Seven Virginia sheriff’s deputies were charged with second-degree murder Tuesday in connection with the death of a Black man at a state mental hospital, AP reports.
Driving the news: Irvo Otieno, 28, died last week while physically restrained during the intake process at a mental health facility, where he was being transferred to from county jail, Dinwiddie County Commonwealth’s Attorney Ann Cabell Baskervill said per AP.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday rejected Isaac Herzog's proposal for compromise on constitutional and judicial reforms that the Israeli president had hoped would replace the government's controversial judicial overhaul plan.
Why it matters: The governing coalition plans to bring the first part of its judicial overhaul plan to a final vote in the Knesset next week, despite months of mass protests that have rocked the country, including the Israeli military, against the legislation.
Tor Wennesland of Norway, the UN special envoy for the Middle East peace process, told Axios this week that Israeli and Palestinian leaders must make strategic decisions to ensure the holy month of Ramadan remains peaceful.
Driving the news: The time around Ramadan, which begins next week, and Passover, which starts April 5, has historically been a sensitive period, particularly in Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank. But U.S., UN and regional officials are especially worried this year due to violence that has significantly worsened in recent months.
The Biden administration has seen gradual but significant improvement in its relations with Riyadh, regardless of last week's China-brokered agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran on reestablishing diplomatic relations, two senior U.S. officials told Axios.
Why it matters: Relations between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia have been tense since the Biden administration assumed office.
Israel recently approvedthe export licenses for the possible sale of anti-drone jamming systems that could help Ukraine counter Iranian drones used by Russia during the war, three Israeli and Ukrainian officials said.
Why it matters: It's the first time since Russia invaded Ukraine more than a year ago that Israel has approved defense export licenses for possible weapons sales to Ukraine.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholtz during his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday is expected to express concerns about the Israeli government’s plan to weaken the Supreme Court, two German officials told me.
Why it matters: Germany is concerned Israel's judicial overhaul plan could have negative implications for the two countries' bilateral relationship, a German official told Axios. Because Germany is Israel's second most important ally after the U.S., any damage to the Israeli-German relationship could have wider implications for Israel’s standing in Europe.
A top Russian official said Wednesday the country will attempt to recover the remains of the U.S. drone that was downed over the Black Sea after an encounter with Russian fighter jets, according to state news agency TASS.
Driving the news: The U.S. military said it was forced to bring down an MQ-9 Reaper drone on Tuesday after a Russian Su-27 jet struck its propeller.
A Russian jet crashed into a U.S. drone above the Black Sea on Tuesday, forcing the U.S. to bring the drone down.
Driving the news: The incident is part of a "pattern of dangerous actions by Russian pilots while interacting with U.S. and Allied aircraft over international airspace," U.S. European Command said in a press release.
A federal initiative seeks to standardize metrics in the country's criminal justice system as states and police struggle to keep data on Latinos, Indigenous people, and Asian Americans.
Why it matters: States and police have varying data collection systems identifying people of color during arrests or incarceration, causing incomplete or incorrect statistics. Experts say that incomplete data make developing policies to address inequalities hard.
A new movie studio aimed at reaching Hispanic audiences launched this month with a mission to fill a content hole that Hollywood has left open, its founder tells Axios.
Tuesday marks Equal Pay Day in the U.S., which symbolizes how far into the year women in general must work to earn what men earned in the previous year. But for Latinas, this year's Equal Pay Day won't come until October, and for some specific groups, it will come even later.
Driving the news: Latinas working full time make 57 cents for every dollar a white non-Hispanic man earns. But recent data shows that a woman's country of origin also impacts the size of her wages.
The plan revealedon Monday by the U.S. and the U.K. to transfer nuclear-powered submarine technology to Australia shows how seriously the three countries are taking the military threat from China in the Indo-Pacific, analysts say.
The big picture: It's the first time in 65 years that the U.S. has shared the technology — and only the second timeever.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) weighed in on the war in Ukraine this week, aligning himself with former President Donald Trump, who has led the anti-war wing of the GOP.
By brokering a deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia, China is trying to ensure two of its most important partners in the Middle East get along so Beijing can achieve its economic and political goals, experts say.
Why it matters: The Middle East has become a majorbattleground for influence as Washington and Beijing both seek to strengthen their ties and mend relations between their friends in the region.
U.S. dominance in the global weapons trade increased dramatically over the past five years, according to new data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
The big picture: Russia slipped to an increasingly distant second place, while China’s share of global exports stayed relatively flat.
Mexico's President Andrés Manuel López Obrador denounced Monday U.S. travel warnings and American news reports of violence in his country as a smear against his administration, per AP.
Driving the news: The U.S. State Department has "do not travel" alerts in place for six Mexican states, "reconsider travel" recommendations for six others and "exercise increased caution" advisories for a further 17 states.
