Samantha Power, the director of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), told lawmakers Wednesday that people in parts of northern Gaza have begun facing famine.
Why it matters: Power is the first U.S. official to publicly say that famine has started in parts of the enclave, which had been on the verge of famine for months because of humanitarian aid disruptions from the Israel-Hamas.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told his German counterpart on Thursday that Iran is determined to respond to Israel's bombing of its consular building in Damascus last week, but will do so in an "appropriate" and limited way, a source with direct knowledge of the call told Axios.
Why it matters: German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock initiated the call at the request of the Biden administration, which is highly concerned that an Iranian attack on Israel over the strike in Damascus — which killed a senior general — could lead to regional escalation.
"Latine," a gender-neutral way to describe or refer to people with Latino origins, is surging in popularity on university campuses, in museums, and among researchers and media.
The big picture: Catch-all terms like Hispanic or Latino have come under scrutiny for blurring important nuances and presenting a large part of the U.S. population as a monolith.
President Biden on Wednesday reaffirmed his opposition to Nippon Steel's proposed takeover of U.S. Steel, during a Rose Garden presser with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
Why it matters: It's a political promise that Biden may not be able to keep.
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny's memoir, "Patriot," will be published in October, highlighting his political career and campaign against authoritarian leader Vladimir Putin.
Why it matters: Navalny, who died in a Russian prison earlier this year, began writing the memoir shortly after he was poisoned in 2020.
The European Central Bank kept borrowing costs at a record-high on Thursday, but new language in a statement released with the decision sent the strongest signal yet that rate cuts are coming soon.
Why it matters:Inflation across the European Union has come down notably in recent months, a divergence from the U.S. where price pressures have intensified.
President Biden pledged Wednesday closer ties with Japan and the Philippines to counter China's increasing influence in the Pacific.
The big picture: Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced in D.C. new military, economic and other agreements ahead of their trilateral summit on Thursday with Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Wednesday "attempts by foreign states to interfere" in the country's 2019 and 2021 elections were made, but the polls "held their integrity" and "they were decided by Canadians."
The big picture: Trudeau made the comments at a public inquiry into allegations that the governments of China and other nations attempted to influence the outcome of the elections won by his Liberal Party.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) signed into law Wednesday a bill that makes it a crime for a person to be in the state if they were previously denied entry to or were deported from the U.S.
The big picture: Reynolds is the latest of several Republican governors who've accused President Biden of not doing enough to enforce federal immigration law to take state action in response to the record numbers of immigrants arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border amid a wider global humanitarian crisis.
The senior U.S. military commander in charge of the Middle East is expected to go to Israel Thursday to coordinate around a possible attack on Israel by Iran and its proxies, two Israeli officials said.
Why it matters: Iranian officials have publicly threatened to retaliate against Israel for an attack in Syria last week that killed a top Iranian general. An attack on Israel or its bases could lead to another regional escalation.
The United Steelworkers on Wednesday reaffirmed its opposition to Japan-based Nippon Steel's $14.9 billion proposed takeover of U.S. Steel.
Why it matters: The politics here are awkward — the statement is out on the same day President Biden is hosting Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida at the White House.
President Biden said on Wednesday his administration is "considering" Australia's request for the U.S. to end its effort to prosecute Wikileaks founder Julian Assange for one of the largest classified intelligence leaks in U.S. history, according to pool reports.
Why it matters: Australia, where Assange was born, has for years called on the U.S. to drop its decades-long case against the 52-year-old, who faces life in prison if convicted.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with Axel Springer media outlets on Tuesday that he has urged former President Trump to visit the country to hear Trump's ideas to end Russia's invasion.
Why it matters: The invitation comes amid reports that Trump has privately said he could end Russia's ongoing assault on Ukraine by pressuring Kyiv into ceding territory to Moscow.
