Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held a two-hour call Saturday with Trump advisers Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, discussing territory and security guarantees, two sources with knowledge of the call told Axios.
Why it matters: The call capped three days of marathon negotiations between senior U.S. and Ukrainian officials in Miami over President Trump's proposed peace plan.
The FIFA 2026 World Cup schedule is (mostly) set. Mexico will face South Africa in the opener on June 11 in Mexico City.
Why it matters: Saturday's schedule release triggers a logistical race as millions of fans scramble to book flights, secure match tickets and find accommodations across the U.S., Mexico and Canada.
From MrBeast opening a theme park in Saudi Arabia to iShowSpeed touring China, U.S. creators are seeking financial opportunities, new audiences and creative inspiration overseas.
Why it matters: These influencers are becoming key marketers for nations looking to diversify their economies and shape global perception.
As media companies, sports leagues and Hollywood studios eye new opportunities to expand, they are increasingly turning to foreign cash to help foot the bill.
Why it matters: Access to U.S. culture has become an irresistible soft power play for Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds and Chinese investors. For media companies, the cultural stigma against accepting foreign cash is fading.
French forces responded on Thursday night to unknown drones flying over a military base that hosts nuclear-armed submarines, a French official confirmed to Axios.
The big picture: This is the latest in a string of mysterious incursions into high-security European airspace. The incidents have sparked suspicions of Russian hybrid warfare — but Moscow has not been directly implicated and little is known thus far about the incident in western France.
President Trump said winning the first-ever FIFA Peace Prize was "truly one of the great honors" of his life at the 2026 World Cup Draw on Friday.
Why it matters: The largely symbolic prize comes months after the president lost his bid for the Nobel Peace Prize despite leaning heavily into foreign diplomacy in his second term.
U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators are holding a second day of talks in Miami around President Trump's peace plan on Friday, U.S. and Ukrainian officials say.
Why it matters: While the Ukrainian and Russian public positions appear irreconcilable, U.S. officials continue to believe compromise could be within reach even on the most sensitive issue of territory.
Top Trump administration officials on Friday decried the European Commission's nearly $140 million (€120 million) fine on Elon Musk's X for violating its moderation law.
Why it matters: The penaltysets up a potential showdown with the Trump administration, which has criticized Europe's content digital market laws as "overseas extortion."
The Trump administration blamed much of America's and the world's current woes on immigration in an explosive new national security document that accuses Europe of undermining peace in Ukraine and China of ripping off the U.S.
Why it matters: The National Security Strategy, released Friday morning, asserts a "'Trump Corollary' to the Monroe Doctrine" that declares the U.S. will assert its political, economic and military will across the Western Hemisphere.
