Venezuela's top court on Monday suspendedthe results of presidential primaries held by the opposition coalition despite an agreement this month to hold free elections.
Why it matters: Experts say the preliminary decision is an attempt to push the opposition out of the 2024 race and likely violates an agreement signed earlier this month by the government of President Nicolás Maduro and the opposition. That agreement resulted in the U.S. easing sanctions on Venezuelan oil, gas and gold.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Monday reaffirmed his support for approving emergency funding for Ukraine.
Driving the news: Introducing Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.S. Oksana Markarova at the University of Louisville, McConnell said "this is a moment for swift and decisive action," adding that real consequences must be imposed "on the tyrants who have terrorized the people of Ukraine and of Israel."
An IDF special force and the Shin Bet intelligence agency conducted a ground operation in Gaza on Sunday night and rescued an Israeli soldier who was kidnapped by Hamas during the Oct. 7 terrorist attack, the IDF and Shin Bet said in a statement.
The big picture: Pvt. Uri Magidish is the first soldier rescued by Israel since more than 235 people, including dozens of Israeli soldiers, were kidnapped and taken to Gaza on Oct. 7.
Mossad director David Barnea visited Qatar over the weekend and met senior Qatari officials to discuss their efforts in trying to secure the release of the more than 235 Israeli and foreign nationals who were taken hostage and brought to Gaza during the Oct. 7 terrorist attack, two sources with direct knowledge of the issue told me.
Why it matters: Qatar is currently the main mediator between Israel and Hamas over the issue of the hostages. The Biden administration is also working with Qatar on this issue because several of the hostages Hamas is holding are Americans.
Stellantis andunionizedautoworkers in Canada reached a tentative contract agreement Monday morning, ending a brief strike that began at midnight.
Why it matters: The tentative deal struck by the automaker and the union, Unifor, covers some 8,200 Stellantis workers. It comes days after the company reached a tentative deal with the United Auto Workers union to end weeks of historic strike action in the U.S.
The U.S. military is bulk buying Japanese seafood to help offset China's import ban of the products after Japan began releasing treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant in August.
Why it matters: The new initiative aims to help soften the impact of China's ban, which is part of its "economic wars," said Rahm Emanuel, U.S. ambassador to Japan, in a Reuters interview published Monday.
President Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel should conduct its offensive against Hamas in Gaza "in a manner consistent with international humanitarian law that prioritizes the protection of civilians," the White House said on Sunday.
The big picture: It was the first call between the two leaders since the Israeli military expanded its ground operations in Gaza late Friday.
On the foreign policy front, President Biden's re-election bid is playing out similarly to that of the last Democratic president who failed to win a second term: Jimmy Carter.
Why it matters: Three destabilizing overseas crises have taken place during Biden's presidency: The chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and now, the prospect of a regional war in the Middle East.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned Sunday that the "situation in Gaza is growing more desperate by the hour," as Israel expands its air and ground offensive in the Strip in what Israeli officials have called the "second stage" of the war.
The big picture: More than 8,000 Palestinians, including at least 3,300 children, have been killed since the war began three weeks ago, according to the Ministry of Health in Hamas-run Gaza. Guterres, who has repeatedly called for a humanitarian ceasefire, said the number of civilians killed in the fighting is "totally unacceptable."
