Axios

The Biden administration harshly criticized an Israeli law passed on Monday in the Israeli Knesset that repeals the 2005 Israeli disengagement from the northern occupied West Bank, calling it a "provocation" and a violation of commitments Israel made to the U.S.

Why it matters: The law allows Israeli citizens to enter the area between the cities of Jenin and Nablus, which Israeli settlers evacuated in 2005. The law could dramatically increase the potential for friction between settlers and Palestinians in the most sensitive and volatile area of the occupied West Bank.

Chinese President Xi Jinping offered Russian President Vladimir Putin a significant show of solidarity by visiting Moscow this week, but offered no indications he's prepared to step up Chinese support for Putin's war in Ukraine.

Driving the news: In a joint appearance after several hours of talks on Tuesday, Xi described China's approach to Ukraine as "unbiased" and "impartial." Putin praised the ceasefire plan Xi proposed last month but said Ukraine and the West weren't "ready" for peace talks.

The International Criminal Court's decision last week to issue an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin marked its most significant step yet to try to hold the Russian leader accountable for the alleged atrocities committed during the war in Ukraine.

Why it matters: The decision was also the first time the court has indicted a leader of one of the permanent members of the UN Security Council.

The United States and Japan will duke it out in the World Baseball Classic championship in Miami Tuesday evening after nearly two weeks of captivating games — but a disappointing showing for Latin America.

The big picture: Several of the eight Latin American and Caribbean teams were knocked out earlier than expected, while some players left with injuries that will likely have lingering effects for Major League Baseball teams when the season officially begins.

Latinas have been making inroads in the venture capital world, but they fear economic uncertainty will undo the gains they’ve made in diversifying who gets to decide who and what types of enterprises receive funds.

Why it matters: Latinos have for years started businesses at higher rates than other groups in the U.S., with Latinas especially having an entrepreneurial drive. But less than 1% of money doled out by the biggest VC and private equity firms has gone to Latino-led enterprises.

Weeks of protest in France against President Emmanuel Macron's planned pension reforms have transformed Paris, with the city's streets now lined with mounting piles of garbage.

The big picture: Macron, who ran on a platform of pension reform, has long argued that changes to the current system are necessary in order to ensure its long-term sustainability.

The Biden administration has determined war crimes have been committed by all sides in the deadly conflict in northern Ethiopia's Tigray and neighboring regions, Secretary of State Tony Blinken said on Monday.

The big picture: Ethiopia's government and Tigray forces agreed last November to end the fighting in the two-year war that led to one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. Humanitarian groups are now getting aid into Tigray, which faced what the UN called a de facto aid blockade throughout much of the conflict.

Finland is the happiest country in the world, according to the 11th World Happiness Report, from the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network.

• The U.S. ranks 15th.

🔭 Zoom in: Benevolence surged across the globe, driven by neighbors helping neighbors through the pandemic, the authors note.

• As we've reported, Americans donated more money after COVID hit than in previous years.

🖼️ The big picture: The report, which uses data from the Gallup World Poll, found that happier people tend to help others.

• The top-ranked countries had smaller gaps between the happiest and least happy residents.

Finland ranked highest in "Average Life Evaluation."

• The bottom-ranked countries were Lebanon (136) and Afghanistan (137), which are beset by political instability and conflict.

☀️ One bright spot: "Despite the magnitude of suffering and damage in Ukraine, life evaluations ... remained high ... supported now by a stronger sense of common purpose, benevolence, and trust in Ukrainian leadership," the 166-page report says.

This article originally appeared in Axios Finish Line, our nightly newsletter on life, leadership and wellness. Sign up here.

Chinese President Xi Jinping is signaling solidarity with his "dear friend" Vladimir Putin this week in Moscow — a visit that also underscores Russia's reliance on China to keep its economy and war machine running.

Why it matters: China has helped shield Russia from Western efforts to isolate it following the invasion of Ukraine, significantly increased imports of Russian oil, and become an even more crucial source for Russia of key inputs like microchips.

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Moscow on Monday for his first visit since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began.

Why it matters: The three-day state visit is a major display of solidarity with Russia from its most important global partner. It comes amid warnings from Washington that Xi might back the Russian war effort more directly by providing arms — claims China has denied.

Jeff Woodke, an American aid worker who had been held hostage for more than six years, has been released, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan confirmed Monday.

The big picture: Woodke was kidnapped from his home in Niger by jihadists in October 2016 and was believed to have been taken to neighboring Mali, according to the New York Times.

Jordan accused far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich of violating the peace agreement between the two countries after he gave a speech in Paris at a podium featuring a map that included Jordan and the occupied West Bank as part of Israel and said the Palestinian people were "an invention."

Why it matters: Smotrich's speech increased tensions at a time when the Biden administration, Jordan and Egypt are trying to de-escalate the violence between Israelis and Palestinians in the occupied West Bank ahead of the historically sensitive period of the holy month of Ramadan and Passover.

President Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in their call on Sunday that he was concerned about the Israeli government's judicial overhaul plan because in all the years he has followed Israel, he has never seen such a high level of domestic anxiety over the political situation in the country, two U.S. sources briefed on the call told Axios.

Why it matters: Sunday's call was the first time Biden directly discussed the controversial judicial overhaul plan with Netanyahu. It is rare that a U.S. president weighs in on domestic issues of one of the country's closest allies.

Former Taiwanese President Ma Ying-Jeou will make a landmark visit to China next week — the first such trip by a former Taiwanese leader since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949.

The big picture: Ma will not visit Beijing and didn't arrange any political events, but he will "suit the convenience of the host" if Chinese officials wish to meet him during his 12-day trip, Hsiao Hsu-tsen, the director of the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation told reporters on Monday.

An estimated 43,000 people, half of them children under the age of 5, died last year due to prolonged drought in Somalia, a report released Monday by the UN and Somali government estimates.

Driving the news: The Horn of Africa, which includes much of Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia, is experiencing the worst drought in 40 years. The region faces a sixth straight rainy season this year.

COVID-19 has killed millions and caused widespread disruptions to people's lives and global economies — but a major new study finds people are slightly happier than before the pandemic began.

The big picture: The 11th annual World Happiness Report, published Monday to coincide with the International Day of Happiness, surveyed over 100,000 people and found that Finland was the happiest country for the sixth straight year. The U.S. was ranked the 15th happiest nation.

China's leader Xi Jinping described his upcoming meeting Monday with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin as a "journey of friendship, cooperation and peace" in an op-ed carried by the two countries' state media.

The big picture: Xi's first Moscow summit with Putin since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began comes three days after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russia's leader for war crimes charges.

North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un oversaw tactical drills "simulating a nuclear counterattack" over the weekend, the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) claimed Monday.

The big picture: The drills that included a fifth missile test this month came as the U.S. and South Korean militaries conducted a days-long joint exercise that Seoul described as a "defense posture in the face of North Korea’s continued regional instability," but which Pyongyang regards as hostile.