UN Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner released a long-awaited report Wednesday detailing the Chinese government's "serious human rights violations" in Xinjiang, which the U.S. has deemed a genocide against Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities.

Driving the news: The report, which was released minutes before UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet's tenure ended, states that the Chinese government's actions "may constitute international crimes, in particular crimes against humanity."

Over 31,000 fires were detected in Brazil's portion of the Amazon rainforest this August, marking the highest number for the month since 2010, according to data from Brazil's space research institute, INPE.

Why it matters: The new fire data comes just weeks after Brazil's space agency published data showing deforestation in the Amazon hit a new record during the first half of 2022.

Since her death 25 years ago, there have been countless films made about Diana, Princess of Wales. A musical bares her name, she is a character in multiple television series, the subject of numerous books, and her face can be found on commemorative plates, dolls, tea towels, and other memorabilia worldwide.

The big picture: Even before her tragic death, Diana was seen as an economic power, with her popularity selling out magazines and newspapers across the globe. One of the most expensive photos ever sold was a paparazzi photo of her for $6 million.

Israeli opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu in recent days united two radical right-wing Jewish supremacist parties as part of his effort to consolidate his bloc and win the November election.

Why it matters: Netanyahu needs to win a 61-seat majority in the Knesset to form a coalition that could pass laws and take steps to stop his corruption trial.

President Biden in his call with Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid on Wednesday "emphasized the importance" of resolving the maritime border dispute between Israel and Lebanon in the coming week, the White House said in a readout of the call.

The big picture: The U.S., Lebanon and Israel have expressed a sense of urgency to get a deal as soon as possible as Hezbollah intensifies its threats to go to war if Beirut's economic rights are not respected.

The U.S. told Iran through EU mediators that linking the UN investigation of Iran's undeclared nuclear activity to the reimplementation of the 2015 nuclear deal could delay lifting U.S. sanctions, according to a U.S. official and a think tank expert briefed on the issue.

Why it matters: The issue of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) investigations is one of the two remaining stumbling blocks in returning to the 2015 nuclear agreement.

President Biden spoke on the phone with Israeli Prime Minister Lapid Wednesday about the emerging deal to return to the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement and stressed his commitment to Israel's security, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.

Why it matters: Israeli officials said that Lapid wanted to try to influence U.S. policy on the gaps that remain between the U.S. and Iran in the emerging deal, which Israel is opposed to.

Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said Thursday he and a team of experts completed an initial tour of parts of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in southeastern Ukraine.

Why it matters: Grossi said the IAEA will now establish a "continued presence" at the plant to help avoid a potential nuclear catastrophe set off by military activity near the facility stemming from Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The families of Israeli athletes killed in a terrorist attack at the 1972 Olympics in Munich have agreed to a deal with Germany for a compensation payment, the German and Israeli governments said Wednesday.

The big picture: The agreement, which was reached just days before the attack's 50th anniversary, puts to rest a friction point between the two countries.

Barbara Leaf, the State Department’s most senior diplomat for the Middle East, will arrive in Israel on Thursday for talks with Israeli and Palestinian officials in Jerusalem and Ramallah, Israeli and Palestinian officials told Axios.

Why it matters: Leaf's visit comes as the U.S. tries to convince Palestinian leadership, which is frustrated with the diplomatic stalemate in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, not to pursue a bid at the UN Security Council for full UN membership.

Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida formally apologized on Wednesday for his party's ties to the controversial Unification Church, which have come to light in the wake of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's assassination last month.

The big picture: Abe's suspected assassin, Tetsuya Yamagami, reportedly blamed the South Korea-founded Unification Church for bankrupting his mother and resented what he saw as Abe's promotion of the organization, according to Reuters.

Large parts of Pakistan's Sindh and Balochistan provinces are inundated by floodwaters, with normally dry land transformed into lakes when viewed from space. More than 1,000 people are dead, and 33 million affected after about eight weeks of heavy monsoonal rains.

The big picture: The scale and severity of this event are staggering, with the area and population affected exceeding the severity of disastrous flooding seen in 2010, which cost about $10 billion.

As U.S. ambassador to Japan, Rahm Emanuel's day job is to promote trade and harmony between the two countries. But given an opening, the famously combative former Chicago mayor and White House chief of staff is taking on China and Russia.

• In the past few days, he has mixed it up with both Beijing and Moscow. After a Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman hit back at Emanuel for his criticism of China, the American envoy didn't let diplomatic niceties get in the way.

Mikhail Gorbachev, who attempted bold reforms upon assuming leadership of the Soviet Union in 1985 and oversaw its dissolution in 1991, died at 91 on Tuesday, according to Russian state media.

The big picture: Gorbachev sought to modernize the economy and liberalize society through his trademark policies of perestroika and glasnost. He also improved relations with the West and signed arms control agreements with the U.S. But it was under his tenure that the Eastern Bloc, and later the USSR itself, collapsed.

Sens. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) said they met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Tuesday to "reaffirm the U.S. commitment" to the nation.

Why it matters: Last week marked six months since Russian forces invaded Ukraine. The meeting comes as Ukraine and its Western allies consider their strategy for the next phase of the war against Russia, which now occupies one-fifth of the country.