A delegation of senior Hamas officials is visiting Saudi Arabia for a Muslim pilgrimage and meetings with Saudi officials, the organization announced this week.
Why it matters: It's the first time senior Hamas leaders have visited Saudi Arabia since 2015. The visit appears to be part of a rapprochement effort with the kingdom. It also comes as Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas makes his own trip to Saudi Arabia.
Secretary of State Tony Blinken during his recent visit to Niger urged the country's president to move toward normalizing relations with Israel, two U.S. and Israeli officials told Axios.
Why it matters: Blinken and President Mohamed Bazoum's discussion on Israel, which was not previously disclosed, is another sign that the Biden administration is working behind the scenes to include more Arab and Muslim-majority countries in the Abraham Accords.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin privately tried to reassure his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant that the Biden administration is taking steps to prevent future leaks of classified information after a trove of Pentagon documents appeared online this month, two Israeli officials said.
Why it matters: The leak of top secret Defense Department documents, which also included sensitive details from U.S.-Israeli consultations, could have major implications for the vast intelligence sharing between Israel and the U.S.
Israel is using its relationships with the generals leading the Sudanese military and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) group to urge them to immediately end the fighting that has left more than 270 people dead, three Israeli officials said.
Why it matters: Israel's normalization process with Sudan in the last three years and the relationships it built with both Army chief Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF leader Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, put it in a unique position to try to influence the two warring generals.
The House China Select Committee this week will be war-gaming a scenario in which China invades Taiwan, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: It's a unique opportunity that will allow bipartisan members of Congress to walk through the potential challenges and identify the best legislative responses to deter and combat an invasion.
For decades, the scale of the relationship between a major global bank and the former German Nazi regime has remained unclear, with investigations lacking the necessary funding and resources.
Yes, but: Two confidential reports released Tuesday shed new light on the connections between the Nazis and Credit Suisse, revealing that the bank held nearly 100 accounts linked to German Nazis and members of Nazi-linked groups in Argentina — in some cases, until recent years.
A Russian court on Tuesday upheld the detention of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who the U.S. has said was wrongfully detained when Russian authorities arrested him last month on espionage charges.
The big picture: Gershkovich appeared at the hearing in a defendant's glass cage — his first public appearance since being arrested. The court denied his lawyers' request to release him on bail or house arrest. A day earlier, U.S. Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy said she was allowed to visit Gershkovich for the first time since he was detained.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said on Tuesday he will give a speech in front of a full session of the Israeli Knesset during his upcoming trip to Israel.
Why it matters: McCarthy will be the first U.S. House speaker to address the Knesset in 25 years. Newt Gingrich was the first and last to do so in 1998.
Explosions could still be heard in the Sudanese capital Khartoum on Tuesday in the first hour after a temporary cease-fire was due to begin.
Why it matters: The proposed 24-hour cease-fire was intended to allow Sudanese civilians trapped by the fighting to obtain necessities like food and water. It appeared to have the endorsement of leaders from the Sudanese military and the rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The humanitarian situation in Sudan "was already precarious," but after several days of fighting between the military and a rival paramilitary group, it "is now catastrophic," UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned.
State of play: The UN and other aid groups suspended many of their humanitarian programs after aid workers and their offices came under attack in the four days of unrest.
The Chinese government has spied on and harassed Chinese dissidents in the U.S., even setting up a secret police station in New York City, the Department of Justice said in a press briefing Monday announcing charges and arrests in three cases.
Why it matters: The news comes as tensions between the U.S. and China remain high, following a surge in 2022.
Driving the news: During the first quarter of 2023, China's gross domestic product grew by 4.5% over the same time last year, according to data from the country's statistics bureau released Tuesday.
The expansion is higher than forecasts of 4%, and is the highest annual growth since the first quarter of last year (4.8%), CNBC notes.
Why it matters: China's economy, the world's second-largest, has a huge impact on the rest of the world. A slowdown could impact global financial markets and activity around the globe.
The country's policymakers set a modest target for economic growth this year of about 5%, slightly below its 5.5% target for 2022. It fell short due to a heavy-handed response to COVID infections that shut down key areas of the country repeatedly.
The big picture: Beijing reversed course on its COVID policies toward the end of last year, around the same time it pulled back on its crackdown of tech companies and property developers.
Policymakers have also pledged to help reduce unemployment in the country, especially among younger workers between 16 and 24, but "they face limited room" to make changes amid debt risks and continued global recession worries, Reuters notes.
What to watch: Oil prices rose slightly on China's economic data, as traders expect demand from the world's largest crude importer to grow.
Apple opened its first retail store in Mumbai on Tuesday with roughly 200 people gathered in wait and CEO Tim Cook taking selfies, including with Bollywood celebrities earlier in the week.
Why it matters: The most profitable Fortune 500 company is deepening its commitment to India as it expands manufacturing in the country and develops greater ties to Indian consumers. And it isn't alone.
A U.S. diplomatic convoy was fired on by gunmen believed to be affiliated with the Sudanese Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia in Khartoum, Secretary of State Tony Blinken confirmed on Tuesday. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
The big picture: The incident on Monday night marks another escalation in the fighting in Sudan and is the latest in a series of attacks on foreign diplomats and international organizations in Khartoum.
