The U.S.-Israel talks on Iran this week were positive and showed that the two countries are looking at the issue from a "much closer point of view," a senior Israeli official told Axios.
Why it matters: The talks at the White House, which were the first of their kind since the new right-wing Israeli government assumed office, took place amid growing concerns over the unprecedented advancement of Iran's nuclear program.
The growing public opposition to the Netanyahu government’s judicial overhaul has sent shockwaves through the Israeli military, with hundreds of reserve air force pilots, members of special forces units, and military intelligence officers saying they would not serve if the plan to weaken Israel's Supreme Court is implemented.
Why it matters: The Israeli military, especially the air force and the military intelligence special operations unit, is highly dependent on reservists who sometimes leave their families and jobs for more than 30 days a year in order to serve in front-line positions and take part in active combat.
The planned "day of resistance" protests over the Israeli government's judicial overhaulandexpectedroadblocks forced Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to delay his arrival in Israel to Thursday and will confine his visit to a location within the airport grounds, according to Israeli officials.
The big picture: Austin, who was initially expected in Israel on Wednesday night, has become very involved in the Biden administration's efforts to de-escalate the situation in the occupied West Bank and prevent things from worseningduring the historically sensitive period of Ramadan and Passover.
The U.S. will lift COVID testing restrictions for travelers from China, the Washington Post first reported and Axios has confirmed.
The big picture: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced in December a negative test requirement for travelers from the country, which began on Jan. 5 after China saw a spike in coronavirus cases following Beijing's loosening of travel restrictions.
An archaeological frenzy leading to a slew of ancient discoveries in Egypt could bolster the country's tourism industry.
Why it matters: Egypt's multi-billion-dollar tourism industry — which was devastated by the pandemic — accounts for a significant portion of the Egyptian economy.
A real-life prosecutorin a groundbreaking Argentine criminal case that's now the plot of an Oscar-nominated film tells Axios the trial is an example of how justice should be carried out worldwide today.
Driving the news: "Argentina, 1985," which is up for Best International Feature Film at the Academy Awards this Sunday, portrays the trial of the leaders of the military juntasthat detained, tortured, and disappeared an estimated 30,000 people in the South American nation during the 1976-1983 dictatorship.
Mexican-born mixed martial arts fighter Alexa Grasso stunned the MMA world Saturday after beating the heavy favorite Valentina Shevchenko of Kyrgyzstan to capture the UFC women's flyweight championship.
The big picture: Grasso's victory, which made her the UFC's first Mexican women's champion, illustrates how much MMA is growing south of the border.
Latinas are outpacingLatino men in college enrollment and making other inroads but still face pay disparities and barriers to economic prosperity.
The big picture: Latinos are a growing segment of the population and major contributors to the U.S. economy, but Hispanic women make less money than men and face unique challenges that are both cultural and institutional.
The U.S. and China are on a path towards "conflict and confrontation" unless the U.S. changes course, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang warned Tuesday at a press conference.
Why it matters: Tensions between China and the U.S., which spiked in 2022, soured further last month after a high-altitude surveillance balloon sent by the Chinese government was discovered flying over the U.S.
Beijing is changing Hong Kong'spolitical norms,raising new concerns about the institutions underlying the city's previous prosperity and potentially putting its status as a global financial hub at risk, according to a new report.
The big picture: The business community should begin a collective lobbying campaign to convey their concerns directly to Hong Kong authorities, the report recommends, because legal and bureaucratic recourse is now less likely to help the business community protect their interests in the city.
At least six Palestinians were killed on Wednesday during an Israeli military raid in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin, the Palestinian Health Ministry said.
The big picture: The raid — the latest in recent weeks to have many casualties — is another sign of the escalating situation in the West Bank and comes just weeks ahead of the historically sensitive period of Ramadan and Passover.
Semafor, the 5-month-old news startup, is drawingcriticism in the U.S. for partnering with a think tank in China that is known to have close ties to the Chinese Communist Party. The group has in the past obscured those ties to Western audiences.
Why it matters: Thecollaboration is notable because the organization Semafor is partnering with — and its leader — has a track record of misleading Western audiences about its affiliation with the CCP.
Tourism companies around the world are planning for the return of Chinese tourists by offering packages and services tailored to unique experiences, capitalizing on a trend that began before China locked down in 2020.
Why it matters: The tourism industry must meet the demand for experiences and services tailored to Chinese tourists if it wants to reap the benefits of the largest traveler market, experts told Axios.
Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un, issued a warning to the U.S. on Tuesday, one day after a B-52 bomber was deployed during a joint American and South Korean military drill.
Driving the news: Seoul said the deployment was an act of deterrence in response to "advancing nuclear and missile threats from North Korea." Kim Yo-jong said she wanted to send her own message to the U.S. — that any attempt to intercept a missile test would be considered a "declaration of war," per state media.
Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Monday he'll appoint an independent special rapporteur to investigate allegations of a recent election interference campaign by China's ruling Communist Party.
Why it matters: Trudeau has faced repeated calls to act after media reports emerged last month alleging that documents from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) showed a Beijing-backed drive to influence the outcome of Canada's federal elections in 2019 and 2021.
