Axios

Reported sexual assault at U.S. military academies surged during the 2021-22 school year, according to a new report released by the Department of Defense on Friday.

The big picture: There were increases in all types of unwanted sexual contact at Army, Navy, and Air Force schools — for both men and women — the report found.

The agreement between Riyadh and Tehran to resume diplomatic relations is the result of "weakness" toward Tehran by the U.S., the West and the previous Israeli government, a senior Israeli official told reporters on Friday.

The big picture: The agreement, announced Friday, came after mediation efforts by the Chinese government — an achievement that sends a signal to the U.S. about China's role in the Middle East.

Iran and Saudi Arabia have agreed to resume diplomatic relations after secret talks in Beijing mediated by the Chinese government, the two countries announced on Friday.

Why it matters: It's a major breakthrough for the two Middle East rivals, who haven't had diplomatic relations since 2016 when Saudi Arabia cut ties with Iran after Iranian protesters stormed its embassy in Tehran.

The red carpet is rolling out for the 95th Academy Awards on Sunday, as producers hope to boost the show's ratings and move past last year's controversy when Will Smith slapped host Chris Rock on stage.

The big picture: "Everything Everywhere All at Once" has picked up the most Oscar nominations this year, bringing new and returning faces to the show, including a performance by Rihanna.

St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner. But the festivities — and partying! — begin this weekend.

The big picture: St. Patrick’s Day has become a cultural holiday in the United States where people celebrate their Irish heritage and Irish culture. And, you know, drink green beer.

A shooting at a Jehovah's Witness meeting hall in Hamburg, Germany, on Thursday left seven victims dead and multiple others injured — some seriously, local police said.

The latest: Hamburg Police said early Friday they found a body they believe to be the suspect inside the church.

China's leader Xi Jinping has begun a history-making third term after he was sworn in as president on Friday.

Why it matters: The Chinese Parliament's unanimous vote Friday means Xi's authoritarianism and assertive foreign policies are likely to continue for at least another five years, per Axios China author Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian.

A New York federal jury found a former 21st Century Fox executive guilty on Thursday in an alleged scheme to bribe FIFA officials for lucrative soccer game broadcasting rights.

Driving the news: Hernan Lopez was convicted of conspiring to commit wire fraud and launder money, but co-defendant Carlos Martinez was acquitted on the same charges, per a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will contend with a united opposition and an angry electorate in elections slated for May 14, three months after a devastating earthquake and amid ongoing economic turmoil.

Why it matters: Erdoğan has refashioned Turkish politics in his own increasingly authoritarian image over two decades, skillfully wielding Turkey's geopolitical clout abroad and eroding checks on his power at home. This election may be the opposition's best-ever chance to defeat him, but the 69-year-old strongman is unlikely to go down easily.

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.