Why it matters: Menendez comfortably won re-election as a Democrat in 2018, so his decision to run as an independent could prove a headache for the Democratic Party in what's typically been a safe Senate seat.
Israeli officials are concerned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's statements in recents days could sabotage the "constructive ambiguity" used by negotiators to draft a proposed Israeli hostage-ceasefire deal that could be accepted by Hamas.
Why it matters: Hamas wants to know the deal's commitment to a ceasefire in Gaza will ultimately lead to the end of the war, but Netanyahu is publicly saying he is still committed to continuing the war until Hamas is defeated.
When diplomats descend on Calí, Colombia, in October to further negotiate the pact to protect global biodiversity, they will be pushed to raise the issue's profile and its myriad connections to climate change.
Why it matters: Colombian environment and sustainable development minister Susana Muhamad will chair the summit. She's looking to go big on protecting nature and reconceptualizing humanity's relationship with it.
Russian propagandists are seeking to discredit the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and incite fears of terrorism at this summer's Olympic Games in Paris, according to a new Microsoft report released Sunday.
Why it matters: The report warned that the Russian campaign could expand and intensify in the run up to the start of the Paris Games in late July.
Claudia Sheinbaum, of the ruling party Morena, is projected to become Mexico's first woman president after a landslide victory in Sunday's election, according to a quick count by the country's electoral commission.
