The U.S. is following the lead of Venezuela's opposition lawmakers and no longer considering Juan Guaidó as the country's legitimate leader after the opposition-controlled National Assembly voted to dissolve the interim government, a senior U.S. State Department official confirmed to Axios on Wednesday.
Why it matters: Guaidó never truly held the levers of power in Caracas, and his support with the public and within the fractured opposition had been slipping for years. But U.S. policy and, crucially, the opposition's claim to billions in Venezuelan assets overseas, were still based around the premise of Guaidó's legitimacy.
Driving the news: Alidoosti, who starred in Asghar Farhadi’s Oscar-winning 2016 film “The Salesman,” was arrested on Dec. 17 following several social media posts expressing solidarity with the protesters and condemning the government's actions, Reuters reported.
Morocco in recent months has started to link the opening of an embassy in Tel Aviv to formal recognition by the Israeli government of its sovereignty in Western Sahara, four current and former Israeli officials directly involved in the issue told Axios.
The big picture: Then-President Trump’s recognition of Western Sahara as part of Morocco two years ago was part of a broader deal that included the reestablishment of diplomatic relations between Israel and Morocco.
Jarrett Blanc, the U.S. deputy special envoy for Iran, is leaving the State Department Iran team and returning to the Department of Energy to work on nuclear policy-related issues, according to three U.S. officials.
Why it matters: Blanc's departure is another sign that the Biden administration believes there is currently no path forward for a return to the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran.
Lebanon entered the new year without a president or a fully empowered Cabinet, stalling any progress on the financial reforms needed to bring the country out of an unprecedented economic meltdown.
Why it matters: The "only exit out of the crisis" is a billion-dollar bailout package the International Monetary Fund has offered, conditioned on a host of structural and financial reforms, said Sami Nader, the director of the Levant Institute for Strategic Affairs.
New Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen's inaugural speech and a phone call he had with his Russian counterpart this week drew criticism inside Israel and from Ukraine and the U.S.
Why it matters: Cohen's remarks hinting that Israel would no longer condemn Russia publicly for the war in Ukraine and his call with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov — some of his first moves since taking office last week — raised questions about a possible policy shift toward Russia by the incoming Israeli government.
The Russian military said that the use of prohibited cell phones by its soldiers allowed Ukrainian troops to "determine the coordinates of the location of military personnel" to launch a deadly strike.
Driving the news: The death toll from the weekend attack on the Russian military facility is up to 89. It is among the deadliest strikes against Russian forces so far during the war, AP reports.
The man accused of carrying out a subway shooting in New York last year pleaded guilty Tuesday to federal terrorism charges, per the Department of Justice.
Driving the news: Frank James, 63, pleaded guilty to 10 counts of committing a terrorist attack or other violence against a mass transportation vehicle, one count for each gunshot victim, and one count of discharging a firearm in furtherance of his attack, the DOJ said.
The late Brazilian soccer legend Pelé was laid to rest on Tuesday after hundreds of thousands of people paid tribute to him in the city where he played most of his career.
The big picture: Pelé, who died last week at the age of 82, is considered one of the greatest soccer players of all time. He won three FIFA World Cups during his international career — the most of any player.
The Chinese government on Tuesday threatened to take "corresponding measures" against countries that have recently announced COVID-19 testing requirements or other curbs for those traveling from China.
The big picture: China has experienced a surge of COVID-19 cases since early last month, shortly after the country abruptly scrapped its zero-COVID policies. A growing list of countries, including the U.S., U.K., France and Japan, have mandated COVID-19 screening for travelers coming from China.
A new analysis of the 2022 midterms suggests Democrats kept just enough Latino voter support to win key state and federal races in Arizona, Nevada, and Texas while faltering in Florida.
Why it matters: Democrats have not lost as much ground with Latino voters as some predicted — at least for now, according to preliminary findings by the research firm Equis that were shared with Axios.
Israel's new radical right-wing minister of national security Itamar Ben-Gvir visited the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem on Tuesday, drawing international condemnation and raising tensions in the region.
Why it matters: The compound, which Jews call the Temple Mount and Muslims call Haram al-Sharif, is the most religiously sensitive site in Jerusalem. It is the holiest site for Jews and the third holiest for Muslims.
An enormous wave of COVID infections is straining China's medical facilities, as Chinese state media said authorities had implemented “a planned, science-based approach.”
What's happening: Cases swept through China's cities over the holidays and may have now peaked but rural areas are starting to see a surge in infections.
Washington, Beijing and Taipei all finished out the year by making strong moves to bolster their respective positions on Taiwan's sovereignty.
Why it matters: The Chinese government's territorial claims over Taiwan — and the support for the self-governing island that is now coalescing with many democratic nations — is a major geopolitical flashpoint.
