Axios

Russian President Vladimir Putin is placing two of his biggest-ever political and strategic bets in a single week.

Why it matters: With his troops getting routed in northeastern Ukraine and their footholds elsewhere slipping, Putin eschewed strategic retreat in favor of high-risk escalation. He's mobilizing an estimated 300,000 citizens and preparing to declare 15% of Ukraine as Russian soil — backed by a blatant nuclear threat.

Japan will ease pandemic-related travel restrictions next month, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced on Thursday, making it easier for tourists to enter the country.

Why it matters: Japan has long been a popular travel destination in Asia, recording nearly 32 million visitors in 2019. But the pandemic has devastated its tourism industry, with less than 250,000 people visiting Japan last year.

Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid expressed his support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in his speech at the UN General Assembly on Thursday.

Why it matters: It's the first time Lapid as prime minister has given a speech backing a two-state solution. Lapid made clear that the establishment of a Palestinian state must have security arrangements for Israel.

Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Indigenous rights activist Rigoberta Menchú Tum says she sees signs of hope in her native Guatemala despite the government’s intensifying crackdown on journalists and anti-corruption prosecutors.

State of play: President Alejandro Giammattei's government over the past couple of years has charged or jailed nearly two dozen prosecutors working on anti-corruption cases and journalists whose coverage exposed government wrongdoing, according to local media reports.

The U.S. Treasury Department on Thursday announced sanctions against Iran's morality police over the death of a woman in custody and violence against protesters.

Driving the news: Mahsa Amini, 22, died last week after being arrested by the morality police for allegedly violating a religious law requiring women to wear a headscarf. Protests over her death have since erupted in dozens of cities.

The total economic output of U.S. Latinos reached $2.8 trillion in 2020, surpassing the GDPs of the U.K. and India, according to a report released Thursday.

Why it matters: The report showed U.S. Latino buying power and economic output grew during the pandemic despite the disproportional impact it had on Latino communities, Russell writes.

Authorities in Venezuela arrested Leonard Francis, a former U.S. Navy contractor who organized one of the largest bribery scandals in military history, in Caracas this week at the request of the U.S. Marshals Service.

Why it matters: Francis, also known as "Fat Leonard," pleaded guilty in 2015 to offering bribes to Navy officials in the form of prostitution services, luxury hotels and meals to benefit his ship servicing company based in Singapore, AP reports.

President Biden approved a major disaster declaration for Puerto Rico and ordered federal aid to assist with recovery efforts in the areas affected by deadly Hurricane Fiona, the White House announced Wednesday evening.

Driving the news: Local officials told AP Wednesday they were having difficulty trying to reach stranded residents days after Fiona swept through, cutting off areas in "at least six municipalities" after triggering heavy rains, mudslides and flooding that destroyed bridges, roads and property.

The president of the Inter-American Development Bank, Mauricio Claver-Carone, allegedly threatened to "burn" or "bring" the bank down over an investigation into a rumored affair he had with a female staffer, according to an outside report.

Why it matters: In response to the confidential report from the law firm Davis Polk, which was commissioned by the bank, there is growing momentum among the bank’s shareholders to oust Claver-Carone, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Protests over the death of a woman in police custody in Iran last week intensified on Wednesday as unrest spread to dozens of cities.

Driving the news: Mahsa Amini, 22, died after being arrested by Iran's morality police for allegedly violating a religious law requiring women to wear a headscarf.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said a special tribunal should be created to punish Russia during his recorded speech to the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday.

Driving the news: Russia should face punishment for "the crime of aggression" and for violations of territorial integrity until the internationally recognized borders of Ukraine are restored, he said.

U.S. mediators are engaged in indirect negotiations between Israeli and Lebanese officials in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in an attempt to reach a deal on the maritime border between the countries, Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said in a briefing with reporters.

Why it matters: The talks between the parties have entered crunch time and the fact that both the Israelis and the Lebanese are in New York allows opportunities for more intense talks.

Over 1,300 people have been detained for holding protests on Wednesday against Russian President Vladimir Putin's "partial mobilization" of reservists for the invasion of Ukraine, according to OVD-Info, a Russia-based human rights organization that monitors political persecution in the country.

Why it matters: Hundreds of people organized demonstrations in at least 38 Russian cities, including Moscow and Saint Petersburg, against the order in violation of Russia's anti-protest laws, which outlaw unsanctioned rallies.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry wants to conduct a public opinion poll in Ukraine in order to assess whether Israel’s image in the country has been damaged in the months since Russia launched its invasion, Israeli officials say.

Why it matters: Some Israeli Foreign Ministry officials are very concerned about the attitude of the Ukrainian public toward Israel while others think the disagreements are mainly at the political level and haven’t percolated to average Ukrainians.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi used his speech at the UN General Assembly on Wednesday to attack the U.S. over the 2015 nuclear deal.

Why it matters: Raisi’s tough speech was another sign that Iran is not willing to make compromises and that the nuclear talks are at a stalemate.

Ukraine asked Israel to share intelligence on any support Iran is giving to the Russian military in the war, senior Israeli officials told Axios.

Driving the news: Russia in recent days attacked several Ukrainian military positions with “Kamikaze drones” that Ukraine's military said were repainted Iranian Shahed-136 drones.

President Biden condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine during his address to the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday, saying it "is about extinguishing Ukraine's right to exist as a state — plain and simple."

Why it matters: Biden's remarks come after Putin doubled down on the invasion of Ukraine by ordering a "partial mobilization" of Russian reservists with military experience and issued a veiled threat about using nuclear weapons.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin said he's signed a decree on a "partial mobilization" of Russian citizens from Wednesday and vowed to use "all the means at our disposal" to protect Russia, nearly seven months into his invasion of Ukraine.

The latest: Putin's veiled nuclear threat was "dangerous and reckless" but also not new, "as he has done it many times before," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said in an interview with Reuters Wednesday.

The World Health Organization warned in a report Wednesday that most countries are "far off track" in their efforts to reduce premature deaths from noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), such as cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

Driving the news: Chronic diseases are responsible for about 74% of deaths worldwide, with low- and middle-income countries disproportionately affected, according to the WHO. The organization estimates that chronic diseases claim one person's life every two seconds.

Elton John is set to perform at an event hosted by President Biden and first lady Jill Biden on Friday, the White House announced.

The big picture: Celebrities like John are returning to the White House after refusing to visit during the Trump administration, per AP.