Israel Faces Airport Closure, Strikes as Rage Mounts Over Courts Overhaul

By Steve Hendrix & Shira Rubin | The Washington Post (free)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced mounting pressure Monday to halt his government’s drive to remake Israel’s judicial system as the backlash against the plan engulfed the country and strikes threatened national paralysis.

More from WPR: Israel’s Protests Are a Battle Over the Meaning of a Jewish State

In Blow to Taiwan, Honduras Switches Relations to China

By Amy Chang Chien & Emiliano Rodríguez Mega | The New York Times

China has persuaded Honduras to abandon formal ties with Taiwan and establish them with Beijing, a blow to Taipei’s international standing days before the Taiwanese president embarks on a Central American tour that will take her through the United States.

More from WPR: Taiwan Needs a New Approach in Latin America

Workers’ Strikes Lead to German Transport System Chaos

By Guy Chazan & Martin Arnold | Financial Times

Germany’s transport system was paralyzed Monday by a one-day warning strike that brought national and local rail services to a standstill, causing misery for millions of commuters and severely disrupting freight traffic in Europe’s largest economy.

Biden Warns Iran After U.S. Forces Clash With Proxy Groups in Syria

By Dan Lamothe & Missy Ryan | The Washington Post

A burst of deadly violence between U.S. forces and suspected Iranian proxies in Syria has reignited long-smoldering tensions between Washington and Tehran, as President Biden warned Iran on Friday that violent attacks on American troops would be met with retribution.

U.S. Vice President Harris to Announce $139 Million Aid for Ghana in 2024

Reuters

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris will on Monday announce a $139 million aid package for Ghana for next year as she begins a week-long trip to Africa, part of Washington’s drive to counter growing Chinese and Russian influence on the continent.

More from WPR: To Compete With China, the U.S. Must Take Africans Seriously

Biden Holds Second Democracy Summit Amid Doubts Over Progress

By Humeyra Pamuk & Simon Lewis | Reuters

World leaders will gather virtually this week for the second U.S.-organized Summit for Democracy, an event critics say illustrates the halting progress the Biden administration has made in advancing human rights and democracy as a focus of its foreign policy.