President Biden and the leaders of India, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates hope to announce a major joint infrastructure deal on Saturday that will connect Gulf and Arab countries via a network of railways, two sources with direct knowledge of the plan told Axios. It will also connect to India through shipping lanes from ports in the region,
Why it matters: The project is one of the key initiatives the White House is pushing in the Middle East as China's influence in the region grows. The Middle East is a key part of China's Belt and Road vision.
The U.S.-China tit-for-tattech battle is starting to impact one of the most profitable and influential companies in the world — Apple.
Driving the news: Two separate reports from WSJ and Bloomberg this week suggest that the Chinese government is expanding a ban on using iPhones and other foreign-branded devices for work within certain government agencies and state companies.
Nonprofit groups are using blockchain and other technologiesto digitize, safely preserve and make accessible key documents about past Latin American dictatorships, including their human rights abusesand information about their victims.
Why it matters: The region continues to grapple with the legacy of these dictators, autocrats and military juntas.
Apple's Impact Accelerator program, which helps businesses that have Black, Latino or Indigenous owners, has unveiled the third group of companies to be accepted.
The big picture: The program is part of Apple's Racial Equity and Justice Initiative, launched after the murder of George Floyd. Apple initially allocated $100 million to the fund but has since more than doubled the investment, according to the company.
Two Taiwanese NGOs sent a small delegation to Ukraine last week to learn about combating disinformation and other resistance tactics from Ukrainian civil society groups.
The big picture: A growing number of Taiwanese citizens see Ukraine's experience as offering valuable lessons for Taiwan if Beijing were attempt to annex the island.
Toxic smoke from Canada's historic wildfires is drifting across the U.S. — triggering air quality alerts throughout much of Colorado, Wyoming, Minnesota and Nebraska through Thursday.
The big picture: Canadian officials warn there's no immediate let-up in sight from the country's worst-ever wildfire season which has left an estimated 41 million acres razed and repeatedly choked North American cities with unhealthy smoke this summer, sending carbon emissions to record levels and posing a grave threat to people's health.
The abrupt transition to online schooling during the COVID-19 pandemic left many children behind and had lasting impacts on them per a report released Wednesday.
The big picture: Achievement levels fell as physical and mental health declined during school closures that impacted over 1.6 billion learners from 2020 to 2022, and ripple effects continue, according to the 655-page analysis from the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) told Axios he has urged former President Trump to support the mega-deal President Biden is negotiating with Saudi Arabia, which could pave the way for a historic peace agreement between the kingdom and Israel.
Why it matters: The comprehensive deal could include a U.S.-Saudi defense treaty that would require support from two-thirds of the Senate, where many Democrats hold critical views of both Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Mexico's Supreme Court on Wednesday decriminalized abortion nationwide, making the country the latest in Latin America to expand access.
The big picture: The ruling ends the yearslong effort by abortion and human rights advocates nationwide and in individual states to decriminalize or legalize abortion.
Jared Kushner's private equity fund, which he launched after President Trump left the White House in 2021, has agreed to its first Israeli deal.
Why it matters: Miami-based Affinity Partners is backed by $2 billion from Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, and this is believed to be the first Saudi-sponsored investment in an Israeli company.
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan warned North Korea on Tuesday it would face consequences if it supplies Russia with arms for Putin's war on Ukraine.
Driving the news: Sullivan said at a briefing that discussions between officials in Pyongyang and Moscow on providing Russia's forces with military support were "actively advancing," including North Korean leader Kim Jong-un holding perhaps "in-person leader-level discussions" with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
