The big picture: Mysterious deaths of Russian oligarchs or anti-Kremlin figures of every stripe have become commonplace since Putin came to power more than two decades ago.
Why it matters: Without its founder and other top commanders, it is difficult to predict how Wagner will operate going forward, but it is likely that the group is the weakest it has ever been since first emerging nearly a decade ago, analysts told Axios.
European Central Bank president Christine Lagarde said on Friday the world's "fight against inflation is not yet won," becoming the latest economic policymaker to resist declaring victory despite signs of easing price pressures.
Why it matters: Lagarde spoke at a conference in Jackson Hole, Wy., where Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell earlier said that interest rates in the U.S. may need to go higher to tame inflation.
The Biden administration told the Israeli government last week that it would have to make significant concessions to the Palestinians as part of any possible mega-deal with Saudi Arabia thatincludes normalization between the kingdom and Israel, four U.S. officials and a source briefed on the issue told Axios.
Why it matters: Reaching a deal that includes a Saudi-Israel peace agreement will be a historic foreign policy achievement for President Biden. The administration is pushing to get an agreement before the end of the first quarter of next year, when the presidential campaign is expected to consume Biden's agenda.
The U.S. is seeking a short-term six-month extension to a longstanding science and technology agreement with China amid concernsBeijing is benefiting from U.S. scientific advances and gaining a competitive edge.
Why it matters: The agreement — and U.S.-China science and tech cooperation more broadly — has come under intense scrutiny as lawmakers in Washington say it risks fostering Beijing-backed intellectual property theft.
Journalist and religious scholar Stephanie Saldaña's new book about refugees from the Middle East celebrates remembering — something she says her Mexican American family lost during their migration story to Texas.
The big picture: Saldaña is a U.S.-born Latina writer based in the Middle East who has earned acclaim for empathic reporting. Her latest work is a lyrical homage to memory and survival through borderlands.
Russian President Vladimir Putin called Yevgeny Prigozhin a man with a "complicated fate" in his first comments since Wednesday's plane crash that is believed to have killed the Wagner boss.
The big picture: Prigozhin's presumed death comes two months after he led a short-lived rebellion in what was seen as the biggest challenge to Putin's rule since the Russian president came to power more than two decades ago.
Guatemalans overwhelmingly elected a new president last weekend,but the road to Bernardo Arévalo's inauguration in Januarypromises to be bumpy due to legal challenges.
The big picture: U.S. officials and leaders from other countries have already congratulated Arévalo on his victory, but his rival candidate has remained silent — and the current Guatemalan government has been accused of undermining his campaign to the point that some are warning a Jan. 6-like event could take place there.
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan is expected to host his E3 counterparts from France, Germany and the U.K. for a retreat on Friday to discuss a set of global issues, including Russia's war in Ukraine and tensions with China, four European diplomats told Axios.
Why it matters: The meeting was planned long in advance, but it will take place amid growing instability in Russia, especially after a plane believed to be carrying Wagner mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin crashed on Wednesday, killing all 10 people on board.
China, Russia and other members of the BRICS emerging economies bloc on Thursday invited Saudi Arabia, Iran and four additional nations to join the group next year in what will be the bloc's first expansion in more than a decade.
Why it matters: The expansion, which will also see Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates admitted to the group, will strengthen the bloc's position as it seeks to counter the Western-led world order. Chinese President Xi Jinping hailed the expansion as "historic."
A Moscow court on Thursday extended Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich's detention by three months, multiple outlets reported.
Why it matters: The U.S. has officially declared Gershkovich "wrongfully detained," but the Russian court's decision will keep him behind bars until at least Nov. 30.
The operator of Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant announced Thursday it had begun releasing the first batch of treated radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean, 12 years after an earthquake-sparked tsunami caused its contamination.
Why it matters: The decision to release over one million metric tons of treated radioactive water that was deemed safe by the International Atomic Energy Agency drew opposition from Japanese fishing groups and prompted protests in South Korea and China. Beijing banned all Japanese seafood in response to Thursday's action.
Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin was listed as a passenger on a plane that crashed Wednesday in Russia's Tver region, killing all 10 people on board, Russia's aviation authority said.
The big picture: Russian officials have not confirmed Prigozhin was killed in the crash. The mercenary boss in June led a short-lived rebellion in what was seen as the biggest challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putin's rule since he came to power more than two decades ago.
