Israeli fighter jets conducted an air strike in Yemen on Saturday in retaliation for the Houthi drone attack on Tel Aviv last Thursday, U.S. and Israeli officials said.
Why it matters: This is the first time that Israel has directly attacked Yemen, a country more than 1,000 miles away.
Popular global destinations are contending with a surge in tourism that's getting too big to bear — driving up prices, polluting cities, damaging historical sites and angering locals.
Why it matters: The tourism tsunami shows no signs of slowing down, and some of the planet’s most beautiful and iconic places are in its path.
Sanctions against two hard-line Israeli Cabinet ministers were among the potential steps discussed at a White House National Security Council meeting Wednesday on how to respond to the deteriorating security situation in the West Bank, three U.S. officials tell Axios.
Why it matters: The Biden administration is deeply frustrated that the Israeli government has pursued a policy of expanding settlements and weakening the Palestinian Authority, and that more extreme members of the government are openly allied with extremist settler groups.
The world's largest Din Tai Fung — a Taiwanese, Michelin-awarded dim sum chain famous for its soup dumplings or xiao long bao — opened to the public in New York on Thursday.
Why it matters: Din Tai Fung's rise in popularity reflects a growing obsession with Asian cuisine across the U.S., NBC News notes.
Why it matters: The strike, which killed one person and injured more, highlights the difficulty of air defense, even in a country renowned for its missile interceptions.
The Swifties are wreaking havoc across the Atlantic — or, at least on European economic data.
Why it matters: "The Eras Tour" is a source of faster price increases as concertgoers spend on food, tickets and hotels. That's making for a cruel summer, pushing inflation rates higher with possibly more distortions to come.
A Russian court on Friday convicted Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich of espionage charges and sentenced him to 16 years in prison, multipleoutlets reported.
Why it matters: Gershkovich, the newspaper and the U.S. government denounced the charges and the trial as a "sham." The verdict could pave the way for an eventual prisoner swap to free Gershkovich, who the U.S. has deemed "wrongfully detained."
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) stated in an advisory opinion published on Friday that Israel's policies and practices in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem amount to annexation of large parts of the Palestinian territories.
Why it matters: While the legal opinion is non-binding, it is one of the most significant determinations by an international court since the Israeli occupation began in 1967.
A worldwide, cross-industry internet outage early Friday was caused by an error at CrowdStrike, a company meant to prevent such crises.
Why it matters: The global meltdown that grounded flights and halted banking is a black eye for cybersecurity vendor CrowdStrike, which has been trusted by U.S. federal security agencies and some of the biggest companies in the world.
Delta and United Airlines resumed some flights Friday morning, hours after a massive technology outage grounded aircraft worldwide.
The big picture: There were reports of massive online outages disrupting travel, banking and news outlets worldwide on Friday, as CrowdStrike, a cybersecurity company that services multiple industries, went down across the world.
At least one person was killed and seven others wounded in a large explosion that took place in Tel Aviv, Israel, early Friday. The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement that the explosion was the result of "an aerial target which fell without an early warning."
Why it matters: This is one of the most serious attacks on Tel Aviv since Hamas' Oct. 7 assault. A spokesperson for Yemen's Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for the drone strike.
A German man's HIV has likely been cured after undergoing a stem cell transplant in a first-of-its-kind case, scientists announced on Thursday ahead of next week's International AIDS Conference in Munich, Germany.
Why it matters: The 60-year-old has become only the seventh person to be considered cured of HIV — which affects an estimated 39 million people worldwide, including some 1.2 million people in the U.S.
