Axios

U.S. passport holders heading to Europe will need to receive prior authorization to travel starting in spring 2025, European officials said Friday.

Why it matters: The new date marks a delay in the rollout of the new European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS), which had previously been expected to go into effect in 2024.

A Russian court on Friday extended the detention of a journalist with dual U.S.-Russian citizenship by another three days, her employer announced.

Why it matters: Alsu Kurmasheva, a journalist at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, is the second American journalist to be detained by Russia this year, following the arrest of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich in March.

A U.S. soldier who recently returned to the U.S. after crossing into North Korea has been charged with desertion and several other alleged crimes, multiple outlets reported.

Driving the news: The soldier, Travis King, has also been charged with assaulting other military personnel, leaving base after curfew and drinking alcohol against orders, NBC News reported.

This is a new column by Axios CEO Jim VandeHei and co-founder Mike Allen, based on regular conversations with White House and congressional leaders, CEOs, and top technologists.

Never before have we talked to so many top government officials who, in private, are so worried about so many overseas conflicts at once.

Why it matters: We don't like to sound dire. But to sound a siren of clinical, clear-eyed realism: U.S. officials say this confluence of crises poses epic concern and historic danger.

Canada's record wildfire season that's repeatedly triggered air quality alerts across the country and the U.S. has eased, some five months after it began.

State of play: About 45.7 million acres of land has burned in Canada this year — 2.5 times more than the previous record of 17.5 million acres razed in 1995. Some fires continue to burn.

The war between Israel and Hamas is commanding the attention of the world and sharply dividing international opinion.

Why it matters: Israeli leaders are intensely aware that international pressure is growing along with the death toll in Gaza. The battle for international opinion could be a key factor in what unfolds next.

The Pentagon plans to send Israel tens of thousands of 155mm artillery shells that had been destined for Ukraine from U.S. emergency stocks several months ago, three Israeli officials with knowledge of the situation tell Axios.

Why it matters: The Israel Defense Forces and the Israeli Ministry of Defense told their U.S. counterparts they urgently need artillery shells to prepare for a ground invasion in Gaza — and a potential escalation of the war by Hezbollah along the Israel-Lebanon border, Israeli officials say.

A U.S. State Department official who worked on global arms transfers resigned Wednesday due to his opposition to the Biden administration's additional military aid to Israel amid the war with Hamas.

Why it matters: Josh Paul, who was director of congressional and public affairs at the department's Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, announced his resignation on LinkedIn in a rare act of public dissent against the Biden administration as the president prepares to ask Congress for an unprecedented military aid package for Israel following his visit to Tel Aviv Wednesday.

Irina Karamanos Adrián, a Chilean activist and the partner of President Gabriel Boric, says she's worried the latest draft of her country's new constitution could jeopardize existing and future civil rights

The big picture: The draft is being finalized this month ahead of a likely December referendum on whether to adopt it, but critics say it veers to the right and threatens reproductive rights.

The U.S. is planning to send Iron Dome batteries to the Israeli military as the war between Israel and Hamas intensifies, according to one Israeli and two U.S. officials.

The big picture: The additional batteries will help bolster Israel's defense capabilities as concerns mount that the war will expand to a new front, particularly along the Israel-Lebanon border where tensions are escalating.

The State Department on Thursday issued a rare "Worldwide Caution" advisory for Americans who are abroad.

Driving the news: As the war between Israel and Hamas continues, the department is asking Americans who are overseas to stay alert for any potential threats.

Argentines on Sunday will vote in one of the most uncertain presidential elections in recent history, as a firebrand candidate who aims to tackle a massive economic crisis in part by adopting the American dollar maintains a slight lead in the polls.

Why it matters: Argentina is "at a political and economic breaking point," Benjamin Gedan, director of the Latin American program at the Wilson Center, tells Axios Latino.

Several communities along the U.S.-Mexico border saw homicide rates fall last year to levels that are well below the national average, according to an Axios analysis of the latest FBI crime data.

The big picture: Many Republicans have focused on illegal immigration as the presidential election approaches, often portraying border communities as chaotic and lawless.

The Biden administration eased sanctions primarily on Venezuela's oil and gas sector Wednesday after Nicolás Maduro's regime agreed with the U.S.-backed opposition to a roadmap to presidential elections in 2024.

Why it matters: The biggest rollback of Trump-era economic restrictions on the country underscores U.S. efforts to bolster global oil and gas supplies, which Axios' Matt Phillips notes Russia's war on Ukraine has greatly disrupted.

The current U.S. assessment of Tuesday's deadly explosion at a hospital in Gaza is that Israel was "not responsible," according to a spokesperson for the National Security Council.

Why it matters: The explosion set off a furious response — including large protests in Jordan, Lebanon and elsewhere in the hours before President Biden's visit to the region. Biden said earlier Wednesday that it appeared the "other team," not Israel, was to blame.