Some Paris Olympics athletes are utilizing the world stage to shed light on conflicts in their home countries.
The big picture: While theInternational Olympic Committee typically steers clear of geopolitics, they have imposed some restrictions regarding world affairs, including a ban on athletes from Russia and Belarus competing under their nation's flags due to Moscow's ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Japanese stocks saw their worst day today since 1987 as Japan's currency soared to a seven-month high against the U.S. dollar — triggering a selloff in global stocks.
Why it matters: There's an unwinding of the popular "yen carry trade" happening "at lightning speed" that will continue to cause volatility until it's over, Art Hogan, chief market strategist at B. Riley Wealth, tells Axios.
Nine staff members of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees may have been involved in Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that killed some 1,200 people, a United Nations investigation found.
The big picture: The UN announced Monday that those nine staffers will be fired, following an internal investigation that was spurred by Israel alleging that a dozen UNRWA employees were involved in the terrorist attack.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro has been outspoken against antisemitism and in support of Israel throughout the war in Gaza. His positions have attracted criticism from some progressives as the biggest point against him now that he's on Vice President Kamala Harris' running mate shortlist.
Why it matters: Pennsylvania is a key battleground in the presidential election. Harris is expected to announce her pick early this week ahead of an appearance in Philadelphia Tuesday to kick off a swing-state tour.
By water and land (and often air), Katie Ledecky and Simone Biles have cemented their status as the G.O.A.T.s of their sports in Paris.
The big picture: Ledecky won her fourteenth medal, a gold, on Saturday in the 800-meter freestyle and extended her record as the most-decorated female American Olympian in history.
Simone Biles captured the silver medal in the women's floor exercise on Monday, the final day of artistic gymnastics competition at Paris' Bercy Arena, with teammate Jordan Chiles grabbing the bronze.
Why it matters: Their floor medals marked the end of a strong, medal-laden performance for Team USA after major challenges in recent years.
PARIS — When judges needed to determine who won Sunday's Olympic 100-meter race, they drew onsome fancy new technology — a camera from Omega that shoots 40,000 frames per second, aimed right at the race's last few millimeters.
The big picture: Omega, which has been the Olympics' official timekeeper for decades, is constantly looking for new ways to help measure athletes' performance and figure out just who won.
Secretary of State Tony Blinken told his counterparts from the G7 countries on Sunday that an attack by Iran and Hezbollah against Israel could start as early as Monday, three sources briefed on the call tell Axios.
Why it matters: Blinken convened the conference call to coordinate with close U.S. allies and try to generate last-minute diplomatic pressure on Iran and Hezbollah to minimize their retaliation as much as possible. He stressed that limiting the impact of their strikes is the best chance to prevent all-out war.
Meanwhile, Vice President Harris is expected to announce her own No. 2 pick this week, and families are reunited after a historic prisoner swap that brought Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich home.
Here's what you may have missed when newsmakers hit the airwaves this Sunday, August 4.
