The distribution of people across our planet is changing pretty dramatically, with populations booming in sub-Saharan Africa and shrinking in parts of Europe and East Asia, including China.
Driving the news: According to a new UN report, India will surpass China as the world’s most populous nation by the middle of this year, if it hasn't already.
The recent arrests of several alleged Salvadoran gang leaders in Mexico and Guatemala have raised fears that a crackdown in El Salvador is pushing more gang members to neighboring countries.
The big picture: Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele on March 27, 2022, declared a state of emergency that allows authorities to make arrests without charges and revokes other civil rights protections in the name of combating gang violence, resulting in the arrest of over 60,000 people. Most haven't been charged.
The UN children's agency is raising the alarm on what it says are worrying signs in the global effort to vaccinate every child.
The big picture: Public perception of the importance of childhood vaccines declined during the pandemic in more than 50 countries, including the United States, UNICEF said in a report published on Wednesday.
The Israeli military is planning to test its civilian early warning system in Kyiv next month with the aim of making it operational by the summer, two Ukrainian and Israeli officials told Axios.
Why it matters: The civilian early warning system, which will connect to the Ukrainian military radar and air defense network, can send faster and more specific alerts to Ukrainian civilians in the areas that are targeted.
The U.S. suddenly faces a new arms race that could be more dangerous than the Cold War: This time there will be three nuclear superpowers.
The big picture: China is on track to become a nuclear peer with the U.S. and Russia — and Moscow and Beijing have shown signs they could align against Washington.
At least 78 people were killed in a stampede at a financial aid distribution event in Yemen's capital, Sanaa, late Wednesday, Reuters reported, citing official Houthi media.
Driving the news: Witnesses told AP that the stampede took place when an electrical line exploded after armed Houthi rebels fired into the air to try to control the crowd.
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.
