Axios

The Biden administration at the moment does not plan to announce its decision on whether to ship longer-range missiles that Kyiv is seeking during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to Washington next week, according to a source familiar with the issue.

Why it matters: Ukrainian officials had hoped President Biden would approve the delivery of the Army Tactical Missile Systems, or ATACMS, a surface-to-surface guided missile system with a range of up to about 190 miles, next week, according to a Ukrainian source.

U.S. ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy met with detained Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich in Moscow Friday, per the U.S. Embassy in Moscow.

Driving the news: Gershkovich, who the U.S. has declared "wrongfully detained," remains "strong and is keeping up with the news," the embassy said.

Three Senate Democrats are asking for answers from the Department of Defense over Elon Musk's role in reportedly thwarting a Ukrainian drone attack on Russian military ships, according to a letter obtained by Axios.

Why it matters: Musk was heavily criticized for denying a request last year to activate SpaceX's Starlink satellite communications network over part of the Crimean coast to allow Ukraine to strike Russian ships at the Sevastopol Naval Base on the Black Sea.

The U.S. said on Friday it was issuing a new round of sanctions targeting Iranian individuals and entities that played a role in the "violent suppression" of protests that rocked the country following the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody a year ago.

Driving the news: The death of Amini, who died on Sept. 16, 2022, after being detained by the country's morality police for allegedly violating a religious law requiring women to wear headscarves, prompted mass calls for greater rights and freedoms for women in Iran.

The Biden administration notified Congress this week of plans to deny Egypt $85 million in military aid and redirect much of it to Taiwan due to concerns about political prisoners and other human rights abuses in Cairo.

The big picture: The administration was criticized by lawmakers for both not going far enough to hold Egyptian leader Abdel Fattah el-Sisi's government to account for abuses including detaining political prisoners and for not assisting Taiwan enough in the face of threats from China.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to visit Washington next week to meet President Biden at the White House and hold meetings on Capitol Hill during his trip to the U.S. for the UN General Assembly, according to two sources.

Why it matters: Congress is currently weighing President Biden's request to approve more than $20 billion in additional aid for Ukraine.

The State Department said on Thursday it would "respond appropriately" after the Kremlin expelled two American diplomats for allegedly "liaising" with a former U.S. consulate worker who has been accused by Moscow of spying.

Why it matters: Russia's decision to expel the diplomats marked another serious escalation in U.S.-Russia relations.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet with Elon Musk in San Francisco, the Israeli leader's office said in a statement Thursday.

Why it matters: The meeting, scheduled for Monday, comes as Musk continues to take aim at the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), a leading Jewish organization in the U.S., on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The official death toll from this week's devastating flooding in northeastern Libya surpassed 5,500 people on Thursday, but it is expected to significantly rise, with the mayor of the most affected city, Derna, saying as many as 20,000 people are feared dead.

Driving the news: Mediterranean Storm Daniel brought strong winds and heavy rains to east Libya Sunday into Monday, causing floodwaters to burst through dams, destroy homes and buildings, and wash away entire neighborhoods.

Olympic hopefuls from Mexico say they've been forced to personally raise funds to cover the costs of competing in the Pan American Games, which help determine who competes in Paris next year.

State of play: The Mexican artistic swimming team, the current world champions in the technical competition, has had to depend on strangers to help pay for uniforms, airfare and other needed expenses in their quest to extend their winning streak at the games, which start next month in Chile

A trademark dispute between Nestlé USA and two Mexican distributors could affect the types of staple products found in many Latino pantries.

Why it matters: The fight, headed to trial in federal court this November, comes as all kinds of companies try to tap into the growing, multi-trillion-dollar U.S. Latino market.

The U.S. targeted a slew of foreign individuals and companies accused of aiding Russia in a slate of new sanctions announced by the State and Treasury Departments Thursday.

Why it matters: While the U.S. and its allies have already imposed extensive sanctions on Russia since its invasion of Ukraine, the new slate takes aim at individuals and companies that act as transit hubs for the flow of crucial goods into Russia.

Satellite images taken before and after floodwaters in northeastern Libya burst through dams and wiped out buildings and entire neighborhoods show the sheer scale of the deadly destruction caused by Mediterranean Storm Daniel.

The big picture: East Libyan officials say at least 5,500 people were killed in the floods, though the mayor of the most affected city, Derna, warned Thursday that the death toll could reach as many as 20,000.

The European Central Bank (ECB) announced its 10th consecutive interest rate increase on Thursday, a surprise move for some who were expecting officials would pause the rate-hiking campaign.

Why it matters: It's the latest sign that policymakers believe inflation is still too persistent to forgo a quarter-percentage point hike, even as other global central banks have eased efforts to slow their respective economies.