Axios

The U.S. Treasury on Friday announced it would allow tech companies to expand internet access in Iran in the wake of a government crackdown on protests and internet availability.

Why it matters: Iran's restrictions could prevent Iranians who are protesting the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while she was in police custody from disseminating footage of authorities committing acts of violence.

At least 75 people, including children, fleeing Lebanon to Europe were killed when their boat sank off the Syrian coast this week, Lebanon's transportation minister said on Friday.

The big picture: The incident marks one of the deadliest migrant sea tragedies for a boat leaving Lebanon in years. The country, which hosts a large number of Syrian and Palestinian refugees, continues to reel from an economic crisis that has pushed more than three-quarters of the population into poverty.

China's support for Russia in the war in Ukraine has disappointed many Ukrainians, parliamentary member Oleksandr Merezhko tells Axios in an interview.

Why it matters: Beijing has tried to both support Russia and convince Europe that it supports the principles of sovereignty and the rule of law. Ukrainians aren't buying it, Merezhko says.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the UN on Friday welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid's support for a two-state solution as a "positive development," but stressed the real test will be whether Israel commits to an immediate resumption of peace talks.

Driving the news: In his UN General Assembly speech on Thursday, Lapid backed the two-state solution with security arrangements for Israel, but an Israeli official told reporters that the Israeli prime minister doesn't see peace talks resuming in the near future.

Hong Kong will end mandatory COVID-19 hotel quarantine for travelers next Monday, the city's leader said on Friday.

Why it matters: Hong Kong adopted some of the most stringent pandemic rules, which pummeled the economy and fueled discontent with its residents.

A United Nations human rights commission said Friday its initial investigation into Russia's invasion of Ukraine has found evidence of war crimes.

Why it matters: Based on its investigation, the International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine concluded that war crimes have been committed in Ukraine in the roughly seven months since Russia invaded. The commission did not specify who was responsible for allegedly committing the offenses.

St. Kitts and Nevis is one of seven Caribbean island countries, and 14 total overseas territories, where King Charles III now reigns as head of state. But Foreign Minister Denzil Douglas tells Axios it's time to chart a path to becoming a "truly independent country."

What he's saying: Some countries retained Queen Elizabeth II as head of state for "sentimental" reasons, he says. "She was not offensive to us," though "of course, we recognize what the developing world suffered as colonies."

Residents in Russian-controlled areas of Ukraine began voting in referendums on joining Russia on Friday morning.

The big picture: Russian-installed leaders were holding votes in the Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions from Friday through Tuesday in what's been widely slammed by Ukrainian, Western and other world leaders as a sham that could lead to the annexation of nearly 15% of Ukraine.

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.