Axios

The State Department approved the request of the far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich for a "diplomatic visa" ahead of his trip to Washington next week, a source with direct knowledge told Axios and Smotrich's office confirmed on Thursday.

Why it matters: The Biden administration faced pressure from several Jewish organizations and other groups in the U.S. to deny Smotrich's visa request over his call for the Israeli government to "wipe out" the Palestinian village of Hawara.

Lloyd Austin traveled to Israel on Thursday for talks focused on Iran and the escalation in the occupied West Bank, but the secretary of defense also found himself in the middle of the domestic turmoil over the future of Israel’s democracy, which has engulfed the country in recent weeks.

Why it matters: The Israeli right-wing government’s plan to weaken the Supreme Court and other democratic institutions has created an unprecedented constitutional crisis in Israel, with growing fears that the confrontation between the government and the opposition will escalate into violence and chaos.

Colombia and Ecuador this week launched a first-of-its-kind joint security alert system in an attempt to prevent attacks by armed groups against Indigenous and environmental activists near the nations' shared border.

Why it matters: At least 116 activists were killed last year, up from 100 in 2021, according to new data from the UN's Colombian office.

A new report examining how Latinos interact with the criminal justice system found police and jails rarely track their racial and ethnic data, complicating how researchers track potential disparities.

The big picture: An estimated 1.2 million people are incarcerated in the nation’s state and federal prisons today, and close to 550,000 are in jail, but there's little research into how Latinos fit into this picture, according to the report, published Wednesday by the University of California, Irvine, School of Social Ecology.

As the World Baseball Classic began this week, some fans say they have conflicting feelings about cheering for Caribbean and Latin American nations where people are experiencing turmoil.

The big picture: Eight of the 20 countries competing in the World Baseball Classic are from Latin America and the Caribbean, and some are among the favorites to win the title — despite instability at home.

Thousands of women across Latin America and the Caribbean marked International Women's Day on Wednesday with protests, seeking to bring attention to issues such as gender-based violence and pay disparities.

The big picture: Latin America and the Caribbean have some of the worst rates of gender-based violence in the world, according to UN data.

Democracy declined around the world for the 17th consecutive year, but the pace of that decline has slowed and we could be approaching a "turning point," according to an annual report from Freedom House.

Why it matters: The rise of authoritarianism and the erosion of democracy have been among the most notable global trends of the past decade. The "Freedom in the World" report suggests those trends continued in 2022, but it also finds cause for optimism.

Russia's military launched a large-scale missile attack on Kyiv and cities across Ukraine on Thursday, killing at least six civilians, according to Ukrainian officials and multiple reports.

The big picture: Local officials reported blackouts and widespread damage to buildings and infrastructure in cities including Kharkiv and Odessa, while Ukrainian operator Energoatom said the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant lost power due to the biggest Russian missile assault on Ukraine for some three weeks.

The deadly Tropical Cyclone Freddy is threatening to make landfall in Mozambique again after lashing Madagascar for a second time as it continued its historic run Monday.

The big picture: Thursday marks 34 days since Freddy formed. It "does appear to be a new record holder for 'longest-lasting' recorded tropical cyclone," per a statement Monday from Randall Cerveny, the World Meteorological Organization's rapporteur for weather and climate extremes.

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 overhaul and expected roadblocks 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 worsening during 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.